Yes… I know we’re way into the new year already. And you haven’t heard “Boo” from me.
But you’re not going to hear excuses. I’ve been busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. And that’s a beautiful thing.
And hopefully, you’ve been way too busy yourself to notice or miss me while I was off beating back the hordes.
But we’re back here together now, so let’s jump right in and help you get your arms around the rest of 2018…
Timing is EVERYTHING…
A month ago, I nervously sat in the exam room waiting for the doctor to come in.
I wasn’t looking forward to this, but it had to be done.
Then came the polite knock on the door, and she walked in smiling and saying, “Hi! It’s great to see you.”
Her tone and smile were comforting (which I appreciated), but something seemed… off.
Then I realized what it was. It was her timing.
It made me feel like she was just going through the motions and I was just another mug she had to take care of, so she could move on to the next one.
“Come on, Neil! Aren’t you being a bit sensitive?”
Yeah, probably, but it’s worth noting for your future reference.
Here’s what I noticed in that microsecond of interchange that made me feel unimportant:
Picture this…
I was sitting in a side chair on the right side of the room right next to the door.
As she opened the door, she couldn’t see me until the door was opened all the way and she’d stepped in.
But she was saying it was “great to see me” as soon as she started opening the door. And even when she could have seen me, she was staring into the opposite corner of the room as she said it.
The rest of the exam went fine, as did the follow-up visits. But that moment of incongruency hung with me. I mean here I am writing about it to you.
Whatever! What’s this got to do with YOU marketing to ARCHITECTS?
“Love her as I loved her and there will be joy”
That’s a quote from one of the best movies ever, The Princess Bride. The king just died and his son, Prince Humperdinck, was addressing his subjects with his father’s final words.
I always wondered if the king meant to love the kingdom or to love the prince’s new bride, Princess Buttercup.
Doesn’t matter, I suppose. But it’s the key to how you can develop better relationships and connections with architects.
One thing I’ve learned is you have to love your clients. Of course, you do.
But you also need to go a level deeper. You need to love your client’s customers. That’s the only way you’re going to truly connect with your client is if you share that common goal of pleasing their customers.
For example, let’s say you’re trying to get an architect to specify your new widget. Your immediate client is the architect. And for this example, his client is the facility manager of a hospital.
If you take my advice, you aren’t going to sell the architect on all your widget’s features, bells, and whistles. You’re going to show him how the widget is going to make his customer’s life so much easier.
Wanna’ go deeper? Show the architect how your widget will help the facility manager’s clients (the patients) heal more quickly because of the benefits it provides.
That’s how you’ll build the relationship. That’s how you’ll show you truly understand what the architect is trying to do.
Let’s get back to that quote, “Love her as I loved her…”
I’m now an architect-turned-copywriter/marketer, and I’m here helping you help architects, help building owners, help their customers, patients and staff. I’m taking the love a level deeper.
And so can you. Peel back the layers and see where you can deepen the connections you’re making. With your clients and everyone else in your personal and business life.
It’s never too late to start.
Make it a great marketing day!
Neil Sutton
P.S. In case you’re wondering — my story at the beginning was from a visit to the dermatologist.
I had a weird, fast-growing mole, right above my temple, that turned out to be a wee bit of skin cancer. The doctor was able to get rid of everything, so no worries.
But take my advice, get those things checked out… and wear sunscreen. <<End PSA>>
P.S.S. By the way, Happy New Year! Hope it’s your best one yet.
Take action today to get past just one of your obstacles. Or start step one of the process to climb that wall. But get started NOW.
And if you think I should be part of your taking action — Hop on over to my CONTACT form right now and let’s talk. There’s no obligation to work with me. But a 15-minute chat or email exchange could be the catalyst that starts you on a path to your best year yet. Talk soon, N.