Get your brand in front of Architizer’s global community of specifying architects through creative and compelling content marketing: Click here to request a media kit
The debate around cold calling has raged for almost as long as the telephone itself has existed. Some will tell you that cold calling only sucks for salespeople that aren’t sufficiently skilled at it. Others will tell you that cold calling is an ineffective strategy no matter what, given what it entails — interrupting busy people to try to sell something they haven’t asked for, or even expressed an interest in.
When it comes to the construction industry, the cold calling conundrum is no different. As a brand marketer, you want to reach out to practicing architects — after all, they are one of the primary decision-makers when it comes to selecting products for their buildings. Cold calling is one of the most direct ways to communicate with these people. The trouble is, it’s also one of the most contentious.
“It makes me not want to answer the phone.”
Architects are notoriously averse to being sold to. A case in point: Michael Riscica, architect and founder of the excellent Young Architect website, whose recent Facebook status sums up the overriding sentiment of many architects towards cold calling:
“I also block anyone on LinkedIn who contacts me with the end goal of selling something,” he added in conversation with Architizer. Riscica is the king of architectural straight talk; his frankness is refreshing for the profession. That said, he is certainly not alone in his feelings when it comes to cold calling.
Why Architects Hate Cold Calling
Why are architects in particular so against this approach? The following three reasons rank highly:
1. Architects are insanely busy.
You know this already, but it’s worth emphasizing: many architects are ridiculous workaholics. They are passionate about what they do and stretch themselves incredibly thinly to satisfy their clients and their own creative ambitions. When they get into “the zone”, the last thing they want is an unsolicited call from a manufacturer, or anyone else for that matter. They probably have their headphones on and won’t hear the phone ring in any case.
2. Architects get a ton of cold calls.
Architects get sold to … a lot. There are hundreds of manufacturers looking to gain a commission for every building component imaginable. While your product may be stellar, they will not want to hear about it having already been interrupted by your three competitors that same week.
3. Architects only listen when they need you.
As with anything in the construction industry, timing is everything. Architecture projects can last many months and often years, and unless you happen to call just as the specification process is beginning, architects are unlikely to be interested. The workaround for this — continual follow-up calls over the next few weeks or months — makes you about as endearing to architects as a grouchy contractor with a bad headache.
Let the Leads Come to You
Here’s where online solutions start to look more sensible than ever. Architizer’s creative partnered content initiatives allows brands to build awareness of their products through informative, insightful content that architects actually want to read.
Architects on the platform are constantly researching for solutions to their design challenges, and Architizer Journal is an ideal source of information on building products and materials that can help them make their vision a reality. While they may balk at unsolicited calls, these architects are actively looking for products like yours and have real projects to source materials for.
Allowing the architect to find your products and brand themselves — and giving them the opportunity to reach out to you — turns the tables on the relationship. Instead of being the pushy salesperson, you are now viewed by the architect as an expert consultant that can offer them a solution, helping them to bring their projects to fruition.
Work Smart, Not Hard
Sure, once the conversation has begun, getting on the line to talk to someone can help brands explain the benefits of their product in more detail than would be possible online. We’re not suggesting you throw your phone away just yet — we’re simply proposing that its use be reserved for those qualified leads that are infinitely more likely to result in a sale. The time you save by reducing your frequency of cold calls will convert to tangible dollars down the line.
Ultimately, platforms like Architizer should lead to the near-extinction of cold calls for the profession — and both architects and manufacturers should rejoice at this prospect.
Get your products in front of major firms such as AECOM, BIG, HOK and OMA through Architizer: Click here to request a media kit
