The Monday Morning Building Product Advisor
Issue #130

Our old pal Frazzled Frank, the product rep, had another tough week.

I’m sharing his story not to embarrass the fictional fella. But to show how he blamed the wrong thing.

Last week, he met with two different firms and gave the same product presentation. He did a fine job both times. Monday’s meeting went swimmingly. The architects got interested, pulled up a project on their screen, and started asking about lead times and warranty details. Frank left with a follow-up meeting scheduled.

Thursday’s meeting was with a similar firm doing almost the same work, but it did not go so well. The architects nodded politely and asked a few questions out of courtesy. But at the end they uttered those dreaded words, “Send us a cutsheet, and we’ll keep it in the files.”

On his drive home that Thursday, Frank replayed the meeting in his mind.

Was he just tired? Did he talk too much? Was it the room, the timing, or maybe even the coffee?

Or… was it an odor?!? 😱

Nah, it wasn’t any of those things.

His presentation was good both times. The real difference was that on Monday, he answered the question the architects were already thinking about. On Thursday, he answered a question they hadn’t even considered yet.

Think of it like a ladder. 🪜
And everyone’s on a different rung.

Eugene Schwartz wrote Breakthrough Advertising in 1966, and it’s still the best book on persuasion I’ve read.

[I’ve got two copies on my shelf… and it ain’t cheap!]

Schwartz’s main idea is that every prospect is at 1 of 5 levels of awareness. A message that works for one level won’t work at another. And we’re not talking just less effective, but completely useless.

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you know these levels.

2 years ago, I spent 5 issues explaining each one: Unaware, Problem-Aware, Solution-Aware, Product-Aware, and Most-Aware. [You can get links to those in the resource below.]

In the first issue, I suggested brainstorming the questions your architect is quietly asking at each stage.

Today, I’m sharing my own version.

I’ve rewritten the 5 stages as the actual questions running through the architect’s mind. Because, let’s be honest, in a meeting, you won’t be thinking, “Aw, yeah… she’s totally ‘Solution Aware’.”

Instead, you’ll wonder, “What’s she trying to figure out right now?”

Again, think of these stages of awareness as rungs on a ladder.

And each firm, or even each architect for that matter, could be on a different rung.

So, here they are…

Rung 1 (Unaware) = “[…]” Nothing… no questions. They don’t know there’s a problem, because nothing has gone wrong yet.

Rung 2 (Problem Aware) = “What’s happening to us?” Something’s off. Submittals keep bouncing, or CA keeps bleeding hours, and they’ve felt it but haven’t put their finger on it just yet.

Rung 3 (Solution Aware) = “What are my options?” They know there’s a problem. Now they’re surveying approaches, not brands.

Rung 4 (Product Aware) = “Why yours?” They know the approach, and they’re comparing you to two competitors right now.

Rung 5 (Most Aware) = “What’s the deal?” They’re sold. They want lead times, pricing, spec language, and a reason to move now.

Your presentation only answers one of those questions.

And in itself, that’s not a problem… It’s just how presenting works. The real skill is figuring out which question is on their mind before you decide how to answer. The firm Frank visited on Thursday was at the first rung. He came in ready to answer “why yours” for people who hadn’t even started asking “what’s happening to us.”

Here’s the tough part: that mismatch is never obvious. No one says, “Hang on there, Skippy! You’re 3 steps ahead of me.”

Instead, people just get quieter, and you hear, “Send us something for the files, and we’ll keep you in mind.”

Finding the rung they’re on only takes about 5 minutes.

Don’t just ask, “So where are you in your process?”

That’s a typical rep question, and it’ll get you a typical rep answer. Instead, listen for clues. What they’ve already done tells you the most. If a firm has tested two alternatives, they’re asking “why yours” (Rung 4). If they haven’t thought about the category at all, they’re at “…” (Rung 1) and don’t even realize it.

The questions they ask you are the second clue.

If they ask about how things work or different approaches, they’re looking at options. If they compare you to a competitor, they want to know why to specify yours. If they ask about price and availability, they’re ready to “make a deal.”

Their language is the third clue.

If they say, “We’ve been having trouble with…,” they’re asking what’s happening to us. If they say, “We’re looking at three approaches,” they’re considering options. If they avoid the topic and talk excitedly about something else, they’re on Rung 1.

That last one is often misread, because product reps hear “no objections” and rush ahead.

So what do you do when they’re on Rung 1?

You don’t pitch. You can’t, because there’s no answer to a question they haven’t asked yet.

Instead, you plant the question. For example: “Did you hear what happened at the medical office building on Grand? They used the same assembly you have on the Riverside project. And they had to open the wall last spring…” Then you stop talking.

It’s not a pitch or a setup, and definitely not a chance to turn it into, “…which is why our product…”

You’ve given the architect something to be curious about. And when we’re curious, architects will go investigate, and the next conversation starts with them asking you.

Yes, it’s slow.

But it’s often the only thing that works, and I think it’s the most valuable thing you can do all year. When an architect moves up to the next step because of something you said, we’re likely to keep climbing with you by our side.

Here’s your assignment for this week, should you choose to accept it:

Before your next 3 meetings, write down which of the 5 questions you think the architect is asking. Just one line in your notes. Then, spend the first 5 minutes of each meeting finding out if you were right, and let that answer guide your presentation.

Your presentation was never the problem. You were just answering the wrong question.

🔔 Resource Alert:

I put together a simple diagnostic worksheet for you. It covers the 5 questions, the clues that show which one is in play (what they’ve done, what they ask, what they say), and what your opening line should sound like at each step… Including the one where you don’t pitch at all.

And once you know which rung they’re on, the next question is what to do about it. I’ve already written about each one. So the worksheet also includes the links to the archived series I wrote a while back on the awareness stages.

Just reply with the word MATCH, and I’ll send it to you.

A few final thoughts:

• A few issues ago, we talked about what to say when your hypothesis turns out to be wrong. This is similar: a mismatched phase means your guess was off about their level of awareness, not about the problem itself. The pain could very well be real for the architect. But they just haven’t run into it yet. No matter how convinced you are, a good question will get them there faster than anything else.
• The most common mismatch I see is when a product rep talks at the Rung 4 level to architects who are still at Rung 2. You’ve done the competitive comparison work, and it’s really good. But I’m still trying to figure out why I keep running into CA issues in your product category. So, you may need to answer that question first.
• The opposite mismatch is less common but costs you a lot more. The architect at Rung 5 is ready to move forward, but the product rep starts with a problem-education talk I heard 2 years ago. That’s how you can lose a project you might’ve already had in the bag.

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That's it for this week!

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

Neil "ups & downs" Sutton
​Architect | Speaker | The Product Rep Coach

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P.S. I was chatting with Carolina Baffigo late last week, and she reminded me she still has a few spots left in her Project Fluent Cohort, which starts this Thursday.

She’s still taking sign-ups through tomorrow (09/01) at the current price. AND, she’s still offering a 10% discount to my readers who sign up with this link. Check it out if you still want in.

​P.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 would like me to present at an upcoming group meeting, get in touch, and let’s talk!

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