Here are some tips for increasing your specification rate
TweetWhen you are a manufacturer of building products, you want to make sure that your products get specified, which is crucial to getting them sold. It is imperative to understand how architects research and select the products that they specify during the course of their work. You need to answer these three questions in order to get a better understanding of how an architect thinks and feels.
- In terms of writing specifications and advising about products, what expectations do you have?
- Can you tell me what influences the decision-making process when it comes to specifying building products?
- How do architects specify products based on resources and information?
It was surveyed members that were asked to give their answers to these questions and more regarding how architects select the products that they specify in a report published by the American Institute of Architects, The Architect's Journey to Specification 2019. According to the results of this study, we have compiled the best tips for building better relationships with architects and increasing your specification rate.
Major Takeaways
It is noteworthy that there has been a shift in how architects specify products in the past few years; this includes who they are getting advice from, where they are getting information about new products, and the changes in their needs in terms of technology.
Significant changes that were found in the survey are as follows
- Instead of only depending on brands they are acquainted with from previous projects, architects are increasingly prepared to experiment with the items they specify.
- There is a greater tendency for architects to copy and paste specs from past projects than three years ago.
- Manufacturer brands are most often specified by architects even when specs aren't finalized.
- There is a growing trend among younger architects to use digital product libraries rather than digital product descriptions and specifications for their designs.
The promotion of your products with the help of social media
Architects are increasingly using social media to investigate new construction materials and for design knowledge, even if it is still not their major source of learning about new goods. Feature projects that use your building materials on social media, exhibit your products through photographs and videos and concentrate on your products' major selling qualities while explaining them. Links to your website or product pages should be included so architects may conduct more investigation.
As per Search Engine Journal, the top seven social media sites in 2020, according to the AIA report, are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Reddit. According to the AIA report, there is no mention of what social media sites architects are using.
It is not necessary for you to be on all of them at the same time. It would be worthwhile to do some research and find out who your competitors are and where the architects you are trying to reach are located so that you can focus on them at first. You might be able to reach more decision makers on LinkedIn when compared to Facebook since LinkedIn has more users. You will be able to find the best mix of products and services for your company and products with just a little bit of experimentation.
Be more responsive to more architects
Architects believe that websites, BPMs, and specification support might all be improved. The third method that BPMs may raise architect satisfaction is through increasing rep response.
Reps should be knowledgeable about the goods and product categories they represent. Your sales representatives do not have to be experts on every technical aspect of every product, but they should be educated enough to discuss your line of products with assurance when speaking with architects. When a representative meets with architects, they should be able to quickly create the necessary data if they do not already have it. Better more, they ought to be able to get that information promptly on your website.
Optimization and updating your website
It is still the responsibility of architects to conduct research on new building materials and products at their own firms when it comes to researching new products. Your website, continuing education offer, and sales reps are the top sources of information they look for when researching your products. It is important you make it easy for them to navigate and search your website for information when researching your products. It is very important that your site is optimized for search so that architects who are doing web searches can find it easily.
The architect is not going to want to spend hours trying to find the information that he needs on your website. Make your website easy to navigate for architects. The chances are that if they can't find what they are looking for quickly, they are going to go somewhere else to find it. On all pages of your website, you should be able to find the contact information, either at the bottom of the page or in the header of the page.
There should be a separate page for each product you offer on your website. You should at the very least have downloadable product specifications, high-quality images or videos of your products, product descriptions, downloadable digital models and digital libraries of your products, such as CAD and BIM, and specifications that are formatted in CSI formats on your product pages.
Additionally, according to architects, BPMs need to do a better job of providing warranty information, environmental ratings, technical product descriptions, installation instructions, availability and lead times, pricing information, design manuals, and case studies.
Product comparison tables, building product declarations including environmental product declarations (EPDs) and health product declarations (HPDs), quantity calculators, and online tools are additional resources that might aid architects in choosing your items.
