The Monday Morning Building Product Advisor
​Issue #112

Let me describe someone on your call list right now.

You’ve been visiting this architect for a while. The relationship feels warm. They let you buy them lunch, attend your CEU presentations, and ask good questions. Every time you leave their office, you feel pretty dang good about things.

But wait… should you?

I mean, when was the last time they specified your product?

If you had to think about that for more than 5 seconds, you might be caught in what’s called the 4-star trap. From my coaching experience, most reps have 2 or 3 architects on their list who fit this description.

Today, I’ll show you how to spot the trap. I’ll explain why it’s easy to fall in, and a quick way to see if an architect is ever going to move.

Let’s dig in.

The 4-star trap is an emotional problem, not an information problem.

Last week, we introduced the 6-Star Framework. And we went through all six diagnostic questions.

You might’ve felt some discomfort if you did that 20-minute exercise with your top 20 architects.

• A handful of them scored high.
• Most landed somewhere in the middle.
• And a few… well. You know who they are.

The 4-star architect checks most of the boxes.

They’re friendly, cooperative, and willing to engage. They might even be clear on upcoming projects. But they’re often missing one or both of these critical pieces:

1. an actual project timeline, or
2. a genuine want or need for YOUR expertise, instead of just your product line.

And that’s exactly the problem.

Four out of six stars feel close. It feels like one good conversation away from a breakthrough.

That feeling is the trap.

It’s hard to escape because you’re not making a bad decision by keeping up a 4-star relationship.

You’re making a completely human decision. We naturally put more energy into people we like. We read friendliness as progress. We tell ourselves the relationship is “developing” when really it’s just… comfortable.

The architect isn’t being manipulative.

They genuinely enjoy the lunch. They appreciate the samples. They just don’t have anything for you right now and may never work on project types that need your product. Or they may never tell you that they already have a preferred rep in your category.

That’s the tricky part that’s hard to see…

The most dangerous 4-star architect isn’t cold or difficult. They’re warm and pleasant and completely out of reach.

Without a clear system, you might waste years in relationships that appear productive. Meanwhile, your 6-Star architects are getting noticed by competitors paying closer attention.

Optimism without a system is an expensive way to stay busy.

If you’ve fallen into the 4-star trap, it’s not because you’re lazy or careless.

It’s because you’re optimistic. You believe in the relationship. You figure if you keep showing up, keep bringing value, keep being present… eventually it’ll turn into something.

And, sometimes it does… And that’s awesome! We’ll take those wins!

But optimism alone isn’t enough. If you don’t have a system, you can’t tell if an architect is working toward specifying your product. Or if they’re just enjoying good lunches from a rep.

And that distinction is worth a lot of money over the course of a career.

So, try going at it with this mindset… Stop asking yourself, “Is this relationship developing?” and start asking, “What specific signal am I waiting for?”

If you can’t name the signal… you’re just hoping.

Use this question to see where an architect really stands.

Let’s give your 4-star architect one last chance to give that signal before moving them to your low-cost touch sequence.

But we’re not going to use a lunch or a CEU presentation. Instead, you’ll send a single, short email focused on a problem they’ve mentioned before.

Something like this:

“Hey [name],

Are you still having those challenges with [specific problem they mentioned]?”

That’s it. You’re not going to pitch or even mention a product. There’s no agenda beyond finding out if there’s a real conversation to be had.

What happens next can tell you all you need to know.

If they respond genuinely, that’s a good sign! They might provide a real answer, ask a follow-up question, or even invite you to chat a bit more. That tells you they may be closer to a 5-star relationship than you realized. So, move them up your list and invest accordingly.

If the response is respectful but vague, or there’s no response at all, you have your answer. Shift them to the low-cost touch sequence without feeling bad about it. Focus that energy on something that will create results.

The main point of this approach is that you’re not starting a sales conversation. You’re not trying to force a transition. You’re simply creating a moment where they can either raise their hand or stay quiet.

Both answers are useful.

A hand raised tells you to invest more.

Silence gives you permission to stop. And that permission is worth more than you realize.

The competitor who steals your next project is probably already doing this.

They’re not working harder or running a bigger territory. And they’re probably not buying fancier lunches.

They’re just being honest about which relationships are actually ready. They put their best energy there, while staying light and steady everywhere else.

Next week, we’ll talk about the habit that makes all this possible over the long haul. Knowing where to invest is important, but keeping up with the details of those relationships is something else.

It’s simpler than you’d expect. And it might be the single biggest competitive advantage available to any rep in any territory.

More on that next week.

​
That's it for this week!

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

Neil 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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