How to explain the benefits of ISO 19650 to your client
- Breakwithanarchitect
- Oct 1
- 4 min read
When it comes to BIM, most clients do not care about models, standards, or acronyms. They care about budgets, delivery dates, and risks. This reality can be frustrating for professionals who understand the power of information management and the benefits of ISO 19650. Yet, what often looks like a technical breakthrough to us may appear as “extra paperwork” or “added costs” to them.
The challenge is not in proving that BIM and ISO 19650 bring value. The challenge is in communicating that value in terms that clients understand. To do so, you must shift from speaking about standards and processes to speaking about outcomes. In other words, BIM needs to be translated from technical language into business language.
Step into the client’s shoes
Clients think in outcomes, not in standards. They want to know how a project will succeed and what risks will be avoided. Questions about compliance or naming conventions are secondary. Their main concerns are whether costs will be controlled, whether disputes will be reduced, and whether handover will be smooth.
If your conversation begins with technical terms, you risk losing their attention. If it begins with outcomes, fewer disputes, shorter approval cycles, or reduced rework, you start addressing their priorities. Speaking from their perspective is the first step in selling your services effectively.
Translate features into benefits
BIM and ISO 19650 bring many technical features, but features alone do not persuade. Clients respond to benefits that impact their business. Consider how you frame what you do:
Instead of saying you will run coordination models, explain that early clash detection will prevent costly on-site mistakes.
Instead of describing your work in terms of BEPs and MIDPs, show how standardized information management ensures accountability and clear responsibilities.
Instead of presenting the setup of a Common Data Environment as a technical exercise, highlight how it eliminates wasted time searching for files or working on outdated versions.
Instead of focusing on structured data delivery, emphasize how accurate asset information supports operations from the very first day of use.
Each technical service you provide can be directly tied to business benefits. The key is to make those connections explicit.
Use stories, not standards
Standards are important for professionals, but stories are powerful for clients. When explaining the value of your services, examples resonate far more than references to clauses or workflows.
For example: “On a recent project, structured information management reduced RFIs by 30%. This meant fewer delays, fewer disputes, and a smoother handover.” That story has impact because it links the technical process to real outcomes.
Numbers and measurable results can make your argument even stronger. Demonstrating fewer design clashes, reduced change orders, or weeks saved in approvals paints a clear picture of the value of BIM and ISO 19650 in practice.
Highlight wins and long-term value
Clients want immediate results but also need assurance that their investment will create value in the future. This is where you should balance the quick wins with the long-term benefits.
Quick wins include better coordination, faster approvals, and clearer responsibilities within the team. These are results that a client can see during the project lifecycle. Long-term benefits include accurate asset data, smoother facility management, compliance with regulations, and readiness for digital twins. These benefits extend beyond delivery into operations and maintenance.
Positioning your services in this dual way helps clients see both the short-term and strategic value.
Package your services in a client-friendly way
Even the strongest argument can fall short if your proposal is too technical. The way you package your services matters. Keep visuals simple and intuitive. Use business-first language, replacing acronyms with terms that clients recognise. Instead of EIR, talk about client requirements. Instead of BEP, speak about project delivery strategies.
Where possible, present your services as part of a broader risk management package rather than as extras outside the project scope. Evidence of return on investment is also persuasive. A client is more likely to accept a €50,000 investment if you show that it could save them €200,000 in potential disputes and delays.
Think of your services as solutions, not just processes. The clearer you make this distinction, the easier it becomes for clients to buy in.
A shift in mindset
The real shift comes from changing how you view what you are selling. You are not selling BIM models, you are selling certainty. You are not selling standards compliance, you are selling risk reduction. You are not selling documents and processes, you are selling smooth project delivery.
When you present BIM and ISO 19650 this way, clients stop seeing them as technical add-ons. They begin to see them as investments that secure their project’s success.
Conclusion
Clients do not buy acronyms. They buy results. If you want to sell BIM and ISO 19650 services effectively, you need to step into their shoes, translate technical features into business benefits, use stories and real outcomes, balance short-term wins with long-term value, and package your services in a way that addresses risk and return on investment.
The lesson is simple: do not sell ISO 19650 as a standard. Sell it as a solution.
Want to position your BIM and ISO 19650 services with confidence? Build practical expertise through our online BIM training and earn a CPD-accredited certificate and digital badge, recognised across the AEC industry.
🖊️About the author: Nicoleta Panagiotidou is an architect, ISO 19650 specialist, and the founder of BIM Design Hub. She helps AEC professionals and businesses optimize their projects through effective information management.
Breakwithanarchitect © 2025 by Nicoleta Panagiotidou. Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Sharing is encouraged with credit and link to the original post, but full reproduction requires prior written consent.
