Case Study: Sales Support
Client: Limitorque Corporation
How do you enable a sales force to carry a product that
weighs 280 pounds?
The Situation
Limitorque Corporation was about to launch a new valve actuator,
and would rely on direct sales efforts by its factory reps to educate
the marketplace about the innovative technology. The problem was
how to enable those salesmen to show potential customers a product
that was too large to carry on sales calls…
The Solution
The most distinctive aspect of the new actuator was an innovative
user-interface panel. To fully appreciate the user-friendliness
of the new technology, customers needed to be able to touch and
interact with that control panel. Since the new actuators were
obviously too massive to transport routinely, the solution was
to build “demonstrator” user interfaces that could
actually function apart from the actuator—and Blair Marketing
provided Limitorque with a custom sales kit built around those
sample interfaces.
We started with piece of quality nylon luggage, and had the Limitorque
logo embroidered on the outer flap. We arranged for a plastics
manufacturer to fabricate a sturdy divider to keep the 6-pound
interface module secure in the kit, and we had custom drawstring
bags made to protect the surface of the module from wear.
But to turn the attractive black bag from a mere carrying case
into a true sales kit, we then had to stock it with everything
else reps would need to fully introduce the remarkable new product
to the marketplace. First came a binder containing all technical
documentation relating to the new actuator. Accompanying this was
a second binder, holding sales bulletins for both the new unit
and other relevant Limitorque products. To allow the sales force
to begin making calls immediately, we developed a comprehensive
PowerPoint presentation, and drafted a full set of speaker’s
notes for every screen in the show. (We also provided those same
screens in the form of overhead projector transparencies for the
sake of reps who preferred “low-tech” presentations.)
The Results
We had more “front-line” feedback from this set of
materials than from virtually any other project up to that time. Reps
responded extremely favorably to the kit, and felt “well-armed” to
enter the sales arena. With the sales force thus energized and
mobilized, the launch of Limitorque’s new product line proceeded
quickly and successfully. |
