Northwest Region CSI S508 Trusted Advisors: The Role of Product Representatives In Construction

1. Northwest Region CSI S508 Trusted Advisors:The Role of Product Representatives In Construction Joy Davis, CSI, CCPR May 9, 2014 #TrustCSI

2. Credit(s) earned on completion of this course will be reported to AIA CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request. This course is registered with AIA CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner ofhandling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. ___________________________________________ Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation. #TrustCSI

3. Course Description CSI has been teaching relationship-based marketing strategies to product representatives for decades. This presentation is drawn from some of the key points made in CSI's Construction Documents Technology Certificate (CDT) and Certified Construction Product Representative (CCPR) programs. Using sometimes deceptively simple questions, we'll discuss what specifiers and architects expect in a "trusted advisor" -- the golden rep they call every time.

4. Learning Objectives At the end of the this course, participants will be able to: 1.Understand relationship-based marketing 2. Discuss what information the design team needs, and when they need it 3. Discuss defending against substitution requests 4. Discuss difficult clients, including specifiers who won't see you, and designers who use your time but don't specify your product

5. New Guide for Representatives! To purchase: www.csinet.org/storeSelect “Practice” #TrustCSI

6. Do Architects Buy Products? #TrustCSI

7. No. What Architects Do: Evaluate Select Specify #TrustCSI

8. So What is Your Relationship to an Architect? #TrustCSI

9. Thought Leadership Share of Mind: Gain their respect Share of Cash: Become their go-to resource Share of Voice: Offer something useful #TrustCSI

10. Relationship-Building Project Delivery Practice Guide page 209 Relationship = Long Term “A product representative who exhibits detailed knowledge, competence, a willingness to consult, and has a history of honest and ethical dealings is an important resource for the design community.” #TrustCSI

11. What Kind of Trust Are You Trying to Build? #TrustCSI

12. Trust in Your Professional Opinion. #TrustCSI

13. When Should You Contact the Architect? #TrustCSI

14. If the Project is in Process, You’re Probably Too Late. #TrustCSI

15. Timing is Everything “I wish that product reps knew the different phases of a project that an architect works through, and when was the appropriate time to contact them regarding the project and to propose their product for use on the project.” – Anonymous CCS Download at www.csinet.org/trustedadvisor #TrustCSI

16. The Right Info at the Right Time #TrustCSI Page 149, CPRPG

17. How Do I Defend Against a Substitution Request? “How do I get architects and clients to enforce the specifications? So many times, our products or services are lost to competitors solely on price and they are not bidding ‘apples to apples’ or according to Spec.” #TrustCSI

18. You Don’t. The A/E Does. “The A/E determines the acceptability of proposed substitutions…” (Page 422, PDPG) #TrustCSI

19. What if the Competition is a Slime Ball? #TrustCSI

20. Never Say Anything Bad About the Competition… But You Might Suggest the Architect Make a Phone Call. #TrustCSI

21. What If It Really Is a Good Product, But It’s New? #TrustCSI

22. New = Unproven Specifiers are often in a hurry, and always suspicious. “It is a good policy to use only those products that have been adequately field-tested…” (Page 204, PDPG) Respond With: • Test Results • Reports from Others • Responses to AHJs #TrustCSI

23. Can the Internet Do a Product Representative’s Job? #TrustCSI

24. No, It Can’t. Architects Have Relationships with People, Not Websites. #TrustCSI

25. The Definition of “Network” “We know these reps through the process of researching the products we were specifying.” – Liz O’Sullivan, CSI, CCS Denver Specifier lizosullivanaia.wordpress.com/2011/06/ www.youtube.com/CSIConstruction to hear Liz discuss “Inside the Mind of a Specifier” #TrustCSI

26. But The Architect Won’t Talk To You? “I believe that the difficult architect-product representative relationship is greatly affected by surprise visits. I can’t tell you how infuriating it is to have people show up to my office and ask the receptionist, ‘Is Jori here?’” -- Jori Smith, CSI, CDT #TrustCSI

27. Where Social Media Fits In www.conspectusinc.com/swblog Social Media Tools Support Your Relationship • Blogs • E-newsletters • Twitter • Facebook • LinkedIn #TrustCSI

28. What Should I Know About the Architect? #TrustCSI

29. Stalking As a Best Practice Research the Targeted Firm • Type of Projects They Specialize in? • Who is the Decision Maker? • Types of Consultants? • Who is in Their Specifications Already? #TrustCSI

30. What If the Architect Uses My Time, But Doesn’t Put Me In the Spec? #TrustCSI

31. Why Are You Building a Relationship With This Person? #TrustCSI

32. Who has the most influence with product decisions for a project? Specifier, Architect, Associate Architect, Developer, General Contractor, Facility Manager? #TrustCSI

33. It Depends. Treat everyone fairly. #TrustCSI

34. What Do You Need to Know About Construction? #TrustCSI

35. “Product Reps should understand the design process, including their role in the different stages and how that role changes, critical information about their product that must be included in specifications, what specifications are, and to some extent, the different risk/reward profiles of the designer and the contractor.” • John Guill, CSI, CCS, CCCA www.twitter.com/specmonkeynorth #TrustCSI

36. What Do You Need to Know About Your Product? #TrustCSI

37. You’d Better Know… Country of origin, which can affect delivery time, availability of parts, maintenance, warranty service, etc. Financial stability Distribution network Performance criteria and test results Technical services and local representation Warranty and service What would you add? #TrustCSI

38. What Should I know to Help Write a Spec?(11-point Checklist) #TrustCSI

39. You Had Better Know… Project Delivery Practice Guide, page 210 • Generic descriptions of products and systems • Understand the work done “by others” • Applicable Reference Standards • Required work to install • Options and accessories • Highlight necessary modifications • Delivery, storage and handling • Installation instructions • Limits of the system • Required certifications • Field Quality Control requirements #TrustCSI

40. Why Do You Need to Know All That? #TrustCSI

41. It Validates Your Professional Opinion to Them and to YOU. #TrustCSI

42. Drawings Vs. Specs? What’s the Difference? #TrustCSI

43. Drawings vs. Specs Quantity vs. Quality (Page 221, PDPG) “Drawings are graphic representations of the work upon which the contract is based… They show the quantitative extent and relationships of elements.” “Specifications define the requirements for products, materials, and workmanship… and requirements for administration and performance of the project.” #TrustCSI

44. Drawings Vs. Specs? Which Outranks the Other? #TrustCSI

45. Drawings vs. Specs Neither – They Are Complementary Documents (Page 242, PDPG) “The drawings and the specifications are complementary, and both are needed to fully describe a construction project.” #TrustCSI

46. Drawings Vs. Specs? What’s My Role With Drawings? #TrustCSI

47. Drawings vs. Specs You need to know (Page 210, PDPG): • Dimensions & Locations • Code Requirements • How to Detail Connections • What Standard Drawings to Provide #TrustCSI

48. Where Do Specifications Come From? #TrustCSI

49. Specifications Guide Specifications – Your Company’s Office Masters – The Firm’s Masterguide Specifications – The Software’s Contract Documents – What the Contractor Will Build From Which one counts in court? #TrustCSI

50. How Do I Get Into the Master Specification? #TrustCSI