Which spec battle are you fighting?
TL;DR Make sure your team is ready to get in the spec with the architect AND defend it via the contractor.
Bona Fides I helped one BPM raise their spec rates by 65% through a multi-phase strategy.
Different Stages, Different Skill Sets
Boosting your building product’s specification rates requires navigating two key stages, each with a crucial stakeholder with their own unique—and complementary—priorities.
Let’s break it down.
Getting in the spec
The first stage involves the architect or specifier—the gatekeepers to your product’s inclusion in the spec. Convincing these decision-makers means proving your product outshines existing options and won’t lead to problems during construction.
In practical terms, this requires a standout product with a strong reputation for reliability. To paraphrase David A. Fields, it’s a product with the highest likelihood of meeting their design goal with the least chance of hurting the project.
The architect and specifier’s goals are to create functional, beautiful and sustainable spaces that meet code requirements.
To succeed here, focus on more on the marketing side: You want to be recognized and easy to spec. Provide the right information clearly and effectively to professionals who increasingly prefer remote and digital work. (Make sure your website is up to par and you’re showing up where architects get the most bang for their buck; the day of the lunch-and-learn sale is drawing to a close.)
If your team has worked hard to overcome these challenges and seen specification rates rise, celebrate—but stay vigilant. This isn’t the end of the sale.
Want more Tips on Securing specifications? Let’s talk.
Defending the Spec
Getting into the spec is just the beginning. Once your product is listed—ideally as the basis of design (though that’s a topic for another day)—you might think it’s time for the sale. Not yet.
When the spec passes to the general contractor, a new set of objectives arises. Contractors prioritize completing projects on schedule, staying under budget, and meeting regulatory standards. This is often where VALUE ENGINEERING enters the picture, potentially jeopardizing your hard-earned spot in the spec.
Defending the spec requires collaboration between your sales and project management teams. They must demonstrate your product’s value in areas like cost-effectiveness, installation efficiency, lead times, long-term durability, and compliance with regulations. In 2025, defending the spec also means addressing challenges like shipping timelines and tariff implications.
Action Items
Expand the team working with both audiences. Ideally there would be seats at the table for marketing, sales, business development, project/product management, engineering and production collaborating on messaging.
Put together two sales kits: One for architects (heavy on case studies, BIM, product data and specifications) and another for contractors (installation instructions, warranty, communication expectations).
Use a Customer Relationship Management system to hand projects off to different teams at different stages. Once your product is secured in the spec, tag in additional team members to work with contractors to get it across the finish line.