‘Missionary Work’
Brad Wanzenberg, vice president of Deerfield Builders Supply in Deerfield Beach, Fla., considers outreach to architects as a way to set Deerfield apart from the competition. The dealer has been marketing to architects for 15 years, and Wanzenberg says, “I don’t consider them quirkier than the homebuilders we deal with, or, God forbid, the homeowners. It’s no more challenging or frustrating than any of those.”
Higher end millwork projects and high-end doors and windows are products where Deerfield has had success selling to architects. At his yard, it is the sales reps who deal with the architects, and he says it’s a job that requires discipline and sacrifice. “A call on an architect might have a months- or years-long sales cycle,” Wanzenberg says. “That’s why I say it’s missionary work. You want to be the guy or gal who makes it to the camp, not the pile of bones by the trail.”
Architects, like dealers, suffered losses in the downturn, and Wanzen-berg is among many in LBM who said those losses have made architects easier to work with. “I think humility has been one of the lasting effects of the downturn,” Wanzenberg says.
The amount of time and resources a dealer typically devotes to selling to architects depends in large measure on three factors: The type of construction going on in the dealer’s area, the product mix that the yard sells, and the size of the dealer’s company. In general, dealers at yards with sales above $10 million a year are much more likely to pursue architects than dealers with revenue under $10 million, the ProSales survey found.
At Big C Lumber’s facility in Schoolcraft, Mich., outside sales rep Doug Wood admits his branch has been too overwhelmed lately to devote time to calling on architects. “It’s just a time thing, and you put your time where it’s making money. It’s certainly something to look at, though,” he says.
San Marcos, Texas-based McCoy’s Building Supply is treading the water when it comes to actively soliciting architects for business, says marketing vice president Dan Stauffer. “You need to have the products to take to them [architects],” he says, and until that happens, McCoy’s is reluctant to assume the risk of spending time and money without a definite return on investment. With 53 primarily small, rural yards spread over five states, McCoy’s focuses on nuts-and-bolts building supplies as well as products for farm and ranch.
“We are looking to get into the high-end window business, and [in that case] it does make sense to call on architects,” Stauffer says. “Looking forward, I see a role in developing a relationship with an architect alongside the manufacturer’s architecture rep, but I don’t see a day when we would have a special rep calling on architects, even for the high-dollar projects.”
Dealers in areas of the country with custom home builders, high-end renovation work and historical preservation work, all of which usually involve architects, should be marketing to architects. The same applies to regions with significant amounts of commercial construction. Yards with exclusives on products, or that carry high-end windows, doors, molding, and cabinetry also will have a natural advantage in working with architects. You have products they need, and products they need to know about.
Get Personal
Rob Wilson, president of Wilson Lumber in Huntsville, Ala., hasn’t turned his back on working with architects, but he has yet to figure out the best way to do so in his market, which isn’t quite big enough to support a lot of residential architects. It’s the commercial architects he’d like to target, but hasn’t fleshed out a plan to reach them.
“So far, when we have tried, the investment has not translated into reward,” he says. “We did attempt to do a luncheon at our truss plant, and got no response whatsoever. What we are missing is the personal relationship.”
He’s right. There has to be a relationship in place before business starts rolling through the door, say architects and dealers who have successfully partnered with architects.
T.C. Feick knows the difficulties—and rewards—of building those relationships. Feick, sustainable building coordinator for Shelly Enterprises, a dealer with seven yards in eastern Pennsylvania, has been marketing to architects since 1990.
“When I started in this business in 1980, architects were just annoying guys,” TW Perry’s Lou Skojec says. “Now it’s a group you definitely want on your team.”
He’s felt Wilson’s pain. “My good friend [and local architect Bob Nase] tried to bring us in on every project. He still tries to, but it often ends in frustration,” says Feick. “From a sales standpoint, working with [architects] is difficult. You don’t want to go in cold. They are much different from a builder customer that you might talk to every week.”
Boone, N.C.-based Mountain Lumber’s Brent Simmons agrees. He says architects can be intimidating to deal with, especially in the beginning, even though both dealers and architects work in the same industry.
Feick’s willingness to work with architects, his persistence, and his ability to build relationships has brought significant reward to Shelly’s.
“Architects have been responsible for some of my largest jobs, including my largest, a $2 million dollar remodeling project,” he says.
Like many dealers have found, Feick says a good place to start marketing to architects is to ride the coattails of a manufacturer’s rep when that rep calls on architects. It’s a way to learn more about a product, as well as suss out a potential partner without taking on the lead role.
These days, Feick talks to half a dozen architects on a regular basis. He discusses products and best practices. “The training they get doesn’t prepare them to design a building that meets IRC code. They aren’t taught about code compliance and the nuts and bolts of the industry, and we can help with that,” he says. “This is a value for dealers, who might be able to get them out of a sticky situation. It’s a less sales-centric conversation when you go into the office.”
East Brookfield, Mass.-based Howe Lumber outside sales rep Kris Hanson labels his marketing outreach to architects as more of a courtship than a sales pitch. “They know what they are doing and they don’t want to be bothered by constant calls, but if you let them know you are open to partnering with them, and that they can pick your brains on topics, then you build trust. And that’s the same thing you do with any partner, it’s just that this one isn’t swinging a hammer. Give them good advice and come through in a pinch. Then they’ll want to work with you.”
What Feick and Hanson have latched onto is exactly the approach that Su Butcher, a British architectural consultant, wrote about in a 2011 white paper entitled “Talking to Architects.” She commented then that architects are professional people who are resistant to anonymous sales messages, loyal to brands and personal contacts, and wary of strangers.
“We know that relationships are important,” she wrote. “Those of us in business know that the hardest thing is to find people you can trust. Who better to go to for trust than the people you know? Relationships are especially important to B2B professional services, especially when the companies are small.”
Millard Lumber’s marketing efforts to architects also suffered a drop during the downturn, but the dealer plans to boost its outreach in 2013. “It’s not a market we are going to forget,” Rowe says.
You shouldn’t either. Not only is this a market segment dealers should be working, it’s also a propitious time to do so in light of the downturn’s humbling effect.
Adds T.C. Feick: “If you are looking to set yourself apart, I can’t see how you wouldn’t market to architects.”
The Blueprint: Working with an Architect
Marketing your yard’s products to architects is a long-term process, not a quick sale. Howe Lumber outside sales rep Kris Hanson calls it a courtship, hopefully one that ends in a long-term partnership and business for the dealer. If you’re interested in testing the waters, or want to increase your current efforts, here are some tips.
Break the ice. Accompany your vendor’s architectural rep when he goes to call on local architects. It’s less stressful than cold calling, and it’s a good way for the dealer’s salesperson to gain additional product knowledge.
Take names. When plans come in for bid, make sure you capture the name of the architect on the project. Build a database and keep it up to date.
Cast a lure. You want architects to come to you, so provide some incentive. Offer seminars with continuing education credits, either at your showroom, their office, or an outside venue.They’re a popular way to gather a group of architects under one roof and a good way to get to know the locals in a low-pressure setting. “A typical box lunch buys you a lot of goodwill,” says Nick Massengill, vice president of sales and marketing for Marietta, Ga.-based Robert Bowden Inc.
Know your products. “Architects influence product selection and have a finger on the pulse of the market,” says Paul Aggeler, president and CEO of John’s Lumber in Clinton Township, Mich.
Don’t be a pusher. Pushing products without knowing an architect’s needs is the wrong approach, says Hayward Lumber CEO Bill Hayward. “Pushing products that meet our specs and design intent—that’s a gift,” says Pennsylvania architect Bob Nase.
Provide solutions. If they have a sticky problem on a job, ask what you can do to help. Architects often can use your real-world experience and knowledge of residential codes.
Don’t be a stranger. Update product literature on a regular basis, and take time to chat a bit—”touch base, ask about the kids, the dog, changes in the office,” advises Curtis Lumber’s Jason Hanna.Then, says Deerfield Supply vice president Brad Wanzenberg, you can take the opportunity to say, “Oh by the way, we want to tell you about this new product, and oh, by the way, do you have any plans out for bid?”—K.T.
