Many Wholesale and Manufacturing companies are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with the speed of purchasing, production and delivery. The reason is that they have often grown exceptionally fast and/or their ICT structure does not allow them to be flexible and agile and to respond to the needs of the increasingly "demanding" customer.
As a result, crucial mistakes are made, sales opportunities are missed and many extra (unnecessary) costs are incurred. Does the above sound familiar to you and would you like your company to be fast, flexible and agile and able to meet the wishes and requirements of your customer?
Read the 10 most important tips below.
1. Put the customer first
That is easier said than done, putting the customer first. For many wholesale and production companies, this already has some impact.
Firstly, make sure you put together a project group that once again makes the objectives clear and finds out how the current processes run in the field of: marketing, social media, sales, purchasing, delivery and product support (customer service).
2. Used the right tools and software
Putting the customer first is only possible if you have the correct technology in-house that gives you insight into all the different communication and marketing channels and the possibilities to serve all those channels. A system that can monitor all necessary channels is therefore indispensable.
3. Work with one database
Wholesale and production companies often still work with different databases and software, such as Excel for stock management and contact details, Mailchimp to send the emails and Exact for accounting. Often these databases are not directly integrated, and it is difficult to enrich the customer profiles with useful and historical data from the customer. By working with one database, it remains clear for all employees, and they have direct access to customer data.
4. Let your employees think from the customer's point of view and not from their own activities
People make the difference, no matter how beautiful and good the technology is. So make them aware of customer oriented thinking. Set an example from senior management and have them coached by external advisors who can give training courses and/or presentations.
5. Start small and simple
As mentioned, putting the customer at the center of your business processes has quite an impact. So start small and simple and sure that you integrate, for example, 2 to 3 sales or marketing channels. Evaluate these steps and then add more and more channels. Keep testing and optimizing, and set realistic goals (KPIs) for yourself.
6. Go personalize
If you put the customer first, address him personally (Dear Joe, ) and send him the specific information he is looking for. So, no general mailing or one-size-fits-all messages. Make sure you try to enrich his profile with, for example, date of birth or personal interests. This makes it possible to personalize even more, for example by sending a flower on his or her birthday or by inviting him or her to a music concert or football match.
7. E-commerce
The search for information and the purchase of products nowadays no longer only happens via phone, email, or personal appointments, but is increasingly done online as well. Customers are increasingly seeking information through the internet and may visit competitors' websites. Therefore, make sure you are also present online, not just with a "business card" as a website, but with a website that offers relevant information and where it is possible to order or reserve products online. Ensure that your purchasing and inventory management are linked to this webshop, so you can respond accurately to requests from various sales channels: phone, personal appointment, and/or webshop.
8. Responsive
Also, make sure that your website and webshop are responsive. This means that the customer can visit the website via the various screens of his smartphone (iPhone), tablet (iPad) and/or computer / laptop and place his order directly.
9. Create relevant content
(Potential) customers are often looking for information in the initial phase. So make sure to provide relevant content. Consider blogs, how-to videos, online presentations, brochures, whitepapers, etc. If you have difficulty producing relevant content yourself, consider hiring an external party. There are many freelancers who can help you with this. An additional benefit is that you will also become more discoverable on Google, and your customers will appreciate that you offer a lot of relevant and valuable information.
10. Avoid Confusion
Ensure that you project uniformity across all sales and marketing channels and are consistent in your message, so actions you activate online are also communicated during personal appointments, with clear and unambiguous information about product details, prices, and delivery.
If you have any further questions about how you can put the customer first and/or which software is best to use for this. Contact us.
