The builder or client as a target group: Why your offer can only be built with his wishes!
- Jörg Appl
- Dec 22, 2024
- 8 min read
Builders in focus: Whether private builder or public institution – they have individual requirements that they clearly emphasise in the construction industry. 🎯
How do you reach this target group? In technical marketing, what counts is understanding what builders really need and offering added value instead of empty promises. Bullshit marketing? Nobody needs that! Because builders expect solutions that convince – not castles in the air.
A clever compromise offer ⚖️ can help: realistic, but strong enough to set your offer apart from the crowd.
📚 Curious? This post is part of our blog series on marketing in the construction industry. Learn how to target builders with pinpoint accuracy, complete with case studies. 🚀
The builder or client: the only non-specialist in the construction project
In the construction industry, the client is often the only person in the project who does not have a technical education but still has to make important decisions. This special role of the client as a non-specialist presents companies with the challenge of presenting their technical offers in such a way that they are easy to understand and follow for someone without in-depth construction expertise
It is not enough to simply highlight the technical features of a product or solution. What is crucial is how the offer fits with the client's goals and requirements.
The difference between private and public clients
The client can be divided into two main categories: the private client and the public client. This distinction is not only of practical significance, but also has a decisive influence on the needs and requirements placed on a technical offer.
Private client
The private client is often an individual or a family building a structure for their personal use. Unlike the public client, they are not involved in construction projects on a regular basis and are pursuing a unique, individual goal – such as building a home or a specialised residential building. Their needs often centre on cost efficiency, aesthetics and individual design
Above all, a private client seeks solutions that meet his budgetary constraints while also meeting his personal preferences and requirements. Particularly important to him are flexible planning, the possibility of adapting to his wishes and clear communication about the progress of the project.
Public construction
The public client, which includes state agencies, local authorities and non-profit organisations, differs significantly from the private client in several respects. First of all, they often work with significantly higher budgets and are subject to complex legal requirements. In public projects, the focus is not only on aesthetic aspects, but above all on the public benefit and the long-term nature of the project.
Typical projects, such as administrative buildings, schools or transport infrastructure, have to meet strict requirements in terms of compliance with standards and sustainability. In addition, public clients are often obliged to carry out comprehensive tendering procedures in which transparency and equal treatment of suppliers have top priority.
Detailed requirements and needs of the client or builder
Regardless of whether the client is public or private, there are some basic needs and requirements that must always be taken into account. These include the following aspects:
Timely completion
Both types of client place a high value on adhering to the schedule. While the private client often has a little more flexibility because they are not bound by strict regulatory frameworks, the public client is often under pressure to meet fixed deadlines dictated by political or social demands.
Cost control
Cost efficiency is particularly important for the private builder, who usually works with a limited budget. The public builder, on the other hand, must ensure that the project remains within the budgetary constraints while also meeting public relations goals. In addition, he is subject to higher demands for transparency and accountability to the public.
Example of bricks:
Private builder:‘Premium bricks for your home – maximum energy efficiency and durability at an affordable price.’
Public builder:‘Bricks that combine quality and cost efficiency: our products reduce long-term maintenance costs and meet all public requirements.’
Flexibility and adaptability
The private client usually expects a high degree of adaptability and flexibility in the design process. Changes that occur during the project should be easy to implement. For the public client, on the other hand, changes are often more difficult to implement because they are often associated with complex approval procedures and the need to restart tendering processes.
Example of fastening systems
Private client:‘Our modular mounting systems flexibly adapt to your project – for custom designs without compromise.’
Public client:‘Rapid adaptation to structural changes: mounting systems that remain efficient even with complex tendering and approval processes.’
Quality standards and long-term solutions
The private client is looking for high-quality solutions that are both long-term sustainable and meet aesthetic and functional requirements. In addition, the public client places particular emphasis on the sustainability of the construction method and on meeting public standards and norms. Aspects such as longevity and energy efficiency play a central role here.
Example of facades
Private client:‘An impressive facade: our solutions combine modern aesthetics with high energy efficiency and minimal maintenance.’
Public client:‘Facade solutions for the future: durable, energy-efficient and ideal for prestigious public buildings.’
Transparency and communication
A public client requires particularly detailed and regular reporting on the progress of the project, from a technical as well as a political and societal point of view. Clear communication is also important for the private client, but often less formalised. Nevertheless, proactive communication about the status of the project and possible adjustments should also be provided here.erfolgen.
Risk distribution and risk avoidance
The private client wants to minimise risks as much as possible and attaches great importance to clear agreements with reliable partners. Insurance policies, guarantees and transparent communication about possible problems play a central role. He expects the responsibility for technical or construction errors to lie largely with the executing company.
Public clients are obliged to analyse and distribute risks comprehensively. They expect detailed risk assessments and clear contracts that precisely regulate liability issues. The aim is to distribute technical, financial and legal risks in such a way that public interests are safeguarded.
Example of services
Private client:
‘Minimise your risk: with our precise construction schedules, detailed cost calculations and flexible adjustment processes, we ensure smooth implementation – for maximum planning security.’
Public client:
‘Clear responsibilities, minimised risks: our specialised teams take responsibility for planning, execution and quality assurance – in accordance with the VOB (German Construction Contract Procedures) and taking public regulations into account.’
Conclusion
The distinction between private and public builders is of great importance when it comes to successfully marketing technical offers in the construction industry. Although both groups share similar basic needs, such as timeliness, cost efficiency and quality, their requirements often differ in important aspects such as flexibility, sustainability and compliance with public standards.
For a marketing strategy to be successful in the construction industry, companies must ensure that they recognise and take these differences into account. They need to develop tailored solutions for each target group of builders that meet both their needs and requirements.
It gets marketing-tastic when the builder is convinced!
Questions that will take your marketing expertise in the construction industry to the next level!
Case study 1: The role of the building owner in the construction project
A construction company presents a technical offer for a planned project to a building owner. However, the building owner has no technical training and is not an expert, but makes the key decisions in the project. This presents the company's marketing team with a particular challenge.
Question: How should the company design its marketing strategy to convince the building owner despite his lack of technical expertise?
A) Present the product's technical details in detail to convey technical expertise to the client.
B) Emphasise the advantages of the product in relation to the client's project objectives in order to present the client's requirements in an understandable and comprehensible way.
C) Focus on the technical features and explain all the technical terms.
D) Write the technical proposal in a way that appeals to the interests of other stakeholders, such as architects and building authorities.
Solution: B
Explanation:
Since the builder usually has no technical training, the marketing team should communicate the benefits of the product clearly and understandably in the context of the project objectives. This shows how the offer meets his requirements without overwhelming him with technical details that he might find difficult to understand.
Case study 2: The different needs of private and public builders
A supplier of building materials is planning a campaign for two target groups: private and public builders. For the private builder, flexibility and cost efficiency are the main priorities, while the public builder places particular emphasis on transparency, compliance with standards and sustainability
Question: What marketing strategy should the supplier use to appeal to both target groups?
A) The campaign should focus on general quality characteristics of the building materials that appeal to both types of builders.
B) For private builders the focus should be on cost efficiency and individual customisation; for public builders it should be on sustainability and compliance with standards.
C) Both types of builder prefer flexible offers; therefore, the campaign should emphasise a high degree of adaptability.
D) The provider should particularly emphasise the sustainability features, as they are important for all builders.
Solution: B
Explanation:
Private and public clients have different requirements. Private clients emphasise cost efficiency and flexibility, while public clients place more emphasis on sustainability, transparency and compliance with regulations. A differentiated campaign makes it possible to address the needs of both target groups in a targeted manner.
Case study 3: The importance of communication and transparency for public clients
An architectural firm is working with a public client on a major infrastructure project. The client needs regular reporting and transparency on progress in order to meet political and societal expectations.
Question: What type of communication is particularly important for the public client here?
A) Informal communication about progress, without regular updates
B) Simple, occasional project reports that only contain technical data.
C) Regular, detailed reports that also take into account the political and social impacts of the project.
D) Communication that is limited to the final conclusion of the project, since the client is mainly interested in the result.
Solution: C)
Explanation:
Public clients are interested in comprehensive transparency and regular reports that also include social and political aspects of the project. They often have a duty of accountability to the public and therefore require detailed progress reports that go far beyond technical details.
Further reading
Ng, S. Thomas; Luu, Duc Thanh; Chen, Swee Eng (2002): ‘Decision Criteria and Their Subjectivity in Construction Procurement Selection’. Published in the Australasian Journal of Construction Economics and Building, this article examines the decision factors in the selection of procurement systems in the construction industry and highlights their subjectivity. The authors identify frequently considered criteria and analyse their influence on the procurement decision
National Economic Development Office (NEDO) (1985): ‘Thinking About Building’This work, published by the National Economic Development Office, serves as a guide for builders on how to use the construction industry effectively. It is based on the NEDO research report ‘Faster Building for Industry’ and offers insights into procurement strategies and decision-making processes in the construction industry.
Bennett, J.; Flanagan, R. (1983): ‘For the Good of the Client’. This article, published in the Building magazine on 1 April 1983, pages 26–27, discusses the importance of customer orientation in the construction industry and emphasises the importance of putting the customer's needs at the centre in order to ensure successful projects
Skitmore, M.; Marsden, D.E. (1988): ‘Which Procurement System? Towards a Universal Procurement Selection Technique’Published in Construction Management and Economics, Volume 6, Issue 1, Pages 71–89, this article analyses different procurement systems and aims to develop a universal technique for selecting the most appropriate system for construction projects
Singh, S. (1990): ‘Selection of Appropriate Project Delivery System for Building Construction Projects’Presented at the CIB-90 Building Economics and Construction Management Conference at the University of Technology Sydney, pp. 469–480. This paper examines the criteria for selecting appropriate project delivery systems in building construction.
Masterman, J.W.E.; Gameson, R. (1994): ‘Client Characteristics and Needs in Relation to Their Selection of Procurement Systems’In: Rowlinson, S. (ed.), Proceedings: ‘East Meets Wes t' Procurement Systems Symposium, CIB Publication 175, 4–7 December, Hong Kong, pp. 79–87. This paper highlights how the characteristics and needs of clients influence their choice of procurement system.
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