As a custom manufacturer, achieving your sales and revenue goals requires a robust set of tools. And while digital methods like email, ads and video have grabbed the spotlight in recent years, outbound calling continues to prove extremely valuable for manufacturers and other B2B businesses.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s particularly important for small- and mid-sized manufacturers to keep your sales pipelines filled with a steady stream of opportunities. While your sales cycle may be longer and more challenging to predict during the pandemic, manufacturers who maintain consistent cold calling, sales prospecting and lead nurturing efforts during COVID-19 will find that business rebounds significantly faster than those who delay or ignore regular outreach in your market place.
Lead generation opportunities for manufacturers
Manufacturing is a mainstay of American business. According to the U.S. government, manufacturers comprise nearly 11 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and contribute $2.4 trillion to the economy. The manufacturing industry is the sixth largest employer, responsible for 12.8 million jobs. The sector is also a major source of innovation, accounting for more than two-thirds of the research and development initiatives in the U.S.
To keep these vital efforts flowing, manufacturers need a solid brand, a strong customer base and ongoing project opportunities.
However, limited internal resources and a lack of inside sales experience can become a barrier to new sales—particularly in small- and mid-size organizations.
Teaming up to accelerate sales
Common sales and marketing challenges for manufacturers include:
- Limited internal resources
- Lack of inside sales experience
- Outdated contact information to reach decision-makers
- Difficulty generating qualified leads and appointments
Outsourcing to a B2B call center can solve these challenges. Working with experienced inside sales professionals can help custom manufacturers find new leads to crank up your sales cycle.
Outbound calling supports manufacturers who need to:
- Explore a new market segment
- Promote custom capabilities to OEMs and Tier 1, 2 or 3 suppliers
- Introduce your business to new prospects
- Reconnect with past customers
- Overcome slowdowns related to COVID-19
- Achieve ambitious sales and revenue goals
If you’ve tried email campaigns or cold calling with your in-house team, you know how challenging it can be to engage with busy decision-makers at OEMs and Tier 1, 2 or 3 suppliers.
Tenacity pays off in reaching OEMs and Tier 1, 2 and 3 suppliers
Outbound calling proves highly effective in connecting with these important manufacturing prospects and customers. Data shows most salespeople routinely give up after 3 call attempts—when 6 or more are usually needed to convert and qualify a lead.
Outsourcing to a professional B2B call center—especially one with past manufacturing industry experience—arms your company with dedicated resources focused exclusively on connecting your manufacturing practice with your target audience. It frees up your internal team to do what they do best: closing deals.
At Volkart May, we routinely return 10:1 or greater ROI for our clients, even on their first outbound calling campaign. The professional, engaging voices and a skilled, listening ears of our highly trained callers deliver immediate, tangible results.
How an outsourced contact center can support custom manufacturers
Custom manufacturers most often need support in reaching busy decision-makers at OEMs and Tier 1, 2 and 3 suppliers. An outsourced call center like Volkart May uses the power of one-to-one conversation to help you meet your goals.
Typical services include:
- Generating leads. We cold-call and deliver qualified leads and accurate prospect info so your sellers can close more deals.
- Qualifying inquiries. We sort, prioritize and discover the real decision-makers hidden in inbound inquiries from your website, tradeshows and other sources.
- Setting appointments. We create a steady stream of new opportunities and book appointments directly on your reps’ calendars.
- Identifying insights. We help you research and understand your customers or new market segments to optimize your pitch and maximize your sales.
- Growing relationships. We follow up with existing customers regularly to improve retention or product usage and find the next sales opportunity.
Every outbound calling project is completely customized to each manufacturer’s needs, and conducted in partnership with a collaborative and transparent approach. It’s a winning formula that we’ve practiced for the last 30 years. Schedule a call today to learn more and discuss your needs.
