Growthitect24 Sep 2025

How To Eliminate Bad Fit Clients (with Justin Smith)

#34: How often do you actually ask whether a project is the right fit for your firm?

In this episode, I sit down with Justin Smith, a structural engineer turned operations and strategy advisor, to tackle a problem most firms quietly wrestle with: saying “yes” to the wrong projects. We unpack why “how do we win this?” is the wrong first question, how scarcity thinking warps decisions, and the simple process shift that helps you filter fast, price confidently, and protect your team’s time and profit.

Justin shares what he’s learned helping A/E firms enjoy their work more and make more money from it. We get into building a smarter go/no-go for architects & engineers (that people actually follow), when to qualify in the call, what “good/okay/bad” client answers sound like, and the KPIs that tell you if your process is working.

Reach out to Justin: justin@aeclead.com
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrspe/
Work with Tyler: Send the word “Grow” to hello@growthitect.com

⸻

What You’ll Learn:

(00:28) The real first question: “Are they a fit for us?”—and how that flips your entire pursuit strategy
(02:50) Why architects default to “win at all costs” and how to detach from outcomes
(04:27) Justin’s background: from structural engineer to advisor for A/E firms
(06:50) The two forces behind bad project decisions: scarcity mindset + weak belief in value
(09:05) Why consistent lead flow is the antidote to scarcity (and the key to testing higher fees)
(10:27) The two common pitfalls: no process… or a process no one follows
(13:27) How to build a usable go/no-go: define firm goals, pick 3–7 must-ask questions, and pre-agree on “good/okay/bad” answers
(17:11) Turning answers into action: decide how many “goods” you need (and how many “bads” you’ll tolerate)
(18:48) How to gracefully say “no” mid-call—without persuading or debating
(20:06) Why you should lead the discovery call (and avoid forms for qualification)
(22:24) A quick rule: if they won’t hop on a call, it’s a “no”
(25:19) When to qualify later in the intro call (and why that matters in residential)
(26:55) The DOC method: Diagnose → Offer (continue or part ways) → Close (move to what’s next)
(30:09) DRAW vs DOC: diagnosing deeply, then framing a next-step meeting
(31:29) KPIs that matter: win rate, % of opportunities you reject, fee pushback rate, and delivery multipliers
(33:20) If clients never push back on price… your fees are too low
(36:26) Revenue vs profit: why big fees can still sink you
(37:42) Rebuilding belief: your work is scarce, necessary, and valuable—price and filter accordingly
(39:53) Commodity vs premium: differentiating your lane and communicating value clearly

—---

AISC RESOURCES

→ Learn about sustainable steel: http://aisc.org/sustainable

→ Get your Sustainability Toolkit: http://aisc.org/buildgreen

GROWTHITECT RESOURCES

→ Apply to join The Studio - https://growthitect.com/studio

→ Join thousands of architects on the free Growthitect newsletter - https://growthitect.com/join

STAY CONNECTED

→ Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylersuomala/

→ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthitect_com

→ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@growthitect

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(40)

Retention Secrets Every Architecture Leader Should Know (with Caitlin Brady)

#40: Today I’m joined by Caitlin Brady, architect and host of the Architectette podcast, to unpack a headache most firm owners share: you’ve got good people, but limited rungs on the ladder. How do yo...

12 Nov 202536min

Fixing Your Architecture Education (with Beth Lundell Garver)

#39: In this episode, I sit down with Beth Lundell Garver, Dean of Practice at the Boston Architectural College (BAC), to dig into one of the most common complaints in the industry: “We never learned ...

5 Nov 202542min

Should You Spend on Marketing? (with Mark R. LePage)

#38: In this episode, I sit down with Mark R. LePage, Founder of EntreArchitect, to tackle one of the most common questions architects ask: Should I spend money on marketing or just focus on organic g...

22 Okt 202538min

Why Word of Mouth Isn’t a Growth Strategy (with Rens Hayes)

#37: Most architects and engineers say their work comes from word of mouth. But few ever ask the follow-up question: what are people actually saying about us?In this episode, I sit down with Rens Haye...

15 Okt 202539min

How to Win Work Without a Big Portfolio (with Lance Cayko)

#36: In this episode, I sit down with Lance Cayko, Principal & Co-founder of F9 Productions, F12 Development, F14 Construction, and co-host of Inside the Firm, to tackle one of the biggest myths in ar...

8 Okt 202546min

Marketing For Busy Architects (with Mark Zweig)

#35: I sit down with Mark Zweig, Founder & Chairman of Zweig Group, to unpack one of the most common frustrations I hear from architects: “How do I market when I don’t have time?”Mark shares why time ...

1 Okt 202546min

How To Attract Design-Driven Clients (with Evelyn Lee)

#33: Architects often ask the wrong question:“How do I attract clients who actually value design?”In this episode, I sit down with Evelyn Lee, Founder of Practice of Architecture, to unpack why that q...

10 Sep 202535min