January 2008 Newsletter

Get Specified!

 

**** The 4specs Perspective

Getting Specified is the first step in selling your products. Knowing how the design, specification and construction administration process works is key to understanding what to do and when. As you consider 2008 priorities for yourself, your staff and your outside reps, here are several ideas to check out.

• SpecGuy - Phil and Nancy Kabza provides some great programs to learn more about getting your products specified.

  CDT One Day at a Time - This is a free email program for candidates to prepare for the CSI CDT exam. It is also a great way to become more familiar with the construction process and paperwork. Once you understand the process better, you can more effectively work with specifiers and design professionals. Sign up and encourage your sales reps to sign up:
  http://www.specguy.com/Csi.html

  Sponsorship: SpecGuy also offers sponsorship opportunities to get your company name and logo in front of people taking the CDT classes at the chapter level and receiving the One Day at a Time emails.
  http://www.specguy.com/documents/SpecGuyCDTStudyProgramSponsorship.pdf

  CDT web-based training for your you and your staff. Even if you are not ready to take the CDT and CCPR exams, learning more about the information in these certification exams is a great starting place to learn how to Get Specified! Phil and Nancy Kabza have a CDT Webinar series ($150 for the 11-week program) that covers all the essentials. Highly recommended for all sales and marketing managers.
  http://www.specguy.com/Webinars/CDTWebinar.html
  

• Attend a Local CSI Chapter Meeting - Join CSI. There is no better way to meet specifiers in your region and in other areas as you travel. Some sales manager schedule their trips into a city around the CSI dinner dates.
  
  Find your local chapter at the link below. Attend a meeting and ask around to meet specifiers and architects. Talk with some of the products reps. I know some of the chapter officers and may be able to suggest which one to contact. Tell them you are a marketing manager for your company - let them know 4specs sent you when you attend.
  http://www.csinet.org/s_csi/sec.asp?TRACKID=&CID=112&DID=4192
  
  
• CSI Product Rep Academy - Two and a half day program. CSI offers tracks for sales and marketing managers and product reps along with specifiers and construction administrators. This is an easy way meet your peers and talk with specifiers and other design professionals.
  http://www.csinet.org/s_csi/sec.asp?CID=1685&DID=12708
  
  
• CSI Show - now called Construct. The Construct 2008 show will be in Las Vegas from June 3-6. Walk around the show floor and talk with other sales and marketing execs. Stop by our booth #425 and say hello. Find several specifiers and talk with them. Offer them dinner or a drink after the show. This is a great way to learn more about the field.

These are all great ways to learn more about getting your products specified.

Have a prosperous 2008!

Colin Gilboy
Publisher, 4specs.com
435.654.5775 – Utah
800.369.8008