Small Moves Now. Big Wins Next Year

Thanksgiving is here, and that means a little downtime between overeating, family time, and spending way too much on Black Friday sales. It’s the perfect moment to sit down and organize your biz dev ideas so you can charge out of the gate in the new year. 

We all know the building and manufacturing world is changing fast, and the companies that win in 2026 won’t be the ones waiting for work to land in your lap. You’ll be the ones who stop relying only on reputation and word of mouth. Firms that depend on referrals alone grow three to five times slower than the ones who actively market themselves. The builders getting first call on the best jobs are the ones running a real business development flywheel. 

Take advantage of the quiet pockets in the next few weeks and map out the things you already know you need to do. A little planning now sets the tone for a stronger, more competitive 2026.

Here are a few things you can start right now to make 2026 your strongest year yet.

Make yourself unforgettable this holiday season

Every year, builders hand out the same basic gifts. Calendars. A Basket of Cheese and Crackers. Studies show that 78 percent of corporate gift recipients forget who the gift came from within one week.

I’ve worked with a few clients who seized the opportunity to create something memorable during the holiday season. Their extra effort showed they actually cared about their clients, that they were thoughtful and intentional, and it was remembered into the new year when people started kicking off projects again.

Try a small Jenga set branded with your story. Slip a small story card inside the box about how “you help people build things that stand strong.”

Or put together a Lego kit tied to your trade. A tiny excavator, crane, dump truck, metal building, or workshop scene. Throw your business card in the box. This brings the inner kid out of your recipients. Most of the time they can’t resist putting it together and showing it off.

Or how about a “Builder’s Survival Kit” including Advil, a packet of coffee, earplugs and cheap sunglasses. Label it “For Our Next Big Job” to imply an upcoming partnership.

People take an extra second to unpack or build it, and while they do, you have their full attention. Add a simple one-page capabilities piece. Tell them who you are, what you’re great at, and what outcomes you create. 

A thoughtful gift builds goodwill and opens doors before you even send your first follow-up in January.

Send a meaningful year-end message that’s honest and human

We all know the last couple weeks of the year slow way down. Folks are with family, but they’re also scrolling, poking around online, and clearing out their inboxes. 

And while they’re deleting the usual sales pitches without a second thought, they  are also looking for inspiration and encouragement to hit the ground running in the new year. 

This is the perfect time to send a short, thoughtful message from you personally. Not a pitch. Not a brochure. Just a real note they can relate to. Talk about what you learned and your aspirations for the year ahead. Research shows that personalized emails get opened 35 percent more, and replied to up to three times more often than “marketing” emails.

This isn’t about converting a sale. It’s about reminding people that you’re a human being with capability, experience and integrity. When you start sending more regular updates next year, they won’t get irritated. They will trust your voice because it started with something real.

And if you can muster the courage, ask them to forward it to someone they think should know you. A warm referral still has a 400 percent higher closer rate than cold outreach.

Strive to tell your story from your client’s point of view

Builders love talking about what they do. We build this. We pour that. We fabricate these. That’s fine, but it’s not what wins you projects anymore. While it's understandable you’re proud of your achievements and great team, you’re bragging about something that all your competitors can also claim, making you forgettable and interchangeable.

Data shows that building companies who focus on outcomes instead of the usual features and benefits win 30 to 40 percent more bids. Why? Because clients already know a dozen other guys who can get the work done. What they want is a partner who understands the challenges, has been down this road before, and can paint a clear picture of a successful outcome.

Tell your story in a way that shows your experience, your values, your lessons learned, and your commitment to doing hard projects the right way. This industry desperately needs more real stories, especially if we want younger workers to choose the trades again.

Partner with trusted experts to help you dominate 2026

To prepare for the year ahead, know that business development is only going to get more fragmented and competition is becoming increasingly difficult. Make a commitment to stop dabbling and find a real partner (hint hint) who knows the nuances, understands the flywheel, and can keep all the pieces moving together so you can bring in the high-quality opportunities that actually change your business. 

And I can’t stress this enough: Trust in the process. Don’t quit after five weeks. Don’t second-guess every step. To build a house you don’t pour one wheelbarrow of concrete and expect it to stand up perfectly. You have to follow the plan and keep your focus on the outcome without getting frustrated that results don’t happen instantly.

If you want 2026 to be your best year yet, don’t coast through the holiday weekend. Get intentional. Do these things and you’ll start next year with more relationships, more visibility, and more opportunity. The companies that win aren’t always the biggest. They are the ones who prepare and make themselves known.

Written by Rusty George, drawn from his insights working with leadership teams in the building industry. Although he does rely on auto spelling and grammar correctors (who keep insisting you spell Thanksgiving as two words like "Thanks Giving" and when he accepts the correction they instantly flag it as misspelled - what's up with that?) he does his best to write his own original content.

Rusty George leads a branding, website design and marketing agency serving Seattle and Tacoma area construction companies, developers, subcontractors, manufacturers, material fabricators and suppliers. His goal is to help the building industry become more attractive to the skilled workforce of the future. Reach out to us if you would like to commiserate about not really liking Turkey in the first place and discuss your plans to dominate 2026.