Wes Martz and Carl Howe podcast interview on marketing and sales alignment in manufacturing

A Modern Approach To Sales Alignment & Marketing In Manufacturing

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Marketing and sales alignment in manufacturing has undergone an evolution as digital transformation has become more pervasive. Some tried-and-true methods have become less effective because of the changing habits of the modern buyer. In this episode, Bernie speaks with the head of sales and the head of marketing at Kadant Johnson – a manufacturing company – about their digital sales transformation journey.

You won’t want to miss this episode as Dr. Wes Martz, VP of Marketing, and Carl Howe, VP of Sales, discuss how embracing digital transformation at Kadant has positively impacted their marketing and sales alignment and practices allowing their teams to reach customers previously unavailable to them.

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🎧 Listen as @BernieBorges #CMO of Vengreso and the heads of @Kadant discuss #SalesAlignment in #ModernMarketing strategies on this episode of @MMEnginepodcast. #SalesLeadership #SocialMedia #SocialMarketingClick To Tweet

This episode is sponsored by Conversica, AI software for marketing and sales that fosters real conversations to discover the most qualified sales opportunities. Learn more at https://conversica.com

How Tried And True Traditional Marketing Strategies Have Evolved

Kadant Johnson is a manufacturing company that has been in business since 1930. They manufacture and distribute mechanical sealing devices that allow their industrial manufacturing customers to create paper towels, aluminum foil, corrugated cardboard boxes, etc. Traditionally, their marketing and sales strategy has focused heavily on printed collateral, public relations, options trade alerts shows, and focusing on long-standing relationships in their key industries.

Their message of value has not changed but how they communicate their messaging has changed. Dr. Martz discusses Kadant Johnson‘s evolution from print media to their website in the 90s, to their content marketing strategy and SEO focus providing them greater visibility in the online space. Their time and marketing spend are significantly directed toward their digital marketing platforms and being present in the major social media channels. These changes have increased the Kadant Johnson brand’s reach, which lends itself to a warm, direct modern selling environment.

Digital Transformation Has Fostered Greater Marketing And Sales Alignment

Carl speaks on how the Kadant Johnson sales force focuses on selling its products to three primary industries. Their brand name recognition is strong and recognized within those core industries, and each customer relationship leads to the next. They struggled, however, with building relationships in their secondary markets because the relationships were not there and the buyer has changed. Digital transformation is allowing his sales teams to reach out to the potential customers they want while also allowing them greater access to their company.

In this approach, marketing and sales are aligned to create greater reach through digital practices and processes. The marketing teams build various funnels by generating appropriate content. When the customer moves through the funnel, the sales team takes over and maintains the message while providing further value that builds confidence in the brand. The sales team has also developed a greater ability to reach customers through digital channels that were previously unattainable, creating much greater marketing and sales alignment.

Has The Changing Buyer Persona Affected Manufacturing Sales?

At Kadant Johnson the traditional relationship-centered marketing and sales approach is as strong as ever, but how they foster the relationship has changed. Dr. Martz discusses how customers have evolved along with changes in the digital marketing world. Many times the buyers have also already researched Kadant before they ever look to engage with a salesperson.

Dr. Martz takes this one step further in discussing the changing demographics of their customer base. The modern buyer is more educated, well-read, younger, and brand-focused. Rather than the buyer wanting to foster long-term relationships, they are looking online to find effective solutions that do not require a great deal of time to learn about and get quick answers to questions…

How Digital Transformation Is Revolutionizing Sales Alignment And Processes

Carl further discusses the changes that the increased online presence has made on the sales processes at Kadant. Traditionally, their sales team would drive down the road, see a smokestack, and reach approach the receptionist to find the gatekeeper at the company. Their sales team now uses LinkedIn and other platforms to find their potential customer’s information and to reach out through social media. The sales team has evolved from being focused mostly on face-to-face sales conversations to seeking out initial online engagement to start a conversation.

From LinkedIn’s 3rd Annual “State of Sales Report,” one of the data points is that 62% of decision-makers read a salesperson’s LinkedIn profile looking for an informative profile before deciding to talk with that salesperson. Carl mentioned how surprised he is that customers and other people reach out and find him on LinkedIn and his salespeople without them always having to reach out.

How is #digitaltransformation revolutionizing #salesalignment in #manufacturing? 🎧 Listen to find out on this episode of @MMEnginepodcast with @BernieBorges #CMO of Vengreso and #salesleadership of @Kadant. #SocialSelling #SocialClick To Tweet

Kadant’s Digital Transformation Journey Unveiled

Dr. Martz discusses the Kadant digital transformation more fully by bringing the conversation back to their updated LinkedIn profiles. Many businesses now use LinkedIn to research their potential vendors. Just as Kadant researches their potential clients, they know that they too are being researched and have arranged for their entire sales team to have their LinkedIn profiles made over into a resource for their current and prospective customers.

The next step in their journey is to increase engagement between their sales teams and their prospective buyers on LinkedIn. The goal is to focus their traditional method of targeting their ideal industries and use that focus in digital channels, engaging with people in their target industries. Dr. Martz also wants to increase recognition of their company wins to create more excitement among the sales and marketing teams and increase their momentum through their use of LinkedIn.

Carl Howe and Dr. Wes Martz expect to see the changes in behavior in their sales and marketing departments continue to build momentum accelerating their ability to sell and market Kadant Johnson in this new digital age. They have already seen some big wins and are looking forward to more. They have also noted a positive response from others in their organization. While Kadant Johnson has a decentralized corporate structure, their peers have noticed and are interested in learning how they too can benefit from the digital transformation that Dr. Martz and Carl have launched.

🎧 Listen to learn how the changing #buyerpersona has affected #manufacturing sales with @BernieBorges #CMO of Vengreso and the #salesleadership of @Kadant on this episode of @MMEnginepodcast. #SocialSelling #SocialMarketingClick To Tweet

Featured in this Sales Alignment Episode

Outline of This Sales Alignment Episode

Resources & People Mentioned

This episode is sponsored by Conversica, AI software for marketing and sales that fosters real conversations to discover the most qualified sales opportunities. Learn more at https://conversica.com

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Learn how traditional #marketingstrategy has evolved with #digitaltransformation on this episode of @MMEnginepodcast with @BernieBorges #CMO of Vengreso and Wes Martz and Carl Howe of@Kadant. 🎧 Listen! #SocialSellingClick To Tweet
Learn how #digitaltransformation creates greater marketing and #salesalignment in #manufacturing with @BernieBorges #CMO of Vengreso and #salesleadership of @Kadant. 🎧 Listen to this episode of @MMEnginepodcast. #SocialSellingClick To Tweet

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