First blog, first comment, first step...............

Image by Scays via FlickrThis blog is really for construction trained Architectural Technologists who want to move away from main stream Architecture and try their hand as being a sales representative.

So if your at all interested, I for my sins trained as an Architectural Technologist, I have been a member if CIAT since about 1978, and I am now a Chartered Architectural Technologist. and I have been a sales representative and Sales Manager for several major construction product manufacturers. Make no mistake, I will not tell you how to do your job, but I will show you the way it should be done, how you interoperate these notes is entirely up to you.

This first blog is really a scene setter, about what will come later, and more, what will not come, being successful is not something that comes because you have secured a new job, success comes from knowing your industry, your products and more the products that are surrounding it.

Knowing your market intimately is also a key requisite, knowing the in's and out of every Architectural Practice, distributor, contractor, and most important, your competitors, networking the market for every nock and cranny of knowledge often means being aware of every sales man on your patch.

Record keeping, report writing, and office communication will be dealt with, you state of mind, dress and most importantly your car, will all be covered, what kit you should be carrying, and what should be in your boot, your phone, your answer phone, your email signature, are all as important as the name of your sales manager or MD. What you will not be is scruffy, inadequately prepared,  late or just not interested.

Being a rep is not a 9-5 job, its a commitment, and time does not come into it. keeping your targets, achieving budget, and making your bonus is key, let not quibble here, all the above are the tools of your trade, and you'll need to know them, and the reasons why, to succeed in this market. Long gone are the days of starting at 10 am swanning about looking for specs to turn, having lunch and leaving at 4pm. this market is lean, specs are none existent, and worst of all, you have competitors who are looking to kill you at first sight.

But its the greastest market in the world, its been there since the dawn of time, it will always be there, construction never stops it just slows down every now and then, and manufacturers want qualified construction trained staff to design sell and support there product line.

Construction knowledge is important, but a sense of yourself, and the ability to stand in front of some one and sell is also needed, the timid should not apply.

Continued professional development is a must so don't think for one moment you have to stop learning about construction, you have only just scratched the surface, you now have to learn your company product line, how it works, why, and all the construction that surrounds it. So although I will cover this here, I also write a CPD blog over at Konstrukshon CPD Weblog, ( www.konstrukshon.com ) so head over there and read more on this subject