The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #97 20 years ago, I stood in a rented tux at the opening gala of a hospital in Williamsburg, VA that I’d been working on for 3 years (from design through construction). Bruce Hornsby was playing the piano. [Yeah, THAT Bruce Hornsby. The CEO had connections, apparently… plus, Bruce is a lifelong resident of the town.] Anyway! It was one of the most perfectly choreographed events that I’ve attended. The glass staircase, champagne flutes, city...
12 days ago • 6 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #96 ====== Quick note before we jump in… I had big plans to have the Pre-Meeting Research System ready to launch this week for Black Friday. But, it’s running a little behind. So, instead of rushing the thing, I want to make sure it’s fully ready for you. It'll be sometime soon (after Black Friday, but before Christmas). But, when I do launch it, it'll still have a great price for those who grab it early! Click here to join the waitlist so...
19 days ago • 1 min read
(Surprise! You're getting this newsletter a few days early because I need your feedback ASAP on something. See my questions below and let me know.) The Monday Friday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #95 Almost 400 books line the bookshelves in my office. If you’ve ever had a Zoom call with me, you’ve likely seen them. One interesting business book I came across and now sits on my shelf is called Will It Make the Boat Go Faster? The British rowing team that inspired the book had one big...
29 days ago • 3 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #94 The call came on a Thursday afternoon in 2004, right after the elevator inspector left. “We’ve got a problem with the elevator glass,” Paul said. He was the job superintendent. “What kind of problem?” “The inspector flagged it. The elevator code requires laminated glass.” “Jeez… How’d the elevator manufacturer miss that? Tell them they need to replace it.” Long pause. “No… they got their glass right. It’s the 8 stories of curtain wall glass...
about 1 month ago • 8 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #93 How to stop your architectural product website from “sucking wind” Here’s something I know about your website that I’ve probably never even seen. It’s probably not generating the leads you need. How do I know? Because I’ve spent decades on both sides of this equation. As an architect, I’ve specified 100s of millions of dollars’ worth of products. As a copywriter and product rep coach, I help manufacturers and reps connect with architects...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #92 It was 7:42 a.m. on Monday. My inbox was already a hot mess. Reps were asking for 15 minutes to chat. Reps saying their product is the “perfect fit.” Reps who clearly haven’t looked at a single thing we’ve designed. And I get it. They’ve got quotas. Architects have deadlines. But we get tired. Tired of smiling politely, then secretly asking AI, “Please craft an email to blow off a product rep without sounding like a jerk.” What most reps...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #91 Here’s the scenario that likely keeps you up at night. You closed a major spec 18 months ago. Phase 1 of a hospital campus expansion. The architect loved your product. Installation went smoothly. Everyone’s happy. But Phase 2 won’t start design for another two years. Your CRM shows zero activity. Your manager asks about it. You think about reaching out, but “just checking in” feels hollow when there’s no active project. Yet staying silent...
2 months ago • 6 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #90 Selling outcomes, not products: The “peace-of-mind” pitch Architects aren’t just specifying a product; we’re “buying” an outcome. I talked to an architect friend about this last week. Asked her what makes her pick one product over another when she’s spec’ing a project. She didn’t mention performance specs. She said, “I choose whoever makes me confident this won’t blow up during construction.” That’s it. She’s not specifying your envelope...
2 months ago • 5 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #89 $@#%&*!!! Well, that sucked! I was just finishing editing today’s newsletter in Notion when there was a glitch, and I lost the whole thing. Just like that. I tried a few things and couldn’t resurrect the text. So, since it was already 5:00 AM, I had to decide whether I skip today, or come up with something valuable fast. After I kicked my keyboard across the room, crossed my eyes for 5 minutes, slammed the rest of my coffee, I decided I’d...
2 months ago • 4 min read