The Monday Morning Building Product Advisor
​Issue #128

Let’s walk through a conversation.

It’s based on over 100 meetings I’ve had over 29 years as an architect. I use this example to coach reps because the first few minutes show everything important about consultative selling.

Our old friend “Frazzled Frank,” the product rep, meets with a project manager at a firm specializing in multi-family projects.

Let’s call the PM “Marcus.”

Frank has prepared for the meeting and believes balcony waterproofing is a big concern for the firm. He starts with, “A lot of firms tell us balcony failures are their biggest liability worry on multifamily projects. Is that keeping your team up at night?”

That’s actually a good question. It starts with a common pattern, points to a specific problem, and gives space for a thoughtful answer.

But Marcus says, “Nah… Not really. We’ve used the same balcony detail for 10 years with zero failures.”

Let’s pause right here. This is the key moment.

Frank’s big idea for the meeting just fell apart.
​DOH!!! 😩

Every bit of sales training he’s had is telling him to push back:

• “But are you sure?”
• “Well, a lot of firms think that until…”
• “The thing is, failures can be hidden for years…”

Let me explain how that pushback sounds from the architect’s side.

After hearing it for almost 30 years, I can tell you it comes across as someone who desperately needs my problem to fit their solution. Once we sense that, the meeting’s over. We’ll be polite and take the brochure, but you won’t know what ended it.

Here’s what Frazzled Frank said instead:

“Nice! Then I won’t try to invent a problem there. 10 years with no issues means your detail works. So, let me ask the opposite question: What does break on your projects? Where do the callback calls actually come from?”

Take another look at that, because there are three distinct moves in those two sentences, and you can easily learn each one.

He accepted the "no" right away. No arguing, no “well, but.” Frank let go of his idea completely. That’s not a weakness. In our profession, everyone is always pushing. So, if you’re not pushing, you can stand out.

He recognized Marcus’s skill. Saying, “10 years with no issues means your detail works,” shows Marcus that his firm does good work. Most reps don’t say this because it feels like giving up ground, but it’s not. It proves you’re looking at the real situation, not just trying to sell.

He pivoted to an opportunity, not just another guess. He asked an open question: “What does break?” He'd earned the right to ask by listening first.

You won’t believe what happened next…

Marcus, who’d been skeptical and guarded, immediately shared the real issue: window installation.

Every job had a different subcontractor, leading to different results, water leaks in the second year, and three dispute meetings in the last two years with the developers his firm wants more work from.

Frazzled Frank left with two projects in early design, asking for his product details.

This happened just 30 seconds after Frank was proven wrong. That’s a direct result of how he handled it.

Here’s something architects won’t usually tell you (but I will). We almost never share our real problems with strangers. The first no is usually a test, even if we don't consciously mean it as one.

If you accept it, we might just share what’s really bugging us.

If you push against it, you’re just like all the other reps.

One important warning…

This only works if you’re sincere.

If you fake it, architects can tell. If Marcus had said nothing ever breaks, Frank should believe him, leave something helpful behind, and move on. Some firms simply won’t have the problem you can solve.

And finding that out early in a meeting is a gift… ‘Cuz you just got your afternoon back.

Here’s your assignment: (should you choose to accept it...)

Before your next 3 meetings, decide in advance what you’ll say when your idea turns out to be wrong.

Not if, but when. Write it down. Practice saying it out loud, even in your car, until it feels natural instead of forced.

Knowing how to handle being wrong is a skill, but most of us never practice it.

A few things to note…

• This issue is related to the “Question Bank” topic from a few weeks ago. That one focused on digging deeper into a real pain. This one covers what to do when the pain isn’t applicable. Together, they cover a lot of the discovery process.

• One of my coaching clients tried the “credit the competence” approach after his idea didn’t fit. The architect’s exact response was: “Huh. Okay, so here’s what actually drives us crazy…” It took 4 seconds. This stuff actually works.

• Quick reminder: The CLOCK worksheet is still available if you missed it. The retreat and the clock are really the same skill, just used in different ways. Only say what’s true, and let the truth do the selling.

🔔 Resource Alert:

I put together the whole approach as a short Retreat Script.

It includes the 3 steps in order, space to write your own version, and the 4 mistakes reps can accidentally make that turn a good retreat into a push.

Just reply with the word RETREAT, and I’ll send it to you as soon as I can. (But you'll need to be patient, because I’m on the road/ in meetings Monday & Tuesday. So it may be this evening before I send it.)

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​That's it for this week!

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

Neil "Walkin’-it-back" Sutton
​Architect | Speaker | The Product Rep Coach

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P.S. If you missed joining Carolina Baffigo’s Project Fluent Cohort last week when I promoted it at the early enrollment price… it’s still too late. My bonuses are off the table.

However… Carolina just let me know she’s still taking sign-ups through September 1st at the current price. AND, she’s still offering a 10% discount to my readers who sign up with this link. This is the only time I’ll be sharing this link, so if you want in, be sure to do it now before you forget.

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