Recently I was a guest on the Cold Star Technologies Podcast with Jason Kanigan to discuss strategies for growing a manufacturing business. Below is a summary of our interview.
Q: What’s the background to the problem (what leads us to this point) where manufacturing businesses struggle to scale?
Businesses want to grow but they don’t want to change.Inbound became a thing when people could control the research and buying process online. Many companies changed their marketing and then they adjusted their sales process in response.
Q: So, what’s the big problem?
Doing inbound marketing and sales is no longer enough for modern buyers. Expectations are changing fast and the winners will be the companies that apply inbound principles to everyone in the organization. The companies that do this will create better customer experiences and build better relationships with customers - the experience of working with inbound organizations will be the key differentiation and competitive advantage.
Q: What solution did we come up with?
We outlined how companies can make this transition in the book Inbound Organization.
Inbound Organizations change the way they think first. They build customer-focused cultures and implement strategies that allow them to be more transparent, human, customer-outcome focused and ultimately to become more successful.
Q: What triggers told you/your clients something needed to be done? When would you recommend looking at these kinds of questions?
We saw this playing out with our clients when they were saying one thing - inbound content and educating during the marketing process - but then sales/service/everyone else in the company was pulling in another direction and not delivering on the promise made during the marketing process.
Losing clients is also another key trigger. Not attracting the best talent is another.
We think every business should be thinking this way - what are the outcomes our clients want and need us to help them achieve? Everyone in the business needs to be focused on that idea and the answer you hear from your customers.
Check out the full interview here on the Cold Star Project podcast with Jason Kanigan.
Topics: Marketing, Manufacturing, Content
