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On Tuesday morning, David Etchart, facilities manager for the Beaverton School District, served as one of four panelists at a Portland event to help explain what firms can do to improve their chances for winning contracts for projects with agencies, organizations and firms.

Twenty-four hours later, with the news that the school district had won voters’ approval for the largest construction school bond – a cool $680 million – in the state’s history, there’s a good chance Etchart’s phone was already ringing with calls from AEC firms looking to win a piece of the district’s future projects.

Before trying to dial the BDS facility manager’s number, though, folks might want to take into consideration some of the points that Etchart stressed during the “Why Some Firms Win” event hosted by the Society for Marketing Professional Services’ Oregon chapter.

• For firms looking to begin building a relationship with the school district even before a request for proposals goes out, Etchart offers some simple advice:

“The initial establishment of a relationship … is the key point,” he said. “It’s underlined by a human relationship.”

In other words, Etchart’s calendar is usually pretty full, so he’s looking for someone who can detect that he might be rushed and pick up on the nuances of tone of voice or the timing of speech – and then move into a respectfully creative mode.

“Be mindful of what you hear,” Etchart said. “Do I sound busy? Then (maybe you should) propose something other than a typical meeting.”

• When responding to an RFP from the district, be sure to cross your t’s, dot your i’s and check all boxes that apply. Don’t omit any information that is requested in the RFP.

• While the Beaverton School District is interested in technical aspects and creative ideas related to a project, it also wants to see how firms plan to apply collaborative approaches to projects. The district, according to Etchart, places a high importance on sharing information about projects with everyone involved, including government agencies.

“We don’t see it as a design process; we don’t see it as a construction project,” he said. “We see it as an integrative process. – 91ÊÓƵ staff