SUMMARY

Utilizing your MIS system for sales management is crucial for unlocking valuable insights into customer behavior and optimizing sales strategies. By mining data stored in the ERP, sales teams can gain a comprehensive understanding of customer buying patterns and preferences, enabling them to tailor their approach effectively. The MIS quoting capabilities facilitate swift and accurate responses to customer inquiries, enhancing responsiveness and improving chances of securing deals. Additionally, the ERP’s ability to assess profitability and track sales metrics empowers sales managers to identify lucrative opportunities and streamline sales processes. Leveraging the MIS to enhance customer experience through automated communication and accessible portals further strengthens client relationships and fosters loyalty.

Your company, and its collection of machines, equipment, departments, processes and personnel produces a gold mine of data underneath its business and manufacturing landscape. Have you
thought about how much that data can tell you about your customers, present and future? And how that can contribute to your present and future sales strategy?

Most managers know that MIS/ERP software helps businesses streamline operations, increase production efficiency and access smarter insights, however, not many understand the role your ERP
can play in leveraging sales. Not only can an ERP assist with sales management and sales tracking, but it can also be a powerful tool to boost sales productivity and profitable outcomes.

The question is not about how much data is being created and stored, it’s about how that data can be mined for the specific goals of the sales department. The data you uncover will give you a detailed look into customer buying behavior. Your ERP holds invaluable insights into the mind of your customer – analyze past purchasing patterns to anticipate future needs.

There’s a story behind those data points. It tells sales why the customer chose your company (was it special pricing, lightning turnaround, superior quality control), and it gives you a larger picture of buying habits, purchase history and timing of purchases.

Since an ERP stores all information on a job in a central database, salespeople can mine the ERP for numerous bits of information, including the trails of emails with customer service, production notes, quality control instructions. Sales can determine when and where the product was shipped and if the customer was satisfied with the speed of delivery. By taking advantage of the data points in an ERP, sales can unravel the story behind the
numbers.

By delving into the depths of your ERP, sales departments can tailor strategies to align with the nuanced intricacies of customer behavior, fostering more targeted and effective sales approaches.
Consider a training session with your sales team on how to dig into ERP information for insights.

Most sales managers are aware that 80% of a company’s sales this year will come from 20% of your existing customers. It makes sense to put a focus on those customers and strengthen relationships with them.

Use the gathered data to create personalized communication strategies for each customer in the top 20%. This may include personalized offers, discounts, or exclusive promotions.
Proactively suggest relevant products or services that align with their buying history. Set up automated systems within your ERP to send regular updates, personalized newsletters, or exclusive content to keep your top customers engaged.

Satisfied customers are repeat customers. An ERP offers several ways to increase the chances of a good customer experience and continued loyalty, beyond good pricing. First, it provides an increased connection with customers through responsive and seamless communication. The ERP automates customer interactions, so a query about the status of a job is answered promptly. Triggers can be set to inform customers when their job is received, when production finishes the job and when their job is shipped. This leads to heightened satisfaction and loyalty to your business.

Another way the right ERP assists with CX is to offer a customer portal. A customer portal keeps job order conversations going between customers and reps, 24/7. It gives customers a secure place to track and manage all of their open jobs and reorders—so they can move issues along at their own pace and be reassured that any problems are being addressed.

An ERP isn’t just a system for manufacturing —it’s a powerhouse of potential for your sales strategy. It holds the key to unlocking a treasure trove of data, offering invaluable insights into customer behavior and paving the way for business prosperity.

By delving into your ERP’s wealth of information, you gain a deeper understanding of your customers’ history, purchasing patterns, and other critical nuances. Armed with this knowledge, you can tailor your offerings to meet their needs both now and, in the future, ensuring heightened customer satisfaction and long-term success.

But that’s not all—an ERP offers a myriad of features that can supercharge your sales efforts. From generating leads to gaining better visibility into sales metrics and identifying your most profitable customers, an ERP empowers your sales department to operate at peak performance levels.