How Technology Can

SHORTEN YOUR SALES CYCLE

The combination of customers delaying purchases

for as long as possible and more decision makers

required in the purchase process has contributed

to longer and less predictable sales cycles for many

manufacturers.

To combat this, companies are implementing web

applications, mobile apps, and other supporting

software that arm their teams and channel partners

with tools that make them more informed and

effective.

This eGuide showcases these technologies that shorten the sales cycle, from attracting, tracking, and converting leads to facilitating customer conversations and purchases.

Support your business’ distributors and salespeople with applications and systems that deliver the right information at the right time.

Attracting Interest:

AN OPTIMIZED WEBSITE IS REQUIRED FOR VISIBILITY & ENGAGEMENT

When conducting research, customers rely on Google

search results, the business and/or suppliers’ websites,

and product reviews.

By the time B2B customers engage with sales

representatives, they are nearly 60% of the way through a purchase decision. This makes your

website extremely important in both engaging

and influencing leads.2 Shorten your sales cycle by

optimizing your business’ website to engage and

influence your customer base.

With buyers using search results to influence purchases, the following affect your website’s visibility:

• Responsiveness to support use on any device

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Relevant content

• Metadata

• Links (both external and internal)

• Blog and social media content

94%of B2B buyersresearch products and businesses online prior to purchase.1

SEARCH

Tracking and Progressing Leads:

CRM PROVIDES GLOBAL VIEWS OF CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS

Implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) tool is

not just adopting new software—it is adopting a strategic business

methodology. With this tool, your business can:

The data from a CRM tool supports partners by

ensuring your team is aligned on where prospects

are in the sales funnel. This information makes your

salespeople more efficient and effective, significantly

shortening the sales cycle.

Sometimes an out of the box CRM isn’t enough.

If you sell through channel partners, you may

discover that you can’t control whether they

use a CRM, or how they use it. To encourage

and control CRM usage, provide your

partners with a web portal that integrates

with a CRM and other marketing systems. This

allows partners easy access to engage with

leads, and with you.

Track

Qualify leads

Organize data on existing customers

Converting Leads:

TECHNOLOGY INCREASES VELOCITY OF SALES CYCLE

With customers controlling more of the

buying process and increasingly being

as informed as your salespeople and

partners, your ability to personalize

the buying experience for customers

is key to selling more, faster, and with

higher margins.

Although B2B sales often hinge on the human element to convert

leads into customers, the right technology can significantly

enhance the chances of success. How? Read on.

Mobile applications keep your team and partners

informed and engaged in real-time and while on the go,

increasing their efficiency and effectiveness.

Training applications motivate and inform partners and

your salespeople with the latest product updates

and customer value propositions, keeping their

sales pitch sharp.

Customizable digital presentations allow

salespeople to present personalized content

and products to customers, facilitating a faster

decision and better buying experience.

Purchasing:

MAKING THE LAST STEP EASY AND INTUITIVE IS CRITICAL

Whether your customers purchase

through in-house sales, an online

store, or partners, a secure and

intuitive purchasing process that

gives you the visibility to each sale is

important.

The right purchasing platform can

sync with your CRM,

auto-populating

required fields for

purchases. This makes the purchasing process quicker

and more efficient for your salespeople and your

customers. Additionally, it ensures that you have

up-to-date information on all customers.

One of the consistent challenges for

companies that sell through partners

is having end customer visibility and awareness. Integrating purchasing

systems with CRM and marketing

systems gives you the ability to track

a lead all the way through to a sale.

The power of this complete customer

buying cycle is immense.

Delivering on the Promise:

RIGHT PRODUCT, ON TIME, WITH NO SURPRISES

Deliver your product on time and

close the sales loop on a positive

note. By using software to schedule

transportation, track progress, and

provide supply chain visibility for you

and your customers, you guarantee

efficiency for both your product and

your business.

Provide your customers with complete visibility of the supply chain. When customers are able to

see where their product is at every

stage of the process, they are more

likely to become repeat customers.

Take your business’ efficiency to

the next level by integrating your

transportation management system

with your inventory management

and ERP systems. By doing so, you

automate the logistics behind ordering,

delivering, and storing all parts and

products, making your business run

more accurately and efficiently.

Don’t just take our word for it:

“To become more concise and efficient at providing messages to the consumer, we implemented a new website and a contractor pitch book. The pitch book allows a contractor to present our products in the home, either digitally or printed. It also provides contractors with a portal to customize a presentation with the consumers and their information for a personalized presentation.”

– Matt Minerd, Director of Marketing, Simonton Windows

“The application has resources available that help people in the industry. Things like calculators to determine how much space is available in your tank or how to best mix materials. It provides access to all technical bulletins and specifications about our products. The app demonstrates our commitment to help people in the industry, not just to sell product.”

– Bill Ganger, Marketing & Business Development, Star Seal

AWH creates web, mobile, and enterprise applications that drive business. We build solutions

like you build products. It’ll cost less than you think and drive business more than you’d dream.

Contact us if you’d like us to help your business.

WWW.AWH.NET1 Acquity Group, LLC. “2014 State of B2B Procurement Study” 2014. http://www.acquitygroup.com/docs/default-source/Whitepapers/acquitygroup_2014-b2bstudy.pdf?sfvrsn=0

2 CEB Marketing Leadership Council in Partnership with Google. “The Digital Evolution in B2B Marketing” 2012. http://www.executiveboard.com/exbd-resources/content/digital-evolution/pdf/CEB-Mktg-B2B-Digital-Evolution.pdf