Engaging Specifiers and Architects
Architects and specifiers are key influencers that are making recommendations to builders and developers from a trusted adviser status.
Key Components
- Re-defined transaction: The construction industry can be ‘transactional’ by nature i.e. product, price and ‘win the deal’ are the traditional metrics of the industry. Successful players in this sector have redefined the metric to be more positional or brand driven. i.e. being specified on the right projects and / or ‘switching out’ competitors. An important but more intangible metric is also forward visibility on a specifiers project funnel.
- Value engineering: Both developers and Architects / Specifiers are under constant cost pressure so bringing and illustrating expertise early in a project, with collaborative cost savings has become increasingly important in the construction industry.
- Tailored Value Propositions: Suppliers must customise their offerings based on firm size and project type. Larger firms may be interested in sustainability and energy efficiency, for example whereas smaller firms may be more focused on cost-effectiveness and availability. The importance is on knowing your target.
- Early Involvement: Building relationships in this channel over time will give you critical forward visibility on projects before they are released into the public domain on traditional lead source platforms like BCI and others.
- Sustainability Trends: Aligning with sustainability trends is crucial. Suppliers should emphasise their commitment to sustainable practices and how their products contribute to energy efficiency and environmental conservation.
Top Three Tips to Share with Clients
- Build Strong Relationships: Encourage the business to establish and maintain strong relationships with specifiers and architects. Regular communication and collaboration can lead to better project outcomes.
- Highlight Sustainability: Emphasise commitment to sustainability in your value propositions. This can be a significant differentiator in the decision-making process.
- Early Engagement: Leveraging strong relationships into early engagement and dialogue with specifiers will give you a competitive advantage by knowing about projects before the broader construction industry or public project platforms.
Key Questions to Get the Conversation Started
- How do you currently engage with specifiers and architects in your projects?
- What challenges have you faced in getting your products specified into projects?
- How can you tailor your value propositions to better align with the needs of larger and smaller firms?
- How do you currently measure and track success in successfully engaging specifiers and architects?
Active Directions is delivering a Construction Industry Research Program to provide market intelligence that suppliers into the construction industry need. The detailed category analysis, spend analysis, customer and competitor insights are aimed at helping suppliers differentiate from the current competition.
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