Rising to the Top: Proven Strategies you need to Take Your Business to the Next Level

Despite a strong reputation as a thoroughbred service professional, experience, and exposure, Tierra (not his real name) struggles to compete in the major leagues. Tierra, like many other mid-sized service firms, is caught in a difficult position. He is too big to compete for small jobs but not yet established enough to take on larger projects.

As a development manager for about two decades, I've worked with a range of firms directly in the Real estate industry, service professionals, and eventual clients for high-end products (mega-large corporations). The story is the same..

Tierra, an acquaintance of mine who worked for a mid-sized MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) firm, reached out to me on how to scale up and be considered for bigger projects. He was looking to have introductions to some big players.

He explained to me that his firm had been doing white-label jobs for big firms in the background for years but had always struggled to break into the big leagues themselves. His company was too big to compete for small jobs but was not seen as a major player for larger projects. They were stuck in a frustrating limbo, unable to make a significant impact in the industry. They are in a condition known as commonly referred to as the "in-between" or "middle-child" syndrome in the business world.

Tierra was the business development director of a medium-sized MEP firm that had been in business for over two decades. His firm had built a solid reputation in his industry and had worked with a variety of clients, but he was struggling to take this business to the next level.

Tierra realized that he needed to find a way to attract higher-paying clients if he wanted his business to grow. He started by reaching out to larger development companies, likely potential clients, but found that they were not interested in working with his firm because they had not heard of him before.

One of his main problems was finding the right marketing strategy to secure work for high-level clientele.

Traditional marketing tactics such as bidding, cold calling, and advertising were not effective for his firm.

I could sense his frustration and knew exactly what he was going through. As someone who has been in the industry for a while, I've seen many medium-sized companies struggle with the same issues. These businesses often have the expertise and skill set to tackle complex projects but lack the marketing strategy to attract high-level clients.

One of their biggest pain points is the inability to compete in the major league because they do not have the brand recognition or track record of larger firms to win big projects. At the same time when in competition with smaller firms, they lose out when it comes to pricing. They have higher overhead costs and lower economies of scale, which makes it difficult for them to offer competitive pricing for smaller jobs. They are in a seeming catch-22.

Another issue is the lack of a targeted marketing strategy. Mid-sized companies often have limited resources and may not be willing to invest in marketing expertise to position themselves effectively in the market. They may rely on word-of-mouth referrals or outdated marketing methods, which limit their reach and potential for growth.

The sum total of my advice to him is :

👉Focus his marketing efforts on one particular type of clientele,

👉Focus on building a personal brand with a strong online presence,

👉Flaunt his previous achievements, especially for large projects (be mindful of agreements he signed while he did the white labels)

👉Embark on networking with the ideal target audience to establish a reputation not only as an expert in their field but to build relationships so they can be trusted.

Make no mistake, it's not an easy road for mid-sized companies looking to break into the big leagues, but with the right mindset and marketing strategy, it's definitely possible. There will always be a need for innovative, nimble companies that can adapt and grow alongside it.

Are you struggling with "in-between" or "middle-child" syndrome in the business world. Do you know your next steps to break free?

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