The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #129 A few weeks back, I pointed out that your productās best fact is probably already in your technical documents, just waiting for someone to spot it. Today, I have even tougher news for your marketing team: The best sentence for your presentations is already out there. And your team didnāt write it. An architect did. OK, OK... easy now... Let me explain by sharing the most useful headline test I know. Joanna Wiebe, founder of Copyhackers,...
8 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 5 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #128 Letās walk through a conversation. Itās based on over 100 meetings Iāve had over 29 years as an architect. I use this example to coach reps because the first few minutes show everything important about consultative selling. Our old friend āFrazzled Frank,ā the product rep, meets with a project manager at a firm specializing in multi-family projects. Letās call the PM āMarcus.ā Frank has prepared for the meeting and believes balcony...
15 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 4 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #127 Last Friday, I said Iād share a story that begins in a jobsite trailer. Itās about a rep whose product was more expensive, but he still ended up winning (ā¦kindaā). The project was an 8-story research building. The elevator and its shaft had glass on one side so people could enjoy the view and the building would look more dynamic. Our firm hadnāt detailed this before, and the elevator code required laminated glass for the shaft wall. We...
22 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 3 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #126 In 1958, David Ogilvyās small agency landed the Rolls-Royce account. He knew this was his big chance. He didnāt brainstorm or gather his team around a whiteboard. Instead, he spent 3 weeks on a task that few in advertising did back then, and even fewer in sales do now. He read. Reading is hard... He read engineering documents, technical reports, and reviews in the motoring press. He did 3 weeks of homework before writing a single word. In...
29 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 4 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #125 Let me tell you about two architectural product reps and how each handled the same complaint. An architect who works as a PM at a mid-size firm shared that she had to repeatedly reject submittals in a specific product category. Sometimes, it took 3 or even 4 rounds. Both of the reps in our story sold products in that category. Product Rep #1 did everything by the book. He walked her through his companyās submittal checklist, promised...
about 1 month agoĀ ā¢Ā 4 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #124 About 15 years ago, I lost 40 pounds. I came in 2nd place in an online challenge that combined dieting and exercise. I was super proud of thatā¦ (and still am, a little.) Donāt cheer yet, though. Iāve gained most of it back. But still... stay with me! Because one of the tricks I learned back then lasted much longer than the weight loss. Itās the old, smaller-plate routine. Swap your regular 10- or 12-inch dinner plate for an 8-inch one, and...
about 2 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 5 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #123 Imagine this recurring moment from my past 29 years (and it could easily apply to every other architect on your call list)ā¦ Iām at my desk with redlines piling up on drawings. My structural engineer just called about a column conflict, and my client wants to cut the budget by 10%. I have 4 days to send the set out for bidding. My phone rings; I canāt answer, so it goes to voicemail, then a LinkedIn message pops up, and an email. The email...
about 2 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 6 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #122 Sometime last year, I attended a lunch-and-learn at one of our firmās offices. [I work remotely from home, so I only get to those in-person a few times a year.] Anyway! The rep was good, their presentation was valuable, and they answered every question. But after they left, 3 months passed, and when one of our project architects needed what they offered, no one could remember the repās name. He shoots... and he misses That story sums up...
2 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 5 min read
The Monday Morning Building Product AdvisorIssue #121 Your competition doesnāt need a better product to beat you. It can simply be that they have a better connection with the architect, GC, or developer you thought was your client. To fix this, hereās an easy way to be the most trusted rep in your market. (Without making every conversation a sales pitch.) Build stronger relationships. Be so valuable to your clients that leaving you feels like losing a trusted friend, not just changing...
3 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 8 min read