“Yes, please come visit our shop.”

The world, and specifically the sales side of manufacturing is opening up. Factories are welcoming their suppliers and vendors back for in-person meetings. This is a far cry from last year, and especially what we wrote about in our August 2020 blog How to Adapt B2B Manufacturing Sales Strategy for the COVID-19 World.

During the pandemic, we learned to market our manufacturing companies differently. Where we previously relied on visiting customers, trade conferences, and phone calls during Covid we turned to Inbound Marketing, digital content, automated email, and targeted social media. This was not only needed to maintain relationships but to make sure we can still nurture our prospects through the sales process. 

It worked, and now those same prospects are saying,

 “yes, please come visit our shop.”

As we transition back, we need to stay organized and balance both worlds. Prospects that still prefer a remote process and those that want us to schedule meetings. Having a world-class CRM such as HubSpot can make the difference. 

Here are three key attributes that will keep you organized and not let any opportunities slip through the cracks. 

HubSpot tasks offer a tremendous organizational tool

1. Use the task feature so you do not lose track of opportunities. Schedule a call, email, or to-do for your prospect. Set priorities and reminders and you will quickly find a clean and efficient way to organize your prospecting. You can even build a custom queue to further organize lists, e.g. by industry, territory, or product mix.

1. Use HubSpot’s meeting scheduler to eliminate the back and forth scheduling scavenger hunt we all go through when trying to find a mutual time to meet. Your contact can see when you are available and pick the most convenient time for them. 

1. Your prospect’s behavior often is an indicator of future success. Know when they are visiting your website, what they are reading, and even if they viewed your proposal (And…how many times!). This is great intelligence that you will use as you prepare for that first in-person sales call. 

HubSpot offers many levels of features, starting with free CRM, MarketingStarter, and Marketing/Sales Professional. You can start small and grow. Interested in a demonstration? Contact us today.