Broadly, opportunities for construction
sales and marketing professionals - meaning representatives,
sales engineers, territory and
regional
managers and directors
- have been cast in an uncertain light when looking through
to at least around the year 2011.
Like many positions in the construction and building
industires, demand for Sales pros and marketers will depend
on geographic
location
of
employment
and specialty
within the
construction/building
process among a host of factors and influences (such as
if the salesperson actively services the public or private
sector and, importantly, which specialty he or she
services)
Those salespersons and marketers involved in the residential
and specialty-trade sectors should probably not expect
opportunities, in the realisitc sense, consistent with the
past
several
years (with some erosion/accretion due to
DIYing - although its pendulum as swung the other way). Sales
persons involved with commercial construction projects
will surely feel the pinch of the prevailing economic
climate and in particular, the downturn of the U.S.
economy that has affected business to business transactions
and governmental expenditures distributed for their related
projects
While
other determining factors are more industry-specific --regulations,
such as environmental (wastewater, transmission of water
flow, etc) may play a role in the success of companies
that supply products like precast concrete – those
putting forth environmentally compatible/placed products
will benefit and have backing as a result.
Such projects as these will depend on TARP stimulus
allocations by the Obama administration; their resulting
activation
abilities of the efforts and their proven sustainablility
over time.
Consider
too, the effects of upstream supply; while many of us are
familiar with the quality and price of lumber associated
with deforestation & reforestation -- actually, many
factors can cause construction shortages, unforeseen or
not. Both
on the construction supply and service
end. Reasons are political, economic, the price of
oil as it relates to logistics.
Just
call to mind the drywall shortage over recent years across
the country. While supply levels like this can and do touch
upon a salespersons bottom line those who manage
to help purchasers better cope may help gain favor as these
type of incidences are only likely occur as an unavoidable
part of the business (like drywall, over
recent years imported from China).
Beyond
natural supply levels, another affecting factor is the
undoubtedly more complex environment that sales representatives
and engineers tend to operate within (namely for commercial).
Marketing and Sales pro’s
poised at the forefront might
enjoy real levels of success; like those representing innovation-driven
and/or
unique
products or representing uniquely qualified company services.
Examples abound throughout construction.
Construction
Sales 