Increasing your sales as an A&D rep takes time, effort and well-established relationships. However, while many sales reps spend their time focusing attention on establishing connections with manufacturers and local dealers, they miss the importance of working directly with architects when finding new revenue sources.
Architects are the driving source of billions of dollars in revenue every year and are many times ignored by sales reps as a relevant sales contact. Even though an architect may not be purchasing goods directly, they can be a precious resource when reaching the right decision makers.
Here are four things that architects look from when establishing new relationships with A&D sales reps.
Local Partnerships
When establishing partnerships with architects, local relationships tend to be much more intimate and more accessible to maintain over time. The dynamic nature of building design and architecture requires reps to be available and “present” in a relationship. Having local partnerships will help you establish more sustainable clients and give you preference over other sales reps in the industry.
Ask the Right Questions
Reps that ask questions help to qualify the types of products and solutions that are offered and make the architect’s job much more manageable. Questions about all stages of the design work show the architect you’re eager to know more about their needs and want to give your best effort on all of their projects. Asking questions will also help you to better qualify the architects you work with, giving you insight into whether they work for a project owner directly or for one of the builders. This can make a difference on the architect’s ability to help drive purchasing decisions.
Strong Business Relationships
Almost every architect in the industry prefers to have dedicated A&D representatives to work with on different projects. Due to this fact, it’s vital that sales reps build strong proactive relationships from day one. This involves more than just dropping off product brochures and expecting your clients to call you. Prove you’re worth the business by regularly reaching out and meeting with your architect clients to see how you can assist them in their projects.
Involvement in Design Stages
Architects are deeply ingrained in the planning and design phase of every project they’re working on. This is also where 70 percent of all decisions are made when it comes to the products and solutions being used for the project. Many sales reps make the mistake of only being involved during the bidding stage of a project and become discouraged when they lose the business. Working with architects directly in the earlier stages of development gives you the ability to influence product selections and allows you to interact directly with project owners. Showing an active interest will make you a favored bidder on future projects and help you keep long-standing relationships with your architect clients.
Architects are an essential part of every building project and can be a valuable resource when finding decision makers in the A&D industry. By following these steps to furnish long-lasting relationships with local architects, you can significantly increase your chances to win new bids and help influence purchasing decisions on the line of products you represent. For more information about this, contact TalentSphere Staffing Solutions.