Increase Sales in Manufacturing & Engineering With Superior Buyer Enablement

Selling isn’t easy in manufacturing and engineering. Buyers have complex problems, and you have equally complex solutions to solve them. But how do you demonstrate and communicate this?

Read on to find out how you can increase sales in your manufacturing and engineering business.

Traditional methods have failed to do what’s required for sales teams. They don’t help you make the complex simple – and they certainly don’t make life easier for sales and marketing teams! The results are lacklustre interactions, wasted time and missed opportunities.

Fortunately, modern businesses have lots more tools at their disposal, including sales enablement and buyer enablement platforms. Read on as we introduce the world of buyer enablement and how it could increase sales for your manufacturing and engineering company.

What’s wrong with your current manufacturing sales strategy?

They say acceptance is essential to change, so the first step is to acknowledge the shortcomings in your current approach. Traditional sales techniques in the manufacturing industry include communication by phone and email, a reliance on print and paper, outdated presentations like printed brochures and PowerPoints, and face-to-face interactions without many resources. This list might sound a bit like your own marketing tactics.

Continuing with this approach has its benefits for your manufacturing business – there’s no disruption and minimal up-front costs. Day by day, this can seem like the easier and cheaper option. However, it also makes it difficult to sell complex solutions. Everything is flat, uninspiring and boring – and your sales materials can actually complicate things further, because they can’t be customized to each buyer.

You may have been using the same approach for some time, as there’s no data to tell you what is and isn’t working. Additionally, you have no single source of truth because of the sheer volume of marketing materials being produced – each with small differences in messaging, branding and product details.

We mentioned that sticking with what you know might seem like the cheaper option. However, you might actually be losing money in the time spent creating all these different materials, not to mention printing most of them. Clearly, something has to change.

Find out how technology has advanced to make selling quicker and easier in: Is Your Manufacturing & Engineering Sales Strategy Working? The Past & Future.

Selling is hard in manufacturing

It’s also important to recognise that manufacturing brands have it a bit harder than lots of other sectors. Yes, technology is changing for everyone, but some businesses can continue with the methods we’ve discussed above and not face too many consequences. Why? Because they sell basic products that solve everyday issues.

Let’s say a company sells kitchen knives. They can probably get by with phone calls, emails and a few face-to-face meetings, with little more than a product brochure. There’s only so much you can say about their products – and customers will be familiar with the benefits. Most importantly, customers will know what they’re looking for already.

Things are different for manufacturing companies. Products can be completely novel – not just a variation on a theme. As a result, buyers need more explanation and demonstration to make a decision. Not only that, but they also need to gain consensus on their end and compare all the different solutions available. It’s a lot to get through.

For example, look at Custom Learning Designs, a global leader in crafting personalized educational solutions. CLD faced a significant challenge: showcasing their complex products and programs in a way that was both clear and engaging. In this case study, the results of what’s achievable really do speak for themselves…

In short, change is an option in other sectors, but it’s become a necessity in manufacturing. You can find out more in our article: Why Manufacturing Sales Reps Struggle to Sell & Customers Struggle to Buy.

Marketing and sales teams should focus on your buyers’ needs

We’ve touched upon the challenges buyers face in manufacturing – as well as sellers. Homing in on these challenges is central to increasing sales. Buyer enablement is a strategy that focuses on helping buyers make a purchase.

Essentially, all buyers take certain steps when making a purchase, including:

⚠️ Recognizing a problem

🧩 Discovering potential solutions

🔍 Researching the different options

✅ Identifying outcomes

🛒 Making a purchase decision

⚖️ Validating that decision – value versus costs

🤝 Gaining consensus from stakeholders

Because of the inherent complexity we’ve talked about, these steps can be difficult and time-consuming for manufacturing buyers. So why not help them out? Make your content and approach revolve around them, their needs and their pain points – and make it readily available to them, however they prefer.

Allowing buyers to self-serve is one of the key components of buyer enablement. This gives your marketing team more influence over their purchasing journey, allowing new and existing customers to access your content whenever it’s needed.

Enabling buyers can also speed up the sales process by assisting with or even taking care of certain steps yourself. You’ll also increase the likelihood of a speedier consensus by giving all stakeholders the information they need about your products.

We look at these benefits in more depth in: What is Buyer Enablement? How to Embrace the Movement.

How does it compare to sales enablement for manufacturers?

It’s not just buyers you can enable. Sales enablement refers to a similar but distinct strategy, focused on helping sellers. In short, you give your sales team everything they need to convert interest into action – and directly increase manufacturing sales.

Sales enablement is a great strategy in advanced manufacturing and engineering. It equips your sales reps with the tools they need to engage potential customers and demonstrate what sets your product apart. Here’s how buyer enablement differs…

Focus

• Sales enablement empowers the manufacturing sales team, providing the tools, content, resources and training they need.
• Buyer enablement empowers the buyer, providing resources and tools to help them make more informed, and confident decisions.

Content

• Sales enablement content includes sales scripts, presentations, email templates, product brochures, CRM tools and training materials.
• Buyer enablement content includes buyer guides, comparison charts, ROI calculators and case studies.

Purpose

• Sales enablement aims to enhance the productivity and efficacy of the sales team.
• Buyer enablement aims to facilitate a smoother buying process and reduce complexity for buyers.

Impact

• Sales enablement primarily impacts sales outcomes and the company’s revenue goals.
• Buyer enablement impacts the buyer’s experience, their perception of your manufacturing company, and their purchase decision.

Dig deeper into which is best for advanced manufacturing and engineering in: Sales Vs Buyer Enablement for Advanced Manufacturers & Engineers.

So, how can I increase sales for my manufacturing company?

While buyer enablement is a solid manufacturing sales strategy, there are some more specific steps you can take to boost sales for your manufacturing company. These include…

Prioritize customer service

Play the long game with leads and sales efforts. Don’t put inquiries on the back burner because they’re in the early stages of the purchasing journey. Responding promptly with care and attention will improve the customer experience and slowly but surely increase sales in manufacturing over time.

Build a strong online presence

Your website and social media pages can keep buyers moving through their purchasing journey with informative resources – taking them one step closer to a sale.

Use the right technology

Technology is key when it comes to increasing sales. You need a single source of truth for the latest marketing and sales content. Analytics are also important to show you what resonates with buyers – and what doesn’t.

Create the WOW factor

Find ways to stand out at trade events, enticing customers for that all-important first interaction. Interactive touchscreens are a popular option that catch people’s eyes, with impressive features and  functionality once you’ve got them talking.

The article: 5 Ways to Increase Manufacturing & Engineering Sales delves deeper into these tactics.

Mastering marketing in manufacturing

Marketing is another vital area to consider when you want to increase sales. It’s how you generate awareness, interest and leads, which allows the sales team to get to work. Here are some ways you can market your brand effectively…

🔍 Search engine optimization (SEO) – If your brand doesn’t show up on relevant searches, you’ll fall at the first hurdle. SEO tools can help your site rank higher, allowing more potential customers to discover your brand.

📱 Social media marketing – LinkedIn is an obvious choice for B2B marketing, but don’t discount the video-first approach of YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Social media management tools make it easy to manage your presence on different social media platforms.

🎥 Content marketing – High-quality content (copy, images, videos and more) is a staple for social media and SEO success. It’s also instrumental in showcasing your products and demonstrating their benefits.

📧 Email marketing – Email marketing software makes it easier to nurture leads and maximize engagement with your content. You can build professional-looking emails and custom journeys to automate parts of the sales cycle.

🤝 Customer relationship management – CRM software ensures that you don’t lose track of any leads you generate. Every interaction will be tracked with the option to add notes and schedule follow-ups.

A well-rounded marketing strategy in manufacturing not only enhances brand visibility but also aligns with your broader business objectives. Effective strategies should be built around comprehensive market research to understand potential customers’ needs and industry trends, allowing for refined marketing campaigns that target high-quality leads.

By integrating both inbound and outbound sales approaches, manufacturers can reach their target audience while generating new marketing ideas that resonate with evolving industry expectations. Together, these strategies help manufacturers stay competitive and engage buyers through tailored, impactful messaging.

For more information, check out: 7 Go-To Marketing Tools for Manufacturing & Engineering Companies.

See how it all comes together…

There are plenty of manufacturing and engineering companies that have put these tips into practice. Take JSP, for example – Europe’s leading independent manufacturer of ‘above the neck’ personal protective equipment. They recognized the need for a better way to showcase their complex portfolio of over 300 products.

Working with POP, they developed an interactive sales tool that provided a single source of truth for specifications, health and safety standards, technical documentation, accessories, videos, images and product models.

This has made it enormously easier for buyers to find the product and information they need – and make the right buying decision. Their tool also works for sales enablement, giving sales teams something they can access on any device to talk customers through the different products.

With intelligent search and detailed product models, this sleek tool provides the wow factor compared to other PPE providers. It’s also packed full of engaging content, which JSP can use on their website, in emails and on social media to continually generate and nurture more leads.

Content can be instantly shared with customers by email (or sent to themselves if self-serving) and it’s multi-lingual to support all JSP territories. Additionally, everything is tracked – from products being selected and downloaded to customer interactions – so they know what customers are looking at. This provides valuable insights and sales data, allowing them to make the most of their marketing budget going forward and continually provide an exceptional customer experience. Take a look at the results and see for yourself…

You can see more examples in: 3 Examples of Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Teams Embracing Buyer Enablement.

Increase sales for your advanced manufacturing & engineering business with POP!

The technology you choose is at the very heart of increasing sales in advanced manufacturing and engineering. POP is a buyer enablement and sales enablement platform that ticks every single box.

Our platform makes it easy to create interactive visuals, 3D models and customizable buyer experiences. This allows buyers to visualize and configure products on their own terms – and equips your sales team to guide them through the benefits in a way that’s engaging and informative.

• Build meaningful customer relationships by assisting with the pain points your target audience faces.
• Create content that goes beyond your usual sales collateral, tailored closer to your sales approach to help you make the complex simple for buyers.

With our help, you can optimize the buying experience, accelerate the decision-making process and convert more leads into sales. Our Customer Success Blueprint is critical to this.

At POP, we don’t just give you the tools to succeed – we have a Professional Services Team to guide you through the process. We’ll work with key stakeholders to ensure that all experiences are tailored to your buyers’ objectives and pain points. This allows you to build compelling narratives that show how your products meet their needs.

Want to find out more? We’d love to hear from you. Book a demo with our team to see how POP can work for your business or watch the video below for an introduction to the platform.