Industry Overview for Building Product Manufacturers By: Steve Demand

Industry Overview for Industry Overview for Building Product ManufacturersBuilding Product Manufacturers

By: Steve DemandBy: Steve Demand

INDUSTRY INDUSTRY OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

Architects . Engineers . Contractors . Architects . Engineers . Contractors . Suppliers . YOUSuppliers . YOU

Owners/Architects/EngineersOwners/Architects/Engineers

DESIGNDESIGN SPECSPEC

Contractors/Subs/SuppliersContractors/Subs/Suppliers

BIDBID BUILDBUILD

How do we sell into this model, WHAT tools do we use?Magazines, Tradeshows, Website, Literature & Samples, Directories, BIM, LEED, CAD,

Lunch & Learns, Trade Associations, Master Guides, Leads Sources, Specs, Reps, Distributors…

2www.speclink.com Industry Overview

What do we know about the industry?What do we know about the industry?

If you’re not in it, you’re not being specified.

Do we understand HOW these tools influence each Do we understand HOW these tools influence each part of the industry?part of the industry?

Do we understand how these pieces WORK TOGETHER?

Contractors/Subs

/Suppliers

Owners

Architects/

Engineers

What is your REAL CHALLENGE?…Is it something as simple as getting spec’ed more or

creating brand awareness?

…Or is it understanding and influencing a complex and fragmented sales process?

How can we ever ensure that dollars invested will generate a return if we

don’t know what’s going on inside the pipe?



Let’s start from the beginning…Let’s start from the beginning…

DESIGNDESIGN


SPECSPEC BIDBID

Contractors/Subs/SuppliersContractors/Subs/Suppliers

BUILDBUILD

just for today, let’s cut out the back just for today, let’s cut out the back end?end?

What did we just take out of the equation?

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What are we left with?What are we left with?

DESIGNDESIGN SPECSPEC

Now let’s break this down even more…

There is definitely an overlap but they are still fundamentally different… Design work and Specs are done by different tools, often

by different people, and sometimes even entirely different firms.

as Design and Spec are separated.

DESIGNDESIGN


SPECSPEC



What tools do we use to influence the Design What tools do we use to influence the Design side?side?

…what about the Spec side?

Who writes the specs?How do they write their specs?What tools do they use?

DESIGNTrade Shows

Magazine Ads

CAD/BIM Literature & Samples

LEED

Lunch & Learns

SPECS? ?



About the ArchitectAbout the ArchitectFirms by Size Firms by Billings

4% Large Firms

35% Mid Size Firms

61% Small Firms

51% Large Firms

42% Mid Size Firms

7% Small Firms

Small Firms (1 – 4 Architects): Mid Size Firms (5- 49 Architects): Large Firms (50- 200+ Architects):

61% of all firms account for only 7% of all architectural billings.

Small firms are the principal users of individual, proprietary specifications delivered via the internet.

35% of all firms account for 42% of all architectural billings.

Mid-sized firms typically rely on commercial master guide specifications.

Only 4% of all firms, but they account for more than half -- or 51% of all architectural billings.

Larger firms typically employ a full-time specifications department and an “office master” specifications.



How are you promoting your products to design How are you promoting your products to design professionals?professionals?

Web

site •In addition to a

well-designed and well-maintained website, it’s important to advertise with the major search engines – Google, Yahoo, Bing – to direct traffic to your products.

•Limitations: •If your product

data isn’t well organized and easy to locate on your site, visitors won’t return.

•Specifications are individually downloaded making the process tedious and time sensitive.

•Visitors aren’t necessarily specifiers – so the number of hits can be very misleading.

Pri

nt

Ad

vert

isin

g •A certain amount of print advertising can get your products noticed – but not necessarily get them specified. Like: Architect, Architectural Record, Commercial Build Products

•Limitations: •Technical

products can be difficult to present in an ad without lots of copy – which many design professionals won’t read.

•You’ll never know how many designers specified your products as a result of an advertisement.

Dir

ecto

ries

•Paper directories are obsolete, but electronic product directories like 4Specs.com, ARCAT, BuildSite, and even Sweet’s Network can be helpful in identifying your products to potential specifiers.

•Limitations: •Keyword

searches can be problematic for locating the specific products you make.

•Specifications are individually downloaded making the process tedious and time sensitive.

•If the search finds you, it will find your competitors, too.

Pro

pri

etar

y S

pec

ific

atio

ns •It can be useful

to have good, up-to-date, editable specifications for your products posted on directories and your website, for use by smaller design firms that can’t afford anything else.

•Limitations: •Even though

they’re free, most design professionals do not trust proprietary specs and will modify them extensively.

•The most likely uses of proprietary specs are by small firms for small projects.

•If you don’t include comparable competing products, users are likely to add cheaper ones.

Mas

ter

Gu

ide

Sp

ecif

icat

ion

s •The best way to get specified is to make sure your products are included in the major commercial guide specifications. Most firms use only one guide spec, you need to be in both BSD SpecLink and Master Spec.

•Limitations: •Only includes

select manufacturers.

•Costly and sold by subscriptions only.

•Data may be out dated.

•Does not include products for niche markets.

Lea

d S

ou

rces

Lea

d S

ou

rces

•Lead sources track the projects in the commercial market to give any subscriber the ability to search and find active construction projects in a database or plan room that apply to your specific products. Like: Dodge, Reed, iSqFt

•Limitations:•Multiple touch

points required to gather data.

•Specifications often become visible only after they’ve been written, resulting in “or equal”.

•Time intensive for architects as well as the rep.

•Lead sources track the projects in the commercial market to give any subscriber the ability to search and find active construction projects in a database or plan room that apply to your specific products. Like: Dodge, Reed, iSqFt

•Limitations:•Multiple touch

points required to gather data.

•Specifications often become visible only after they’ve been written, resulting in “or equal”.

•Time intensive for architects as well as the rep.




What is SpecLink-E?What is SpecLink-E?• SpecLink-E is not another website or a directory; it is an actual spec writing

application. SpecLink-E is a unique spec production tool that is sold to design professionals.

• Architects and engineers use SpecLink-E to produce project specifications and to specify products like yours.

Why would architects and engineers use SpecLink-E when they can get specs for free online?

• When managing a large number of projects, design professionals need a better way to organize, update and manage their specifications.


Who is using SpecLink-E?Who is using SpecLink-E?We’re sure you have some questions...

• Who uses SpecLink-E?

The typical users of SpecLink-E are project managers, architects and engineers at midsize to large firms.

• How many architects and engineers use SpecLink-E?

Over 10,000 design professionals across 1,900 firms.

• What types of projects are being specified?

SpecLink-E is used to specify a wide range of commercial, industrial and institutional projects.



How does SpecLink-E Work?How does SpecLink-E Work?We’re sure you have some questions...

What does it mean to be a listed manufacturer?It assures your competitive advantage. Your products will be readily available to the design professional at the very moment the specification is being built.

Do you simply post our specs? Rather than simply making your specification sections available for downloading, we add your product data to our master database, which allows our subscribers to integrate the information seamlessly into their office master specifications.

How many projects get specified using SpecLink-E?

Last year specifications for over 26,000 projects were created using SpecLink, and manufacturers were specified by name over 3.6 million times. The average project value equals about $7.5 million.



What does SpecLink-E do?What does SpecLink-E do?


BSD SpecLink-E BSD SpecLink-E SoftwareSoftware

>Product Info>Product Info

>Create specs>Create specs

>Produce Activity Reports>Produce Activity Reports

ContractorsContractorsContractorsContractors

Industry Industry InformationInformationDistributersDistributers

DistributersDistributers Manufacturers –Product

Information

REPORTSREPORTS - -Project Detail Project Detail

Reports & Reports & Usage ReportsUsage Reports

USERSUSERS - - Architects & Architects &

EngineersEngineers

Specification Documents


What can SpecLink-E do for you?What can SpecLink-E do for you?• We help design professionals specify your products correctly.

Our built-in intelligent links, notes to the specifier, and hyperlinks to your website provide the specifier with relevant and timely product information, maximizing the likelihood of correct specifications.

• We can prove the results.

SpecLink-E provides reporting specific to the sections that are of interest to you and includes both frequency of use and details of individual projects that have used those sections.



SpecLink-E Start PageSpecLink-E Start Page

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Tip of the Day: Provides daily users tips about SpecLink functions.

Tip of the Day: Provides daily users tips about SpecLink functions.

Featured Manufacturers: Rotates the link to the manufacturer’s website and in company newsletter.

Featured Manufacturers: Rotates the link to the manufacturer’s website and in company newsletter.

Manufacturer Logo: Featured manufacturer's logo listed on start page.

Manufacturer Logo: Featured manufacturer's logo listed on start page.

Upcoming Workshops: Upcoming user training workshops.

Upcoming Workshops: Upcoming user training workshops.

Tool Bar: Tool bar allows users to access important info and documents located on bsdsoftlink.com.

Tool Bar: Tool bar allows users to access important info and documents located on bsdsoftlink.com.

Announcements: Allows users to access important announcements and blog post.

Announcements: Allows users to access important announcements and blog post.

Industry Overview


SpecLink-E Product LayoutSpecLink-E Product Layout

Seamless integration into SpecLink, and the inclusion on over 1,900 architectural and engineering firm's master specifications

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Ribbon BarShows home tab with buttons for common editing functions

Ribbon BarShows home tab with buttons for common editing functions

SectionsTree panel is divided into vertical tabs and allows selection of sections to be edited

SectionsTree panel is divided into vertical tabs and allows selection of sections to be edited

Note PanelNote panels display context-sensitive data to assist in editing

Note PanelNote panels display context-sensitive data to assist in editing

Document PanelDocument panel displays master text for editing and shows which paragraphs will be printed

Document PanelDocument panel displays master text for editing and shows which paragraphs will be printed

Product Choice BoxIdentify your products by model and brand name

Product Choice BoxIdentify your products by model and brand name

Industry Overview


Listing makes it easy for the user to specify you by name.

Use your exclusive media section to educate the user about your

company and products.

Built in intelligence supports the correct specification of your

products.

List your specific products directly in the spec.

Provide pictures and detailed information for each listed product.

Prove it – I want to see the ROIProve it – I want to see the ROI

Usage Reports

• We can show you exactly how many times your sections were used on actual projects. Not “hits” or “downloads” – but actual instances of specification.

Project Detail Reports

• In addition to the numbers, we can show you the actual projects. SpecLink-E captures detailed data about individual projects that have specified the sections that are of interest to you, organizing the information first by state, then by design firm, and then by project.

2 reports - 1 powerful way to measure your return on investment:

• We capture project data from our subscribers as they are creating their specifications.

• What does this mean for you? You can not only track the success of your listings, you can also see how well your competitors are doing.



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Project Detail ReportsProject Detail Reports

Project Detail Reports provide you with information about project activity and your competitors.

• SpecLink-E Project Detail Reports includes both frequency and details on individual projects for each section your company is listed

• Receive monthly Project Detail reports help to identify qualified leads and generate a strong ROI

• Project Detail Reports are broken down by state, firm info, and/or manufacturer & product specified

Industry Overview

Firm StateFirm

AddressProject Name

Manufacturer & Product Specified

Firm Name

Firm Phone


THE END!THE END!

Thank you for your time.Thank you for your time.



Industry Overview for Building Product Manufacturers By: Steve Demand

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