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The Flywheel Effect: How you can leverage key connections in large A/E firms

Knowing how to connect with key players in a large A/E firm can be the key to your success.

Jim Collins popularized the flywheel effect in his book Good to Great. It shows how small, consistent actions can create momentum in business growth.

You can use connections with architects, engineers, and designers. They can help you set this flywheel in motion. Leading to stronger client relationships & getting specified on more projects.

First of all, what’s a “flywheel effect”?

If you’re like me, your first question might be, “WTH is a flywheel?!?”

Try this…

Imagine you have a bicycle with heavy wheels.

When you start pedaling, moving the wheel takes a lot of effort. You might have to stand up on the pedals to get your weight into it. But as you keep pedaling, the wheel goes faster and faster. Once it’s spinning quickly, it’s much easier to keep it going.

To maximize your reach as a product rep in a large A/E firm, the flywheel effect is like your bike wheel.

At first, it takes a lot of work to start things. Like building your first connection with one architect in that firm. But as you keep doing good work, more architects in that firm will hear about you. You create more connections, and your business grows faster and easier.

Just like the bicycle wheel spins faster with less effort.

What’s the Architect Connect Flywheel (ACF)?

The Architect Connect Flywheel (”ACF”) is how you’ll apply the flywheel effect. To entrench yourself in the large firms you work with. (Or want to work with.)

If you want to simplify & gamify it, it’s a game of connect-the-dots. The “dots” are the connections you build in and around the firm.

In a minute, we’ll look at a few specific examples of the ACF in action. But first, here’s a basic overview of how you’ll apply it:

Start with a Small Win

Identify key contacts: Focus on 1 or 2 key professionals, like a project architect or engineer.
Understand their needs: Offer solutions for their specific projects & challenges.

Build Momentum

Deliver value: Provide excellent support, case studies, and resources.
Get feedback: Use their feedback to improve your offers, showing commitment to their needs.

Leverage relationships

Expand contacts: Get intros to other team members and disciplines.
Collaborate: Each successful collaboration acts like a push on the flywheel. It makes it easier to gain trust and credibility across the firm.

Keep the flywheel spinning

Share success stories: Keep the firm updated on how your product has positively impacted their projects.
Stay consistent: Consistency builds momentum, making it easier for others to see the value in working with you. Give high-quality support and maintain your relationships.

Use internal champions

Empower advocates: Encourage satisfied users to advocate for your products. Their endorsement can be powerful in influencing others.
Offer training and resources: Educate different professionals through training sessions and events.

Get widespread adoption

Be persistent: Engage with various disciplines, showing your product’s value.
Monitor and adapt: Track progress. Adapt your approach based on feedback and the firm’s changing needs.

To expand your reach in a large firm’s architectural office, your first goal is to identify the key players.

These key players include architects, engineers, and other professionals. They can each influence decision making and can become your valuable contacts.

Here’s a quick summary of the key players you might find in a large A/E office:

1) Architects: The main client contact (usually) who designs and oversees the construction of buildings.

2) Engineers: They work closely with architects to provide technical expertise on systems and ensure the building’s structural integrity and functionality. Types of engineers: civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical.

3) Interior Designers: Focus on the aesthetics and functionality of interior spaces. (Note: Their roles are growing, so keep an eye on that.)

4) Landscape Architects: Specialize in designing outdoor spaces, including parks, gardens, and public areas. They integrate the built environment with the natural surroundings.

5) Project Managers: Oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of architectural projects. They make sure the design team completes the project on time and within budget. They also make sure they meet the client’s requirements.

6) Specification Writers: Assemble the specifications based on input from the project’s architectural team. Then, write and edit them. (Note: The engineer’s specs are usually written largely by the engineers themselves.)

7) Subject Matter Experts: These can be a subcategory of the disciplines above. Architects or engineers may specialize in specific building types in a large firm. Like education, healthcare, or science & technology. Engineers might specialize in lighting design, acoustics, security, and many other subsets of their discipline.

Here are a couple of roles outside the firm that can play a huge role in your success…

8) Clients: They are crucial in decision-making. They provide the functional requirements and approvals for architectural projects. Establish strong relationships with clients to understand their needs and offer suitable products.

9) Contractors or Construction Managers: Responsible for constructing and implementing architectural designs.

Here are three not-so-obvious ways to connect-the-dots and create the flywheel effect:

Example 1: Glass

Imagine you’re a sales rep for interior & exterior glass manufacturers:

Step 1: Offer a lunch-and-learn to a large A/E firm on the latest advancements in energy-efficient glass. Your prospect here is #1, the Architect looking for innovative materials.

↳ Step 2: After the session, contact the interested architects. Arrange a meeting to talk about how they will use your glass products on their projects.

↳ Step 3: Ask the architect (#1) for an intro to one of the firm’s mechanical engineers (#2). Show how your glass products’ energy savings can integrate with the engineer’s systems.

↳ Step 4: Offer to connect the architect (#1) and mechanical engineer (#2) with the client (#8). You can all present a unified solution that meets the client’s sustainability goals.

↳ Step 5: Talk to the architect and engineer regularly. Provide them with case studies and data to support your product’s benefits.

↳ Step 6: Ask for an intro to an interior designer (#3) at the firm. Explore how they can use your glass products for partitions or feature walls.

↳ Step 7: Keep expanding your network within the firm. Include other key players, like landscape architects (#4), to explore additional uses for your glass in outdoor designs.

Example 2: Stone Panels

Imagine you’re a sales rep for stone panels:

Step 1: Publish an article in a well-known architecture magazine. Feature a recent successful project that used your stone panels. Couple this with short LinkedIn posts linking to the article. Your prospect here is #8, the Client looking for inspiration for an upcoming project.

↳ Step 2: Once you attract interest from the Client, contact a large firm’s project manager (“PM”) (#5), who also saw the article or posts and showed interest in using your stone panels.

↳ Step 3: Arrange a meeting between the PM (#5) and the client (#8). See if they align on project goals and you can show how your stone panels can improve the project’s aesthetics and durability.

↳ Step 4: Ask the PM (#5) for an intro to the firm’s landscape architect (#4). Discuss using your stone panels outdoors.

↳ Step 5: Keep in touch with the PM (#5) and the landscape architect (#4). Give them detailed information on installing and maintaining your stone panels.

↳ Step 6: Ask for an intro to a firm’s structural engineer (#2). Discuss your stone panels’ structural requirements or load-bearing capabilities.

↳ Step 7: Build relationships with these key players. Use their network to introduce your stone panels to interior designers (#3) and other architects (#1) within the firm.

And on and on it goes…

Example 3: Door Hardware

Imagine you’re a sales rep for door hardware products:

Step 1: Attend an American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) conference. You can go as a vendor, or even as a presenter. Present your innovative door hardware solutions. Your prospect here is #8, the Client. Facility managers looking to upgrade their building’s security.

↳ Step 2: After generating interest from a Client (#8), contact an electrical engineer (#2) in a large A/E firm. They focus on building systems and can appreciate your hardware’s specs.

↳ Step 3: Ask the electrical engineer (#2) for an intro to an architect (#1) in the firm who specializes in healthcare and can see the benefits of your products.

↳ Step 4: Arrange a meeting between the client (#8), the architect (#1), and the electrical engineer (#2). You can all discuss how your door hardware can enhance the building’s security and functionality.

↳ Step 5: Talk regularly with the electrical engineer and architect. Give them detailed product information, installation guides, and security certifications for your hardware.

↳ Step 6: Ask for an intro to one of the firm’s specification writers (#6). They oversee the coordination of the specs and can help add your door hardware to the project.

↳ Step 7: Use these connections to introduce your door hardware to other disciplines within the firm. For example, interior designers (#3) may care about the aesthetics. Landscape architects (#4) might consider your hardware for outdoor gates and entry points.

The Flywheel in Motion

You can create a flywheel effect that drives lasting business growth.

Do it by strategically connecting with key players and consistently providing value. Each interaction builds momentum. This momentum leads to stronger relationships, more product specifications, and a thriving business. Adding these examples to your sales strategy can help you harness the flywheel effect’s power.

Your efforts will lead to long-term success. And a growing architectural and engineering community presence.

And that’s about it…

The flywheel effect should help you see the value of consistent, value-driven actions.

You can create powerful momentum. It drives your business forward. You do this by contacting key players, building relationships, and growing your network.

Use these strategies to connect the dots in the large A/E firms in your region. Then, watch your business grow, one successful connection at a time.

That’s all for today.

Cheers to building more than just buildings, and see you next week.

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