Read time: 5 minutes
A few years back, Mark Mitchell asked me to write a guest post for his Whizard Strategy blog. I was honored. He was a good guy & we’ll all miss him.
The following is an edited version of what I wrote.
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The other day, I posted on LinkedIn about a handful of challenges you might face as a building product rep.
Today’s post will expand on Challenge #1: Understanding architecture firm hierarchies.
You or your sales team likely talk with architects daily. (By email, phone or face-to-face.)
But do you really know the person you’re talking to?
- What’s their role on a project?
- Where are they in the office food chain?
- What influence do they have on specifying or designing around your product?
That’s what we’re digging into today. So, let’s get right to it!
Digging Deeper
Google the phrase “architecture office hierarchy.”
You’ll see a plethora of helpful descriptions of different job titles for architects. Maybe even a nice org chart.
Study those, and you’ll be ready to take on the architectural world, right?
It takes more than that to understand an architectural office’s structure. And who the key decision-makers are.
Every architecture firm you visit can have a different hierarchy. And the job titles rarely match the AIA’s job descriptions. It all comes down to how the firm evolved from an idea into the business it is today.
Or what business book they’ve read…
You’ll need to do more digging and research. [Assuming you want to understand each firm or individual architect you plan to meet with.]
Who’s on Your List?
Are you using a raw prospect list from your product manufacturer or distributor? Or the local AIA directory?
It most likely includes all Registered (or “Licensed” in some states) architects. And many of those will be a Project Architect or a Project Manager. But, the roles of those two titles will vary in each firm.
It can also depend on what country you’re looking at.
You’ll have some small—to medium-sized firms where every architect in the office does everything: project management, contracts, design, construction documents, specs, coffee, taking out the trash, fixing the toilet, etc.
But, if you’re looking at larger firms, they can be more compartmentalized. One person filling each role:
- Team / Studio Leader
- Production Architect
- Project Manager
- Design Architect
- Project Architect
- Specifier
- Planner
- Architectural Associate – or – Design Professional, (we don’t call them “interns” anymore)
I won’t list every combination of office hierarchy, title, and responsibility. And, even if I did, you’d have to guess which firm had which structure.
So, let’s look at a couple of rules. Use them as a guide to avoid missteps and find the right professional faster.
Rule #1: Just because their title is “Architect” does NOT mean they’re your ideal architect client.
How so? In every office I’ve worked in, a few licensed architects have decided they only want to draft or detail.
They’re not interested in picking or specifying the products they use. They don’t want to manage projects or clients. They leave it to the project’s designer or lead architect to figure those parts out. Once someone picks a product, they may contact you for typical details or spec sheets.
But they’re not the main decision-makers.
What to do instead:
Start asking better questions to figure out who the decision maker is.
When someone asks for product details or specs, try talking to them. Find out why they’re choosing this product. Some architects (including me in the past) hesitate to share many project details. They may be afraid of giving you an advantage that comes back to bite them during bidding.
Or they’re worried you’ll start harassing their client to get a leg up.
So, don’t push too hard for project specifics.
Provide value to help make them look good. And during that process, you can drill down to determine if they’re the key decision maker. Or they can tell you who to connect with now or in the future.
Rule #2: Get a clear understanding of what YOUR goal is
First, be clear on why you’re calling an architecture office. Then, worry about hierarchies.
Why is that so important? You need to know what problem the architect is having and what problem you’ll solve. Once you know that, you can whittle down who you need to talk to. You need to have the end in mind to map out your strategy.
Let’s look at a couple of scenarios…
A) Scheduling a lunch-and-learn
Do you want to set up a lunch-and-learn with a small- to mid-size office?
Start with the youngest design professional in the office. They’re usually in charge of taking calls from vendors and setting up lunch-and-learns. (As mentioned above, do NOT call them an intern — that’s not cool anymore.)
These younger architects are usually eager to learn about new products & systems. You might take a different approach with them than with a more experienced architect.
If you’re calling a larger firm, your ideal contact could be the head of its spec department.
But that person is a different cat altogether. A dedicated specifier is usually an older, more experienced architect. And they’re often a bit more cynical about products and manufacturers.
So, you’ll need a different game there, too.
B) Project-specific, one-on-one calls
Are you trying to schedule a call with an architect about a specific project?
For our example, you’ve got the architect’s name from the contact info they left on your website form. You know they’re looking at product “X.” Most likely, it’s for a current or upcoming project. That means you’ve got a great opening.
Reach out and see if there’s anything else you can do to help solve their problem.
(But, whatever you do, make sure you don’t do this…)
Use this “red-carpet invitation” wisely and focus on them. On their needs and problems. Ask what they liked about your product. If they’ve used it before, do they have a special condition your typical details don’t cover?
Don’t force it. Don’t rush it. Please don’t just “go through the motions.”
Show me you care about solving my problem. Then I might start seeing you as more than someone-selling-something. That’s where you want to be.
As marketing legend Dan Kennedy says, “You want to go from being an annoying pest to a guest.”
How to become the coveted “welcome guest”
Gathering this intel requires your “boots on the ground” sales team, or you can get out there yourself.
What I’ve seen work best are reps who come to the office to help with specific projects. They roll up their sleeves and help architects. Working through design details to find the best solutions.
How often do I see this? Not as much as I used to.
When I worked at a large firm, there were 2 or 3 reps I’d call or see around the office to help with projects. They had an “in” that can only come from building trust through a giving attitude.
These reps were trying to help the architects succeed. They could only hope that the winning contractor chose their product.
But they were always in the specification as the base manufacturer. And would be the “No substitutions” manufacturer if the specific project allows it.
And that’s where you want your products to be. Right?
Knowing who to talk to and how to present your product will help you build lasting connections. Those connections lead to success.
Remember, it’s about relationships, not just sales.
That’s all for today.
Next Monday, we’ll look at a different angle of how you can play “connect-the-dots” in a large firm.
Cheers to building more than just buildings, and see you next week.
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