How you sell
Your playbook depends on how you sell, not what you make. Six ways manufacturers sell, with the pieces written for each.
- Build to printPrintQuotePOYou make parts to the customer's drawing, so you compete on the quote: price, lead time, quality record and how fast you answer. Marketing's job is to get you onto approved supplier lists and into the RFQ inbox, then make it easy for a buyer to trust a shop they have not used before.31 pieces
- Proprietary productsProduct pageSpec sheet and CADQuoteYou design and sell your own product line, so buyers compare your specs, documentation and price against named competitors. Marketing wins by making the product easy to find, easy to evaluate and easy to design in, usually before anyone talks to sales.31 pieces
- Engineered to orderBuying committeeProposalPOEach order is designed for one customer, so sales cycles run for months and involve engineering, operations, finance and purchasing. Marketing earns its place by proving you have solved the problem before and by keeping the deal moving between meetings you never attend.27 pieces
- Spec-drivenArchitect or engineerSpecContractor buysYour product is chosen by an architect or engineer who writes it into a specification, then bought later by a contractor or installer. Marketing has to reach the specifier early with the documents they need, then protect the spec from substitution at bid time.24 pieces
- Channel-ledYouDistributor or repBuyerMost of your sales run through distributors or independent reps who also carry other lines. Marketing has to win their attention, give them tools they will actually use and still build demand with end buyers you rarely meet.27 pieces
- Catalog and e-commerceSearchProduct dataCartBuyers find a part number, check the data and order, often without talking to anyone. Marketing lives in product data, search, site speed and the ordering experience, and in winning the reorder without a sales call.20 pieces