The Monday Morning Building Product Advisor
​Issue #127

Last Friday, I said I’d share a story that begins in a jobsite trailer. It’s about a rep whose product was more expensive, but he still ended up winning (…kinda’).

The project was an 8-story research building.

The elevator and its shaft had glass on one side so people could enjoy the view and the building would look more dynamic. Our firm hadn’t detailed this before, and the elevator code required laminated glass for the shaft wall. We missed that in our specs, and so did the glazing contractor, so they used standard tempered IGUs instead.

But you know who didn’t miss it? The elevator inspector.

He told us we couldn’t get a permit without laminated glass. Fixing it would cost around $100,000. I spent days looking for glass films or other cheaper options, but the inspector wouldn’t accept anything unless I could show him an example from another project.

While we were trying to figure out what to do in the jobsite trailer, a rep overheard us. He was one of the unsuccessful bidders for the curtainwall and glazing contract. But he still had other products on the project, which is why he was there.

Later, he pulled the design team aside.

He told us he’d seen the laminated glass requirement during bidding a year or two earlier and included it in his quote qualifications. That paper trail ended up helping reduce our firm’s share of the $100K fix.

And, since the winning installer’s crews were busy finishing the rest of the building, he got the contract to supply and replace the elevator glass.

The rep with the higher price, who didn’t win at first, ended up winning in the end. He was on site when it counted, and his earlier preparation paid off before anyone (including himself) realized how important it would be.

Even if you’re not interested in my offer later in this email, you should use his approach.

It has four steps, and you don’t need anyone’s permission to try them.

1) He did his homework even after the bidding was over.

With no contract or guarantee, he read the elevator code more closely than our spec did. Most reps only read as much as the RFQ asks for. He kept reading until he understood the building.

2) He wrote it down where it mattered.

Noting the laminated glass issue wouldn’t have helped if he’d just remembered it. But by putting it in his quote, with a date and a price, he had proof. When the problem came up a year or two later, he didn’t have to convince anyone. His paperwork did that for him.

3) He didn’t walk away when he lost.

Someone else got the glazing package, but he kept visiting the site. Partly because he had other products there, but mostly because he knew that losing one bid doesn’t end a project or a relationship.

4) He offered help before there was anything in it for him.

When he pulled us aside, there was no replacement contract yet. There was a problem, he had the answer, and he shared it. The contract came after the help. That order is the most important part of this story.

You could use any one of those steps this week, no matter what project you’re working on.

That’s the main lesson today.

Now, here’s the news about the offer I've been teasing...

There's only so much I can teach you about that kind of jobsite instinct from my side of the project.

But I know someone who can help from the product rep side...

Her name is Carolina Baffigo.

The “Project Fluent Cohort” is Carolina’s live September cohort for building product reps. It runs for five Thursdays and focuses on how to succeed with the part of the job that happens on site.

I’ve known Carolina since 2019, when I was a copywriter and consultant for a manufacturer she repped for.

She wasn’t selling to me, and I wasn’t her customer. But as their consultant, I noticed from the way Carolina answered my questions (and the questions she asked me) that we shared many of the same ideas about marketing and selling to design professionals.

So when I heard she was opening seats for her once-a-year program, I asked if I could share it with my readers.

She offered something even better…

If you’re one of my readers, you can get 10% off…

But ONLY if you use my private link on the sales page below.

Plus, if you buy through my link, I’ll give you three exclusive bonuses.

One bonus is a recording where I walk through job sites from the architect’s perspective, pointing out what I notice and who stands out. I’ll tell you more about that on Wednesday.

You can find the full story, all the details, and all three bonuses here:

​LINK TO NEIL’S OFFER​

(If the link doesn’t work for you, copy & paste this into your browser: https://bit.ly/4fMkfP1 )

My bonus offers and the discount end Friday at midnight, when Carolina’s early pricing ends.

I’ll have more updates for you tomorrow.

Neil Sutton
​Architect | Speaker | The Product Rep Coach

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