3 ways - cincom systems · •today, a peer-to-peer network revolves around each purchase, with...
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3 WaysSpecialty Vehicle DealersCan Deliver a BetterCustomer ExperienceCincom’s Charlie Carson Discusses Insights from the McKinsey Report on Dealer/Channel Solutions
Cincom CPQ™: A Multi-Channel Configure-Price-Quote Platform
For over 30 years, Cincom hasworked with many of the mostadvanced manufacturers ofspecialized vehicles, whether onwheels, treads, air or water. Thisgives us a unique bird’s-eye view ofwhat worked then and what is
working today. Most of thesemanufacturers sell through dealerorganizations that are more criticalto revenue success than ever beforeprecisely because they are closer tothe customers in the marketplace.
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Engaged Dealers Sell More
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Dealers Want to Optimize theBuying ExperienceThe opportunity for dealers sellingspecialty vehicles—from fireengines, long-haul trucks andtrailers, aircraft and tanks to forkliftsand cranes—is going through adeep and fundamental change.The customer is now in charge.
This shift is global as buyers inevery country are in the process ofmodernizing or replacing aging
vehicles and have realized theirpower by using multiple ways ofpurchasing smarter. If theexperience from dealers is notwhat customers seek, they moveon to those who are willing toprovide a positive customerexperience—in both the buyingprocess and after purchase.
3 Ways Specialty Vehicle Dealers Can Deliver a Better Customer Experience
Informed Dealers Sell Even More
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Dealers need a deeperunderstanding of what customerswant to buy and how they goabout making the purchase. Itstarts with a realization that whatworked yesterday likely will nolonger get the same result today.
If the interchange between dealerand prospect does not deliver anawesome experience for the
buyer, the deal is probably fadinginto the sunset with a differentteam winning the sale. Anawesome customer experiencebegins with a customer-centricculture that delivers positiveimpact, supported with processand technology that make it easyto buy from your organization.
3 Ways Specialty Vehicle Dealers Can Deliver a Better Customer Experience
Are You Easy to Buy from?
1 – McKinsey: How B2B Companies Talk Past Their Customers, October 2013
As important as the customerexperience is, it is alarming howoften we don’t seem to understandwhat is important to them. A McKinsey1 study verified thatcustomers value three attributes:
1) Customers care that dealers conduct open and honest dialogue
2) Customers want dealers to act responsibly across supply chains
3) Customers expect dealers to have a high level ofspecialist experience
McKinsey found that companiestotally ignored the first two mostimportant attributes and agreedonly on the third. It is evidentthat we often talk past customersrather than talking with themabout things they care about.This can stop a positive customerexperience dead in its tracks.
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3 Ways Dealers Can Deliver aBetter Customer Experience
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1. Begin with access to accurate, currentproduct information
Manufacturers and dealers need towork from the same source ofknowledge that is accessibleonline, locally in the customer’soffice, at a job site or wherever thecustomer is.
This reality acknowledges that atotally different set of people arenow involved in a more fluidpurchasing process that accessesinformation beyond yourcompany website.
• Today, a peer-to-peer networkrevolves around each purchase,with people in the networksharing opinions. Do your bestto join the conversations bybeing visible on essential socialmedia such as LinkedIn.
• Respond to criticism with anopen and honest dialogue.
• Make sure that everything yousay about your company is true(no stretching the truth) and isconsistently delivered at everycustomer touch point.
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2. Make it easy forcustomers to get whatthey want
Giving customers what they wantstarts from the extensiveexperience that strong dealerspossess to accelerate the entirebuying process. The dealercan help prospects buy smarterby making the experience a trueexchange of ideas and solutions.
• Give customers multiple waysof finding what they arelooking for, from a highlyguided approach to a checklistof available options.
• For products with customer-specified features, options ordimensions, you might considerenabling them to automaticallyselect an appropriateengineering drawing or a 3Dmodel, based on their needs.
This calls for a closer sense ofpartnership betweenmanufacturers and dealers thanin years past.
• Manufacturers and dealersneed to work together as asingle unit, with a primarypurpose of meeting customerneeds and making theexperience one that is valued.
• Emphasize how your specialcapabilities deliver exceptionalvalue to customers.
• Take advantage of technologyto provide a customized pathto the knowledge that willmost impact the customerexperience and the success of a sale.
Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ)Solutions can help a companydrive sales effectiveness byplaying a critical role in the lead-to-win sale process2.
2 – Technology Evaluation Centers: Market Landscape Report:Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ) solutions, October 2014
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3. Enable customers towin faster
Speed to market is a hugeadvantage to any company today that wants to get valuefrom a specialty vehicle.However, “fast” and “easy” have different meanings fordifferent types of customers.Those who have purchased highlyengineered products before want“nothing but the facts,” whileless-experienced customers willneed more guidance.
Dealers should establishprocesses and develop solutionsthat can help your customersmaximize their ability to makefaster decisions on the purchaseof a vehicle or equipment neededto run their businesses efficiently.
Manufacturers can help dealersby providing them with fast,accurate price quotes.
For highly engineeredtransportation equipment andvehicles, this is best answered withmodern configure-price-quotingapplications that cut quotingtime from days to minutes whileincreasing quote accuracy.Manufacturers can often makethis capability directly available todealers so that the two teams canwork together to support buyers.
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The Buying Process Begins at thePoint of NeedDealers are increasingly mobile,and they require remote accessto manufacturers’ information.This calls for manufacturers tohave people, processes and
knowledge applications availableto their dealers—anywhere andon any platform or any device—inorder to optimize the customer’s buying experience.
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Siemens: A Real CustomerExperience Manufacturer
Siemens has established over100 years of market leadership inthe electric motor industrythrough fast, efficient responseto customer demand. Althoughquotation times of 3-5 days arecommon for this market,Siemens was striving for higherlevels of customer satisfaction.
Cincom CPQ was selected tohelp them automate processesthat would decrease customerresponse time while maintainingconsistency and increasingproductivity. They were able to:
• Reduce quotation times from3-5 days to just minutes
• Increase quote volumes(currently about 500 per month)
• Cut motor performance datageneration time from 4-6weeks to less than one hour
By deploying via the Siemenschannel portal, all dealers areable to quickly and confidentlyconfigure, price and quote fasterthan their competition. In thisway, they are fully leveraging thesize and market presence ofSiemens to solve problems thatrequire multiple integratedproducts. Siemens is a classicexample of empowering thechannel to deliver more value bydelivering integrated solutions atthe point of need.
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Cincom, the Quadrant Logo and Cincom CPQ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cincom Systems, Inc. All other trademarksbelong to their respective companies.© 2015 Cincom Systems, Inc. FORM CPQUS1503078 5/15 Printed in U.S.A. All Rights Reserved
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About CincomManufacturers of specialty vehicles and transportation equipment faceunique challenges, including strict compliance and quality-controlissues, lengthy and complex supply chains, daunting project costestimation requirements and aggressive delivery schedules. Cincom hasdeep industry and product expertise that reflects this understanding.We have been helping specialty vehicle manufacturers win morebusiness, operate efficiently and deliver as promised for five decades.
For more information on Cincom CPQ, contact us [email protected] or visit our website at www.cincom.com/cpq.
Charlie Carson has been in thesoftware industry for 35 years. He hasextensive experience of both ERPand CPQ and is currently theprogram manager for Cincom’sConfigure-Price-Quote platform inEurope. Charlie is co-author of thebook “Growing Modular – MassCustomization of Complex Products,Services and Software”.
3 Ways Specialty Vehicle Dealers Can Deliver a Better Customer Experience