Have you ever wondered what designers and builders really think about their clients, or why it matters?
I’m David Skuodas, and I’ve spent half of my 20 year career as a design consultant, and the other half as an owner on civil construction projects. For the past few years I’ve been asking vendors in the construction industry “Why does it matter to be a good client?”
I interviewed dozens of consultants, contractors, and client project managers, and I asked them what
differentiates a good client from a bad client, and how does the client affect the cost, schedule, or quality of a project. I asked vendors what conditions allow them to do their best work, and on the flip side, what might owners do that makes it difficult for vendors to do their jobs?
My research culminated in this book - The Effective Client: Why Being a Good Client is Smart Business in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industries.
This book allows you to peek behind the curtain and find out how designers and builders really differentiate between good and bad clients.
You’ll learn how client behavior affects the price and quality of the work – and even how designers and builders choose their clients. That’s right, just because you have a project to bid doesn’t mean anybody has to bid it. Given the scarcity of labor in the construction industry, this topic is both timely and relevant.
This book offers practical advice on how you can improve your standing with designers and builders so you can become a client of choice.
Make no mistake: Owners are in competition with each other for a very limited pool of capable designers and builders.
Being a desirable customer is smart business, let me show you how.
