8/6/2009
8 Things I Learned about Sales from the Plant World
8 Valuable Selling Tips for Industrial Sales
The latest group project from Robert Hruzek is, What I Learned from the Plant World.
Perfect!
Having spent many years in industrial sales, I’ve been deep into the trenches of plants of all kinds. I’ve seen automobile tires being made (it’s kind of like making waffles); I’ve been in spice plants, brick plants and toilet paper plants; meat packing, marshmallow, mattress, and moped plants; I’ve even been in artificial plant plants. In no particular order, here are eight valuable selling lessons I learned along the way.
- Be prepared and get to the point. Factory personnel seldom have time to spare. If you are seen as a time waster, you will not get a second appointment.
- Wear the right shoes. The first time I visited a brick plant, I wound up with mud up to my shins.
- Talk to the people doing the actual work. They’ll give you a frank assessment of your products or services, and can help you sell them to the higher ups.
- Jump at the chance for a plant tour. You need a feel for the whole manufacturing process to understand how and where your products or services fit into the operation.
- Bring company on the plant tour. Two sets of eyes see ten times as much. I’ve routinely missed obvious opportunities at established accounts that my sales manager or colleague spotted in a matter of seconds, and vice versa.
- Understand the decision making process. Manufacturing environments tend to be intricately organized. Ask your primary contact to walk you through the decision making process – otherwise you will spend too much time selling to the wrong people and not enough selling to the right ones.
- Be patient. A manufacturing plant resembles a biological plant in that they are both complex, finely tuned organisms. When something changes in a factory, many things are affected, so decisions tend to be made slowly even when the benefits are a slam dunk.
- Communicate early and often and in writing. Plants are big on documentation. Make your customers’ jobs easier by summarizing meetings, trials, product features and benefits, and next steps, in emails or more formally. It will keep your contacts in the flow of the project and make recapping infinitely easier down the road.
Over to You
- How do you find selling or working in a plant to be different from an office setting?
- What’s the most interesting thing you’ve seen being manufactured?
34 Responses to 8 Things I Learned about Sales from the Plant World
Kudos on the sneaky twist on the word, “Plant”, Brad!
Good gosh, I’ve been in so many plants I should have my own Union card! Everything you say about dealing with plant personnel is absolutely correct. They have their ways of doing things, and Heaven Help You if you try to circumvent it. But they’re good folks; highly skilled and knowledgeable about the process, the machinery, and what makes things tick. Loved every minute of it.
Probably the most interesting plant I’ve worked in was semiconductor manufacturing. It was also the cleanest; you could eat off the floor in those places, they’re so perfectly clean! (Actually 1,000 cleaner than a hospital, if you can believe it!)
Good lessons, Brad!
Hi Robert, Your projects always lead in unexpected directions, which is one reason they are so much fun. Never been in a semiconductor plant, but I have been in health care products plants where the clean rooms are just as you describe. Maybe one day you can describe the semiconductor manufacturing process in an MZM post … it’d be interesting to know how that all works.
My favorite plant manufacturing tour has to be the Martin Guitar factory tour over at http://www.martinguitar.com/visit/tour.html . A few years ago, you could get much closer to the machinery; they have the SAME machine there to press guitar backs to the frame that they used in the 1800s. Incredible!
Barbara, There must be some amazing craftsmanship involved in making guitars. It’s good to know this sort of manufacturing is still being done in the USA. Brings to mind a globe manufacturing plant I used to spend time in. Getting a flat map on a round surface involves more skill than you might think.
Hi Brad – The business factor is so true. Many years ago, I worked in a door plant and everyone was so busy all of the time. And if you’re not contacting the person who is able to make the decision, they may not even bother to find the time to tell you.
I would often have calls put through to me, from sales people and I definitely wasn’t the decision maker. But I think the receptionist was a bit clueless, so she passed them on to me to get rid of them – even though I actually worked in health and safety. And because I was suspicious of sales people and saw them as pests who kept interrupting my busy day – I’d just give them the runaround, rather than help them to find out who they needed to speak to.
As you say – the folk who would sell best in that type of environment would be the ones who took a genuine interest in how the place worked. And trying to get a product in front of the folk who would actually be using it is a big plus in most cases.
Sorry Brad – I meant to say busyness factor not “business”
Cath, Thanks for sharing your story – it’s good for sales people to see what things look like from the other side. Companies often create “buffers” to protect the time of the real decision makers. It’s not really a great solution, because it puts people like you on the spot and (justifiably) frustrates sales people. Other manufacturers create extremely bureaucratic systems for the evaluation of new suppliers, but they have many flaws as well. No easy answer, I guess.
Without a doubt, the most interesting manufacturing process involves the production of Bubble Wrap(R) Brand Cushioning! Of course, you expected this response from me. It is a sophisticated process utilizing five layer co-extrusion technology. Also, the secondary product conversion processes associated with making the primary product are pretty neat.
At the risk of being immodest, I’ve done all of what you touched on – plant manager in my earlier days, sales/sales manager later on and finally working as a market(ing) manager in my last position before retirement, based in an office environment. Biggest single difference to me is the mobility factor. That is, you generally go to the customer in sales – either physically or virtually – while working in a plant environment keeps you pretty close to home. Marketing is a “tweener” position with some reaching out and some being reached by others, at least in the position I most recently held. The common thread for success, of course, is the pursuit of consistent excellence.
Final thought – haven’t noticed anyone mentioning the demonstration of sincere appreciation to the host(s) of a plant tour. It takes time and effort away from other responsibilities to guide visitors through a facility and should be responded to with a sincere thank you, touching on some interesting part of the tour you particularly liked to show you were paying attention!
Hi Bill, You’re right. It takes lots of time and effort to put together a good plant tour, and the best manufacturers seem to elevate the plant tour to an art form. From a sales standpoint, I never understood why some firms don’t allow vendors or qualified potential vendors on the factory floor. How can they get bright ideas out of their suppliers by keeping them in the dark?
I love the cartoon!
I’ve never worked at a plant, so I lack plant-related insights, but those you gleaned from your own experiences are invaluable. They reminded me it’s important to know who the true gatekeepers are, like the people you mention who would actually use the product and mention it to whoever does the buying.
But your line about wearing the right shoes actually reminds me of something I read in opera singer Beverly Sills’ book “Bubbles” (her nickname as a child). When she was learning one of the roles in a very long and demanding opera, a veteran of the role gave her the advice, “wear comfortable shoes.” Does that relate to business? I think so. If we want to be successful we have to wear comfortable shoes in the metaphorical sense, and plan to stick around. So often it feels like companies are in it for the quick buck and although they’d like me to be their long term customer, I know it’s just for the money. If more companies showed they were in it for the long haul, I might be a more loyal consumer.
Okay, it sounded good in my head but it’s late. Maybe you can get the gist of it.
Good thing you didn’t talk about Brussels sprouts or I might really have really stuck my foot in it.
Be prepared and get to the point- this is a great point, when embarking upon any marketing campaign i think it is important to realise that your potential customers are not going to sit around waiting for you to get to the root of your pitch.
When writing a sales pitch or article make sure that you have identified your key points in the first few paragraphs, even if the reader or listener doesn’t get to the end of the piece they will still have understood your main points.
Terry, Your metaphor makes perfect sense … might be an interesting group project: If you were a shoe, what kind would be? … But in a literal sense, when I started in business back in the 1980s or 1880s or whenever it was, the old timers all said, “You judge a man by his shoes,” and, “The first thing you notice about a person is his shoes.” I don’t know if people still think that way, but I used to spend lots of money on shoes and making sure they were comfortable, snappy looking, and well polished. All the more reason why my brickyard experience left such an indelible impression on my psyche and pants.
Danielle, I’d like to take your comment and frame it. It’s so important to get to the point, to let the customer know right off the bat why they should listen further. To carry the baseball metaphor, nobody has time for a long windup and a slow pitch.
Joanna, Feel free to use the cartoon if you can work it into your blog somehow.
I love the cartoon, Brad!
Brad,
I, too, love this cartoon, as well as your unique twist on the word “plant”! That’s what I call thinking outside the box!
Never worked in or toured a manufacturing plant, but sometimes I’ve felt almost as if the work I’ve done for the “article mills” (aka content writing companies) with which I’ve contracted at various times was equivalent to assembly line work — complete with high quotas that kept me busy continuously churning out content (unfortunately at very low pay). While assembly work may also be repetitious, demanding, and relatively uninspiring, hopefully most manufacturing plants offer better pay than the average article mill, which doesn’t even offer a living wage in return for the excessive amount of work it requires!
Sorry if I’ve changed the subject — or might we not say that I’ve answered your first question by provinding a comparison between a manufacturing (aka plant) environment and a content-writing (aka office) environment?
Great entry into Robert’s WILF project — one that will definitely stand out from the rest through your originality and its uniqueness!
Jeanne
Pingback: Middle Zone Musings » All Entries: What I Learned From Plants
Thanks for including me in the latest WILF, I had a great time writing the ‘Cold Comfort’ post. I’m going to have fun checking out the other entries – should keep me busy for a while.
Sam´s last blog ..Cold Comfort
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
@Sam – Really glad you decided to jump right into the Middle Zone, Sam! You’ll find lots of great teaching from plenty of interesting folks here at the WILF projects. A big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
Robert – About halfway through the entries and am enjoying the unique perspective of each one. Thanks for being such a gracious host. Nancy
Nancy Kourmoulis´s last blog ..School Time…
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
Robert, wow, quite a line-up of posts. I’ve had the pleasure of reading a few and am tickled to dig (hehehe) into the rest. Congrats on another fine month Robert!
Karen Swim´s last blog ..Painting by Numbers
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
Robert — I’ve already visited Steve’s site and I’m looking forward to the others. I love these “contests” or challenges because you do get to meet new people and read what they have to say. So, thank you for this:~)
Sara´s last blog ..Story Photo: The Face Off
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
@Nancy – Hey, I’m just pleased as punch you’d say so, Nancy! Thanks for participating; you’re always welcome here in the Middle Zone!
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
Nice site, and interesting posts! I’ll have to bookmark you and participate next time around. How often do you run these?
Joanie´s last blog ..You don’t need willpower
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
First, I love the cartoon — perfect. I love the point you make about talking to the people who do the work. I’ve read so many stories of how they can make a difference when you listen to them. We all know sometimes management forgets to talk to them.
@Karen – A tip o’ the hat to ya, in spite of the pun, Karen!
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
@Sara – You’re very welcome, and glad you’re enjoying it. I’m always amazed at the variety of viewpoints that come out for each one. Always interesting!
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
@Joanie – Glad you could drop by, Joanie. We have one every first Monday of the month, and you’re welcome to join us next time!
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
Hi Brad,
With regard to your first point, I would have thought that plant managers would have felt that they had a great deal of spare time on their hands, and that they would have loved nothing more than to have sales personnel from other firms help to fill thirty minutes of their so abundant time with small talk which has little or no meaning in terms of providing their firms with the operational solutions which they require.
Seriously – great lessons. I love the way in which you draw on your extensive sales experience in producing submissions to Robert’s monthly projects which are relatable and applicable not only from a marketing perspective, but sometimes from a general life perspective as well.
Andrew, Thanks for your feedback and observations, as always. Sales really is a microcosm of life, which stands to reason, because it’s all about people and relationships and overcoming challenges.
Jeanne, Interesting comparison between writing and manufacturing. This is a very healthy and instructive comparison as well. People tend to imagine that writing is all artsy-craftsy, and fail to realize the hard work and discipline components. Conversely, people tend to imagine manufacturing as being mechanical and routine, and fail to see how much creativity is involved.
Meryl & Ulla, So glad you like the cartoon. Feel free to use it any time you want!
Interesting steps for closing a sale.
Do you ever find that sales people often create most of the objections themselves. That is that customers ask questions that sales people stir up from nervous energy. I’ve found many sales people create confusion in the mind of the buyer and create questions that often lead to either no sale or a much more difficult closing process.
Thanks,
Dave
http://www.amrmedia.com
Hi Dave, Sure, I think sales people can be their own worst enemy sometimes, usually when they over think things. Since they’ve heard every objection under the sun, they assume each particular prospect will have every single objection. Obviously this is not the case, but it’s a natural way for people to think.
Pingback: The Product Life cycle « Dr. Scott’s Cool Business Blog
Just wanted to say (now a week later) how much I appreciate your doing these WILF projects, Robert. You are doing a great service to the blogging community – and the peripheral (hopefully larger) community of those who read blogs.
paul merrill´s last blog ..Simple is better, part 2
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings
@Paul – Hey, you’re welcome, Bubba!
This comment was originally posted on Middle Zone Musings