OEMs are navigating a changing dealership model that requires a balance between direct digital channels and strengthened dealer partnerships. While buyers increasingly demand seamless, personalized experiences, dealers need the tools to remain central to the sales process without constant dependency on OEM support. 

In order for manufacturers and their sales partners to profitably sell, personalize, and differentiate in the market, they need a connected sales system to collaborate across. This modernization creates an opportunity to strengthen the OEM-dealer relationship, positioning dealers as valued partners with the independence and capabilities to be your go-to-market partner. 

Addressing Challenges in the Dealer Experience: What Modern Enablement Looks Like Today

The disconnect between traditional dealer models and modern buyer expectations creates significant challenges for both OEMs and their dealer networks: 

Feature	Traditional Dealer Model	Modern Dealer Experience
Sales Channel	Fragmented omnichannel experience for OEMs	Omnichannel with direct sales and partner sales integrated into one CPQ platform
OEM-Dealer Collaboration	Limited data sharing	Unified platform with customized dealer environment
Configuration Process	Manual, OEM-dependent	Automated, dealer self-service
Dealer Sales Tools	Fragmented	Integrated with sales dashboard
Customization	Limited dealer autonomy	Dealer-managed with OEM product rules
After-Sales Support	Localized, with fragmented support	Enhanced by OEM tools, dealer-managed

This friction ultimately leads to inefficient sales processes, missed opportunities, and strained OEM-dealer relationships. In some markets, OEMs are also experimenting with more direct-to-customer models. However, for complex, highly customized products, the value of trusted dealer partners remains high. Strengthening, rather than replacing, these relationships through digital enablement allows OEMs to meet customer expectations while preserving local expertise. The most successful manufacturers understand that empowering their dealer sales teams with digital tools and essential data is key to creating an exceptional experience that benefits both dealers and OEMs. 

A unified configuration platform like Tacton’s CPQ-based buyer engagement platform powers both OEM direct sales and dealer-assisted sales. Dealers can focus on providing expertise, local support, and valuable services. 

Building Blocks for Modern Dealer Sales Enablement

OEMs can enable their sales partners in several key ways: by providing them with independent configuration capabilities, custom dealer dashboards, branded materials, visualization tools, and streamlined approvals. 

1. Establishing a Unified Platform  

Dealers often work with fragmented visibility on the latest product data, pricing, and availability. Configuration errors may lead to order issues and delivery delays, and back-and-forth communication between dealers and OEMs creates bottlenecks in the sales process. 

A unified platform allows OEMs to empower their dealers with independent access while maintaining control of the product data. With their own licenses and permissions within the OEM’s CPQ architecture, dealers become autonomous sales partners capable of handling complex specifications without constant OEM support. 

Tacton’s approach: one connected source of truth with dealer independence 

It’s critical that OEMs and dealers work from the same system, but with appropriate permissions and environments. Within the Tacton CPQ architecture, dealers work within their own environment that allow them to: 

• Configure complex products using the OEM’s constraint-based rules 
• Access OEM product data and pricing (as their cost basis) 
• Create their own pricing lists, branded materials, and quotes 
• Track their sales pipeline and opportunities 
• Request approvals when needed through automated workflows 

Meanwhile, OEMs maintain control over product representation while reducing the support burden of managing dealer requests. Both OEMs and their sales partners access the system with configurations adjusted for their specific roles, with the product and sales data they need to make faster decisions. 

2. Bringing Complex Products to Life 

Heavy and specialty vehicles present unique visualization challenges. Physical showrooms can only display a fraction of possible configurations, and traditional product images fail to convey the scale and functionality of highly customized equipment. 

Equip your dealers with advanced visualization tools that showcase any possible configuration without expanding physical inventory. These tools become powerful sales assets that dealers can use during customer presentations to demonstrate value and differentiate their offerings. 

Tacton’s approach: dealer-controlled visualization tools 

Enable dealership salespeople to generate powerful visual assets directly from their configurations. Dynamic 3D models and AR applications create those critical “aha” moments when customers truly grasp the value proposition. 

Dealers can use these visualizations during in-person meetings, virtual presentations, or at customer locations to bring complex specifications to life. By controlling these visualization capabilities themselves, dealers become more effective product experts. 

3. Capturing Aftermarket Value 

Aftermarket services represent a significant revenue opportunity, yet many dealers struggle with limited visibility into installed equipment, difficult parts identification, and inefficient service scheduling.  

Integrating capital equipment and service sales creates a continuous value stream throughout the product lifecycle. Dealers who can offer personalized service packages, simplify parts ordering, and proactively manage maintenance schedules strengthen customer relationships and capture additional revenue. For OEMs, improved aftermarket support increases customer satisfaction and lifetime value. 

Tacton’s approach: a unified product and service platform 

The ability to streamline and proactively seize aftermarket revenue is only possible with a platform that integrates capital market and service sales in one place. Dealers require visibility into installed base data and customer assets to tailor service or spare part offerings to specific equipment configurations.  

Service teams can prepare for maintenance with the right parts and expertise, anticipate upgrade opportunities, and create personalized service packages based on actual usage patterns within Tacton’s platform. For dealers who provide both sales and service, this connected approach creates new touchpoints throughout the ownership experience, strengthening customer relationships and creating recurring revenue streams earlier in the buying journey. 

Starting the Conversation with Your Dealers

Successful OEM-dealer transformation happens when conversations move beyond capabilities to focus on strategic partnership evolution. Position digital enablement as a true partner. Start by: 

• Exploring configuration pain points: How much time does your team spend on configuration and quoting? 
• Discussing aftermarket opportunities: What percentage of your customers return for service and parts? How could this be improved? 
• Addressing competitive pressures: How are you competing with dealers or manufacturers who have strong digital sales tools or online configuration? 

A successful dealer digital transformation follows these principles: 

1. Start with motivated partners: Begin with the most appropriate dealers who can pilot this transformation. Some dealers may be more digitally mature and eager to adopt new tools, while others may need a phased approach. OEMs should evaluate partner readiness and consider piloting digital tools with high-performing or innovation-minded dealers first, then expand based on lessons learned.
2. Phase implementation: Focus on solving one critical pain point before expanding. 
3. Provide comprehensive support: OEMs should plan for technical onboarding, data alignment, and continuous dealer support to ensure long-term adoption and impact.

How HMF Cranes Made It Easy to Be a Sales Partner 

HMF Group, a leading manufacturer of truck-mounted cranes, faced significant challenges with their manual quoting process. Complex product configurations led to errors where some solutions were not longer in the HMF portfolio. Communication internally and across their network was inefficient, and training new staff was time-consuming. 

After implementing Tacton CPQ, HMF was able to create a single source of truth that benefited both the company and its relationship with its global distributor network: 

• Every quote became correct and valid, eliminating errors and back-and-forth between OEMs and distributors. 
• Communication between HMF and distributors became streamlined and efficient. 
• New end-users could be onboarded faster with reduced training time. 
• Pricing remained accurate and up to date despite economic fluctuations. 

Product Manager Alicia Vivier Brockhoff states, “It’s easier to be a customer and an HMF distributor. It’s easier for us to implement new products and train new salespeople. There are a lot of great benefits.” 

Strengthening OEM-Dealer Partnerships with Tacton 

A modern, digital experience elevates your distributors’ roles in an increasingly complex market. Strengthen these vital relationships while creating the seamless experience customers demand.  

Tacton’s CPQ and buyer engagement solution provides the digital foundation OEMs need to empower their dealer networks in today’s changing market: 

• A connected sales platform
• Dealer-branded self-service
• Immersive visualization tools
• Integrated service sales

Industry leaders are already transforming their dealer relationships with Tacton, achieving error-free configurations, streamlined communications, and accelerated sales cycles. Contact us for a personalized demo to learn how your business can strengthen its sales channels. 

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Customization is now a baseline for customers buying complex industrial equipment, but how it’s delivered makes a difference. Engineer-to-order (ETO) gives manufacturers full flexibility to meet unique customer requirements, and for certain highly complex or regulated products, it remains the right fit. But as demand for tailored solutions increases, relying solely on ETO creates bottlenecks. It slows down sales cycles, strains engineering resources, and makes it harder to scale and build predictability into the sales process.

That’s why many manufacturers are re-evaluating their mix. Configure-to-order (CTO) offers a more efficient way to deliver customization that doesn’t require reinventing the wheel with every order. By introducing CTO where repeatable configurations are possible, manufacturers can shorten lead times and reduce engineering effort, while still meeting customer expectations.

What is configure-to-order (CTO)?

Instead of building from scratch or relying on cookie-cutter stock, CTO models use a set of predefined modular components that customers can mix and match at the time of sale. That means tailored products without the engineering headache. Think of it like LEGO for manufacturers: the parts are already designed, tested, and ready to go. Customers get exactly what they need more quickly.

Behind the scenes, engineering teams define the rules or constraints that govern how these components can be configured. This work happens upfront—often in a configure, price, quote (CPQ) software—so it doesn’t need to be repeated for each order. Once in place, the seller can use this system to automatically check for compatibility, generate pricing or 3D drawings, create a bill of materials (BOM), and send the configuration to production. This reduces reliance on engineering during the sales process and streamlines handoff to manufacturing.

CTO sits in the sweet spot between two other methods: ETO and made-to-stock (MTS). With ETO, every project kicks off with a custom design and engineering process, making it slow, expensive, and hard to scale. And MTS is fast but rigid: products are built in advance with no room for customization.

Why CTO solutions are gaining traction

For manufacturers balancing complexity with efficiency, CTO solutions deliver compelling benefits:

• Faster quoting and delivery: Manufacturers can quickly generate accurate quotes and fulfill orders faster with predefined components than with ETO.
• Improved operational efficiency and scalability: Repeatable modules and standardized logic make it easier to scale operations and support global growth.
• Lower engineering overhead: CTO minimizes the need for engineering resources on each order, freeing teams to focus on innovation and high-value custom work. Standardized components and logic also reduce the risk of design or configuration errors and costly rework.
• Better cost and margin control: With fewer unknowns and less variability, manufacturers gain clearer insight into costs and pricing.
• Meaningful customization: Customers get tailored solutions that meet their needs without delays or compromises in quality.

Engineer-to-order vs. configure-to-order: What’s the difference?

While ETO and CTO both aim to deliver results aligned with customer requirements, their execution differs markedly:

Feature	Engineer-to-order (ETO)	Configure-to-order (CTO)
Customization level	Fully custom, engineered from scratch	Modular customization using predefined parts
Engineering involvement	Required for every order	Minimal on a per-order basis
Quote complexity	Each quote requires input from engineering and manual estimation	Pricing is rules-based and can often be automated
Lead time	Long due to design and validation cycles	Short based on available modules
Cost variability	High given the risk of scope creep and inefficiencies	Lower and more predictable
Scalability	Difficult to scale	Highly scalable with the right systems

CTO doesn’t eliminate the need for ETO entirely; some projects will always require deep customization. But for many manufacturers, CTO opens the door to repeatable success and sustainable growth.

The challenges of shifting from ETO to CTO and steps for transitioning

While CTO has advantages, making the transition from ETO to CTO isn’t always simple. For many manufacturers, the transition requires technical updates plus a complete rethinking of workflows, product architecture, and company culture.

• Modularize the product architecture.
  One major hurdle lies in modularizing the product architecture. CTO depends on a set of predefined components that can be configured based on customer selections. For manufacturers whose offerings were designed from the ground up as custom-built systems, restructuring those products into configurable modules can be a massive effort.
• Prepare for process shifts across teams.
  Beyond technical challenges, the transition to CTO also demands process shifts. Engineering teams must shift from bespoke designs to scalable logic, sales must adopt new tools for guided selling, and production may need to overhaul its processes for greater standardization. Begin categorizing orders by configurability, distinguishing between fully configurable, partially configurable, and nonconfigurable products to determine when CTO is feasible and when ETO is still necessary.
• Prioritize change management and buy-in.
  Change management is often the most difficult aspect. Success depends on getting buy-in across the organization, from leadership to engineering to the shop floor. Staff must embrace the new way of working as an opportunity for growth and innovation. Illustrating the benefits of implementing CTO, such as freeing up time for R&D, can be helpful in building a business case.
• Balance standardization with flexibility.
  Manufacturers must also strike the right balance between standardization and customization. While CTO is sometimes seen as limiting flexibility, thoughtful modular design can still deliver tailored experiences. The key is setting clear boundaries and education on what’s configurable and what requires a custom solution.
• Use ETO and CTO where each makes sense.
  In practice, many companies benefit from both an ETO and CTO model. Highly complex or one-off projects may remain in the ETO domain, while more repeatable or core offerings transition to CTO. This dual-track approach allows manufacturers to preserve flexibility while reaping the operational efficiencies of standardization.

How CPQ supercharges CTO at scale

CTO doesn’t work without the right tech. That’s where CPQ software makes a difference. CPQ software powers scalable, error-free customization. With the right CPQ solution, manufacturers can deliver complex, customized products without bottlenecking sales, burning out engineering, or jamming up operations.

Here’s how:

• Product logic enforcement: CPQ ensures that only valid configurations are quoted, eliminating errors and rework.
• Automated outputs: CPQ generates accurate bills of materials, pricing, and production data instantly from the configuration.
• Sales empowerment: Reps can handle even complex customization independently without looping in engineering for every quote.
• Speed and accuracy: Sellers deliver faster quotes, make fewer mistakes, and earn higher win rates thanks to aligned data and logic.
• Cross-functional alignment: Everyone from product to sales to manufacturing works from the same rules and product data.

When choosing a CPQ solution to support CTO, look for tools that support both configuration complexity and ETO needs. For example, Tacton’s advanced configurator is built specifically for manufacturers dealing with intricate product structures and global operations.

Together, CTO and CPQ drive modern manufacturing

CTO is reshaping how manufacturers deliver customized products, striking the right balance between flexibility, speed, and efficiency. Leading manufacturers are embracing a different approach, using ETO for truly unique builds while shifting their repeatable offerings to CTO for faster, more efficient delivery.

To make that shift stick, you need the right technology to bring it all together: CPQ. Tacton CPQ is purpose-built for complex manufacturing, supporting both CTO and ETO models, so you don’t have to choose between flexibility and scalability.

Contact us to explore how Tacton CPQ powers CTO at scale.

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A substantial amount of margin erosion in manufacturing happens before production even starts. While optimizing production to eliminate material waste, reduce equipment downtime, or mitigating excessive rework are all important ways to protect profit margins, they can’t fix the profit leaks that come from a poor quoting process. For many manufacturers, sales teams lack the enablement to quote configurable products in a way that’s profitable for the business. Solutions are priced too low, configured incorrectly, or discounts lack guardrails.

To increase your profit margin and protect profitability at every stage of the product journey, the sales process is an important place to start. These nine strategies, backed by proven configure, price, and quote (CPQ) capabilities, will help manufacturers defend margins while enabling faster, smarter sales.

Where margin Erosion Happens in the Quoting Process

Protecting profit margins has been an uphill battle in the sector. The , but pressures from rising customization demands, inflation, supply chain volatility, and sustainability goals steadily squeeze that figure.

Add to that increasing customer expectations, the rising costs of wages and raw materials, and escalating talent shortages, and it’s clear: manufacturers are fighting on multiple fronts just to maintain baseline profitability.

However, significant areas of margin erosion happen in the quoting process—in how products are configured, how prices are calculated, and how discounts are approved.

Sales reps working under pressure may quote the wrong configurations, rely on outdated cost data, or default to steep discounts to close a deal quickly. These challenges are even more pronounced in engineer-to-order, where complexity is high, and pricing models are nuanced. Without accurate visibility into real-time costs, inventory constraints, and margin targets, reps can easily sell products that are unprofitable from day one.

Preventing this upstream erosion requires a connected strategy that aligns sales, engineering, and operations to quote solutions that are buildable and profitable.

9 Ways to Protect Profit Margins Through Enhanced Sales Enablement

Your sales team isn’t deliberately trying to erode margins, but without the right tools and data, it can happen anyway. Many sales reps feel pressure to deliver quotes faster or provide more incentives to close the deal, forcing them to offer deals despite pricing uncertainty and limited visibility into what drives profit.

The key is to give sales teams access to technology that offers real-time cost and availability data, rules-based pricing, and valid configurations. With this information in hand, sellers can protect margin.

These nine steps will help you embed margin discipline into the quoting process and increase profit margins.

1. Use sales data and quote conversion analytics to optimize pricing and product mix.

If you’re not tracking which quotes convert and which don’t, you’re flying blind. Identify the sweet spots where deals are both winnable and profitable by analyzing win/loss data tied to configurations, discounting behavior, and pricing strategies. This helps you identify which offerings strike the best balance between customer appeal and profitability. These insights can guide adjustments like eliminating low-performing options, refining price thresholds, or bundling high-margin components more effectively.

Real-world results: how Bromma uses CPQ analytics to protect margins

Once Bromma, a global leader in container handling equipment, integrated their Tacton CPQ platform data with Google Cloud Analytics, they were able to easily track configuration trends, monitor pricing data, and forecast component demand. This data gave product and sales teams real-time visibility into how quotes impact profitability. Today, their CPQ processes and data analysis help them fine-tune pricing strategies, reduce costly manual work with streamlined quoting, and proactively manage supplier planning and lead times to protect profit margins.

2. Identify margin erosion patterns by sales rep behavior.

Some sales reps consistently sell high-margin solutions. Others don’t. By tracking behaviors like discounting frequency, quote quality, and deal profitability, manufacturers can surface patterns and outliers. These insights become fuel for coaching, training, and compensation models that incentivize margin-conscious selling.

Additionally, by analyzing patterns across product lines, customer segments, and deal sizes, manufacturers can identify where discounting is strategic and where it’s eating into profit unnecessarily.

3. Implement strategic discount controls with margin thresholds

Manual or reactive discounting leads to inconsistency and unprofitable deals. To combat this, manufacturers need robust margin controls built into their quote process or quotation software. Tiered approval workflows and rules-based checks within advanced CPQ systems, for example, automatically flag quotes that fall below margin targets. Smart discount controls like these ensure that flexibility doesn’t come at the cost of profitability. Better still, automated triggers keep the process moving quickly without sacrificing rigor.

4. Implement standardization into configurable products

Engineer-to-order (ETO) enables you to meet highly specific customer requirements and differentiate your product. But ETO processes also come with risks due to unpredictable pricing, longer lead times, and increased engineering effort. These factors make margin control harder and quoting less predictable.

By identifying repeatable patterns across orders, manufacturers can shift some solutions to a modular, configure-to-order (CTO) approach. This doesn’t eliminate customization. It simply standardizes where possible to reduce reliance on custom builds. And as a result, you get more simplified quoting that also provides more predictable pricing, so you can more effectively protect profit margins.

5. Integrate real-time cost and availability data into quoting

You can’t protect margin with outdated information. Real-time visibility into material costs, supplier pricing, and inventory levels is essential to avoid quoting unbuildable or unprofitable configurations. Integrating CPQ and ERP and supply chain systems enables sales teams to quote with confidence and within current constraints.

6. Automate the quote-to-cash process to prevent delays and errors

Manual processes introduce risk: missed handoffs, rework, and delays that ripple across departments. Automating key steps in the quote-to-cash process from approvals to order validation minimizes costly errors and ensures that what’s sold can actually be built. Moreover, a seamless digital workflow between sales, engineering, pricing, and operations ensures accuracy and speed at every step to avoid rework.

Yaskawa streamlines quoting to eliminate risk

Robotics manufacturer, Yaskawa, replaced its slow, error-prone quoting process, reliant on Excel and manual approvals, with a centralized CPQ system.

“We need to be sure that everything that we sell is 100% technically correct. Our goal was to reduce the quotation lead times and to eliminate the risk resulting from our quotation process,” says Dr. Michael Klos, GM of Yaskawa Europe Robotics division.

With this shift, they can now produce high-quality, accurate quotes faster, with fewer delays and less risk of configuration or pricing errors that erode margins. Their sales team now delivers consistent, professional proposals and streamlines the quote-to-order cycle overall to protect profit margins in the process​.

“Some of our sales teams are impressing customers by doing configurations together with the customer and leaving a complete proposal at the end of their visit,” says Klos. With improved quote quality and increased customer confidence, Yaskawa reduced back-and-forth cycles that delay closing or introduce costly customer concessions and revisions.

7. Control scope creep with change order governance

Late-stage changes to product specs, pricing, and delivery terms can eat into margins that were carefully planned at the quote stage. Manufacturers need structured change management workflows that trigger re-approvals and re-pricing when key deal components shift to avoid unexpected engineering work and manual updates. Governance during the sales process prevents well-intentioned changes from draining margins.

CPQ systems help enforce margin protection by automating change order governance. When specs or pricing are modified, automated workflows can trigger re-approvals and margin checks to ensure profitability is maintained. This keeps last-minute changes from quietly eroding margins.

8. Steer sales towards high-value, high-margin solutions

Sales teams often focus on the most straightforward or familiar configurations, which may not always align with profitability goals. Guided selling within CPQ helps shift that behavior by integrating business logic into the configuration process and steering reps toward solutions that meet customer needs while maximizing margin. By making high-margin configurations easier to find and justify, CPQ empowers reps to sell strategically, not just reactively.

9. Align configuration and pricing with supply chain reality

A product might look great on paper, but if it relies on volatile materials, limited suppliers, or parts with long lead times, it’s a risk to both margin and delivery. Manufacturers that incorporate supply chain data directly into the quoting process can avoid recommending options that will cost more or arrive late. Quoting with operational reality in mind protects margins and customer satisfaction.

Protect Profit Margins with a Leader in CPQ

Manufacturers who want to protect profit margins start upstream, in the processes and tools that power their quoting engine. The manufacturers that rethink how they approach sales enablement, pricing strategy, and quote configuration are the ones best positioned to compete in today’s high-stakes market.

Want to embed margin protection in every quote?

Tacton CPQ empowers manufacturers to protect profit margins by embedding margin intelligence and operational data into every quote. With real-time pricing, built-in margin controls, guided selling, and automation, Tacton helps you:

• Prevent margin erosion at the quote stage
• Increase profit margins through smarter configuration
• Align sales, engineering, and operations around profitable solutions
• Move from fully engineer-to-order to modular, scalable quoting
• Integrate with supply chain and pricing systems for real-time pricing knowledge

Tacton’s CPQ solution connects your sales, engineering, and operations teams around one goal: selling profitable, buildable solutions every time.

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Modern B2B buyers are used to intuitive, self-directed buying journeys in their personal lives, and they carry those expectations into their purchases. While other sectors have adapted quickly, complex manufacturers, however, have found it difficult to keep up.

But the tide is turning. With guided selling embedded in configure, price, quote (CPQ) systems, manufacturers now have a powerful opportunity to reimagine the sales experience for their teams and their customers. Guided selling in CPQ transofrms overwhelming complexity into actionable simplicity, making it easier for sales teams to guide buyers towards the right solutions and close deals with confidence.

Traditional Sales Approaches Don’t Meet Buyer Expectations

In legacy manufacturing sales models, sales reps often rely on static product catalogs and institutional knowledge to guide customer conversations. But in complex manufacturing, sellers may struggle to keep up with constantly changing product configurations, technical rules, and pricing models.

Recent research also shows that 86% of B2B purchases stall during the buying process and 81% of buyers report dissatisfaction with their chosen providers. While self-service and digital research have become the norm, buyers still expect sales teams to understand their specific needs, respond to their challenges, and act as collaborative partners throughout the decision-making process. However, sales teams struggle to meet those expectations due to manual configurations, engineering dependencies, and overall quoting complexity.

Guided selling helps sellers navigate the intricacies of complex product variants while co-creating solutions with their buyers that are tailored and relevant. Instead of just presenting offerings, sellers can co-create solutions that are tailored, relevant, and aligned with buyer priorities.

What Is Guided Selling in Manufacturing?

Guided selling is a method that helps buyers and sellers navigate complex decisions through an interactive, personalized experience. For sales reps, it’s like having a knowledgeable assistant walk you through a series of simple questions to understand what you’re trying to accomplish, and then recommend viable, configurable options that fit.

Unlike traditional selling, which relies on institutional knowledge and static scripts, the guided sales process ensures consistency and personalization at scale and in real time. It bridges what buyers want to understand and what sales teams have historically been able to deliver.

The Benefits of Guided Selling for Sales Teams

Guided selling methodology becomes even more effective when it’s added to CPQ systems:

• It accelerates deal velocity by helping sellers quickly identify viable, tailored solutions.
• It increases win rates by aligning configurations with customer needs and use cases.
• It reduces errors and rework by guiding sales reps and buyers away from invalid or nonviable configurations.
• It elevates the customer experience by turning the sales process into a collaborative, solution-focused conversation.

Guided selling ensures that every rep, regardless of their experience level, can deliver a high-value, consultative buying experience.

The Technology Behind Guided Selling Software

For complex manufacturers, guided selling software can’t be an add-on. It needs to be built on a robust CPQ platform that understands the intricacies of engineering, pricing, and manufacturing constraints. That’s where traditional tools fall short.

CPQ platforms go beyond technical logic, unlike basic configurators. They power intuitive “choose your own adventure” experiences that enable buyers to make decisions without needing to understand part numbers or engineering logic. CPQ platforms deliver streamlined, user-friendly buying journeys that surface relevant solutions and guide customers step-by-step. And for manufacturers, CPQ platforms ensure that every configuration is technically sound and operationally feasible.

Even better, CPQ platforms can serve as an omnichannel sales hub, supporting consistent, guided engagement whether a customer connects through a distributor, a direct sales rep, or a self-service portal.

How the Process Works

Guided selling tools use a structured question-and-answer flow to uncover a buyer’s requirements—like what the product is for, what constraints exist, and which outcomes matter most. The system then uses this input to filter product options, recommend the best-fit configurations, and flag any technical or commercial constraints. It can look like:

• Simplifying complex product configuration: Instead of manually sorting through dozens of product options, guided selling walks a sales rep through key customer needs, like application, environment, or budget, and recommends a set of valid configurations instantly.
• Enabling customer self-service: With guided selling in CPQ, customers engage directly in a digital portal, answering a series of intuitive questions and generating an accurate quote without involving engineering or sales.
• Visualizing outcomes: Modern guided selling platforms integrate 3D and augmented reality experiences, enabling customers to see what they’re configuring in real time and understand how it will function in their environment.
• Improving consistency across channels: Distributors and field reps use the same guided flows, ensuring all customers get the same high-quality experience regardless of who they talk to.

Consider a manufacturer selling industrial compressors. A rep might be prompted with questions about the operating environment, required pressure range, and available space. The system then narrows down viable models, filters out those that won’t meet safety or performance standards, and suggests optional add-ons, like noise dampening or energy recovery systems. The sales representative can then have a needs-based conversation with the buyer that feels personalized and outcome-driven, while their CPQ software automatically flags any configurations that may need further engineering approval.

Real-World Example: The Guided Sales Process in Action

What does the guided selling process look like in action?

A real-world example of guided selling in action is Conf Industries, a global provider of customized furniture and logistics systems for the healthcare sector. Their challenge was one many manufacturers face: every quote had to go through the technical department for validation, creating delays and risking costly errors. With Tacton Chttps://tacton-prod.commpreview.com/our-customers/conf-industries/PQ and its guided selling capabilities, Conf Industries was able to digitize their configuration constraints, so only valid, manufacturable solutions were shown to customers. Sales reps could now guide buyers through intuitive questions, visualize the configured solution in 3D, and generate accurate quotes without engineering support. As a result, the company reduced technical department workload by 80–90%, accelerated quoting, and improved win rates by aligning offers more closely to customer needs.

The Next Evolution: AI Guided Selling

Artificial intelligence (AI) is pushing guided selling even further. AI guided selling platforms analyze historical sales data, customer behavior, and contextual inputs to anticipate what buyers are likely to want.

For instance, conversational AI allows for natural, chat-based interactions that feel more like a conversation than a form. Predictive analytics helps sales teams prioritize opportunities and offer timely, relevant recommendations. And generative AI can suggest configurations and create dynamic proposals.

But this is just the beginning. In the near future, AI will drive even more intelligent and proactive engagement. Imagine guided selling tools that accomplish tasks like these:

• Learn continuously from buyer interactions to refine recommendations in real time.
• Simulate tradeoffs and outcomes based on different configurations, helping buyers understand what performs best.
• Integrate voice interfaces that allow buyers or sellers to navigate configurations hands-free in the field or on the shop floor.
• Adapt dynamically to shifts in inventory, supply chain conditions, and sustainability targets.
• Create hyper-personalized microsites and digital sales rooms populated with relevant content, pricing, and visual configurations tailored to each buyer’s profile and journey stage.

Trends to Watch in

As buying expectations continue to evolve, guided selling will become even more personalized, collaborative, and deeply embedded in digital sales environments. We anticipate the expanded usage of digital sales rooms—centralized, collaborative spaces where buyers and sellers interact, review options, share documents, and make decisions asynchronously.

Additionally, ecommerce-style interfaces will grow more prevalent, enabling B2B buyers to navigate complex purchases with the same ease they expect from B2C platforms. With AI-driven personalization at every stage of the journey, guided selling will become increasingly intuitive and adaptive.

Emerging trends to watch include these:

• Growth in self-service tools and guided buying—52% of B2B sales professionals report buyers using self-service tools now more than ever
• Real-time pricing optimization based on customer profiles, market data, and demand forecasting
• Cross-functional collaboration tools within guided selling platforms that bring together sales, engineering, and customer success teams
• Sustainability-aware configuration that allows buyers to compare the environmental impacts of different product options
• Post-sale guided engagement, where guided selling continues into onboarding, maintenance, or service sales

All of these potential developments require manufacturers to do more than implement new tools. They must reimagine the entire sales journey as a unified, customer-centric experience that flows across channels, is personalized at scale, and is continuously optimized by data.

Implementing Smarter Selling Requires a New Sales Philosophy

Guided selling is a collaboration between buyers and sellers. Going forward, the most effective sales teams won’t dictate options but rather co-create solutions with their customers. This requires teams to fundamentally rethink how they approach customer conversations and how they work together with other departments.

From initial needs assessment to pricing and delivery timelines, the guided sales process fosters alignment, transparency, and trust. To make the transition to guided selling most effective, there are several considerations and steps to take:

• Know your buyers: Tailor guided selling flows to specific industries, use cases, and decision-maker roles.
• Focus on outcomes: Center questions around buyer goals, not just product specs.
• Keep it simple: Limit steps and inputs to what’s essential for valid recommendations.
• Build cross-functional logic: Involve key teams to ensure flows reflect both technical and commercial realities.
• Plan for flexibility: Make it easy to update flows based on shifting market or buyer needs.
• Leverage your CPQ foundation: Ensure your CPQ platform supports real-time logic, scalability, and omnichannel delivery.
• Pilot before scaling: Start with a targeted use case, gather feedback, and iterate before full rollout.
• Train and enable reps: Equip sales teams to use guided selling tools as part of a consultative process.
• Track and improve: Monitor buyer behavior and conversion rates to refine flows over time.

Achieving an Intelligent Sales Process with Tacton

Tacton has redefined what guided selling looks like for complex manufacturers. Our CPQ platform connects customer needs directly to your product architecture, ensuring that every configuration is not only personalized, but also 100% valid and buildable. Behind a simple, questionnaire-like interface, Tacton’s engine handles the heavy lifting: validating constraints in real time, selecting compatible modules, and preventing errors before they happen.

Whether you’re looking to reduce engineering involvement in quoting, enable non-technical reps and resellers, or guide customers through self-service with confidence, Tacton delivers a smarter, more scalable sales process. And with embedded optimization, you recommend the best one for each buyer’s goals.

Ready to see how guided selling with Tacton can transform your business?

Schedule a Demo