5 Ways You Can Speed Up the Industrial Sales Process

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Do you know the top five things you can do to speed up the industrial sales process? Because faster sales means faster ROI…

Danny:

Hey, so for today we are going to talk about five ways you can speed up the industrial sales process. Alright, okay I’m ready for today’s episode, David. What are we talking about?

David:

Speeding up that sales process.

Danny:

Sales process, speeding it up. Alright, how do you do it?

David:

Well, there’s five ways you can speed it up.

Danny:

Okay.

David:

Well, I’d start with standardizing it.

Danny:

Okay, what does that mean?

David:

What do you think it means!?

Danny:

I don’t know. Standardizing the process.

David:

Yeah, yeah.

Danny:

Who’s asking the questions here?

David:

I don’t know!

Danny:

Sorry. Let’s just keep going.

David:

No I think- okay.

Danny:

Unscripted.

David:

Very unscripted.

Danny:

That’s fine.

David:

That’s fine.

Danny:

It’s okay.

David:

So speeding up the sales process: one thing we hear about all over the place is the typical sales process: which, in a lot of regards, takes a long time. You’re looking at nine months, 12 months, 18 months.

Danny:

Yeah, it could be super long.

David:

So if you were to be able to reduce that say by a couple months, well, what does that mean to your cash flow? What does that mean to your organization’s state? That’s where it’s important. It’s not just, “Yeah I want to speed it up because I want to close the deal faster,” but that overall impact to your organization: and that’s why it’s really mission critical. So when we’re looking at speeding up our sales process, it’s creating that repeatable process. Things you can do a thousand times versus a thousand things you can do one time.

Danny:

Yeah, well that’s a good way of putting it.

David:

Let’s standardize that follow-up process. Follow-up is huge. So you can have your very interested lead or prospect come in, and they get that first phone call, and then they drop off the face of the Earth. Well, you’ve experienced it. Life happens, things get busy.

Danny:

Totally.

David:

Priorities within your organization change. So it doesn’t mean they still don’t need to find the solution to their problem, but now you just need to remind them that “Hey I’m still here, I’m still here.”

Danny:

Yeah, exactly. Well there’s a stat in the real estate space that talks about, and don’t quote me on it, but it’s something like there’s an 80% chance that the first person to get back to you, if you’re looking for a realtor, you’re likely to go with that person just because they’re providing that information to you quickly, and it kind of helps to T-up the relationship.

David:

Yeah, exactly. I mean we can list off some great stats, so I want to include some in the show notes because the data is there and available. But like you said if you’re going to be the fastest, the first person, people have things to do and when you’re the top of mind when they’re reaching out to you, that’s when the person is going to be most receptive.

Danny:

Actually, that’s a great point. To that point too, if you think about it, it was fast before. We wanted our information before, but now we are so predisposed to having it instantaneously. It’s super critical that you have to be on top of your game and have to be getting back like clockwork.

David:

Yeah, exactly. I mean, I’m going to look up the stats right now while you keep talking, ’cause I want to know the answer.

Danny:

Well, not really.

David:

I want to know it now. Can we not wait until.. nevermind.

Danny:

We’ll do it afterwards, but let’s dive into the first one. So: video, video content. Everybody loves video. It’s the most engaging form of media. It’s why we use video, use audio, creating graphics, it’s all the above. But video, by far, is most engaging. So it’s not just a video about, “Hey we’re so great. We’re amazing this is why everybody loves us”.

David:

Right, yeah.

Danny:

It’s educational. It’s content that’s providing value or educating them on how your product or service can provide that solution to the problem.

David:

So those are the types of video that you want to send in that email follow-up. Next, case studies,

Danny:

Got to love those case studies.

David:

So, it’s one thing, like we said, we have those videos where people are just talking about their product or service. How great it is. Well, proof is in the pudding.

Danny:

Exactly.

David:

Is there a customer of yours that has seen that realization within the organization of your solution, and have implemented it and it’s working? Showcase that. I mean…

Danny:

It’s because it’s a million times better from somebody else coming in and saying, “These guys are awesome,” versus, “We’re awesome.” That’s just their positioning.

David:

Right. Yeah. It’s that third-party type of element where, you know, the customer of yours that’s in that case study doesn’t really get anything out of it per se. You know, they might be mentioned and get a free video out of it, which is great, but at the same time it’s not like they’re thinking, “What’s in it for me?”

Danny:

“This is going to help us,” yes.

David:

It’s kind of a thank you. Like, “Hey you guys did a great job. We appreciate it.”

Danny:

I kind of like it too when, I don’t know if you use TripAdvisor a lot or whatever, sometimes I can get into a little bit of paralysis analysis when I’m looking for restaurants to go to. But I think a lot of people, you go and you look at those reviews and it’s kind of that experience from that B2B piece. It’s like, “Let’s see reviews: how did this work for other people, and if they had success with it.”

David:

Yeah and especially, if it’s exactly the same solution that they’re trying to purchase. So, if it’s directly related, then it’s like this organization had that problem and you solved it. Whoa, Wonderful!

Danny:

I mean, it’s kind of, you’d be foolish not to choose that option.

David:

Or at least to evaluate it strongly and shortlist it. Yeah.

Danny:

Shortlisting is great. So, next is sending blog articles. So, maybe you can’t do a video. That’s okay. You typically have some very, what do you want to call it? Experts in your industry about the solution that you guys are providing. They’re the experts.

David:

Yeah, yeah. Interview them. Get them, ask them a question, have them answer it, turn it into, you know, human-speak versus engineer-speak, or something. And get that on your website! Because that’s going to be providing information and value and education and it works 24/7, 365. But yeah, then you can- when your sales team can listen to a prospect, and they say, “Oh I’m having this problem.” That’s a great follow-up.

Danny:

Absolutely.

David:

Like, “Here, read this article. This is going to help walk you through these different steps,” and within that content, you’re able to logically lead them on that progression, you know, where they’re going to say, “Oh, your product makes sense.”

Danny:

So note for the sales and marketing teams, get together, figure what that content is, talk to your sales people: say, “What are those frequently asked questions? What comes up all the time?” That’s your content. And the sales people will be like, “Oh, this is awesome! And now I can reference this. Boom! It’s in my back pocket.”

David:

Exactly. And then in our study, okay? In our Industrial Insights that we published recently. 70% of manufacturers are not publishing at least one article a week. So, when you look at, think of all the different questions your sales team has been asked. Probably more than 52, right? Well that’s 52 missed opportunities. It also means that your competitors probably aren’t publishing content either.

Danny:

It’s an opportunity.

David:

Exactly!

Danny:

Absolutely! No, that’s great. So, it’s kind of like a, you know, you were able to multi-purpose it. So to be able to help from an SEO to search standpoint, but then also be able to use it in the sales process. So, it makes a lot of sense. A lot of sense.

David:

Next, is sending third party articles. So maybe you’ve been featured in a trade magazine or something, or featured on IndustrialSage…

Danny:

Hey!

David:

Hey, here we go. Send that to them, ’cause it’s that third party where it’s less self-serving maybe coming from a more objective perspective. Giving that to them is another touch point, another piece of value you were able to give them.

Danny:

You just gave me an idea, and I like it. It has a catchy name. I’m not going to say it, ’cause I don’t want YOU to know what it is! Just kidding. It’ll come out later. Alright, cool. So what’s the fifth one?

David:

Fifth one, have your marketing team connect with those prospecting, those organizations you’re prospecting on social.

Danny:

Why?

David:

Why? Well, I’d say for the majority of organizations, they’ve built a social presence. So they have LinkedIn, they might have YouTube. They’re on Facebook. They’re on Instagram or Twitter. Most likely, they’re not getting a lot of engagement. And so when they see YOU engaging with them, and maybe providing some value, not, “Hey come look at how great we are,” but true value to that problem they’re having or just engaging with them… You’re going to show up on the radar. They’re literally going to get calls from the CEO in, you know, in Africa on his vacation. “What in the world is going on with our social!?” You know. It’s going to happen.

Danny:

True story, by the way.

David:

True story.

Danny:

Yeah, no, it makes a lot of sense because, share the love! Even just help them solve their problem like you said, they want attention. They’re on social media: go share their stuff. Like, comment, don’t be self-serving. You know, add, contribute to it.

David:

So, it’s being self-serving without being self-serving. If that makes any sense.

Danny:

That makes a lot of sense. Provide value first, right? That’s really what I think it comes down to. So, this is great. So alright, to recap. You’ve got the five different ways. One was using video. So, send video– Oh! First, standardize your process.

David:

Yes! Do one thing a thousand times.

Danny:

Yeah.

David:

Okay? I’m going to remember who said it. I don’t know if it was Jackie Chan? No it was the other guy. Jet Li.

Danny:

Jet Li? Okay. All right.

David:

Jet Li.

Danny:

All right, so it’s almost like, what’s the stat that says you have to do something like 10,000 times before you.. There’s a book on that, too. I’m blanking on it.

David:

I’m pretty sure you have to do something 10,000 times.

Danny:

10,000? Oh, to remember it. You should be able to master it or something like that.

David:

21 times?

Danny:

No. It’s the 10,000 hour rule! That’s what it was.

David:

Oh!

Danny:

Something like that. I don’t know.

David:

Either way, standardize it.

Danny:

Standard. Yes. Then the next piece is videos. Use videos to, and share those and send those out because they’re engaging. Number two.

David:

Case studies.

Danny:

Case- oh yeah, those are good. And those could be like white-paper documents or video content or, you know, what have you. Number three, blog articles.

David:

Blog articles.

Danny:

Third party articles from other media companies. And last one is, have your marketing team connect with them on social and be helpful.

David:

Yeah.

Danny:

All right, that’s it. Those are some great ways, those are some really great ways of being able to do that so.

David:

You’re going to engage, you’re going to shorten that cycle. You’re going to be helpful, you’re going to help them solve their problem faster. I mean that can have a significant impact on their organization. So, we had Cory Flemings from JBT, and he was talking about, sure, trying to sell in a solution, but usually they’re just looking at, “Well, how long is it going to take for us to get the ROI from when implementation starts?” But think about all that time that’s being spent making that decision

Danny:

The decision, right.

David:

And that monetary impact.

Danny:

Well it’s huge. It’s not like, “Let me go scroll on the list and check the box and hit ‘buy’.” It’s, you have a whole process and specs, you have to do all that stuff, yeah.

David:

Great insights.

Danny:

Awesome. Well, cool. All right, well thanks again.

David:

Yeah, lovin’ it.

Danny:

Good episode, alright. Okay so, another great episode here with IndustrialSage. These five tactics. Five things you could do to really help to shorten that sales cycle with your industrial sales. So, hey listen. I hope you liked it. If you’ve got another one that we missed, and you said, “Oh man, you guys have got to put this one!” Hey, comment, you know, put a note there, send us a note, and we’ll include it. Jump on the conversation on social media. Listen if you’re not on our email list, you need to get on it, post haste: Industrialsage.com, and you can subscribe ’cause we’ve got really cool stuff coming down the pipes continuously. We have manufacturing news, we’ve got the executive series, we’ve got the podcast, the Agency Success podcast. I probably butchered that but it’s okay it’s there. Just go to the website, you can check it all out and we’ve got more coming. So, that’s it. That’s all I’ve got for you today. I’ll be back next week. Thanks. I’m Danny, and goodbye.

 

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