[et_pb_section transparent_background=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”off” custom_width_px=”1080px” custom_width_percent=”80%” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” admin_label=”section” disabled=”off”][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”off” custom_width_px=”1080px” custom_width_percent=”80%” use_custom_gutter=”off” gutter_width=”2″ padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” make_equal=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”on” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”on” parallax_3=”off” parallax_method_3=”on” parallax_4=”off” parallax_method_4=”on” admin_label=”row” disabled=”off”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ disabled=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” admin_label=”Text” use_border_color=”off” border_style=”solid” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n
The key to getting in front of the architect\u2019s product decisions is to understand his process<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n Inside the architect\u2019s mind\u2026 that\u2019s a place you\u2019d like to be to help fine-tune your building product marketing efforts. Am I right? <\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s like the copywriting legend, Robert Collier, once wrote, \u201ca good ad begins with <\/span>entering the conversation already taking place in your prospect\u2019s mind<\/i><\/b>.\u201d That goes for all your marketing efforts and strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n So, that\u2019s where I\u2019m taking you today \u2014 inside the architect\u2019s mind to see his decision-making process first hand.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I recently heard they can study living animals through something called \u201cintravital microscopy.\u201d They attach a glass “window” to the animal and use a microscope to see how different internal systems work.<\/span><\/p>\n After I threw up in my mouth a little, I got to thinking, \u201cMan, that <\/span>would<\/i><\/b> be nice if it could help see what some people are thinking\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s that? You see where I\u2019m going with this? Yes, that\u2019s right. For you – my faithful reader – I tried my little heart out\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n \u2026But try as I might – with all my persuasiveness – I failed. I couldn\u2019t find any architects who\u2019d sit still long enough for me to attach this little looking glass I created to the top of their head.<\/span><\/p>\n Go figure.<\/span><\/p>\n So I found you the next best thing: An architect willing to share his thinking process as he searches for a new product. That’s what today’s post is about…<\/span><\/p>\n If you pay close attention, I think you\u2019ll see a lot of great opportunities here. To get in front of some of these decision points and help you fine-tune your marketing to architects. I\u2019ll be highlighting some of those key points along the way\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alright, to set the stage for you a little, our architect friend here has a project that\u2019s an addition to an existing building. <\/span><\/p>\n The existing building was built in the 1970s and has an exterior material – a fascia panel – that\u2019s made of asbestos. So he needs to replace the material on the existing building and match it in the design of the new addition.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s hear it straight from him on how he starts his search for the perfect product:<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/www.visualconstructionmarketing.com\/2014\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/01-unsplash_Discovering-2.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” sticky=”off” align=”center” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1px” border_style=”solid” disabled=”off”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” admin_label=”Text” background_color=”#ededed” use_border_color=”off” border_style=”solid” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n Thanks, Jason. <\/span><\/p>\n So, whenever I find myself at the beginning of my search for a new building product, I take stock of what factors are most important. In some cases, it\u2019s part of a bigger picture and I need to consider all the adjacent materials around the product.<\/span><\/p>\n In this case, for simplicity, I\u2019m able to focus on just this fascia panel material and walk you through my architectural decision tree. And then see how it progresses at each phase of the building project\u2019s phases.<\/span><\/p>\n So the big question I need to start with is a common first question in most B2B buyers\u2019 decision trees: <\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a list of the handful of points I was considering for this example product:<\/span><\/p>\n Once I have my list of things I need to consider in my search, I start looking\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”on” border_color=”#9b9b9b” border_style=”dotted” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n Always be looking for ways capture your prospect\u2019s main concerns & criteria for selecting your product. Be sure to ask the question when you have the opportunity to talk with them about their project.<\/span><\/p>\n Make sure you write it down during, or right after your conversation and look at covering these items on your product website and in your marketing materials.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/www.visualconstructionmarketing.com\/2014\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/02-unsplash_Research-800×533.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” sticky=”off” align=”center” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1px” border_style=”solid” disabled=”off”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” admin_label=”Converkit default form” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” disabled=”off” global_module=”3510″ saved_tabs=”all”]<\/p>\n [convertkit]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” admin_label=”Text” background_color=”#ededed” use_border_color=”off” border_style=”solid” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t that long ago that my research would begin with opening a few volumes of Sweets catalogues. Or searching the shelves for a manufacturer\u2019s product guide that might lead me to the right product.<\/p>\n But, as I\u2019m sure you know, those days are pretty well gone. Our office still has a few product guides on the shelves. But those are mostly the ones that have other important information that we use during design. (\u2026like a drywall manufacturer who provide guides to fire-rated wall assemblies\u2026)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n In today\u2019s world, my search starts in one of three places:<\/p>\n \u2022 4specs.com<\/span><\/a> – or – Sweets.com<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u2022 Local suppliers\u2019 and installers\u2019 websites<\/p>\n \u2022 Google<\/p>\n On a product directory website like Sweets.com<\/a> or 4specs.com<\/a>, I go right to the division I think I\u2019ll find the product I\u2019m looking for. In this case, it\u2019s Division 7 – Thermal and Moisture Protection. I drill down to the different siding panels and rain screen options to see what manufacturers are listed there.<\/p>\n Then I start poking around each of these manufacturer\u2019s websites to see if there\u2019s anything that fits the bill. If I see something promising, I\u2019ll bookmark the page, or download some of the brochures or other readily available PDFs I come across.<\/p>\n Then I jump to the other options\u2026<\/p>\n After this search, I\u2019ll go to my trusted local suppliers\u2019 websites to see if they carry any of these products. If they do, that product will start moving toward the top of my list. I\u2019ll also search their website for any other products my initial search didn\u2019t turn up.<\/p>\n Finally, I\u2019ll hit a Google search. I\u2019ll try a series of keywords that I think will turn up what I\u2019m looking for. I\u2019ll usually have some key phrase ideas in mind from the sites I\u2019ve looked at so far. For this example, I\u2019ve come up with \u201cmetal wall panels\u201d and \u201cfiber cement wall panels.\u201d There might be a few others I use, depending on what these basic searches bring up.<\/p>\n Whatever terms I do use, I rarely go past the first page of search results to look for options.<\/p>\n Once I\u2019ve got that initial short-list of options pared down, I\u2019ll move on to the next step\u2026<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”on” border_color=”#9b9b9b” border_style=”dotted” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n There was a key point about the types of product guides an architect still keeps on his shelves. Did you catch it? It\u2019s the ones with additional <\/span>helpful<\/span> information inside. <\/span><\/p>\n If there\u2019s anything helpful you can provide in your literature \u2013 calculators, rated assembly guides\u2026 \u00a0anything \u2013 be sure to fold it into your product books. Then you\u2019ll have a better chance of securing one of those coveted and increasingly rare places on the architect\u2019s shelf.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n Are you prominently listed in the different product directories out there? If not, you should be. And while you\u2019re at it, make sure your company & product descriptions are well-written and make visitors want to click through to your site. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/www.visualconstructionmarketing.com\/2014\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/03-unsplash_Contact-1.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” sticky=”off” align=”center” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1px” border_style=”solid” disabled=”off”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” admin_label=”Text” background_color=”#ededed” use_border_color=”off” border_style=”solid” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n I start this next step by calling a rep or filling out a form on the manufacturer\u2019s or local supplier\u2019s website. It depends on what looks like the easiest way to get ahold of someone. If I have a good relationship with a product rep, I\u2019ll usually have their contact information in my Outlook files.<\/p>\n If I can\u2019t easily find any contact information on their website, I\u2019ll just skip them, and go to the next supplier or product rep.<\/p>\n My goal here is to set up a call or a face-to-face meeting with the product rep to see the options. Or get supporting materials to help me in my continuing search and eventual next step of selling the idea to other project team members.<\/p>\n As we\u2019re having our discussion, I\u2019m looking at the following to decide if I continue down the path with this product rep:<\/p>\n Proper presentation of options<\/strong> – Are they able to show me all my viable options for my specific situation? If they just offer me the same generic information I can find on their website then I\u2019m no better off.<\/p>\n I\u2019m looking for photos of similar past projects. Illustrations or details of their product used in my specific application. And maybe a case study of a successful project that featured their product.<\/p>\n Open discussion about cost options<\/strong> \u2013 Do they discuss cost options and how their product might compare to other options? If not, I\u2019m hesitant to take the chance that I\u2019ll bust the budget with their product when the actual costs come in.<\/p>\n Do they install the product, or just supply?<\/strong> – This isn\u2019t usually clear on a supplier\u2019s website, but it\u2019s important to be clear who installs the product. If it\u2019s another sub-contractor, I want to know what kind of support the supplier or manufacturer provides during the installation.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”on” border_color=”#9b9b9b” border_style=”dotted” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n Brainstorm how you can meet the prospect\u2019s questions with the answers he needs to make the right decision \u2013 your product. Keep your presentations fluid to incorporate new concerns or questions as you learn them from your discussions with architects.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” admin_label=”Text” background_color=”#ededed” use_border_color=”off” border_style=”solid” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n Once I\u2019ve met with or spoken to the product reps, I move onto another level of research. This is digging in deeper with the more specific information I\u2019ve received on their products.<\/p>\n What\u2019s important here is that the supplier or product rep has left me with the following information:<\/p>\n This second phase of research is where I\u2019m preparing to select and sell the product I will recommend we use\u2026<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”on” border_color=”#9b9b9b” border_style=”dotted” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n This one should be pretty obvious\u2026 Make sure creating these key pieces of content and getting them into the hands of your sales reps and suppliers. <\/span><\/p>\n If your product has a large selection of colors and textures, look to technology to help you represent those options as efficiently and attractively as possible.<\/span>When you get the chance for a face-to-face or phone call, this is where it\u2019s critical to make sure you\u2019ve got some great presentations or illustrations of your product<\/p>\n Brainstorm how you can meet the prospect\u2019s questions with the answers he needs to make the right decision \u2013 your product. Keep your presentations fluid to incorporate new concerns or questions as you learn them from your discussions with architects.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_style=”solid” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n Whew – that\u2019s a lot to take in. I hope you\u2019re seeing the value of getting all of this valuable information straight from your prospect\u2019s mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n I had to shut him down for now, or this post might have gone on forever. But don\u2019t worry — I\u2019m going to bring him back for another post. Part 2 of this series of posts, so stay tuned.<\/span><\/p>\n Coming up next in part two . . . <\/span><\/p>\n How the architect sells your product to his project team\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n What you can do to make the architect\u2019s job easier during the construction document phase\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n How you can arm the architect to defend your product from substitutions\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n What you need to be doing to follow-up and remind the architect of the benefits you provided\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n \u2026And finally, how your product can become part of the architect\u2019s \u201cbest practices\u201d for future projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n About the Author :<\/p>\n Jason Yana has 2 decades of experience in architectural technology, 3d graphics and construction marketing. This unique combination provides highly-effective visual representations of building products that fuel marketing and support efforts.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n His award-winning body of work informs, inspires and educates building product customers.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”on” border_color=”#9b9b9b” border_style=”dotted” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” disabled=”off”]<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to read a little more about this topic of getting inside an architect\u2019s head, take a look at this post<\/a><\/span> on Venveo\u2019s blog. <\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s an article written for you by our architect friend who\u2019s sharing this look behind the curtain\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Venveo, in case you didn’t know them, are experts in building websites for building material manufacturers.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The key to getting in front of the architect\u2019s product decisions is to understand his process Inside the architect\u2019s mind\u2026 that\u2019s a place you\u2019d like to be to help fine-tune your building product marketing efforts. Am I right? It\u2019s like the copywriting legend, Robert Collier, once wrote, \u201ca good ad begins with entering the conversation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" The key to getting in front of the architect\u2019s product decisions is to understand his process<\/span><\/i><\/p> Inside the architect\u2019s mind\u2026 that\u2019s a place you\u2019d like to be to help fine-tune your building product marketing efforts. Am I right? <\/span><\/p> It\u2019s like the copywriting legend, Robert Collier, once wrote, \u201ca good ad begins with <\/span>entering the conversation already taking place in your prospect\u2019s mind<\/i><\/b>.\u201d That goes for all your marketing efforts and strategies.<\/span><\/p> So, that\u2019s where I\u2019m taking you today \u2014 inside the architect\u2019s mind to see his decision-making process first hand.<\/span><\/p> I recently heard they can study living animals through something called \u201cintravital microscopy.\u201d They attach a glass \"window\" to the animal and use a microscope to see how different internal systems work.<\/span><\/p> After I threw up in my mouth a little, I got to thinking, \u201cMan, that <\/span>would<\/i><\/b> be nice if it could help see what some people are thinking\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p> What\u2019s that? You see where I\u2019m going with this? Yes, that\u2019s right. For you - my faithful reader - I tried my little heart out\u2026 <\/span><\/p> \u2026But try as I might - with all my persuasiveness - I failed. I couldn\u2019t find any architects who\u2019d sit still long enough for me to attach this little looking glass I created to the top of their head.<\/span><\/p> Go figure.<\/span><\/p> So I found you the next best thing: An architect willing to share his thinking process as he searches for a new product. That's what today's post is about...<\/span><\/p> If you pay close attention, I think you\u2019ll see a lot of great opportunities here. To get in front of some of these decision points and help you fine-tune your marketing to architects. I\u2019ll be highlighting some of those key points along the way\u2026<\/span><\/p> Alright, to set the stage for you a little, our architect friend here has a project that\u2019s an addition to an existing building. <\/span><\/p> The existing building was built in the 1970s and has an exterior material - a fascia panel - that\u2019s made of asbestos. So he needs to replace the material on the existing building and match it in the design of the new addition.<\/span><\/p> Let\u2019s hear it straight from him on how he starts his search for the perfect product:<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Thanks, Jason. <\/span><\/p> So, whenever I find myself at the beginning of my search for a new building product, I take stock of what factors are most important. In some cases, it\u2019s part of a bigger picture and I need to consider all the adjacent materials around the product.<\/span><\/p> In this case, for simplicity, I\u2019m able to focus on just this fascia panel material and walk you through my architectural decision tree. And then see how it progresses at each phase of the building project\u2019s phases.<\/span><\/p> So the big question I need to start with is a common first question in most B2B buyers\u2019 decision trees: <\/span><\/p> What\u2019s important for my decision?<\/b><\/p> Here\u2019s a list of the handful of points I was considering for this example product:<\/span><\/p> Once I have my list of things I need to consider in my search, I start looking\u2026 <\/span><\/p> Researching my options (Phase I) \u2026<\/b><\/p> It wasn\u2019t that long ago that my research would begin with opening a few volumes of Sweets catalogues. Or searching the shelves for a manufacturer\u2019s product guide that might lead me to the right product.<\/span><\/p> But, as I\u2019m sure you know, those days are pretty well gone. Our office still has a few product guides on the shelves. But those are mostly the ones that have other important information that we use during design. <\/span>(\u2026like a drywall manufacturer who provide guides to fire-rated wall assemblies\u2026) <\/span><\/i><\/p> In today\u2019s world, my search starts in one of three places:<\/span><\/p> On a product directory website like <\/span>Sweets.com<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>4specs.com<\/span><\/a>, I go right to the division I think I\u2019ll find the product I\u2019m looking for. In this case, it\u2019s Division 7 - Thermal and Moisture Protection. I drill down to the different siding panels and rain screen options to see what manufacturers are listed there. <\/span><\/p> Then I start poking around each of these manufacturer\u2019s websites to see if there\u2019s anything that fits the bill. If I see something promising, I\u2019ll bookmark the page, or download some of the brochures or other readily available PDFs I come across. <\/span><\/p> Then I jump to the other options\u2026<\/span><\/p> After this search, I\u2019ll go to my trusted local suppliers\u2019 websites to see if they carry any of these products. If they do, that product will start moving toward the top of my list. I\u2019ll also search their website for any other products my initial search didn\u2019t turn up.<\/span><\/p>Getting inside\u2026<\/b><\/h3>\n
Discovering the need\u2026<\/b><\/h3>\n
What\u2019s important for my decision?<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
Jason’s Key Takeaway:<\/h3>\n
Researching my options (Phase I) \u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
Jason’s Key Takeaways:<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Initiating contact with a sales rep\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Jason’s Key Takeaway:<\/h3>\n
When you get the chance for a face-to-face or phone call, this is where it\u2019s critical to make sure you\u2019ve got some great presentations or illustrations of your product<\/span><\/h3>\n
Researching my options (Phase II) \u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Jason’s Key Takeaway:<\/h3>\n
\n
Final Note:<\/h3>\n
Getting inside\u2026<\/b><\/h3>
Discovering the need\u2026<\/b><\/h3>