In which job function are you looking to recruit?

The building products and construction sector was one of the hardest hit during the recession. However, now the economy and the construction and building industry sectors are in sustained growth, we are seeing many companies adopting a more considered and focused approach to their recruitment policy. 

This may be as a result of looking at the importance of their employees more closely in those darker days – isn’t it good to refer to those times in the past tense?

It is important to make the right recruitment decisions: focusing on particular disciplines, as well as the type of people you want to hire.

In construction industry sales and marketing roles, there are a number of job functions you can recruit for to help ensure you maximise your business potential quicker and more successfully than your competition.  

Field Sales Options
High-impact positions are often targeted, e.g. field sales roles, as they are vital to ensure that you secure every bit of business out there. But – should you be focusing on standard ‘Account Sales‘ or on ‘Specification Sales’ with its possible more lucrative long-term benefit? 

Getting the balance between the long and short-term view can be an important and difficult call to make. 

Are you finding the nature of the market means you can’t ignore securing specifications as part of your sales strategy? This certainly seems to be the case with the amount of specification sales roles we’ve had available recently.

Read our guide on 'What is Specification Sales?'

Internal Sales Options
Some companies are now enhancing their internal sales team to reduce the pressure on external sales and provide a more instant and technical response to customers’ needs. 

This can also be seen as proactive, as it ensures customers are being more regularly contacted as part of a support function - the more focused companies are exploiting this to their advantage.

Of course, it also helps to process orders more efficiently and keep customers advised on order progress, so that you are seen as reliable and an excellent long-term business partner.

Read our feature on the importance of internal sales in the construction industry

Marketing / Product Development Options
These were the areas that seemed to have been hit first in the recession, when really they should’ve been the key areas to support and focus on. Investment in marketing and product development helps ensure your product differentiation is clear which helps your sales team. 

The future of your company is more assured if you have new products and services that meet the changing needs and regulations of the construction market. 

How many companies were brave enough or able to invest in these areas during the recession? Do you have a long-term road map for new product introduction or enhancement? If not, it is something you should be thinking of developing now.

Along with specification sales, these are areas where we are now seeing a significant increase in construction companies’ recruitment.

More on construction marketing jobs

Developing and rewarding loyal members of staff
During the recession, we found many people were given extra duties to maximise their value. Hopefully, many companies will have found some hidden gems within their teams and will now reward them with new or enhanced roles. If you’ve found a good team member, cherish them, invest in them and let them develop even more. Don’t lose them, but recruit more good people who will grow with you and add real value.

Of course, it’s not always that simple and some companies just have to get on with it the best they can. Those who survived and want to thrive are often those who had the best and most adaptable employees in the first place. 

The key thing to remember is: your recruitment policy affects you even when you are not in recruitment mode, but if you are, consider where you need to be making appointments. Don’t think that just because it was right 7 years ago, it will be right now. Times have changed.

If you want to discuss the best way forward to develop your sales and marketing teams, please contact us to discuss your requirements on 01480 405225 or take a look at our website www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

So what did YOU do to meet the new CE marking regulations?

CE Marking Regulations have now changed

One month has now passed since under the Construction Products Regulation 2011 (CPR), it has been mandatory for manufacturers to apply CE marking to any of their products which are covered by a harmonised European standard (hEN) or European Technical Assessment (ETA). This change has also had implications for distributors and their responsibilities.

However, much of the industry is still confused: Do you really know what you should have done or should be doing? Pin Board is delighted to help make it 'EC' to comply with your CEs!

What has changed since 1st July 2013?
The CPR is a major change for the whole industry with regards to CE marking, as the Construction Products Directive (CPD) it replaces was voluntary, the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is mandatory and has now been adopted by the European Commission and UK Government.

What is CE marking?
CE marking indicates that a product is consistent with its Declaration of Performance (DoP). By issuing a DoP the manufacturer, importer or distributor is assuming legal responsibility for the conformity of the construction product with its declared performance.

The CE Mark provides proof of this “fitness for purpose” and the manufacturer affixing the CE mark shows that the construction product will enable the finished construction works to comply with the Construction Products Regulation requirements (called Basic Works Requirements) of:

• Mechanical resistance and stability
• Safety in case of fire
• Hygiene, health and environment
• Safety and accessibility in use
• Protection against noise
• Energy economy and heat retention
• Sustainable use of natural resources

The CE mark is a claim that a particular construction product can be legally placed on the market of member states of the European Economic Area (EEA).

What does the change mean?
As a result of this change, manufacturers’ and importers' construction products must now meet the CE requirements of the new Regulation.

According to the Regulation, the requirement for CE marking will apply to:

"Any product or kit which is produced and placed on the market for incorporation in a permanent manner in construction works or parts thereof and the performance of which has an effect on the performance of the construction works with respect to the basic requirements for construction works."

So any products that fall under this definition that were placed on the market from July 2013 and are covered by a harmonised standard, will have to be accompanied by a Declaration of Performance and will need to display the CE mark.

How does CPR affect you?
If you manufacture or import products that are within the scope of the Regulation, you will be required to declare that the product complies with the Regulation and display the CE mark, before they can be sold in the UK and Europe.

The responsibility for ensuring that a product has the correct characteristics for a particular application rests with the building designers, contractors and local building authorities, and manufacturers and importers will be required to provide the necessary testing evidence.

Manufacturers' responsibilities:

• Drawing up declarations of performance for their products
• Affixing the CE marking
• Keeping documentation for 10 years
• Ensuring series production maintains the declared performance – QA system, works instructions etc.
• Ensuring products (or packaging) bear identification marks and a contact address
• Providing instructions and safety information with their products
• Taking corrective action where products are not in conformity with declarations of performance

Distributors' responsibilities:

• Ensuring that, where required, products bear the CE marking and are accompanied by the necessary documents
• Ensuring that storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise the conformity of products with declarations of performance
• Taking corrective action where products are not in conformity with declarations of performance

It is important for distributors of construction products to ask their suppliers: a) if their products require CE marking under the CPR, yes or no. b) if yes, ask them to supply a certificate of performance and details of the CE marking. If you can prove to your customers that you are prepared and know what you're doing, then you should have no issues.

Are ALL products affected?
No, as mentioned earlier, only products covered by a harmonised European standard are eligible – if there is no harmonised standard, there is no legal requirement to CE mark the product

Harmonised standards can be either an EN or an ETAG (European Technical Approval Guidance). A quick way to tell whether an EN is harmonised is to see if it has an appendix ZA and ZZ; ZA will provide the ‘essential requirements’ of the product and ZZ will provide details of the content of the CE marking – it’s not just the letters CE.

The following links takes you to the official list of harmonised standards:

For ENs
For ETAGs

You should check periodically for updates which may affect you.

What happens to all our stock on our shelf/stores?
Don't panic too much - products that will comply but were manufactured before 1st July will not need to be withdrawn from sale.

Why has this changed happened?
The aim of the CPR is to remove technical barriers (i.e. the multitude of national standards existing within individual European countries each of which references different test methods) to make trade between European Member States for all construction products intended for “permanent incorporation in buildings and civil engineering works” easier to measure. Under the CPR new European test methods and the means of measuring these, have been developed and accepted by all countries in the EEA.

In summary, CE marking is a passport that enables a construction product, irrespective of its origin, to be legally placed on the market of EEA member states. It means that a construction product meets certain minimum standards for health, safety and economy of energy. It is NOT a quality mark. The difference between a quality mark and the CE mark is that the certification system upon which quality marks operate is determined by the legal owner of that quality mark e.g. BSI, whereas the CE mark represents a common approach to conformity that is recognised in all countries making up the EEA.

Who is going to police the change?
The CPR is to be policed by Trading Standards.

For more information on the new CE regulations click here

Search for the latest construction products sales jobs

A fantastic event for Sales Professionals

We like to keep you informed on useful tools and events to help your personal career development and at the same time to help your company gain more sales and competitive advantage. 

So, if you have time in early June, you should visit the UK's best and largest exhibition dedicated to Sales professionals. It is an exhibition to inspire the modern Sales Director/Manager with the latest education and tools for developing yourself, your team and ultimately your company. It takes place 6-7th June at ExCel London and tickets are free too!

Sales Management and Performance Exhibition is the largest and most important event for professional sales leaders. With some of the best-known names, thought leaders and industry experts offering cutting-edge advice and demonstrating the latest technologies, products and services; this event is sure to equip Sales Directors and Managers with the latest systems and tools to improve sales performance.

The event includes:

• Seminars
• New ideas and initiatives 
• Interactive Workshops
• Features
• Speaker

So if you want to gain more customers, get more from your existing customers, become slicker in how you operate, learn new ideas and techniques or gain a better and fresher understanding of selling and customer care, then you really should register for your free ticket today. 

Are you inspired? Do you want to develop your career in sales?Take a look at our current field sales jobs and sales management jobs in the construction products and building materials industry.

Pinnacle Consulting is a leading UK wide sales and marketing recruitment agency specialising in the building products sector. Call us on 01480 405225.

Building a career in specification sales - Part 5 'Why specification selling is so personally rewarding'

In the final part of our interview with Shaun Davies, Technical Consultant at Rockwool UK, we find out why specification sales is so rewarding to him and how he has ended up as a Specification Consultant in the building product industry.

Pin Board: "What do you love about specification selling?"

Shaun: "I love my job for many reasons and I look forward to each day as it offers complete variety and keeps you interested and your brain switched on.

"It gives you control as, more than any other type of sales; you have a greater ability to influence the decision for your product to be used. It also allows you to feel as though you are making a difference to people and the environment, as the products that I recommend improve the standard of living, reduce energy bills and help to create a greener world. That might sound corny, but it does make you feel that you are contributing.

"Specification selling is a safer and more reliable environment than standard sales, as you are measured on other factors rather than just orders and with not being so reliant on commission, due to a higher basic wage, this allows you to take a long-term approach to the role and develop the job and yourself."

Pin Board: "What career development opportunities are there?"

Shaun: "I have been lucky to progress my career over the years to be in a position where I am at a world-leading company that offers superb training and development opportunities. Of course, moving to companies with larger product ranges and greater opportunities on a worldwide basis is open to everyone. However, I would say that loyalty and stability in a specification role is viewed with much more respect than it is in a regular field sales job.

"There are many opportunities to manage specification teams on a regional, national or worldwide basis or to specialise in a particular sector. Many also develop a career in product development or as a Technical Manager/Director or even end up sitting on trade bodies and advising on regulations within the industry.

"You can make the role your own and should always be learning and acquiring new knowledge, which is key to the role and through owning this knowledge your value in the industry grows."

Pin Board: "How did you end up in specification sales?"

Shaun: "I actually started my working life in retail, when I co-owned a sports shop. In hindsight this gave me the basic skills needed to succeed in specification sales, as I had to find a solution for people’s very different requirements with an appropriate product – although I can’t say I miss people’s smelly feet when advising on trainers to meet their fitness or running needs!

"After selling the sports shop, I started my career in the building and construction industry, working in fire protection for Astroflame. I started in internal sales and customer service, which meant that I dealt with the whole spectrum of people involved in the selection and sale of their products. By working for a small close-knit company it gave me an excellent foundation to understand the bigger picture.

"After a number of years I left Astroflame as Sales Manager and joined PFC Corofil, the leading UK company that actually first developed passive fire protection products, as their Business Development Manager. At PFC I answered technical calls from the office and also on-site, this helped me to develop their product range and support services to meet the changing needs of the market. I would actively seek out new projects and spend my time advising on regulations and how to meet them.

"During my time at PFC I learnt how not to miss an opportunity to sell their whole range by always asking the question “What are you doing with/for that, etc, etc.” I also dealt with distribution on a national basis including speaking direct to their customers as well as putting business their way.

"I then developed my career by becoming a Firestop Specialist at the world-leading construction company, Hilti, providing site support services. This gave me valuable enhanced understanding of the requirements of the whole specification chain, not just firestopping. This provided the missing knowledge and experience to allow me join Rockwool in the role I have always been looking for.

"Good luck in your career!"

Part One: What is specification selling?

Part Two: The mistakes to avoid

Part Three: The skills needed to succeed

Part Four: What is different about specification selling?

Part Five:  Why it is so rewarding and what are the career development opportunities available?

Pinnacle Consulting is a specialist recruitment consultancy for the building products sector, if you are interested in developing a career in Specification Sales in the building materials' industry then please contact us to discuss the Specification Sales Job right for you. Call our expert building industry recruitment consultants for a discussion on your career on 01480 405225.

Pin Board will continue to assist job seekers and recruiters in the building product industry with further interviews with professionals from the sector. Keep checking in on the Pin Board blog or make sure that you are alerted to their publication by signing up to our social media sites.

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Credits
With many thanks to Shaun and to Rockwool, a leading supplier of stone wool insulation materials for thermal, fire and acoustic protection. For more information on Rockwool www.rockwool.co.uk

Building a career in specification sales - Part 3 'The skills needed to succeed'

In the third part of our series on specification sales in the building product sector, Shaun Davies, Technical Consultant at Rockwool UK advises on the skills needed to succeed in specification sales in the building and construction industry.

Pin Board: "What do I need to succeed in specification sales?"

Shaun: "Success in specification sales demands perseverance and certain skills. If you have them, or the capacity to develop them, then you have the ability to develop a career in specification sales in the building and construction industry.

• Understanding of standards and regulations and the ability to explain them: Impress by applying your knowledge to the issue you are facing; this demonstrates real understanding rather than just theory.

• In-depth knowledge of your product and your competitors’ product: You need to know exactly what you have to offer and what counter arguments to use to a competitor’s proposition or solution. You should always focus on the benefits that your product will bring and their key differences. It is vital that the advice should always be honest and demonstrate your integrity - you are an industry specialist and need to communicate this by your behaviour.

• Hard work and perseverance: There is rarely an easy sell in specification selling, so you must be willing to put in the time and effort researching, traveling, meeting and phoning people. If you are not willing to do this then it is unlikely that you will succeed.

• Practical experience on-site: Although this can only be gained over time, I recommend that you spend as much time on-site seeing and dealing first hand with real issues. This gives you a distinct advantage in your ability to assist the specifier and ultimately develop a favourable view of your product.

• Ability to communicate: You will be dealing with many different types of people at many different levels and all have different requirements. Some will not want to see you and some will be grateful to see you, but the one common theme is that people’s time is limited and you need to be succinct and clear in your meetings.

• Provide the information that specifiers need: You should know what information and advice people require; generally, specifiers like architects, engineers, interior designers do not want to talk to salespeople and, when you get the opportunity, you must make the most of it. An architect will need information such as technical reports and assessments. They need to be kept informed of changing regulations and standards, so make sure that they are given copies and are aware of the latest information. The contractor is more likely to need reports, test information, certification, installation guidelines and pricing and availability information. Whereas the sub-contractor is usually open to being made aware of other projects and potential sales, so keep them informed and make sure that you make the most of your time with them. At Rockwool, we want to keep everyone ‘Rockwool friendly’ as we aim to help contractors generally as well as encouraging contractors to use our product.  It is also worth considering providing courses and training offering CPD points to all concerned.

• Relationship building skills: Although you will see a lot of people, it is normally only for a limited period of time. Therefore it is vital to build a relationship with them on a personal and professional level. Remember that specifiers rarely deal with just one project and you will want to be called upon for future projects.

• Ask the question and keep your ears and eyes open: There could well be further opportunities for your company or even just for you to demonstrate your specialist knowledge, so don’t be afraid to ask the question on what they are doing in other areas, the rewards could be huge for your company and you might solve a problem and make life much easier for the specifier - which is good news for you in the long run!

"By developing and focusing on these skills and actions, your chances of succeeding in specification sales will be considerably enhanced."

In the penultimate part of our series providing career advice to those in the building product industry, Shaun will be outlining some of the major differences between account field sales roles and specification sales.

Part One: What is specification selling?

Part Two: The mistakes to avoid

Part Three: The skills needed to succeed

Part Four: What is different about specification selling?

Part Five:  Why it is so rewarding and what are the career development opportunities available?

Pinnacle Consulting is a specialist recruitment consultancy for the building products sector, if you are interested in developing a career in Specification Sales in the building industry then please contact us to discuss the Specification Sales Job right for you. Call our expert building industry recruitment 
consultants for a discussion on your career on 01480 405225.

The construction industry is the best industry in the world to work for, find out why...

www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

Architect/Engineer image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Building a career in specification sales - Part 2 'The Mistakes to Avoid'

In the second part of our series aimed at those thinking of developing a career in specification sales in the building industry, Shaun Davies, Technical Consultant at Rockwool UK advises on the mistakes to avoid making to succeed in the role. 

Read the first part: 'What is Specification Selling" here

Pin Board: "What are the biggest mistakes that you can make in specification selling?"

Shaun: "There are a number of small errors and oversights that can have a huge
impact on your effectiveness in a specification sales role. These include:

• Not telling the truth: Never lie; it destroys trust in you and in the company that you represent. You could end up costing your company a lot of money as well as your job. If you do not know the answer, consult a colleague who is an expert in that particular field and get back to them with all the information and data they need in a mutually agreed period of time.

• Misleading or being woolly: This can be as bad as lying, as it shows that you lack knowledge and confidence and this often breaks trust in the future. It can also lead to misunderstanding from the client’s point of view, resulting in a wrong decision being made, based on lack of detail given in your advice. Once again, it is best to inform them only what you are 100% sure of and send the rest at a later date or bring in a member of your specialist team to enhance the sell. You can actually turn a negative into a positive.

• Not using evidence and practical examples: In any situation it is easier to convince someone that something will work and solve a problem if you can prove that it has worked in a similar situation. As you build your experience you should also build your database of examples to use in your negotiations. Where possible, without breaking any confidentiality clause, back your examples up with photographs, testimonials and data from previous projects.

• Not following the whole process through: A specification sale can be lost as quickly as it can be won. It is a long-term process and one that you need to keep on top of. You must ensure that you provide the correct information to all involved at the right time – otherwise your hard work can be undone and you could lose the specification. In Design and Build projects the specification is particularly likely to change, whereas it is more stable in a traditional build. The stage I would suggest that you should be most alert is at main contractor render, where the specification can be very vulnerable.

• Not keeping up to date with changes in regulations and standards: This is a schoolboy error and can destroy the trust and respect that you have developed. You are consulted for your knowledge and it must be up to date and relevant. Avoid putting yourself in a situation where the person you are dealing with knows more than you.

"If you avoid making these errors then you have the right attitude to develop and excel in the role."

In part three Shaun will be letting us know the skills and knowledge you need to possess to succeed in a specification sales job in the building industry.

Part One: What is specification selling?

Part Two: The mistakes to avoid

Part Three: The skills needed to succeed

Part Four: What is different about specification selling?

Part Five:  Why it is so rewarding and what are the career development opportunities available?

Pinnacle Consulting is a specialist recruitment consultancy for the building products sector, if you are interested in developing a career in Specification Sales in the building industry then please contact us to discuss the Specification Sales Job right for you. Call our expert building industry recruitment consultants for a discussion on your career on 01480 405225.

www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Building a career in specification sales - Part 1 'What is Specification Selling?"

Specification selling is now more important than ever for a building product manufacturer. A Specification Sales Job is an exciting and rewarding role that should be considered by anyone looking to develop a sales career in the building product industry.

As the industry continues to focus on sustainability, coupled with the tightening of building regulations, specifiers are beginning to look primarily at product benefits on-site and factors such as lifetime building operating costs and durability rather than just purchase price.

A more expensive and higher quality product can offer greater value – ensuring the correct people are aware of these benefits is the foundation of specification selling. As a result, it will encourage brand loyalty and provide enhanced competitive advantage. Another attractive benefit of specification selling is that it gives the manufacturer control over their own product, rather than the control being with the distributor, although truly effective specification selling will actually improve the manufacturer/distributor relationship and the level of business put through the stockist.

Specification selling requires a different approach and skill set to traditional account sales. In five parts Pin Board, the Pinnacle Consulting Blog, talks to Shaun Davies, Technical Consultant with Rockwool UK, on how he has developed a career in specification sales and what is involved together with his advice on how to succeed and the job satisfaction it can bring.

In the first part Shaun gives us an overview of specification selling and how it works.

Pin Board: "What is specification selling?"

Shaun: "In essence, a specification is a documented advice note informing a contractor which products and materials should be installed, the standards that they should meet and guidance on their installation.

"Specification selling is about influencing the nature of this advice note and then making sure that it matches the attributes of the product you are selling and then working with the specification chain so that your actual product is selected. This requires you to offer the specifier a large amount of readily available and relevant technical information. You will need to be supported by the internal sales office, company website/marketing materials and those involved in testing and product development to succeed. This will help to open dialogue with a specifier and, if you can make their life easier, it is easier to make contact in the future.

"However, it is a huge sales and marketing challenge and can be a very long process, involving many different people who require a variety of messages. Different people will control the specification throughout the process, so you need to ensure you are fully aware of the stage that the project is at and who is in control.

"The specification can be broken at any time and this is why you need to be involved in the project from start to finish. The best form of specification selling is when your product is the only product that ticks all the boxes. In these cases there is no ‘or equivalent’ available for the specifier to select.

"Specification selling requires a great deal of skill and hard work to be effective and to understand what is involved it is useful to know what the process is."

Pin Board: "Who exactly is the specifier?"

Shaun: "A number of people normally contribute to the specification decision that is traditionally made by the Client, Architect or Engineer. However, the people that influence their decisions are just as important, particularly when it comes to brand selection.

"A building project will have a special ‘project team’, which traditionally includes: the Client, Consultant, Architect, Engineer, Quantity Surveyor, Main Contractor and Sub-contractor. Other specialists may also be called upon when required.

"The project contract type will also vary from project to project eg Traditional, Design and Build, Management, etc and may affect your approach.

"As you can see, a specification specialist has a lot to control, understand and influence and on top of this you will normally have multiple projects to deal with."

Pin Board: "What stages does the specification decision process go through?"

Shaun: "The specification process goes through four main stages."

• The client’s brief – This usually details the functional needs of the building and other details such as overall look and required performance. This stage will drive the products that will eventually be selected.

• Specialist consultation – In order to define some of the requirements set out in the client’s brief for the building’s performance, specialist consultants in areas such as fire, acoustics, security, HVAC and sustainability, are usually brought in during this stage.

• Architect’s input – The design of the building will now be developed from the information contained within the client’s brief and the specialist advice from the consultants. It is at this stage when the project gets more detailed and product selection may be indicated –certainly in terms of specification, performance and approvals, etc. Mechanical, electrical and structural engineers are likely to work with the architect during this stage.

• Appointment of the contractor – It is often the main contractor that is responsible for product selection, although the actual decision is also often made by the sub-contractor (appointed by the main contractor) particularly in terms of brand.

"However, the role of the specification salesperson does not end there, as you will be expected to advise and assist during the installation and construction process, even once your product has been bought and delivered to site. You have control of the project in your hands - don't drop it"

In the next part Shaun will be advising those thinking of getting into specification selling on the common mistakes to avoid making.

Part One: What is specification selling?

Part Two: The mistakes to avoid

Part Three: The skills needed to succeed

Part Four: What is different about specification selling?

Part Five:  Why it is so rewarding and what are the career development opportunities available?

If you are interested in developing a career in Specification Sales in the building industry then please contact us to discuss the Specification Sales Job right for you. Call our expert building industry recruitment consultants for a discussion on your career on 01480 405225.

www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

Hand image courtesy of jannoon028 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net