A Practical Approach to Making the Most of Your CPD Offering
From a manufacturer’s perspective, there are numerous benefits to offering CPD. Beyond the obvious—such as introducing your company and product—there are subtler advantages that are often overlooked. For instance, for a specification to remain firm, it needs to be well written and include unique features. A CPD seminar provides the perfect opportunity to highlight those distinctive characteristics and explain why they matter, helping to justify their inclusion in the specification.
It’s also important to remember that you’re competing with over 500 CPD providers, so your seminar must be compelling. This means choosing a subject with broad appeal and presenting it in a way that clearly communicates the value of attending. A CPD seminar should never be a history of the manufacturer, a product catalogue, or a sales pitch.
Technical advice is the main reason a specifier builds a relationship with a building product manufacturer. CPD seminars are a proactive way to introduce your company and demonstrate your technical expertise. Specifiers want to learn about construction products, systems and techniques—without being sold to.
Why should the construction manufacturer provide CPD?
Construction CPD is a proactive way to introduce your construction product. It’s an opportunity to showcase the unique qualities of your product and demonstrate design solutions. CPD allows you to raise your brand profile among specifiers and, importantly, engage directly with construction decision-makers to discuss upcoming projects. It positions your company—and your representatives—as trusted advisors.
How can the construction manufacturer identify a unique topic that specifiers will want to learn about?
Start by reviewing what’s already being offered. This can help you identify a niche or gap in the market that your product could fill. We also recommend using customer research—either as part of a broader strategy project or through something simple like an online survey. This can help uncover what’s most important to your target specifier audience.
Once you’ve identified their concerns, you can focus on offering solutions. Be sure to include how your product supports new regulations, enhances design outcomes, or improves installation reliability.
Ultimately, you need to ask: what will the specifier gain from attending? They’re looking for answers to real design challenges.
How can the manufacturer develop construction CPD content effectively?
Start with a clear and engaging agenda—one that communicates your key product messages while keeping the audience interested. Use benefits to spark interest, but ensure features are explained in enough depth for inclusion in specifications. Remember: the specifier is looking for practical design solutions.
Bring in real-world examples. Case studies and customer testimonials help ground your message in lived experience and demonstrate outcomes.
We recommend having marketing lead the development of CPD content, but be sure to involve the sales and technical teams as well. You’ll need buy-in from both. Talk to them to include answers to frequently asked questions—if specifiers are already asking them, make sure your CPD answers them upfront.
Also, review your presentation slide by slide. Every slide must earn its place. Consider the words and visuals carefully, and how they work together to tell your story.
What should be avoided when delivering construction CPD?
Unfortunately, Construction CPD is not always done well. Presentations can often be overly technical or delivered in a dry, uninspiring manner. It may sound obvious, but rehearsal is vital—your presenter must be confident, knowledgeable, and engaging.
Avoid anything that feels like a sales pitch. Engage with specifiers on their terms. CPD is a marketing tool, yes—but it’s about showcasing your expertise, not pushing your products. Product conversations will follow naturally once trust is built.
Gather testimonials from practices you’ve delivered CPD to—they’re invaluable social proof. And make the booking process easy. Provide coordinators with promotional materials such as emails, flyers or posters to help them spread the word internally.
Most importantly, treat the seminar as the beginning of the process, not the end. Continue your engagement with delegates after the session. The goal is to build long-term relationships, not just tick a box.
Contact us today to learn how they can support you in delivering effective construction CPD that builds relationships and drives product specifications.
