6 Ways to Build Strong Relationships with AEC Professionals

With $97 billion in building products purchased in the U.S. each year, how do you ensure your brand earns its share? It all starts with building strong, long-lasting relationships with AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) professionals, but earning that trust requires more than offering great products.

Here are 6 proven ways you can strengthen your relationships with AEC audiences and stand out as reliable, trustworthy partners:

1. Offer High-Quality CAD, BIM, 3D & Specs
2. Make Your Design Files Easy to Specify
3. Provide Real-World Examples of Your Products in Action
4. Offer Physical Samples
5. Deliver Continuing Education Courses
6. Respond Quickly & Knowledgeably to Requests

Why You Need to Build Strong Relationships with AECs

Before we dive into how to build strong relationships, let’s take a moment to look at why they matter:

• Increased Repeat Specifications: When AEC professionals trust your brand and know your products are easy to work with, they’re far more likely to specify you again and again.

• Long-Term Partnerships (and Long-Term Revenue): A single project win can turn into an ongoing relationship when AECs see you as a reliable, supportive partner.

• Valuable Product Feedback: AECs who trust you are more willing to share insights on product performance and what they need for future projects—helping you innovate smarter.

• Positive Word-of-Mouth: When someone has a strong relationship with your brand, they often share it across their firm and beyond, increasing your visibility and influence

• Stronger Differentiation From Competitors: Relationships create a competitive edge that can’t be copied—especially when products are similar.

Now, let’s explore how you can build these strong relationships and experience all the benefits they bring.

1. Offer High-Quality CAD, BIM, 3D & Specs 

AEC firms rely on accurate and complete design files to work efficiently. Here's what you should offer:

• CAD, BIM, and 3D files in multiple formats (DWG, DXF, RFA, RVT, SKP, etc.). If you're unsure which file formats you should offer your design files in, check out our File Type Cheat Sheet.
• Clear, concise product specifications
• Installation guides and maintenance documents
• Environmental Product Declaration (EPDs) and (Health Product Declaration) HPDs
• High-quality imagery, brochures, catalogs, cut sheets, etc.

When your technical content is reliable, AEC pros see your brand as reliable too.

2. Make Your Design Files Easy to Specify

Even the best products won’t be considered if design professionals can’t quickly find and download the files they need. Your CAD, BIM, and 3D files and specs should be just a few clicks away, whether on your website or on trusted industry platforms like CADdetails.

When your design files are easy to download with minimal barriers, your products are far more likely to be specified.

3. Provide Real-World Examples of Your Products in Action

AEC professionals want proof, not just promises. When it comes time to choose which manufacturer will supply materials for a project, 91% say the most important factor is seeing the product successfully used in another real-world application. Demonstrating how your products perform in actual environments builds confidence, reduces perceived risk, and helps AECs envision how your solution fits into their own projects.

Project by Centurion Stone on CADdetails

Here are a couple tips:

• Showcase completed project case studies with clear visuals
• Highlight challenges your product helped solve
• Include quotes or insights from the AEC professionals involved
• Provide measurable outcomes when possible (performance improvements, cost savings, faster installation, etc.)

4. Offer Physical Samples

Did you know that 93% of AEC professionals agree that having physical samples is essential when evaluating a product? Being able to see, touch, and test a material helps them assess quality, texture, color accuracy, durability, and overall suitability for their project.

How to make samples work for you:

• Provide easy, low-friction ways for AEC pros to request samples
• Ship quickly and include clear labeling, installation notes, and contact information
• Offer a range of options (colors, finishes, sizes) to support accurate decision-making
• Follow up with helpful, non-pushy guidance to answer questions or suggest complementary products

5. Deliver Continuing Education Courses

AEC professionals need to complete CEU credits each year, and they gravitate toward courses that offer real value: fresh insights, industry best practices, and practical solutions they can apply immediately. If you create CEU content that tackles emerging challenges, highlights real-world applications, and incorporates meaningful case studies, you can elevate your brand from a product supplier to a trusted industry thought leader.

Want to partner with CADdetails to deliver your CEU course through an educational webinar? Learn more here.

6. Respond Quickly & Knowledgeably to Requests

In the fast-paced AEC world, deadlines drive decisions. When AECs reach out, they’re often under pressure to finalize specifications, meet submission timelines, or resolve design challenges. That’s why speed matters.

Build Trust by Partnering with CADdetails

When you make it easier for AEC firms to work with you and show that you truly understand their workflow, you elevate your role from product supplier to trusted project partner.

Another powerful way to build trust with AEC professionals is to align your brand with established industry leaders like CADdetails. With more than 25 years of serving the AEC community, our platform is a trusted destination where AEC professionals go to find the right products for their projects.

Book a demo to get started.