It’s pointless to brag about one’s traits oneself.  Usually, results in an opposite effect of what’s intended.  It’s human nature to roll one’s eyes anytime someone says “I’m the best” at just about anything.  Muhammad Ali being the exception that “makes” the rule.  Furthermore, a number of architectural boards prohibit you from saying you are better than anyone around you.  But there is Good News!  These limitations can all be overcome by having OTHER 3rd parties endorse and attest to your skill level and say all those things that you aren’t allowed to. 

Here are some examples; 

Classmates:  For those architects that studied with you and that are now in a different location that yours and/or with a different focus on their practice then yours, getting endorsements from your classmates is an option to gradually build your 3rd party message strength.  It’s not so important that they understand the reason for the endorsement but that you simply get them to trade endorsements so you can put it to good use. Your goal should be to have more colleague endorsements in your practice location than any other local competing architects.  That designation can be used throughout the practice and via external marketing to build credibility to clients.  As clients have in general no clue about credentials (unless they are written in ways that explain what they mean), endorsements are something that is simple to comprehend. 

“Gee, if this architect is endorsed by 57 of her colleagues and I don’t see any architects endorsing this other guy, why would I not go to the one that the other architects trust?”   [A few states prohibit you as the architect from giving your endorsement to another architect or product.  However, the language usually does not prohibit architects from outside your state, or country, endorsing you.] 

Engineers:  All the engineers that you work with, structural, electrical, mechanical, you name it are another method of gaining a 3rd party endorsement.  If you are used to working with a certain engineer on many of your projects, they will very likely write an endorsement for why clients should trust you (remember:  the engineers see’s all kinds of projects/results from other architects).  If you consistently show them good project to work on with you, they’ll be more than happy to write an endorsement for you.  They probably send you Holiday Cards to show you that they like you, now it’s time to ask for a bit more than a card at the end of the year.  Same goes for contractors that you have a good working relationship with.

Media Publications:  When a practice receives media exposure either by way of an interview in a local publication or by way of the purchase of print space for an “advertorial” style advertisement (those ads that actually look like an article), an opportunity is now present to turn the interview or the advertorial into an endorsement.  Remember the public believes what it sees in print to be “news” and news lends itself automatically to 3rd party credibility.     

Other Professionals:  The public looks highly to not just us as people in our field but to other professionals as well for guidance in who they should choose for a professional service (lawyers, accountants, physicians, and dentists for example).  Think of those as being pretty much the same as an endorsement from someone in our industry but done by someone who knows you as a professional.  For example, they can easily make some comparisons with people of their own industries with saying things about quality of work, professionalism, always on time and on schedule, reliable, etc.

All of these, in addition to all the testimonials from your actual clients will make you look like a rock star! And between you and me, you need to believe that you are one yourself to be able to convince others that you are the best architect for them to work with.  If you don’t believe in it, there is no way you’ll be able to convince someone that doesn’t know you.