Key Takeaways:
Successfully launching an industrial product into a new market often depends on influencing engineers early in the design process. When looking to have your products become part of a project specification, the most successful industrial manufacturers focus on a few core strategies:
- Engineers, consultants, and OEM designers often influence product selection long before procurement gets involved.
- Build technical credibility with engineers by providing strong documentation, thought leadership, application expertise, and validated performance data.
- Align your messaging to industry challenges. Each market values different performance benefits, risks and operational outcomes.
- Provide design resources, such as CAD models, engineering guides, and technical documentation, to help engineers integrate products into their designs.
- Engage engineers early. Technical content and industry involvement can introduce your solutions before project specifications are finalized.
Industrial manufacturers spend years engineering innovative products. Yet when those products enter a new market, many fail to gain traction – not because the technology isn’t good, but because it was never specified into the systems, projects or standards that ultimately drive buying decisions.
In industrial markets, the difference between being evaluated and being specified is enormous. When your product becomes part of an engineering specification, it moves from optional to expected. Procurement teams stop asking if they should buy it and instead focus on how to source it. That shift shortens sales cycles, reduces price pressure and increases the likelihood of repeat use across future projects.
“After more than three decades in industrial sales and marketing, one pattern has become clear: industrial products don’t win markets through awareness alone,” says Jeff Blease, Director of Hygienic Markets at DeanHouston. “They win when they become part of the design process.”
If you’re launching a product into a new vertical, geography, or application, developing a spec-in strategy should be central to your market-entry plan.
Why Specification Matters in Industrial Markets
In many industrial sectors – whether fluid handling, electronics manufacturing, automation, lifting equipment or infrastructure – purchasing teams rarely drive the first decision.
Instead, engineers, consultants, and system designers determine which technologies will be used while the system is still being designed. By the time procurement becomes involved, many of the key choices have already been made.
At that stage:
- Performance requirements are defined
- Product categories are predetermined
- Approved suppliers may already be listed
If your product isn’t considered during this design phase, you are forced to compete as a late-stage substitution. And substitutions introduce risk into an established design.
“Getting specified early changes the entire dynamic,” adds Blease. “Your product becomes part of the original engineering intent, making it far easier for buyers to justify its use.”
Identify the Specifiers Who Shape the Market
Companies entering new markets often focus their marketing efforts on buyers. But in industrial markets, the most influential voices frequently belong to people who never sign the purchase order.
These individuals influence system design and product selection long before procurement becomes involved. Common specifiers include design engineers, consulting engineers, system integrators, architects (for infrastructure and facilities) and OEM design teams.
Understanding how these influencers interact and where they obtain technical information is critical to gaining consideration for the specification. A successful market entry strategy begins with mapping the specifier ecosystem, not just the buying process.
Build Technical Credibility Before You Sell
Engineers rarely adopt products based on marketing claims alone. Their decisions are grounded in technical validation, performance data and confidence that a product will integrate seamlessly into a system design.
For companies entering a new market, establishing technical authority is essential. That credibility often comes from the types of resources you provide to engineers, such as:
- Application engineering guides
- Performance validation reports
- Engineering white papers
- Detailed product documentation
- CAD and design resources
These assets do more than promote a product; they demonstrate that your organization understands the technical challenges engineers are solving. Over time, this positions your company as a trusted engineering resource, not just a supplier.
Adapt Your Value Proposition to the New Industry
One of the most common mistakes manufacturers make when entering a new market is assuming their existing value proposition will resonate automatically. In reality, every industry prioritizes different engineering outcomes.
“A pump used in chemical processing might emphasize chemical compatibility and durability. The same technology entering semiconductor manufacturing may need to highlight contamination control and ultra-clean performance,” explains Blease. “The core technology may remain unchanged, but the reason engineers choose it can shift dramatically.”
Manufacturers that succeed in new markets take the time to understand three things:
- What operational challenges engineers face
- What system risks are they trying to reduce
- What performance metrics matter most
When messaging reflects these realities, engineers can more easily see how a product fits into their designs.
Support Engineers Throughout the Design Process
Specification rarely happens in a single moment. Instead, it evolves as engineers move from exploration to evaluation and eventually to system design. Manufacturers that consistently get specified understand that engineers need different information at different stages.
Early on, engineers may simply be learning about new technologies and approaches. As designs progress, they begin to compare options and validate performance. Eventually, they need the detailed information that allows them to integrate a product directly into a system.
At that stage, engineers look for resources that enable specification, including:
- Detailed product specifications
- CAD models or BIM objects
- Engineering design guides
- Compliance and certification documentation
When these resources are easy to access, engineers can move from discovery to specification without unnecessary friction.
Participate in the Technical Community
Another powerful way to accelerate specification adoption is through participation in the broader industry conversation.
“Trade organizations, engineering conferences and standards committees often shape how products are evaluated and specified within an industry,” says Blease. “Manufacturers that contribute technical expertise in these environments gain visibility and credibility among the people influencing future specifications.”
Publishing technical insights in trade journals, presenting at industry events and contributing to standards discussions can position a company as a thought leader within the engineering community. Over time, this visibility can make engineers more comfortable specifying your technology.
Align Sales and Marketing Around Engineering Conversations
Spec-in strategies also require a different approach to sales enablement. Instead of focusing exclusively on procurement conversations, teams must be prepared to engage engineers in technical discussions about system design, performance implications and application compatibility.
This often requires close alignment between marketing, product management, application engineering and technical sales teams. When these groups work together, they can support specifiers with the insights and documentation needed to confidently integrate a product into their designs.
Turning New Products Into Design Standards
Launching a product into a new industrial market is rarely just about introducing a better technology. It’s about becoming part of the engineering frameworks that guide system design. Manufacturers that succeed consistently focus on understanding the specification ecosystem, building technical credibility and helping engineers solve real design challenges.
When that happens, a product stops being something engineers merely evaluate – and becomes something they expect to use. And in industrial markets, becoming a design standard is where sustainable growth truly begins.
Ready to Get Your Products Spec’d Into New Markets?
At DeanHouston, we help industrial manufacturers launch new products and enter new markets by developing strategies that influence both specifiers and buyers. Through programs like Attack-A-Market®, we combine industry insight, engineering-focused content and targeted outreach to accelerate adoption.
Because in industrial markets, the brands that win are the ones engineers trust enough to design around.
To learn more, check out our 5-Step Spec-In Strategy Guide for Industrial Manufacturers.
For additional insights from our DeanHouston expert, you can contact Jeff Blease at [email protected] or 1+ (513) 455-6357.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Industrial Products Spec’d In
What does it mean to get a product “spec’d in”?
Getting a product “spec’d in” means that an engineer, consultant or system designer includes a specific product or manufacturer in a project’s technical specification.
Once a product is specified, it becomes the preferred or required solution for that application. Procurement teams then source the specified product rather than evaluating alternatives, which significantly increases the likelihood that the manufacturer will win the business.
For industrial manufacturers, being spec’d in often leads to:
- Higher win rates
- Shorter sales cycles
- Less price competition
- Repeat use in future projects
This is why many industrial companies focus on influencing engineers early in the design process.
Why is specification important in industrial product marketing?
Specification is critical because many industrial buying decisions are influenced long before procurement begins evaluating suppliers.
Engineers, consultants and system integrators often determine which technologies will be used during the system design phase. If a product is included in the engineering specification, it is far more likely to be purchased once the project moves forward.
By influencing specifications, manufacturers can:
- Shape project requirements
- Establish preferred vendor status
- Increase long-term market adoption
- Reduce the need to compete on price alone
This approach shifts the focus from simply selling products to becoming part of the engineering design standard.
How do engineers decide which products to specify?
Engineers typically evaluate products based on a combination of performance, reliability, documentation and application fit. Because specifications affect the success of an entire system, engineers tend to favor solutions they trust and understand.
Several factors influence specification decisions, including:
- Proven performance in similar applications
- Availability of engineering documentation and design resources
- Compliance with industry standards and certifications
- Ease of integration into existing systems
- Technical support from the manufacturer
Manufacturers that provide strong technical resources and application expertise make it easier for engineers to confidently specify their products.
How can manufacturers increase their chances of getting specified?
Manufacturers increase their chances of being specified by focusing on the engineers and influencers involved in the design phase of a project.
Successful spec-in strategies typically involve:
- Publishing technical content that solves engineering problems
- Providing design resources like CAD models and application guides
- Building credibility through trade journals and industry conferences
- Engaging system designers and consulting engineers early in the design process
- Aligning sales and marketing efforts around technical conversations
When manufacturers support engineers with the right information and tools, they make it easier for their products to be included in the specification.
To have more of your FAQs answered, reach out to a DeanHouston marketing specialist today.