Introduction
According to research by Salesforce – “85% of manufacturers reported that they need to transform their operations to stay competitive, only 38% of manufacturers are exceeding their profitability targets and 97% of manufacturers are pursuing strategic changes to their service and aftermarket operations, including 26% that characterize these as complete overhauls.” This shows that companies are taking drastic measures to keep themselves relevant and increase sales in manufacturing business without compromising on customer services. However, “only about 40% of respondents view their sales and marketing, service and aftermarket, and partner channel operations as optimal.” This shows potential areas where manufacturers can work to improve their channel partner engagement, sales, marketing and service channels.
To improve sales in manufacturing, you can embrace the power of engaging with channel partners. Some manufacturers still rely on their channel partner network like distributors, value-added resellers (a company that buys products from manufacturers and then adds value by customizing them or bundling them with additional services before reselling them to end-users), and resellers to help bring their products to market.
However, with increasing competition and geopolitical disruptions in the supply chain, manufacturers need to strengthen their partner relationships. By building strong, strategic relationships with their channel partners, manufacturers can ensure sustained growth, tackle increasing competition and elevate customer relationships.
Building a strong channel partner network will help manufacturers not just sell their products faster in the market but also improve customer satisfaction. By collaborating with their partners, manufacturers can ensure smooth operations, transparent communication, and exceptional service delivery. To create an effective partner engagement, leverage Salesforce Experience Cloud.
Explore how Salesforce Experience Cloud can improve channel partner engagement by helping businesses build customized partner portals.
How Elevating Channel Partner Engagement Can Improve Sales in Manufacturing
Manufacturers can significantly improve sales by building stronger partner engagement. But what exactly does “partner engagement” mean, and how does it contribute to sales growth? Channel partner engagement refers to the process of nurturing relationships with distributors, resellers, and value-added resellers who sell your products in the market.
Effective engagement strategies ensure these partners have the necessary tools, resources, and incentives to sell your products efficiently and with a higher degree of success. Here’s how manufacturers can improve their channel partner engagement and increase sales:
Building Strong Relationships with Partners
Building a partnership that extends beyond just a transactional relationship can yield long-term benefits. Many manufacturers still lack the understanding of why they need to build strong, collaborative relationships with their partners. When a manufacturer treats a partner as an extension of their team, they can gain invaluable insights, such as feedback from end customers, market trends, and gain a better understanding of their competitors.
With the help of channel partners, manufacturers can understand what measures their competitors are taking to improve sales and how it can directly affect their revenue. With a detailed competitor analysis, manufacturers can refine product offerings, sales strategies, and marketing campaigns, which leads to increased sales and new revenue streams.
Providing Better Tools and Resources
It is very crucial for manufacturers to empower their partners. Partners should be equipped with the necessary tools and resources to sell products easily in the market. This includes providing partners with up-to-date product information, access to different marketing collaterals, training them in how to sell their products effectively, and even forecasting data to improve sales. Having a dedicated partner portal can help manufacturers track leads, manage orders, and provide real-time data on customer needs, which is essential in streamlining the partner experience.
The Salesforce Experience Cloud is vital in improving visibility into the entire partner relationship. With Salesforce, manufacturers can share leads, order statuses, pricing, and inventory data in real time. Practicing transparency and open communication fosters trust and reduces the chances of mistakes or miscommunications, thus ensuring a smoother sales process and shorter sales cycle.
Fostering Trust Through Transparency
One of the most important aspects of partner engagement is transparency. The more information your partners have, the better they can perform. Empowering partners to get accurate forecasting, pricing, and order statuses allows them to plan more effectively and make data-driven decisions. This trust-based relationship creates a strong foundation that allows both parties to thrive.
By leveraging Salesforce, manufacturers can provide partners with a unified view of data. With this comprehensive view of data, manufacturers can align themselves better on sales forecasts, customer expectations, and inventory management. It also encourages partners to take ownership of their sales efforts and feel more invested in the success of the products they sell. They can now focus more on improving the customer lifecycle and help manufacturers build trust with customers.
Investing in Partner Enablement Technologies
Partner enablement (means equipping partners with tools, resources and training required to sell their products in the market) platforms are becoming increasingly essential in driving sales. These platforms automate repetitive tasks, provide real-time updates, and leverage AI to help partners offer personalized recommendations.
Leveraging partner enablement platforms, manufacturers can reduce challenges faced by their partners. These platforms like Salesforce Experience Cloud Partner Portals can be customized for individual channel partners. With features like pricing configurations, quoting and lead management, partners can now easily engage with consumers and create new opportunities for upselling and cross-selling.
Salesforce Agentforce’s AI Agents can help partners identify the best leads, prioritize sales opportunities, and even offer product recommendations to customers based on their past purchasing behavior. By reducing manual effort and empowering partners with technology, manufacturers can significantly accelerate the sales cycle and increase revenue generation.
Creating a Positive Feedback Loop
When channel partners feel supported, they are more likely to invest in promoting and selling a manufacturer’s products. This creates a positive feedback loop—partners perform better, manufacturers provide better resources, leading to increased sales and improved partner retention. Creating strong partner engagement strategies leads to long-term success in these competitive markets.
Importance of After-sales Service in the Manufacturing Industry
After-sales service is often overlooked in the manufacturing sector, but it plays a crucial role in the long-term success of any business. Channel partners need to invest more time and resources in after-sales service, as it solidifies customer trust in the brand.
Many manufacturers and channel partners believe that once a product is sold, the job is done. However, after-sales service is critical for maintaining customer satisfaction, encouraging repeat purchases, and generating additional revenue through services such as maintenance, repairs, and product upgrades.
Research has shown that 73% of B2B buyers consider the post-sales experience to be as important—if not more important—than the pre-sales process. In industries like manufacturing, where customer lifetime value is significant, providing exceptional after-sales service is crucial for maintaining long-lasting relationships.
Impact on Customer Retention and Brand Loyalty
Once a product is delivered, the after-sales service can make or break the customer’s overall experience. Manufacturing companies should consider after-sales service as a crucial part of their sales strategy. A positive after-sales experience often leads to higher customer retention and brand loyalty, encouraging repeat business and customers are more likely to speak positively about the brand.
A robust after-sales service program can include services such as warranty management, troubleshooting, repairs, and product upgrades. These services not only keep customers satisfied but also provide opportunities for upselling and cross-selling additional products or services. As a result, after-sales service becomes a revenue-generating asset for manufacturers.
Reducing Product Returns
Product returns in the manufacturing industry can be costly, both financially and in terms of time and resources. By providing excellent after-sales support, such as clear returns policies, troubleshooting assistance, and maintenance services – manufacturers can reduce the number of returns.
Additionally, when manufacturers engage more with the customers post their purchase, they are less likely to return products due to dissatisfaction. Effective communication and proactive after-sales service can identify issues before they escalate.
Improved Operational Efficiency
A well-organized after-sales service program can also improve operational efficiency by providing manufacturers with valuable insights into customer needs and expectations. These insights can help optimize production schedules, streamline inventory management, and reduce lead times.
By addressing issues early on and providing customers with easy access to maintenance and repair services, manufacturers can ensure that products remain in use for longer periods, which leads to higher customer satisfaction and better long-term revenue streams.
Creating New Revenue Streams
After-sales services can serve as a significant source of revenue for manufacturers. Offering value-added services, such as extended warranties, service contracts, and product upgrades, can generate additional revenue while also enhancing customer satisfaction. Manufacturers can also use their after-sales service to introduce new services like predictive maintenance powered by IoT (Internet of Things) technology, providing customers with proactive service options.
A customer-centric portal can further help manufacturers capitalize on these revenue opportunities by offering self-service options like scheduling maintenance, purchasing accessories, or renewing warranties.
How Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud and Agentforce Can Improve Sales in the Manufacturing Industry
Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud, combined with Agentforce, offers a comprehensive solution for manufacturers to optimize their sales processes, improve partner engagement, and enhance customer service. These platforms allow manufacturers to integrate customer, product, and sales data seamlessly, providing a unified platform that enhances collaboration, increases efficiency, and improves sales forecasting.
Unified Data for Better Decision-Making
The Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud provides manufacturers with a complete, integrated view of their operations. By consolidating data across different business functions—sales, service, and operations—manufacturers can make more informed decisions. This unified data source enables better visibility into customer demands, order statuses, inventory levels, and sales opportunities.
Manufacturers can share this data with their partners in real-time, giving them the information they need to make informed decisions and improve the efficiency of their sales cycles. With accurate and up-to-date data at their fingertips, channel partners can increase their sales performance and reduce the risk of errors or miscommunication.
AI-Powered Insights
Agentforce, when integrated with Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud, uses AI-powered insights to automate and streamline workflows. This allows manufacturers and their channel partners to focus on high-value activities while leaving repetitive tasks to AI agents. These AI agents can predict customer behavior, recommend the best leads, and even automate sales processes to help drive conversions faster.
By leveraging AI, manufacturers can optimize partner enablement efforts, ensuring that partners are provided with the right information and resources at the right time. This leads to faster decision-making, increased sales, and more satisfied customers.
Customizable Sales Forecasting
Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud helps manufacturers create more accurate and customizable sales forecasts. By analyzing historical data, current trends, and partner inputs, manufacturers can forecast future demand more effectively. This helps manufacturers and their partners plan production schedules, manage inventory, and align resources to meet customer needs.
Accurate forecasting is a critical element of improving sales in manufacturing, as it helps prevent stockouts, reduce excess inventory, and ensure that customer demand is met promptly.
Conclusion
To improve sales in manufacturing, businesses need to engage and empower their partners with resources and tools that can help them distribute their products easily in the market. Through effective channel partner engagement, manufacturers can not only improve sales but also enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and foster long-term growth.
Platforms like Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud and Agentforce offer manufacturers the tools they need to strengthen their partner relationships, optimize sales processes, and improve after-sales service. By focusing on transparency, collaboration, and efficient processes, manufacturers can create an ecosystem where both partners and customers thrive.
Driving channel partner engagement is a key factor in improving sales in manufacturing. Businesses who invest in building strong, collaborative relationships with their partners are better positioned for success and achieve both short term and long-term goals.
