Don Swasing at CONEXPO
04/08/2026
Catch CONEXPO Speaker Don Swasing’s Fundamentals of Construction Selling
As the construction industry continues to evolve, finding new ways to secure projects and maintain strong client partnerships is more important than ever. Schlouch Incorporated is thrilled by our recent appearance at the CONEXPO trade show, featuring our very own Chief Operating Officer as a featured CONEXPO speaker.
Securing a winning bid requires more than just submitting a number. It demands a strategic approach to client relationships and an intentional sales playbook. Attendees who looked to refine their business development strategies found exactly what they needed in this session. By learning from an industry veteran, construction professionals discovered actionable methods to elevate their sales outcomes.
Meet Don Swasing: A Leader in Heavy Civil Construction
Don Swasing serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Schlouch Inc. and brings decades of experience to the table as a seasoned construction professional. As an accomplished heavy civil construction executive, he has a proven ability to develop and implement operational strategies that support Schlouch’s business and financial objectives.
Throughout his career, Don has led many key initiatives that have improved profitability through employee development, organizational change, and enhanced business relationships. He is widely recognized as an expert in applying innovative concepts to elevate team skills across all areas of an operation.
A respected advisor, mentor, and problem solver, Don excels at building and inspiring high-performance teams. His areas of expertise span leadership development, heavy civil pre-construction, safety culture improvement, and business development through customer value creation.
Key Session Highlights for Construction Professionals
As a featured CONEXPO speaker, Don Swasing shared a comprehensive guide to building a successful sales playbook. Many construction firms rely on passive sales techniques, hoping that good work alone will bring in new projects. Don explained why transitioning to intentional strategies is necessary for long-term success.
His session outlined practical steps to successfully sell construction projects. Attendees walked away with a clear understanding of how to identify clues, signals, and intelligence throughout the procurement process. This intelligence allows teams to position themselves strategically to win projects and build a recurring book of business.
Disrupting Traditional Methods to Create and Deliver Value 
To increase hit rates and profit margins, construction companies must disrupt the status quo of their current sales approach. Don Swasing taught attendees how to understand exactly where value occurs in the eyes of the client.
Once you know what the client truly values, you can consistently create and deliver it. This means moving beyond standard pitches and tailoring your approach to solve specific problems for the project owner. By disrupting traditional sales methods, you can significantly improve your outcomes and secure higher margins.
The Power of Relationships and Transferring Trust
At the heart of any successful construction project is a foundation of trust. Don’s session emphasized the importance of leading with relationships and explained exactly why this client-centric approach matters.
He guided attendees on how to actively transfer trust during the sales process. When a client trusts your team, they are far more likely to award you the project, even if you aren’t the lowest bidder. Building these authentic connections is the ultimate key to transforming one-off jobs into lasting, profitable partnerships.
Connect with Us at CONEXPO 2026
If you want to improve your margins, increase your hit rate, and create repeat customers, you’ll want to attend future sessions from Schlouch’s team members at future CONEXPO. We invite all construction professionals that attended CONEXPO 2026 to connect with Don Swasing and Schlouch Incorporated.
