Sales in Manufacturing Podcast: Navigating the Modern Seller’s Landscape

Navigating modern selling challenges in manufacturing requires strategic acumen, as it involves intricate processes, complex products, and the imperative to build lasting relationships. In this episode of A Broadcast for Manufacturers, Amy Franko joined the hosts to delve into topics shaping the manufacturing sales landscape. As the leader in modern sales strategy, she shared insights on navigating intricate sales processes and discussed the distinct challenges and opportunities for women in manufacturing sales. Listen for a deep dive into pivotal discussions in the manufacturing sales space!

Some highlights:

• Amy’s experience in manufacturing and tech sales: Amy shares her background, starting in manufacturing and tech sales, working for IBM and Lenovo. Emphasizes the importance of sales structures, processes, CRM, and skills data for understanding team strengths and opportunities. (4:47 – 6:25)
• Importance of discipline and structure in sales: Discusses the need for rigor, discipline, and structure in sales processes and methodologies. Differentiates between process (linear steps) and methodology (like a chess match, involving strategies, skills, relationships). (8:04 – 9:27)
• Challenges in sales: Highlights the challenge of leaving sales to chance and emphasizes the importance of a structured approach to sales processes and methodologies. (9:35)
• Unique challenges and opportunities for women in manufacturing sales: Amy discusses the need for more women in leadership roles, shares her positive experience with female leaders at IBM, and encourages more women to bring others along in their careers. (10:40 – 12:11)
• Importance of relationships and business acumen: Amy emphasizes the significance of both relational skills and business acumen in successful saleswomen. (13:25)
• Dealing with long and complicated sales processes: Amy advises focusing on the most important relationships, analyzing relationships with authority figures, and maintaining momentum to accelerate the sales process, especially in complex opportunities. (14:15 – 16:56)
• Balancing influence and authority relationships: Amy discusses the common tendency to focus on influence rather than authority relationships and suggests analyzing relationships to ensure a balanced approach. (17:14 – 18:02)
• Using CRM for tactical reminders: Recommends using CRM systems to document and schedule next steps, ensuring tasks are set and not forgotten, and leveraging CRM for data-driven insights in the sales process. (18:02)

You can listen to this episode of A Broadcast for Manufacturers here.