Sale of industrial equipment. Buying industrial equipment How to sell equipment for engineering networks

When a customer buys himself, in fact, this is not sales, but service requests. But what if the client does not buy? And in many markets it has become just that. How to form a system that could generate sales? "Change or die" - this principle, many companies have put in the basis of the new strategy.

The industrial equipment market is no exception. After all, the majority of companies producing and/or selling industrial equipment used a purely reactive approach in their work. What does it mean?

The model looked like this. The customer's purchasing officer called potential vendors for the equipment he needed. Where did he get information about suppliers? Mainly from reference materials, advertising media: the Internet, specialized press and catalogs of the suppliers themselves, and later - from their own communication experience. A technical specialist for this type of equipment answered the phone call of a potential client. Together they discussed what equipment could meet the request and be provided, as well as the volumes, terms and commercial terms of delivery. After that, everyone went to do their own thing: the consultant prepared an appropriate commercial offer and sent it to the client, and the buyer continued to call in the hope of a better offer.

I must say that for the client this made sense. Firstly, due to the large flow of buyers, not all equipment could be obtained from the warehouse, some popular items had to wait more than a month, or even three. Secondly, for the same reason, the price of equipment could vary by 30 percent from supplier to supplier. In addition, the services provided by suppliers also varied greatly - from logistics to service and warranty support.

A fundamentally necessary change in business processes is their reorientation to the client when assessing their own resources and proactivity, that is, the transfer of the initiative to build relationships to the supplier company. Therefore, responsibility for each client should be assigned to a specific manager who will solve all the client's questions and know everything about him.

1. Logistics

It is important to learn how to analyze the assortment, evaluate the sales potential of each item of equipment, make a sufficient supply of the most popular items and some stock of potentially popular ones. This is all the more critical because the supplier company cannot afford to freeze funds in illiquid goods during a crisis. On the other hand, it is necessary to discuss with the production the conditions for reducing the terms of the production itself and / or the supply of the rest of the equipment on request, so as not to miss the client who is ready to wait. True, there must be a reason for the client himself why he is waiting. If it is rare equipment, then the expectation is logical. Otherwise, you should consider a profitable commercial offer: either at a price (which is highly undesirable - perhaps a “game” with the course), or under additional conditions - installation by the supplier, training at the customer’s site, free delivery, extended warranty period, 24-hour Help Desk and a number of other bonuses that were not there before.

2. Informing the target audience

In no case should you stop informing, which is subject to optimization, but not to reduction. Understand how you can communicate information to the client more actively, how to collect information and optimally redistribute the marketing budget.

Often, such a method of active dissemination of information as a visit (but not participation!) Industry exhibitions and other events of potential customers gives an effect. The purpose of the visit is to collect as many contacts and business cards as possible, to talk with the client's representatives. This information can be used further for the target contact. It is best for consultant managers to go to such events so that they can collect really useful information and call an already “familiar” specialist from the client’s side after a face-to-face conversation.

The collection of information about customers can also be carried out by the call center. Just do not force operators to engage in cold sales in any case !!! The result, as a rule, is a bunch of employees who are demotivated by the lack of results and a sense of the meaninglessness of their work. The task that should be assigned to them is only the collection of information about the current situation with the client, contact persons, decision-making levels and updating / replenishing the database. And if the operator accidentally stumbles upon a client with an actual request, then such information must be immediately transferred to the consultant manager.

3. Call Center and Help Desk

Now these are services not only of consulting and receiving calls, but also of increasing customer loyalty due to courtesy, efficiency and quality of solving requests, as well as a more attentive attitude to the needs of the client. In addition, incoming calls can be used to collect additional information (see above).
Why do you need to transfer the call center and Help Desk to work on extended hours - depending on the geography of customers. If the company's equipment works around the clock at customer sites, it is desirable to install 24-hour support.

4. Service center for warranty and post-warranty service

Now any service is an additional source of value formation in the eyes of the client. Therefore, it is necessary to conclude contracts for the maintenance of your equipment with other service centers, to develop your centers in places where customers congregate.
It makes sense to think about extending the warranty period by the supplier company.

5. Active visits to potential buyers

Establishing a relationship with a client in person is much easier than over the phone. Therefore, visiting customers on their territory becomes an urgent task. The reason for the visit may be previously established contacts, already established contacts at a higher level, as well as incoming requests. Previously, such requests were processed exclusively by phone, but now the manager has the opportunity to catch on and offer an on-site visit to assess the situation - this will identify a much wider range of needs for additional equipment. Do not forget: often customers do not even assume that the supplier has not only those price list items that they are used to taking.

6. Summits

If the client does not stop production, then he must plan the funds for the material and technical base. Spare parts and consumables are always needed, because equipment failure does not stop with a crisis. The allocated budget can be spent on different vendors (as was the case before) and MUST be spent only on your equipment. That's the point of the summit meetings - to agree on principled mutually beneficial cooperation, and then link the performers together so that they know exactly what to do when the need for equipment arises. The "summits" tool is very subtle. First, a supplier representative typically has only one chance of a successful meeting. Secondly, the performers must also be taken into account and "pleased", otherwise they can skimp on the management's agreements in the most innocent ways ("the equipment does not fit into ours!", "breaks", "inconvenient to work" and so on). Third, such relationships require informal support. All of the above suggests that such meetings should be attended by leaders from the supplier, and the preparation for such meetings should be carried out in the most thorough way!

How to quickly sell used machines

Have you purchased new equipment and do not know what to do with the old one? Or maybe you decided to re-profile production, so you want to sell used equipment? Or are you closing the enterprise and selling off all used machines? In any case, you should make the sale as profitable as possible for yourself. And the speed of its implementation is also important: there is no need for extra equipment to gather dust in a warehouse if it can help someone start their production.

How many potential buyers for used machines do you think there are in your city? Most likely, quite a bit. And therefore, even if you advertise with the text “I will sell used machines” in all the newspapers of the city, it is unlikely that you will receive many offers. It is better not to waste time, but immediately turn to professionals for whom selling used machines is a common job. Where to find them? Everything is quite simple: you need to go to a site that specializes in posting ads “I will sell used machines” and “I will buy used machines”. If you do not find anything suitable for yourself among the offers of other visitors to the resource, then you can count on the help of the managers of the company that owns this resource. They have regular customers who will gladly buy your used equipment. Also, if necessary, experienced specialists can help you negotiate with a transport company, repair shops or customs services.

In fact, such a resource is a bulletin board for the purchase and sale of used equipment.

Here you can place your ad like "buy used equipment" or "sale of used machines" for free. In this case, you can even provide a note with a photo of the machine or its diagram. But in fact, the functions of such a resource are somewhat wider and include assistance to their clients. Managers of the company that owns this bulletin board will provide you as a seller with several options for offers from buyers at once, from which you can choose the most suitable one for yourself.

Now let's give an example. Imagine that the owner of a small production, for example from Saratov, needs to sell a used lathe. He did not find buyers in his city and, without thinking for a long time, hastened to place an offer on the bulletin board on the Internet. In parallel, he looked through ads beginning with the words “buy used machines” and found among them several suitable options for himself. But one buyer was from Vladivostok, another from Kaliningrad, and the third was from Ukraine. Then the manager of the bulletin board contacted him and said that there is a client from Saratov who buys used machines. The choice is obvious.

Thus, without losing anything, you can easily sell used machines, and possibly even buy some others. The main advantage of using bulletin boards is that only potential customers who want to buy used equipment come to them. And this greatly increases the chances of a speedy transaction. In addition, by selling used machines with the help of such a resource, you can count on better offers than with any other method. Even if you search for the phrase “buy used machines”, you will find much fewer offers than on a specialized bulletin board. And experienced managers will provide you with a whole database of regular customers who buy used machines. They will also tell you which repair shop or which carrier to contact.

So, the conclusion is obvious. If you want to sell used machines quickly and profitably - declare your offer on the bulletin board on the Internet! Any equipment (used milling machine, lathe, drilling, foundry, welding, woodworking and many others) can easily find its new owner on such a resource.

Based on materials from MashStock.ru

You can increase sales of any product in standard ways - with the help of advertising, participation in thematic exhibitions and conferences, changes in the personnel motivation scheme, etc. But the sale of industrial equipment is a narrow industry with its own specifics. Knowing the features of this area, you can be guaranteed to increase sales by at least 20%.

Customer orientation

There are two types of clients that may require equipment. When selling a product, you need to clearly know who you are dealing with.

• Customers who already have such equipment. Such clients are well versed in its features, they know all the problems associated with its use. To sell equipment to such a client, you need to know the technical nuances of its operation well.

You can find out such nuances on specialized forums by talking with people who use this equipment. If you already have customers who have bought equipment, you can visit their production facilities and talk to the technologist personally.

• Clients who are just planning to open a business and purchase equipment of the type you sell. Such customers, most likely, do not yet know all the subtleties and nuances of its operation. Your task is to invite them to talk with a specialist who already has experience in operating the equipment.

At the stage of entering the business, the client cannot appreciate the importance of after-sales service, because he does not understand what difficulties he will face in the future. When buying equipment, many do not even think about how exactly and how often it will have to be serviced. Your task is to convey this information to the buyer. And also explain how the purchase of products from you will make his life easier, and what problems he will get rid of.

Detachment from competitors

When selling equipment, you need to know your competitors well and understand what they offer to the buyer. To convince the buyer to contact you, you need to understand why your conditions and products are better. It is worth paying attention to:

• The cost of products that are similar to yours. If a competitor's product is cheaper, you should figure out why the price is reduced. Maybe you can make a discount too?

• Technical features of the equipment competitors. Feedback from both your customers and competitors' customers is extremely important - find out what they like, what they don't, what problems and difficulties arise during operation. In extreme cases, you can get technical information on specialized forums.

• Service maintenance. What do competitors offer? What is their warranty period? What is the monthly/yearly maintenance cost? Why is your service better? What interesting things can you offer the buyer?

• The cost of operation. The cost of operation is the amount of money that the client will have to spend on the maintenance and service of the purchased equipment. This indicator is especially important when selling expensive equipment that is not easy to replace. If you sell cheap equipment, you can also play on this. Prove to the client that your equipment is so cheap that in the event of a breakdown it will be easier to buy a new one. This means that the client does not have to invest in its repair or endure forced downtime due to a malfunction. There will also be spare parts.

• Business characteristics of products. The technical characteristics of the equipment are not enough for its successful implementation. To increase the marketability, it is worth calculating its business characteristics, such as line maintenance costs, the number of products that can be produced per unit of time (day, month, etc.) and the like. Technical characteristics are important for engineers, but for management and owners - numbers confirming the profitability of the purchase. If the business characteristics of your equipment are better than those of competitors, the choice of customers is obvious.

• Compatibility. If you know that the majority of potential customers use a certain brand of equipment, it is important that your equipment is compatible with it. Then your chances of luring buyers to you will increase markedly.

For example:

There are three manufacturers of machine tools on the market: cheap Chinese, expensive European and high-quality domestic-made machines of the middle price category. How can a manufacturer of Russian machine tools sell their goods?

• Firstly to inform potential customers about the existence of their products.
• Secondly, offer a prompt replacement of parts / consumables, which competitors cannot offer due to the location of production in another country (for example, a maximum of 3 days).
• Third, to prove and clearly show that the quality of his machines is not much inferior to the quality of machines from Europe, but his service and price are objectively better.

Additional services

It is possible to achieve an increase in sales of equipment through additional services. Offer the customer not a "naked" product, but bonus benefits.

1. Installing and configuring equipment. The more complex the equipment you sell, the more important its installation and initial correct setup. Other things being equal, the client will always choose the company that will solve his problems with installation and launch.
2. Service maintenance. Service can be both paid and free. You can limit the number of free calls per month or offer free warranty service for a specific period of time.
3. Training. When selling equipment new to a client, one should simultaneously offer training for employees who will work on this equipment. Training can come as a bonus, or maybe for an additional fee. In any case, you will remain in the black: proper work with the equipment will bring the client higher profits, and the absence of problems will bring moral pleasure. A satisfied customer will certainly come back to you again.
4. Expertise. If you become for the client not only a supplier, but also an expert in marketing his products or building a business, then the features and conditions for selling your product will seem less important to him. His loyalty to your company will definitely increase.

In addition to the equipment, you can offer the client:

• "sales department", which is able to sell the goods produced with the help of equipment;
• customer base in need of products to be produced with the equipment.

Such data can be obtained from various sources. Alternatively, you can create your own Internet portal dedicated to the equipment and the product produced with it, which will collect applications for products in various regions.

• Customization. Customization is the adjustment of equipment for a specific client. For example, adding an additional handle or key on the machine, marking or the customer's logo.

Customization allows you to personalize the equipment, adjusting it to the requirements and desires of the buyer. The main thing, when trying to please the client, is not to overdo it: before agreeing to any changes in the basic type of equipment, check whether the client is sure that the additions are necessary - perhaps this is a momentary “Wishlist” that is actually not needed at all.

Peculiarities of selling equipment: who, to whom and how?

Equipment should be sold by a manager who has a basic understanding of the product and knows sales techniques, and a technical specialist who is able to correctly explain technical information, who knows the necessary terminology and numbers. Please note that the techie, before “going out” to the client, also needs to conduct basic sales training, he must clearly know what can and should be said and what is not.

To increase sales of equipment (used or new does not matter), you need to understand who in the client's company makes the purchase decision. Most often this is done: a procurement specialist or an engineer (technologist).

The buyer is indifferent to your service, equipment and other additional services. It is important for him to find equipment of a given marking. If your company received an incoming request from a buyer, the manager’s task is to reach out to the person who initiated the purchase with all his might. How to do it?

• Start asking the buyer highly specialized questions about equipment so that he himself “sends” you to the technologist.
• Make a cold call to the client’s company on your own to get to the right engineer and explain to him that your products are objectively better and the request to the purchasing department should be changed.

Engineers are often guided not by the cost of the equipment and not even by the technical characteristics. They prefer to work with equipment they know well. Moreover, the more expensive the equipment, the more difficult it is to convince them to switch to a new one. Why? Yes, because they do not want to take risks: expensive equipment is not a cheap brush that you can change if you don’t like it.

You can convince the engineer, but to do this, you should demonstrate your equipment to him in operation and allow him to talk with a technical specialist who has already tested it before. How to organize it?

• To allocate a special room and equipment for such tasks, which is not always possible.
• The ideal option is to build a relationship with an engineer who already uses your equipment and is willing to demonstrate it to your client in action. If you are just entering the market, it is important to make at least one sale and agree with the client (for a discount, additional service or a separate fee) for a follow-up demonstration.

When selling equipment that is new to the region/country, try to post information about it on the Internet. If a potential customer starts looking for information about your product and does not find anything, it is likely that he will not risk making a purchase. Nowadays, the lack of information about the brand looks suspicious.

How to increase sales of industrial equipment?Work with the client as much as possible. The more problems you solve with a client, the higher the likelihood that he will purchase goods from you and return again in the future.

Any questions? Contact us! We will help you increase sales by 20-60% and establish stable operation of your enterprise

Most managers believe that sales techniques in all sectors of the economy are identical to each other. However, each product has its own specific properties that must be considered when selling. So the sale of technically complex goods - expensive machine tools, production equipment or medical equipment requires a thorough knowledge of their technical features.

How to increase equipment sales?

• figure it out yourself in terms of the product being sold.
• Examine all non-obvious or little-known product specifications. This will go a long way in answering customer questions about how your product is better than your competitors.
• Knowledge of technical specifications. This will allow you, when talking with customers, to calculate how much they will benefit from using your equipment: sales profit or significant cost savings.
• Put yourself in the place of a potential client(head of a large company) who intends to purchase technically complex equipment similar to yours. Try to complete all the steps that the head of the company performs: from choosing a manufacturer to analyzing commercial offers from possible suppliers. After that, it is necessary to fill in a summary table of the most significant characteristics of the largest suppliers: equipment versatility, delivery conditions, availability of warranty service, cost of consumables, etc.

Such a table will allow you to visually analyze the situation on the market through the eyes of potential customers. You will immediately notice all the most profitable offers, as well as compare the best offers with the ones you sell, which will allow you to focus the interlocutor's attention on the strengths of your offer.

Finding Clients

A traditional search for clients using the Internet can give disappointing results, since a visually solid website of a legal entity does not indicate its readiness to purchase expensive high-quality equipment.

The prospects of a particular client are best assessed with the help of specialized directories, industry press or catalogs of exhibitions held.

Industry news often contains information about the most successful companies that have made good progress in their field of activity. This source of information also contains information about large-scale plans of legal entities for their further development.

A lot of interesting information can be obtained by browsing popular trade magazines, since the authors and advertisers of these publications are often potential customers of sophisticated equipment themselves.

Product promotion

Since customers are often afraid of being left without technical support in the event of any malfunctions, a long-term trusting relationship between the customer and the supplier is of great importance.

Of great importance is the placement of your advertising in the industry periodicals in a hidden form, since such publications increase the credibility of the information posted. Advertising should not be intrusive and contain your contact details, just the name of the company and the products offered are sufficient.

To promote sales, it is important to distribute on your own industry periodicals containing information about your services: at exhibitions, by mail or at a meeting with potential buyers.

Participation in allows you to find new customers who are ready to invest significant financial resources in the development of the economy. At the same time, special attention should be paid not to exhibitions where your competitors perform, but to events attended by your potential customers. It is advisable to participate in all international exhibitions, since it is there that people who make decisions on the conclusion of multimillion-dollar contracts are present.