Here are three scenarios based on real-life experiences in equipment manufacturing companies illustrating how customer relationship management (CRM) software can help you do better by your customers and team members.
Once the equipment manufacturer deployed Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and the technology partner’s consultants created dashboards and reports for company execs, Amy’s life became easier. She now holds her individual and team meetings in Microsoft Teams, where people can see each other and remain engaged. The reps happily lost the chore of providing weekly updates. Meetings are no longer a recurring calendar item, but Amy and her reps simply connect when they feel the need. The reps often log their activities and communications on their phones through Microsoft Outlook. An Outlook connector pushes the data into the records in the Microsoft CRM software.
Like the businesses of our equipment manufacturing clients, Sikich’s success depends on healthy customer relationships built on trust and shared goals. We use Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM internally and experience the benefit of this solution every time we connect, communicate, or collaborate with a prospect or customer. Like many clients, we needed to adjust quickly when the pandemic hit, replacing most in-person meetings with virtual interactions. With our Dynamics 365 CRM apps, we managed that transition without disrupting the business or losing any accounts. When conditions change and we can again travel to meet customers in person, we will still use our CRM software to manage relationships and opportunities.
Once your sales and service teams are in a flow with the new tools, we can show you how to achieve more with CRM. For instance, some equipment manufacturing clients find it valuable to bring in data from LinkedIn, Yelp, ecommerce systems, and social media to better understand customers’ behaviors and decisions.
When you’re ready, we can add machine learning capabilities to your CRM. For some equipment manufacturers, machine learning can enable next-level opportunity management. Overcoming the limitations of human attention spans, machine learning can help you pinpoint customer decision and purchasing patterns and take the right step when it makes a difference. Using data from multiple sources within and outside of your business, you can score customers and opportunities and help your reps hone in on the most promising accounts.
After Paul lost his job selling specialty equipment for food manufacturers, he was glad to land at an equipment manufacturing business that makes automated production equipment for companies that manufacture soups and sauces. Paul’s new employer has customers and production facilities all across the country, but expects Paul to work from home.
In his previous job, Paul used spreadsheets to track his results and had a basic app to manage communications, meetings, and commitments with customers. When he invested the time to keep these tools updated, they worked for him, but as soon as he got busy or forgot to enter a detail immediately, errors crept in and some customers were left hanging when they expected a response.
During the interviews, Paul learned that his new position became available because a team member of many years retired. His new boss mentioned that the rep recorded all her notes from customer conversations, decisions, and purchases in the company’s still-new Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM system. On his first day, Paul receives his company laptop and access to the CRM system. He explores the software and finds it easy to figure out how to do things. He is anxious to get working, because there is already an alert from the manager—who also uses CRM—urging him to contact a customer who had mentioned an upcoming purchasing decision.
Paul finds the account and reads the previous rep’s proposal and conversation notes. He feels that this customer is likely going to be open to a meeting to discuss next, best steps. He leaves a voicemail for the contact and follows up with an email.
Next, Paul reviews all active customers assigned to him. Several are planning equipment upgrades and new purchases. That means he can begin working with them, already well aware of their needs, budgets, and schedules. He realizes he will probably not have the painful income drop that he suffered in other companies as the newcomer in a sales role. The personnel change doesn’t interrupt the flow of business, and Paul can pick up where the former rep left off. He spends the rest of the day making calls, sending some more mail, and getting updates from customers, all of whom sound welcoming. A production manager says that he heard about a new ingredient-mixing tool the company is working on, and during the conversation Paul quickly accesses a SharePoint folder to share news about the product’s capabilities and ETA. The customer and Paul agree to meet next month so he can develop a proposal.
In the afternoon, the manager wants to know how things are going. Paul clicks on a button to create a summary of what he’s been working on, sends it to her, and they chat over Teams. He feels good about his first day at the new company—he can already show some results and feels at home in the new organization. Later that evening, Paul finds an encouraging response from the first customer he contacted and sets up a Teams meeting for the next day.
Warranty maintenance and field service are important sources of revenue for many equipment manufacturers. Data-collection and reporting software can take in internet of things (IoT) data from sensors on the equipment you install at customer sites. You can proactively identify potential breakdowns or performance lags before they become problematic, dispatching technicians without interrupting the customer’s processes.
Doba works at a company that helps dentists source, purchase, and finance dental equipment for their practices. One of her suppliers is an equipment manufacturer that produces electric, air-driven handpieces. The company is known for the quality of its products but has undergone turnover and other organizational change. Some recent product deliveries were late, which meant dentists could not open or expand their practices as planned. The lead times for warranty service and repairs are longer than they used to be. Doba is no longer confident in making firm commitments that involve the manufacturer’s delivery schedules and has been looking for other options. But it takes time to identify new suppliers, negotiate terms, and become comfortable with them.
The equipment manufacturer’s VP of sales and distribution calls Doba and asks her for another opportunity to continue doing business together. He tells her that they have recently hired new account reps and upgraded their CRM technology. He is asking for six weeks to turn things around, and if the equipment manufacturer’s efforts don’t work out, he will help Doba transition to another supplier. She agrees to this without making any promises.
Next, Doba receives both an email and a call from Sean, her new rep. He knows that some dentists are asking for a particular handpiece design that the equipment manufacturer did not offer before, but the company now has a new product that could fit these requirements. He offers to ship a sample to Doba’s company or to any dentist who wants to try it. She is surprised and pleased that he is aware of the dentists’ request, and immediately thinks of one who would be happy to test the new handpiece.
Later that week, the equipment manufacturer’s field services manager contacts Doba with a list of dentists whose older equipment needs certain parts replaced before it breaks down and forces appointment cancellations. He offers to coordinate with her on reaching out to these dentists to tell them what needs to be done and schedule the work. He already has an email drafted that he forwards to Doba. All she needs to do is add her personal touch, sign it, and send it to the group of dentists. Over the next couple of weeks, she hears from them how the service appointments went. The equipment manufacturing service reps showed up on time, had all the tools and parts they needed, and completed their assignments after hours or during lunch breaks. Several dentists thank Doba for a great job in managing these service calls.
Sean gives Doba leads of new dental practices that open in her region, which the previous equipment manufacturing rep never did. Soon, she notices that delivery lead times have shrunk. When she helps a dentist put an equipment order together, she can ask for delivery within ten days. This used to take as long as a month, and it was often difficult to schedule installation for a particular day. She can only assume that the equipment manufacturer now has a better feedback loop between sales and production, and that Sean has a more effective and accurate way of forecasting and planning.
Doba no longer feels that she’s doing business with a traditional equipment manufacturer, but with a customer-focused, highly motivated, fast-paced company. Before the six weeks’ trial is over, she tells Sean and his boss that she is looking forward to continue working with them.
See how Sikich helps businesses implement, manage, and upgrade Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM.
©2024 All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy Disclaimer
