This week’s author is Tacton’s Chief Growth Officer, Mikkel Drucker! Mikkel has been with Tacton since August 2018 and has transformed marketing by doubling the team and utilizing pure digital tactics. Before Tacton, Mikkel worked with global leaders such as Nokia, Telenor, TrustPilot and Atea.
According to Forrester purchases through sales reps declined from 46% to 42% since the start of the pandemic. These numbers indicate a move to an online sales journey, something manufacturers have struggled with.
Differentiating your brand from your competition can be a tall task, believe me, I’ve spent the better part of my career working with business strategy, brand management, and business development. I’ve seen trends come and go but one thing remains the same, knocking off the competition isn’t easy, but can be done with quality products and a great customer experience.
With my crash course in the manufacturing industry during my time with Tacton I’ve seen many manufacturers struggle to create the brand loyalty that companies in other industries have created. There is good news, breaking the status quo is part of the new normal.
It starts with generating high-quality leads
If customers are starting their buying process researching online, traditional digital marketing tactics won’t suffice. In order to generate high-quality leads in manufacturing, it’s necessary to drive breakthrough customer experiences starting in the configuration process.
The customer experience starts with researching product information, features, benefits, and vendors online. We have all heard ‘content is king, but’ it’s becoming more difficult to stand out amongst a crowded competitive field without giving an immersive customer experience.
Once a prospect identifies their needs, it’s time for industrial manufacturers to reinvent their buying experience using Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) with Visualization— all integrated into their website and internal systems. This enables a seamless buying experience across channels that connects customers directly to your brand.
Powered by CPQ integrated into your web experience, anyone has the power to configure highly customized industrial manufacturing products based on their defined needs. Guided selling asks questions based on customer requirements, building an optimized solution in real-time. When paired with 3D visual configuration, the customer can see every change they make on their screen in real-time.
Additionally, leading visualization capabilities include augmented reality (AR) for an even more immersive B2C-like experience. A powerful CPQ paired with 3D Visualization all but guarantees you are generating high quality leads with low touch- all through your website. After all, when is the last time anyone comfortably made an eCommerce purchase without visuals?
Pro Tip: Do not let a digital transformation happen without Visualization!
It might seem tempting to hold off or move to phase two for cost purposes, but do not let digital transformation and your CPQ project exclude visualization. Reinventing B2B sales means creating an innovative B2C-like buying experience. To be successful, Visualization is a top requirement.
The ultimate opportunity
During the current crisis, manufacturers everywhere are searching for new ways to build a world-class B2C-like customer experience. That’s why it’s time for manufacturers to break free from the status quo and deploy new, and exciting ways to engage with customers in a way that builds brand quality and trust. If you’d like a little more info on how Marketing can lead the charge for digital transformation check out my piece: The Modern Manufacturing CMO