Trust is Key in High-Tech Manufacturing, Multichannel Selling

Getting exceptional results in B2B multichannel selling begins with exceptional trust.

Trust gets created and strengthened when channel partners are assured they are ordering the right product, and manufacturing is delivering the product right. Now take into account the speed at which high-tech manufacturing moves, and there are literally thousands of these decisions being made in a sales channel daily across all partners, distributors and dealers.

Ordering the right product and getting the product right through manufacturing gives sales channels confidence that a manufacturer can satisfy the needs and wants of the channel partners’ customers. We’re seeing that even in the midst of a recession that manufacturers who intensely focus on this are creating customers, even capturing some from competitors too.

Lessons Learned in the B2B Market
High-tech manufacturers need help to enable multichannel original and aftermarket sales; create and manage a lean, intelligent supply chain; and enable greater business agility needed to outpace their competition. In short, to make all these strategies and systems aligned to exceeding the expectations of their customers on every order and every interaction.

More and more high-tech manufacturers are bridging the critical gaps of traditional ERP and supply chain management software with sales configuration and selling solutions that provide the needed capabilities to execute complex inquiry-to-cash processes faster and more reliably.

The stated objective of many complex manufacturers is to “delight customers.” However you must “create customers” before you can delight them. The first interaction with a potential new customer is through one of the sometimes many distribution models the manufacturer uses to connect with potential customers. Not converting prospects into customers is devastating for high-tech manufacturers and producers of all complex configurable products and services. Service failures, because of lack of channel performance needs to be the highest priority if build-to-order strategies are going to pay off. It’s time to consider what you can do to make channel strategies more competitive and delight your customers.

Guided selling simplifies and automates the maintenance and deployment of all knowledge, no matter what the distribution channel, that is required to analyze customer needs, define the optimal solution, and generate a proposal to fulfill those needs. This is extremely important whether the customer is dealing directly with the manufacturer or one of their distribution channels. The key to your success is a simplified statement all about getting the “right product” and getting the “product right.” Guided selling is comparable to having your most knowledgeable, responsive sales person available 24/7 to assist your channel, their prospects and customers. Recommending the right product and then delivering the product right is what a successful multi-channel strategy is all about.

Guided selling solutions assist your multiple channels become more efficient by providing them the most up-to-date product configurations. The channels sales team won’t be on the phone continually with the manufacturer determining what is available and what can be done to meet the end customer’s needs by providing the “right product.” Knowing the latest options and the latest product developments helps the channel, not only with the original sale, but perhaps with even an opportunity to up sell and cross sell. Guided selling systems allow manufacturers to continually update valid sales configurations so that the field sales organization can be assured the factory gets the “product right” and can be produced most effectively with the highest value for the end customer at the lowest cost. Multi-channel strategies require that end customers interactions with the channel are as seamless as dealing directly with the manufacturer.

This diversity of formats and the desire to expand into fresh channels is driving the need for optimal supply chain management. In the heart of every high-tech manufacturer lurks an image of the channel model that offers what the customer wants to buy, when the customer wants to buy it and is frequented by loyal customers who configure, request and buy the product that is always available no matter where they are in the world. All this begs the question — how can retailers improve their supply chains in this demanding environment? The answer is deceptively simple. It lies in flawless execution.

Thanks to technology, virtually every high-tech manufacturer in the world can deploy the knowledge of its products and sell using multi-channels with flawless execution. For these manufacturers, the supply chain is a strategic differentiator that delivers business value and competitive edge. They see it as a key element of their business strategy and work with their channels to design, develop and deploy the deep knowledge their products with ever greater speed and economy.

Discover how to leverage your existing knowledge to simplify even the most complex selling processes, operate more efficiently and effectively and drive profitable growth through greater business agility and actionable supply chain intelligence by visiting: http://www.cincomacquire.com/.

Image: Servers by JohnSeb

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