The competitive landscape in manufacturing changed a lot in the last few years.
Not so long ago, there was a standard way manufacturers marketed and sold products.
Manufacturing was dominated by just a few key players, and the biggest firms often had a stranglehold on their market. Customers, in turn, got information about products that might serve their needs from their business contacts or annual industry conferences.
Those conferences were once the mainstay of the manufacturing sales cycle, setting agreements in motion that could last years. Now, things are different: Barriers to entry are falling and smaller companies are challenging the assumptions made by the big guys.
More than ever before, it’s necessary for manufacturing brands to be in touch with customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year ... not just one, two, or three days of a big event.
Manufacturing CRM software makes it possible.
CRM – Customer Relationship Management – is software that grants a total view of where each lead and customer stands in the buyer journey. It also provides a comprehensive list of all touch points and brand interactions each individual has had.
That gives you the ability to assess exactly how to move forward in the sales or marketing process at any time. This proactive approach lets any brand compete with entrenched rivals in the ongoing quest to capture attention and build trust.
Let’s check out the unbeatable benefits of manufacturing CRM software.
1. Improved Customer Service
Customer service is the bread and butter of manufacturing CRM software. CRM ensures you understand who your customers are, where they are, and where they’re going. This gears you up to anticipate needs and respond fluidly to problems, amplifying your retention efforts.
2. Insightful Market Segmentation
All modern marketing starts by defining your buyers and the use cases they have for your product. The better your marketing segmentation, the easier it’ll be to nurture deep relationships and ensure all communications you send each customer are right on target.
3. More Efficient Lead Management
Manufacturing is notorious for its long sales cycles. It may take six months or even a year for a customer to decide on your solution. Manufacturing CRM software delivers clarity on what steps you can take to move your leads toward the finish line.
4. More Accurate Sales Forecasting
Effective sales forecasting is essential in any business, but it’s central to manufacturing. Better sales forecasts tie into new opportunities for supply chain optimization – and that can save you millions. Not so bad when you consider a quality CRM from HubSpot is actually free.
5. End to End Sales Pipeline Visualization
Codifying your sales process makes each sales rep more productive. It also positions you to plug holes that could result in losing business to the competition. Despite the name, CRM isn’t just about marketing: It’s your cornerstone piece of sales enablement technology, too.
6. More Closed Deals That Really Last
Finding “best fit” clients is the ideal way to keep your book of business growing. Deals last only if the product meets expectations and continues to add value. A CRM spotlights you the data you need to evaluate whether a customer will yield revenue or just more overhead in the long run.
7. Seamless Mobile Compatibility
Mobile makes it possible for enterprises to tap talent pools around the world. That’s more crucial in manufacturing than virtually any other industry. The mobile compatibility afforded by CRM could have a direct effect on your options for optimizing your logistics.
8. Cross-Departmental Collaboration
As a manufacturer, you centralize your inputs – like blueprints and parts lists – into databases all stakeholders can use. Manufacturing CRM software does the same for your sales and marketing efforts. This prepares everybody to see both the big picture and its component elements.
9. Long-Term Customer Delight
The benefits of manufacturing CRM software don’t end once the sale is made. You can also use it to keep track of what existing customers are up to. That gives you the power to step in and help when new manufacturing trends present opportunities to deliver more value.
10. Synergistic Effects on Marketing
It’s much easier to capture customer testimonials and success stories when you have a CRM. You’ll be able to see which customers have been using which products and features the longest. Plus, you’ll know exactly who to reach out to and how to get in touch.
11. Superior Strategic Planning
In the long run, the lessons you derive from your manufacturing CRM software can become a competitive differentiator. You’ll see at a glance what products have been most effective for which customers, which can open the way to future designs and better marketing campaigns.
Have another favorite benefit we’ve missed? Tell us about it in the comments!
Rob Steffens
I am the Director of Marketing here at Bluleadz. I'm a huge baseball fan (Go Yankees!). I love spending time with friends and getting some exercise on the Racquetball court.