Selling Revit

[nrenfro]

We are in a situation where we are trying to sell Revit to people we work with because our reseller lacks the ability to properly do their job. Our reseller went to this group that needs to have their drawings in a BIM fashion so they can have a firm control on building cost across the entire project. The reseller shows them ADT and was unprepared and incapable of talking about Revit. We along with the people who received this demonstration we feel this shows an utter and complete incompetents on the part of the reseller. This is their job, and they have their heads in the sand. We are in the mid Atlantic Region and are looking for a compact reseller who is aware of the software they sell. Any and all suggestions of where to go would be greatly appreciated. This has great important to our firm.

[Wes Macaulay]

If you folks have a high-speed internet connection, we can show what Revit can do over the internet. We can't sell you the software (you have to buy it locally or direct from Autodesk) but we could certainly train your firm to use Revit.

Feel free to call me if you want to talk about it. We're on the West Coast, so we're 3 hours behind you. 1-877-691-9171 and my extension is 114. We've heard lots of complaints on this NG that resellers are not on the ball with Revit, and that sucks!

[John K.]

Was at our reseller's main office just two weeks ago to buy a plotter. They had a beautifully done display case of the Autodesk product line. Care to guess what was missing? WTF?

Not that I'm cynical -- I am. But methinks this bodes ill...

[GuyR]

Revit is easy to use. It doesn't require significant training to get going.

There's no API so they can't 'extend' Revit.

We can generate our own content -although this is an opportunity .

In many ways Autocad/ADT makes it easy for resellers. The products require lots of expensive training to be productive. They're hard to setup well and they have API's so resellers have another revenue channel.

For Resellers like KarelCAD in Australia who have taken the bull by the horns I'd say they've found there is value added opportunities for them.

IMO Autodesk missed the opportunity when they purchased Revit to align themselves with their competition. They should have shown Revit to the resellers and only the ones that GOT Revit and were excited by it should have been allowed to sell it. This would have created regional expert revit centres with resellers who understood BIM and understood Revit.


Not that I'm cynical -- I am. But methinks this bodes ill...

Only if you're a reseller. If they don't get off their arses and start getting behind Revit, Autodesk will make the decision for them. Sure the revenue stream might drop shortterm but longterm the future is BIM and the future is REVIT.

Guy

[gregcashen]

In order to sell Revit, don't resellers have to show that they have an AE on staff that is proficient? My understanding is that the test is currently a joke, but it should be made more comprehensive and given again.

Cathy Hadley...pipe up here.

[aaronrumple]

...all the adsk certification tests are a joke. <I've taken all the AEC product tests.>

Revit does require training @ "the factory". I think this is a very good idea. However, most are looking at sales issues and not operational issues.

[Wes Macaulay]

Because I was a known Revit user (pre Autodesk), I was given a once-over by someone from Autodesk. The only points I lost were for not using the proper schlock-talk when giving the demonstration. And I did that on purpose: a lot of the marketing schlock is meaningless and doesn't get people clearer on how Revit works.

As usual, our competitors in Vancouver are pushing ADT harder than Revit, and I don't get it. I was talking to one of them in Las Vegas, and while they were attending all the Revit classes, they outright told me that they didn't believe in Revit as the solution for architects. I don't know if they're just trying to position themselves as different from us or what, but I was shocked.

[gregcashen]

Well, there's the answer then. Make them take a real test and pass it...kinda like umm, I think some other software companies do...like oh, CISCO and MS.

[beth.powell61342]

I've been strictly an AutoCAD user for the past 10 years. A couple of weeks ago I landed a dream job. I'm working as Application Engineer for an Autodesk dealer in Roanoke, VA. I have the duty of installing, supporting, and teaching all Autodesk AEC products. (We have another person that handles mechanical.)

I've been very active with AUGI for almost that long as well. That's how I found this forum. I think I'll be visiting here often as I love Revit and am learning as much as I can about it.

I don't know who the reseller was that you had the bad experience with and it doesn't really matter. I agree with everyone's comments about resellers not knowing their stuff and Revit not getting equal billing.

The company I am with, Engineering Design Systems (EDSI), is very different in our philosophy. I would not have agreed to work for them if they didn't stand out in many ways.

I attended some Revit training at AU and am self-teaching as much as possible. I'm visiting the AUGI forums and now here to educate myself as much as possible about this exciting new product. Someone on the AUGI forums made a comment about Revit being as exciting as when he first went to CAD almost 20 years ago. I agree! I'm very excited about it and mention it to anyone that will listen.

I don't know enough yet about ADT and whether someone would switch from ADT to Revit, but for someone looking at switching from ACAD to a package, I always suggest Revit for its ease of use and quick learning. Again, I'm not in sales. Guess I'm just a natural cheerleader for things I believe in.

I would be happy to help you since you're not terribly far away from us. I'll send you a PM with my contact info.

I'm open to any insight anyone wants to share with me on Revit and will do my very best to learn every aspect of it and get the word out to as many people as possible about it.

Thanks!

[Melarch]

Wes,

Don't be discouraged, I wrote a while back expressing my amazement when the Autodesk regional AEC rep told me that ADT is still their primary focus and Revit is still a year or more away from a full marketing campaign, because there are two many ADT licensed seats to disenfranchise (as happened with Inventor's release and MDT users). So there posture is not to push Revit in the face of the ADT user base. They did say that any existing or potential client that asked about Revit was to be given a demonstration, but to be assured that Autodesk's commitment to continue developing and supporting ADT was primary.

So for over six months I have been laboring in the Mid-west to demonstrate and promote Revit to the architectural community with little avail. I have run several free, hands-on training classes through a Moraine Valley Community College (a premier Autodesk Training Center) which reached full enrollment (twenty seats), organized a Revit Users Group several months back with good attendance (fifteen or more in the audience) and have made a dozen Revit demonstrations to architectural firms (all of which were WOWed, but none were prepared to try a pilot project).

If effort could be measured in ERG's I have and continue to exert the driving force in the Chicagoland area, but every dealer is uniformed on marketing Revit and has little understanding of it's power or benefit to the architectural community. Plus they are cash flow driven to continue serving all of their clients seats of ADT, which they invested sales energy and support services convining the architectural community it was easy to learn, and would make their practices more profitable and staff productive.

I will continue to forge the advantages of Revit's building information modeling and parametrics until the market relizes the benefits. That day will give me an opportunity to bring Revit's BIM Solution to architects in my realm of the planet and raise the art and productivity of their project documentation.

[cphubb]

I too have experienced some problems with Autodesk resellers here on the West Coast. My local reseller put on a great seminar a little over a year ago on how great BIM was. At that time they were really pushinr Revit hard (along with ADT) and were eager to put on a little dog and pony show for our firm. However my bosses were not ready to buy into the BIM process yet.

6 months later when they were ready start this program I couldn't even get a quote out of them let alone a demo or any support. So needless to say after a month of emails and unanswered phone calls I located another reseller in northern CA who was happy to help me and sold me my licenses. (Although to be fair they didn't have much of a clue either about crossgrade options etc.) Now we are looking to add some licenses after the first of the year and the person at that reseller is gone and nobody else will return my calls either. I may go back to my original or find a third one all togehter.

Now I realize that my scant 4 licenses are small change for some of these people but I carry a similar amount of ADT licenses and was able to get an inhouse demo from the reseller as well as a 30 day full functioning copy when we bought that product.

I hope that some of the resellers that I have seen on this ng look at this and take heed. I believe there is a lot of money to be made from people switching from ADT/Autocad to Revit, a change that I believe will eventually happen to most architects, and begin to support this product, or Autodesk needs to change the way they distribute the product.

Chris

[gregcashen]

...or Autodesk needs to change the way they distribute the product.Chris

Or maybe they should not have changed it to begin with :wink:

[fernando]

why am not working in CA ??? :cry:
where in portugal, i sell Revit from Autodesk true 2002 ...it as been hard but the most of our ADT user feel that finally they had a truly architectural package in their hand's...it is not hard to sell
we had working and made good implementantions on ADT since r1(previosly u work with S7 and S8) but today we had what they want.... :D

[Sharon]

I am an AE in the Cincy area for a firm that deals in Adesk products. I support the Architectural side and my primary software is Revit. I support ADT but prefer to work with Revit. I have several firms that are making the move from ADT over to Revit. Why? Once they see what it can do, it is a no brainer. I don't understand why resellers are not jumping on the Revit bandwagon. Anyone in the Columbus-Cincinnati area can email me and I would be happy to work something out. The more time I get to spend working with Revit the happier I am! So not all resellers are ignoring the future. Some of us "get it"
Now I shall go back into lurk mode until further notice....

[Wes Macaulay]

Don't lurk Sharon - jump right in! One of the benefits about us resellers is we get the experience of how Revit is being used in a variety of firms - and that is invaluable information.

Any lessons that I learn I try to pass on here to benefit everyone.

[nrenfro]

Today I was contacted by the AutoDesk Regional Manager in our area as a indirect result of this posting. If my reseller is not on top of things it is very encouraging to see that AutoDesk appears to be. So to whom ever alerted the Regional Manager on my behalf thank you. I hope the dialogue results in something good for everyone.

[Cathy Hadley]

Just to let you know... ALL resellers are not so uninformed... and can see a good thang when its presented to us :)

And yes... to sell it you have to *pass the test* and yes... the Revit one does not at this time truely test your knowledge of the software. Not at nearly like the ADT, ABS tests, etc...

Personally I think the main problem isn't that resellers don't want to sell it they just don't have the personnel to support it. I disagree that there isn't great training and implementation possibilities for the resellars... its just a matter of time.

I've been fortunate to be able to keep my architectural practice going and therefore am able to use Revit in the real world and then parlay that experience to the potential Revit users.

just me .02

CZH
CZH

[AbigayleAEC]

As a sales rep for a Revit reseller, I agree with Cathy Hadley.

The reason local resellers are not pushing Revit is due to lack of experienced Revit Application Engineers. Just because they can pass a test, doesn't mean they are qualified to provide training or services. If they aren't able to support Revit customers, then they will try to steer customers away from purchasing Revit.

Fortunately my company AEC Technologies has experienced Revit staff to support our customers. We are also starting a Revit User Group in Sacramento. If you are interested, register at
http://www.aectech.com/common/seminars.html