When building product manufacturers attempt to get architects to specify their products, both measurable and non-measurable factors come into play. A measurable result from sales and marketing refers to quantifiable outcomes that indicate the effectiveness of the company’s sales and marketing efforts. These tangible results can be tracked, analyzed, and used to inform strategic decisions.
A non-measurable factor for a product manufacturer’s sales and marketing efforts refers to elements that significantly influence outcomes but are challenging to quantify directly. These abstract factors often involve subjective experiences, perceptions, and complex dynamics that do not easily translate into numerical data. Both the tangible and abstract play a significant role in product specification and manufactures need to understand their implications.
Measurable Factors
Sales Figures: A manufacturer’s sales figures and market share are quantifiable. Consistently strong sales figures can lead to higher profitability, allowing the manufacturer to reinvest in growth opportunities or distribute profits to shareholders. Manufacturers can track the number of units sold within a specified period. In addition, manufacturers can calculate market share for their industry and how they fare against competitors.
Specification Rates: Manufacturers can track the number of times a product is specified by architects in their projects. Sometimes determining the source of the specification can be elusive. For example, was the product specified because a manufacturer’s rep visited the AEC firm the week before? Did the architect participate in a webinar about the product a month ago? Was the product recommended by a collogue?
Manufacturers can calculate the number of projects that include their products in specifications. Healthy sales figures improve cash flow, ensuring that the company can meet its short-term obligations and invest in necessary resources. Companies like Ron Blank specialize in programs that increase specification opportunities.
Marketing Metrics: Every manufacturer should track and assess their marketing ROI. Manufacturers can track hot leads from AIA face-to-face presentations, webinars, and industry events. Successful marketing teams will leverage dashboards, SEO optimization, Mail Chimp, and other outreach efforts. There are abstract results from these marketing efforts which we will detail later.
Customer Satisfaction: Successful manufacturers measure customer satisfaction through surveys. They collect ratings from architects on product satisfaction, usability, and preference. Manufacturers can measure the likelihood of architects recommending the product to others. Surveys are an excellent way to gather market intel and the smartest manufacturers integrate them into every webinar they deliver. Linkedin and Survey Monkey are popular methods to gather intel on client satisfaction.
Engagement Metrics: Effective companies calculate the ROI of trade show events, workshops, and seminars. Manufacturers can track attendees who stopped by their booth at the AIA show, review registrations for workshops, and assess metrics for webinars. Manufacturers with competent marketing teams can track website visits, LinkedIn impressions and shares, and evaluate organic strategies and paid ads for traffic to their online product offerings.
Abstract Factors
Brand Perception: The overall perception of the product brand among architects, which includes aspects like reliability, innovation, and prestige. These abstract factors are often rooted in emotional and psychological connections that consumers develop with a brand, which are harder to measure but equally important. Manufacturers can help promote brand loyalty which influences their likelihood to specify the product consistently.
Social Network: Another abstract factor is the quality of personal relationships between manufacturers’ sales representatives and architects. This may impact the recommendations and informal endorsements among architects. If a product rep has a great relationship with a design professional, then they are more likely to get an opportunity to have their product specified. Conversely, building product reps who have strained relationships with the decision makers who face an uphill battle. AIA Lunch and learns can help bridge the gap here and establish trust and credibility.
Preferences and Biases: The personal preferences of architects based on past experiences, aesthetics, and individual biases might be quantifiable in a survey. However, these abstract factors can also be elusive. Manufacturers who build a level of trust with architects, have an increased specification opportunity. Trust is often built over time through consistent quality and service. Regular firm visits through architectural specification programs can achieve credibility and generate leads. The Ron Blank architectural specification program is a popular way to build trust with specifiers.
Design Trends and Innovations: How well the product aligns with current architectural trends and innovative practices will determine specification opportunities. Is the product innovative or behind the times? Does it meet current sustainability standards like LEED? Does the product have documentation like Health Product Declarations (HPDs)? If a specifier perceives that a product is antiquated and not appropriate for modern buildings, then the manufacturer is in trouble.
Understanding these factors helps manufacturers develop more effective strategies to influence architects’ product specifications. By leveraging measurable data and addressing non-measurable elements, manufacturers can better position their products in the competitive landscape of architectural design. Balancing the abstract with the tangible is a constant struggle to increase product specification.