Three Ways to Engage
The right engagement depends on what’s actually broken.
Every Waldrop Advisory engagement starts the same way — a 30-minute discovery call where we figure out what’s happening and whether I’m the right person to help fix it. No pitch deck. No proposal until we’ve talked.
Workshop
The Seller-Doer Activation
Most AEC firms have a BD problem that looks like a people problem. It isn’t. The technical professionals on your team aren’t bad at relationships — they’re operating without a framework, without permission, and without the belief that they’re allowed to develop business on purpose. This workshop fixes that.
What the workshop covers
Mindset
The shift from “doer” to “seller-doer” — why technical credibility is your greatest BD asset and how to stop hiding it.
Opportunity Spotting
How to identify pursuit opportunities in existing client relationships before the RFP hits the street.
Relationship Building
Building client relationships that go beyond the project — without feeling like a salesperson.
Proposal Storytelling
How to write and present proposals that reflect your firm’s actual capability — not a generic response to the RFP.
Engagement details
Format
Half-day or full-day workshop. Delivered on-site or virtually.
Who It’s For
AEC firms with technical staff who need to develop BD skills — engineers, project managers, and rising principals who are expected to bring in work but haven’t been shown how.
Investment
$3,500–$10,000 per engagement depending on format and firm size.
Based On
The Seller-Doer Playbook — Bradley’s Amazon #2 bestselling guide for design engineers.
Project Engagement
The Design Procurement Advisory
Public agencies and private project owners run procurement processes that produce predictable results — good and bad. The bad ones are almost always structural. Wrong evaluation criteria. Ambiguous scope. An interview process that rewards presentation skills over project delivery. This engagement fixes the structure before it produces another bad result.
What’s covered
RFQ/RFP Structure
Scope language, qualification requirements, and submission format — structured to attract the right firms and screen out the wrong ones.
Evaluation Criteria Design
Weighted scoring rubrics that reward demonstrated delivery track record over glossy proposals and polished presenters.
Interview Protocol
Structured interview questions and evaluation guides that surface real project delivery capability.
Stakeholder Alignment
Getting internal stakeholders — elected officials, department heads, community representatives — aligned on selection criteria before the process begins.
Engagement Details
Timeline
4–8 weeks depending on procurement complexity and stakeholder count.
Who It’s For
Public works directors, capital programs managers, and program delivery executives who need to run a better consultant selection — or who have been burned by the last one.
Deliverables
RFQ/RFP structure, evaluation criteria matrix, interview protocol, and stakeholder alignment documentation.
Investment
$15,000–$35,000 per engagement.
Based On
Cracking the Design Consultant Code — written from the project owner’s side of the table.
Intensive + Ongoing
The Operations Alignment Sprint
Growing AEC firms hit a wall somewhere between $15M and $50M. The systems that worked at $10M — principals as the system, decisions by phone call, financial visibility by feel — quietly stop working at scale. The Sprint finds the wall, maps it, and builds the roadmap to get through it.
What the Sprint covers
Operating Rhythm
Meeting cadence, reporting structure, and decision-making protocols that scale with the firm — not with one principal’s calendar.
Financial Visibility
Project financial health, backlog clarity, and management reporting — so leadership can see what’s happening without a phone call.
Project Delivery Governance
Quality checkpoints, scope management protocols, and escalation paths that protect margin and client relationships.
Leadership Alignment
Getting the principal group aligned on direction, accountability, and the operating standards the firm will hold itself to.
Engagement details
Sprint Duration
60–90 days intensive. Produces a prioritized roadmap and governance language the firm can execute.
Ongoing Advisory
Monthly advisory retainer available after the Sprint for firms that want continued support during implementation.
Who It’s For
AEC firm leaders — managing principals, CEOs, and COOs — at firms between $15M and $200M who know their operations haven’t kept pace with their growth.
Investment
$25,000–$65,000 for the Sprint. $5,000–$10,000/month for ongoing advisory.
Start Here
Not sure which engagement is right?
That’s exactly what the discovery call is for. We’ll talk through what’s happening in your firm, where the pressure is, and which engagement — if any — makes sense. If none of them fit, I’ll tell you that too.