The professional designer increasingly operates in a highly commercial marketplace, where more than just technical performance influences the level of business gained. The nature of the growth and decline of organization is reviewed, together with consideration of factors important to the client when choosing professional services. The role of marketing and selling is clarified for the professional architect/designer, and key points about some of the marketing skills and tools that are appropriate for the architect are considered. Comment is made on the current Saudi Arabian market for architectural services, and the role that marketing can play.