The Monday Morning Building Product Advisor
​Issue #111

Most reps I work with are busy.

And as someone who’s spent decades on both sides of that relationship (as an architect and as a coach), I can tell you the busyness isn’t the issue.

Tell me if this sounds about right:

You take long drives each week to cover your territory. Your calendar is full. You’ve got CEU presentations scheduled 3 weeks out.

But if we look closely at your territory, the same uncomfortable image would likely show up…

Most of your specifications come from a few relationships with architects. The rest of the time, you’re wasting time, energy, and budget on relationships that seem nice but go nowhere.

The issue isn’t effort. I’m sure you’re working hard.

Your biggest challenge is that you haven't had a clear framework. You’re not sure which architect relationships are worth your time and which aren’t.

That’s exactly what we’re going to fix this morning.

QUIT thinking of your territory as a list

Instead, think of it as a pipeline of relationships… At different stages of revealing themselves.

Most reps think about their territory as a rotation.

You have a list of firms and cycle through them on a schedule. You show up and maintain relationships, hoping the right project lands at the right time.

Unfortunately, hope isn't the greatest strategy.

If you want to be consistently specified on the RIGHT projects, you don’t always need to outwork everyone else. Instead, you need to take a completely different approach.

Don't cycle through a list. Start running a pipeline. Then you’ll know exactly where each architect stands.

The tool behind this is what's called the 6-Star Framework.

It’s inspired by the super-genius Dean Jackson’s 5-Star Prospect. Dean’s framework gives a proven foundation for identifying & qualifying high-value opportunities. And below, I’ve adapted & expanded it for architectural product reps like you.

The biggest insight that underpins the whole framework is this:

"You can’t create a 5-Star Prospect.
You can only discover one."

And that single idea should change everything about how you spend your time.

Anyway! This is how it works…

Star 0: Their project types actually need your product.

This is the filter you need to apply before everything else. [And it’s the one most of us skip entirely.]

Before investing any time, effort, or budget in a relationship, make sure you have a good reason to go after it. For example, let’s say you find an architect who scores perfectly on the other 5 stars. But they're completely focused on designing custom residential homes. If you’re a commercial flooring rep… they’re a dead end.

Dead end.
Stop there.
Do not pass go.
Do not collect $200.

Of course, project type fit isn’t the whole picture.

But it’s the foundation for everything else. Think of this “Star 0” phase as the bouncer at the door. If a firm doesn’t pass this checkpoint, the rest of the framework doesn’t apply.

Ask yourself: “If I’m honest, does this architect actually work on the types of projects that call for my product?”

If not (or not yet), move them to a low-priority list so you don't waste your time and resources.

Make sense? Good! Let’s keep rollin’…

Star #1: They’re willing to engage in dialogue.

This doesn’t just mean they agree to lunch. It means they actually engage.

An architect who tolerates your visits is different from one who truly wants to talk.

The first type will sit through your CEU presentation. They’ll take your samples and shake your hand politely as they go back to their desk. The second type asks follow-up questions. They actually reply to your emails. And when you do meet, they show up ready to talk about their projects.

Engagement is the first signal. Without it, you have no way to gauge the relationship.

Ask yourself: “When I contact them, do they respond, or am I the one who’s always doing the chasing?”

Star #2: They’re friendly & cooperative.

That sounds obvious, but there's a nuance to it.

Architects are generally polite professionals. We’ll usually treat you with basic courtesy, even if we don't plan to specify your product. So politeness alone isn’t the signal you’re looking for.

You’re looking for something warmer than politeness: mutual respect. They should see you as a person and a resource, not a vendor they tolerate because you bring good lunches or pastries.

The simple truth is: People aren’t friendly or helpful if they don’t want to work with you. Warmth is a good signal, but you don't want to bet the farm on it.

Ask yourself: “Do they treat me like a trusted resource, or just a vendor they tolerate?”

Star #3: They know what they want.

A 3-Star architect has clarity.

They can tell you about their upcoming projects with some specificity. They know their design direction. They have opinions about products and assemblies. They’re willing to share what’s working and what isn’t.

Contrast that with the architect who is always vague. Projects are perpetually “coming up,” and details are always fuzzy. Your conversations stay at 30,000 feet and don't ever seem to come down to earth.

Vagueness isn’t always evasion. Sometimes it’s just timing… They really are early in the project cycle.

But consistent vagueness across many conversations is a signal worth noting.

Ask yourself: “Can they talk specifically about their current projects and challenges? Or do conversations always stay vague?”

Star #4: They have a real timeline.

This is where “not-yet” architects separate from “not-gonna-happen” architects.

A 4-star architect has a real project on the horizon with an actual timeline attached. Not just the old “we’ve got some stuff coming up” routine. They’ve got real design work happening on something relevant to your product category. Something with a schedule. They have a client, and a budget conversation is underway.

Without a real timeline, everything else is hypothetical. And hypothetical doesn’t pay your commission.

The question to listen for (or gently ask) isn’t “Do you have any projects coming up?” That’s too easy for them to answer vaguely. It's much better to ask which particular challenges they're currently trying to solve.

If it's a real project, real problems easily surface. If it's hypothetical, everything stays abstract.

Ask yourself: “Is there a real project on the horizon with an actual timeline, or is it always ‘something coming up soon’?”

Star #5: They want your specific help.

This is the “star” that separates a good relationship from an Ideal Architect Client.

Your 5-star architects aren’t just tolerating your presence… They’re actively asking for your input. They ask your opinion on assemblies and details. They bring you in early, before the project team makes decisions.

They see you as a resource they’d genuinely miss if you, like, won the lottery or something, and bailed on them.

If any rep with a decent product and a lunch budget could fill your shoes…

You haven’t built a 5-star relationship.

And that’s okay. But be honest about it.

Can you feel the difference between “they’re happy to see me” and “they want my specific expertise”? That’s the difference between a relationship that feels “nice” and one that gets you real projects.

Ask yourself: “Do they specifically ask for my advice and knowledge, or would any rep with a decent product do?”

How to use the 6-Star Framework starting this week.

You don’t need a new CRM or a spreadsheet. You just need an honest 20-minute conversation with yourself about your top 20 architect relationships.

Go through each architect. Ask the 6 questions & score them.

Here are those 6 questions again:

• Star 0: “If I’m honest, does this architect actually work on the types of projects that call for my product?”
• Star #1: “When I contact them, do they respond, or am I the one who’s always doing the chasing?”
• Star #2: “Do they treat me like a trusted resource, or just a vendor they tolerate?”
• Star #3: “Can they talk specifically about their current projects and challenges? Or do conversations always stay vague?”
• Star #4: “Is there a real project on the horizon with an actual timeline, or is it always ‘something coming up soon’?”
• Star #5: “Do they specifically ask for my advice and knowledge, or would any rep with a decent product do?”

You’ll likely find that a small number of relationships check most or all the boxes. But the majority fall somewhere in the middle. They’re worth staying in front of, but not worth your deepest investment right now.

But don’t let that make you glum. What you’ve got now is CLARITY. And clarity is the most valuable thing a rep can have when deciding where to spend a Thursday afternoon.

Give your highest-scoring architects your best energy. Give them your most meaningful questions and relevant insights. Show real commitment with your time and attention.

Every other contact goes on a low-cost communication track. This might be a consistent newsletter or an occasional short email. Stay present without wasting resources on relationships that aren’t ready to move forward.

Next week, we’ll get into the part that makes all this actually work in the field. Knowing the framework is one thing, but using it between appointments can be hard. Especially when you’re tired and trying to catch up with emails.

More on that next week.

And before I sign off for the week...
​
Do you know which 3 architect relationships in your territory are most likely to produce a specification in the next 6 months? REPLY and let me know.

That's it for this week!

Here's to building more than just buildings, and see you next week,

Neil "5 stars (for some)" Sutton
​Architect | Speaker | The Product Rep Coach

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P.S. Do you really want inside an architect's head?

When you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can start working with me:

• Product reps: If you want to be better at connecting with architects, reply, and let's chat.
• Business owners or Team Leaders: You can book an Architect Connections Training for your team. Reply, and I'll send you the details.
• Speaking: If you need me to present at an upcoming group meeting, get in touch, and let’s talk!

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