Selling Is the Skill Architects Avoid but Need Most
Selling is one of the most misunderstood skills in architecture. Many architects believe selling means persuasion, pitching, or convincing someone to buy something they do not want. Others associate it with extroversion, charisma, or personality traits they believe they do not possess.
That misunderstanding keeps talented architects stuck. It limits opportunity, constrains growth, and leaves firms dependent on referrals they cannot control.
In episode 644 of the EntreArchitect Podcast, I sat down with Jed Byrne to talk about selling from a very different angle. Jed is not an architect, but he works inside the architecture, engineering, and construction industry every day. He sells professional services for a living and has spent years studying why architects struggle with sales and what actually works.
His new book, Start Small Selling, is not about turning architects into salespeople. It is about helping architects recognize that they already know how to sell and giving them a framework to start doing it intentionally.
This conversation is not about tactics or tricks. It is about mindset, confidence, and building a selling practice that fits who you are.
Why Architects Resist Selling
Architects do not avoid selling because they dislike people or fear business. They avoid selling because they misunderstand it.
Jed made this clear early in our conversation. Most architects believe selling looks like what they see at conferences or large firms. Big dinners. Golf outings. Travel. Handshakes. Pressure.
That version of selling feels foreign and uncomfortable, especially to small firm owners and solo practitioners who already feel stretched thin.
The reality is simpler.
Selling is helping. Selling is guiding someone toward relief from a problem they already have. Architects do this every day when they listen, diagnose, and propose solutions.
The mental block happens when selling is framed as something separate from expertise. When architects see selling as something they must become rather than something they already do.
Once that framing changes, everything changes.
Selling Starts With Constraints, Not Ambition
One of the most useful ideas Jed shared is what he calls the constraints-first framework.
Architects often believe they cannot sell because they do not have time, money, or energy. Those constraints feel like barriers, but Jed argues they should be the starting point.
Every architect has constraints. Even the largest firms with massive marketing budgets operate within limits. The key is to design a selling practice that fits your constraints instead of trying to copy someone else’s.
The framework begins with four questions:
- What are your constraints?
- Who are your people?
- What are their business pains?
- How can you help relieve those pains?
This is not abstract theory. It is practical and personal.
If you only have five minutes a day, that matters. If you cannot entertain clients or travel, that matters. Those limits define what kind of selling is realistic for you.
Selling does not require dinners or conferences. It might start with a short email, a thoughtful follow-up, or a clear explanation of how you help.
Constraints do not disqualify you from selling. They shape how you sell.
Your People Are Not Everyone
Another mistake architects make is believing they must appeal to everyone.
They do not.
Selling becomes much easier when you clearly identify who your people are. These are the clients or collaborators who value what you do most and benefit most from your expertise. We call these your Ideal Clients.
When architects try to speak to everyone, they speak to no one. When they speak clearly to a defined group, they attract the right opportunities.
Jed emphasized that selling works best when it is focused. You do not need more leads. You need better alignment.
Once you know who your people are, you can start listening for their business pains. Not design problems. Business pains.
This distinction matters.
Clients do not wake up wanting architecture. They wake up wanting clarity, confidence, speed, certainty, or outcomes. Architecture is the means, not the goal.
When you understand what keeps your people up at night, selling becomes a conversation rather than a pitch.
Selling Is a Practice, Not a Personality Trait
Many architects believe they are not good at selling because they are not naturally outgoing or confident.
That belief is false.
Selling is a practice. Like design, it improves through repetition, feedback, and experience. No one starts good at it.
Jed shared an important reminder. Even people who sell for a living experience fear, anxiety, and rejection. The difference is not the absence of fear. It is the willingness to move through it.
Architects already understand this concept. Design reviews, client meetings, and presentations all require courage. Selling is no different.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is momentum.
As architects practice selling in small, low-risk ways, confidence builds. Results follow. Over time, demand increases.
That demand creates leverage.
The Flywheel Effect of Selling
One of the most powerful outcomes of selling well is optionality.
As demand increases, architects gain the ability to choose projects, set boundaries, and raise fees. Selling well leads to better work, better clients, and better businesses.
This creates a virtuous cycle.
Better selling leads to better opportunities.
Better opportunities lead to better work.
Better work leads to a stronger reputation.
A stronger reputation leads to more demand.
This is not about growth for growth’s sake. It is about creating margin.
Margin shows up as money, time, energy, or creative freedom. Selling creates margin. Without it, architects remain reactive.
Writing as a Selling Tool
One of the most practical takeaways from this conversation is the role writing can play in selling.
Jed did not write his book to make money directly. He wrote it to clarify his thinking, deepen his expertise, and create a tool that opens conversations.
Writing forces clarity. It reveals what you believe, how you think, and how you solve problems.
For architects, writing does not have to mean a 400-page book. It might be a short guide, a manifesto, or a small booklet that explains how you work or why you care.
One good project pays for the effort.
More importantly, writing positions you as someone who thinks deeply and intentionally. It creates trust before you ever meet a client.
Why This Matters for Small Firm Architects
Small firm architects cannot rely on brand recognition or scale. They rely on trust, relationships, and clarity.
Selling is not optional. It is the mechanism that allows your expertise to reach the people who need it.
What Jed’s framework offers is permission to start small.
You do not need to change who you are. You do not need to become someone else. You do not need to love selling.
You need to understand it.
Selling is helping. Selling is service. Selling is part of professional responsibility.
Once architects internalize that truth, selling stops being a burden and starts becoming a tool.
Start Where You Are
If you are uncomfortable with selling, you are not broken. You are normal.
The solution is not to wait until you feel ready. The solution is to take the smallest possible step that fits your constraints.
Write something. Share an idea. Reach out to one person you can help.
Selling is not a moment. It is a habit.
And like any habit, it starts small.
Listen to the full conversation with Jed Byrne in Episode 644 of the EntreArchitect Podcast at:
https://entrearchitect.com/644
This episode is a must-listen for any architect who wants to build a stronger business without compromising who they are.
Want a FREE copy of Jed’s new book? Send your request to books@oakcitycre.com, and tell him Mark at EntreArchitect sent you.
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