If Price Is the Problem, You're Telling the Wrong Story
Why Value, Not Price, Wins the Work
Sponsored by BQE Software | Presented by Steve Burns, FAIA
Live Webinar Airing on May 14, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET
Too many firms assume they lost the job because their price was too high. In most cases, however, the fee is merely a convenient excuse that masks a deeper issue. When a client does not clearly understand the value your firm brings to the table, price becomes the deciding factor. That is not a pricing problem. It is a positioning problem.
This webinar challenges the outdated belief that winning work is about being competitive. You will learn how to earn trust, create emotional resonance, and position your firm as the only logical choice long before fees are ever discussed. We will explore how to shape the client’s perception, elevate your value, and design a sales process that moves your firm from the pricing conversation to a position of strength.
This session is for firm leaders who are ready to stop selling time and start selling expertise.
Photo courtesy of Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash
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Steven Burns, FAIA, is a distinguished thought leader, Steve blends his passion for design and firm management with profound insights into emerging technologies. Over the past 2 decades, working directly with over 1,400 firm owners, Steve has significantly contributed to reshaping these businesses for enhanced growth and sustainability. Steve's career highlights include a 7-year tenure at SOM Chicago, founding BBA Architects in 1993 and growing it to 17 architects before its 2007 sale, and creating ArchiOffice, a groundbreaking project management software company acquired by BQE Software in 2010. Recognized for his significant impact on the profession, in 2009 Steve was elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. Currently, as Founder of The Well-Designed Firm, he focuses on leading AE firms to operational excellence, mentoring leaders to craft businesses as elegant and innovative as the architecture they create. |
BQE CORE is the award-winning firm management software, created by architects for architects, that project-based firms trust to run their operations for better project outcomes, and more profitable futures. Their fully integrated suite of intuitive tools with 24/7/365 support provides back-office automation to power front-office insights, making firm management more agile, informed, and data-driven. Learn more at www.bqe.com.
Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in March 2026
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Identify the real reasons clients hesitate to hire your firm, and how to address those objections early in the sales process.
- Discover how to shift the conversation from pricing to value in a way that builds trust and confidence.
- Determine how to utilize storytelling and positioning techniques to differentiate your firm.
- Design a sales process that begins before the RFP and builds long-term demand for your expertise.
