Manufacturing
B2B manufacturers where RFQs, distributor enquiries, and long sales cycles need structured handling.
Manufacturing sales often start with incomplete RFQs: missing drawings, unclear volumes, or the wrong contact in procurement. Engineering time is expensive, so triage before technical involvement matters. Distributor and direct accounts need different attribution. Export enquiries may need separate compliance checks. These are operational patterns common in B2B manufacturing, not claims of sector-specific engineering expertise.
Common lead sources
- Website RFQ and specification request forms
- Trade show and exhibition badge scans
- Distributor and channel partner referrals
- Email technical enquiries to sales@ aliases
- Existing account expansion and repeat order discussions
- LinkedIn and industry directory inbound
Common operational problems
- Technical enquiries wait days for engineering availability.
- RFQs reach estimators without drawings, BOMs, or volume assumptions.
- Distributor-sourced leads are not attributed, skewing channel investment.
- Quotes expire silently without follow-up or loss reason capture.
- Export and domestic enquiries share one queue despite different paperwork.
- Samples and tooling discussions are not linked to the commercial opportunity.
Typical qualification criteria
- Product line, material, and specification requirements
- Volume, MOQ, and delivery geography
- End-use industry and compliance standards (e.g. CE, FDA context as declared)
- Contact role: procurement, engineering, or director sign-off
- Timeline and incumbent supplier situation
- New account versus existing customer expansion
Recommended workflows
- RFQ completeness checklist before engineering involvement
- Technical triage: standard catalogue versus custom tooling path
- Quote ageing alerts at expiry minus 14 days and on expiry day
- Territory and account-based routing for key regions
- Trade show lead reply within 24 hours with context from stand notes
- Sample request tracking linked to commercial sales process stage
Communication channels
- Email for RFQs, drawings, and formal quotations
- Phone for complex spec discussions and key account relationships
- Portals or EDI where customers already submit orders (integration scoped)
- Video calls for technical reviews on large opportunities
Reporting focus
- RFQ completeness rate before engineering time logged
- Quote-to-order conversion by product line and region
- Average cycle length from enquiry to first order
- Distributor versus direct win rates where attribution exists
- Trade show lead conversion by event
Manufacturing integrations with ERP, PLM, and quality systems are scoped individually based on your stack. We do not provide engineering or regulatory certification advice.
Relevant services
Find out what your business is losing
We will look at your new enquiries, old leads, unanswered quotes and current follow-up process, then show you where opportunities may be getting missed.