DON’T: Underestimate the value in creating genuine and honest relationships. If architects see you as a friend, they’ll be much more responsive to your products and suggestions.

DO: Know your stuff! This doesn’t just apply to your product, although you certainly should prioritize all those details too. Your knowledge should extend from your product to competing products, market trends, code updates, preferences and anything in between. You can stay informed about the latest updates on websites like ArchitectureAU.

DON'T: Attempt to control the design process over architects and designers. Respect their autonomy and creative control over their work. Collaboration is essential but understand that there are many factors to go into the decision-making process and you may not be aware of all of them.

DO: Communicate primarily via email rather than phone calls. Emails allow architects and designers the necessary time to process information and respond at their convenience. Too many unwanted phone calls are likely to end in the architect never reaching out to you and even worse, telling their colleagues also not to call.

DON'T: Overwhelm architects and designers with unnecessary automated email updates. Limit communications to essential information, such as the introduction of new products and important technical updates. Too many irrelevant updates may deter architects from engaging with your emails in the future. Think smart about your email communications and use data to understand if they are being engaged with by the right people. If not, try something new!