Definition – “cul-ti-vate: to grow or raise something under conditions you can control.”
We’ve come a long way together. We’re on the last stretch of our final three steps.
Now, on these last three, you’ll notice they’re not your typical steps. You won’t just go through them, check a box and move on to the next.
No. If you’ve done the first six steps effectively, you’ve set the stage for these next three. We now move into the “cultivation” stage of your relationship with The Architect.
Here’s those first six again, in case you missed any:
- #1 – Do you start here when marketing to architects? Here’s why you should…
- #2 – How to Win Over Architects: Step 2 – Research
- #3 – But do you “like-like” me? A deeper relationship with your prospect…
- #4 – Assume the position… Thank you, sir. May I have another?
- #5 – Educate The Architect about your market like nobody else can
- #6 – Racking the shotgun to find “The Architect”
In today’s tip, you’ll learn about Step #7 and why it’s important to always be searching.
“Searching for what, Neil?”
Keep reading…
Look for opportunities to contact and reconnect
Keep your radar on for reasons to touch base with him.
Be a smart (and organized) marketer. You should have a database keeping all your prospects’ details at your fingertips. If you don’t have one, get one started.
Birthday, anniversary, promotion, new project, new job.
It could be anything.
Make sure you’re connected on LinkedIn. So you can see updates on his profile. Check out his Facebook and Twitter posts from time-to-time. If he’s an active user of social media you might see something you can comment on.
Sound like a lot of work?
Keep your last step in mind. If you’ve “racked the shotgun,” you’ve started to focus on your key 20%.
But always look for the chance to let them know you’re thinking of them. And you appreciate the trusted relationship you’ve built.
Joe Girard has some great advice for you on how to do this better. Here’s an article on how a funeral turned Joe into the world’s greatest salesman.
I’ve also read several of Joe’s books and listened to a couple of his audios. I highly recommend you read or listen to a few yourself. You’re bound to pick up something valuable from Joe.
Already got the project?
If you already have one of the architect’s projects, here’s an idea:
Offer to sit down and review your shop drawings with him to answer questions.
Do it over lunch.
There you can get some clarifications and smooth the shop drawing process. (I’ve seen several building product manufacturers do this quite successfully.)
A short, (kinda’) funny story…
There was a building product manufacturer who was a friend of our firm. We’ll call him “Jim.”
We loved Jim’s product and he was a nice guy who went out of his way to do a great job. We specified him on a lot of our projects.
Jim reached out one day to invite me and a couple other project team members to lunch. To go over his shop drawings for our project that was under construction.
So, we enjoyed a good lunch together, laughing and catching up.
Then, it was time to go through the details and drawings. We cleared the table and rolled out his plans.
He started pointed at the details, asking questions and explaining his thoughts.
But we stopped him.
“What project is this, Jim?” we asked.
He told us.
“Um… This isn’t our project… You need to talk with Bob in our office. We’re working on the other project on the campus. Sorry.”
Jim hung his head and sheepishly smiled. “I guess I should have made sure before I wasted your time. Sorry about this.”
We all had a good chuckle, we thanked him for a great lunch, and we made sure he got connected with the right guy back at the office.
Sure, it took up some of his critical time to get those shop drawings worked out. But it also helped endear us to him a little more.
Can you see how it re-confirmed how much he cares about getting the job right? Adding to his relationship capital with us…
Can you see how that became part of his legacy in our office? (“Remember that time Jim took us to lunch…”) It happened about 15 years ago, but I’m still telling the story…
Can you see any opportunities for you to do the same with your prospects? Or your best customers?
I’m sure you can. Get started today.
Next time, we’ll talk about removing obstacles…
Make it a great marketing day!
Neil Sutton