5 Tips for Getting Projects Through Architects

Last Updated: April 18, 2022

In Malaysia building construction market, trying to get specified by architects for their projects may seem like a uphill climb as a building product manufacturer, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to focus less on selling your products and focus more on building relationships with architects and specifiers. Position your company as a leading expert on the types of products you deliver and provide them with all the information they need when researching and selecting products to specify on their product.

Below are five tips on how to get specified on future Malaysia construction projects. These ideas can be actionable plans to beat your competition and position you as the first person a project’s architects and specifiers turn to when they are looking for advice on specifying the right products for their building projects.

1. Understand Your Market

Make sure you understand the types of buildings your products are used in and then identify the leading architecture firms designing them. You want to market to segments that are right for your products whether it is premium or economical.

Talk with architects and specifiers to get an understanding of their specification process and decision making projects. Find out what’s most important to them when selecting products to specify. This can vary among architects and even between the different projects they design. Aesthetics and quality may be the top priority at one firm where cost and lead time is more important at another.

Don’t undervalue the weight of other members of the design team or key decision-makers such as the architect’s client or the main contractor appointed for the project as they may be an influencer of the decision maker in the project.

2. Provide Solutions

Most architects faces a problem of selecting the right product once they start working on any projects, they would need more information on your product category or a specific product you offer and often open to new ideas and proposal.

They don’t want to talk to a salesperson on a coldcalling scheme. They're looking for an industry expert on that product category and a technical advisor. If they are asking about a specific product you offer but you have something else that better meets their needs, speak up and let them know.

Honesty matters, be transparent about your products and their specification or qualities. If your product doesn’t really meet an architect’s needs, tell them. You may not get specified on their current project, but you’ve just established yourself as a trusted advisor who they will turn to on future projects.

3. Optimize Your Website

Architects and specifiers are artist. Make it easy for them to navigate and search your site to conduct research and take care of their browsing experience. Make sure your website is optimised for all the right keywords so architects can find your site when they start searching on google.

Each product you offer should have its own page. At the very least, the product page should have downloadable specifications, high-quality images or video of the product, product descriptions, downloadable digital models such as CAD format as architects and specifiers often work with those softwares. Get your product listed with project information provider such as intender.my.

Additional information you should consider adding to your product pages includes: building code requirements, information on meeting requirements for certification programs in Malaysia.

Case studies, video testimonials and how-to installation or application videos are also resources you should be providing about your products. Make it easy for architects to order free samples of your products and locate local suppliers and distributors of your products and create ease of access to direct contact with you.

4. Provide Continuing Education

Architects are required to obtain a certain number of Contractor continuing development points (CCD Points) to maintain their licenses or fulfill their CIDB membership requirements.

Webinars, lunch and learns and other continuing education offerings are a great way to get in front of architects and build brand awareness. These presentations should help educate architects about your product category or provide other information to expand their knowledge base. The goal is to establish your company as an expert of your product category, not just your products. This keeps you top of mind when decision-makers are choosing who gets specified on a project. Make sure your continuing education offerings have been registered and approved by the CIDB for their CCD Point Scheme.

Announce and promote your education program with the help of intender.my.

5. Building and Fostering Relationship

The culture in Malaysia, architects usually rely on existing relationships when deciding what brand to specify on a given construction project for a specific building products.

Besides basing on trust from experience with products that they know they can rely on. They will also harness relationships through some of the various methods discussed above, like offering continuing education courses or establishing your company as a trusted technical advisor. It wouldn’t hurt to have a cup of tea or deliver a happy birthday message personally.

Above all, You want architects and specifiers to turn to you when they need help solving problems. Your product might not be the right fit for every project they design, but if you build the right kind of relationships with architects, you’ll be the first company they think of when they start specifying products. You will be able to foster your network and build new connection through Malaysia construction project information provider such as intender.my