The industrial space and the digital world are converging at a rapid pace. Technologies like artificial intelligence, the IoT, and the cloud are changing the game on the shop floor. At the same time, the way manufacturers go to market, sell their services, and connect with new buyers is going thr

More than 11,000 manufacturers use Thomas WebTrax to turn anonymous website traffic into real, actionable leads for their businesses. However, we understand that you may still have questions about WebTrax, how it fits in with other Thomas solutions, and how it stacks up to other tools available in

To the casual observer, today’s strong economy and booming manufacturing sector might give the impression that landing new customers in the industrial space is easy. As an industrial supplier, you know better. Marketing and sales tactics that proved so successful in days past have become obsolete

Most people know about Craigslist “Missed Connections:” you’ve met someone interesting but didn’t follow up or exchange contact information, so you cast a line into the World Wide Web in the hopes of getting a second chance with that special someone. The problem? The odds are largely against you, s

Do any of these sound familiar to you: “My sales profits are down. “I dont have enough leads for my sales team.” “Im not getting any RFQs online.” We can all use a little bit of luck these days. Unfortunately, many manufacturers and industrial companies have these problems and seem to rely on luc

Over time, sellers learn that not all customers are created equal, and some customers are more difficult to sell to than others. Thats because the industry is evolving and the buyer’s journey of an industrial customer is changing along with it. As an industrial business, h

Think about your current sales process: You probably get leads from marketing, the RFQ form on your website or referrals. You might give a prospect a call, ask a standard set of questions, set a price, send an email and hope your bid is selected.  Sure, it seems straightforward to the res

As the digital world continues to shape the industrial world, marketing budgets shift from trade shows to online efforts. According to Engineering.coms annual survey of engineering marketers, twice as many respondents reported that their budgets were growing rather than shrinking in 2017. The

The industrial buying process can be long and complex, often with numerous decision makers involved. Constraints with time and resources increase complications in the buying process. This is further aggravated by efforts to reduce risk. Two recent Industrial Purchasing Barometer (IPB) surveys, cond

Youve set your objectives, determined the steps required to get there, and analyzed your market to figure out the best sales channels to use (face-to-face, telesales, direct mail, etc.). There is still one critical element to your sales strategy that you may have overlooked. Your website. For the m

We all know that first impressions matter — B2B sales are no exception. Having sales personnel that are well groomed, well-spoken and well prepared for meetings with buyers is one way to help ensure a good first impression. Another way requires understanding where many first impressions take place,

Content marketing for manufacturing companies is a critical element to any lead generation strategy today. When done right, it builds your brand image and creates a stronger relationship between you and your customer. But the last thing you want to do is crank out blog posts, eBooks, or other resou

It is more important than ever today for marketing professionals to maximize the return on investment (ROI) for their marketing efforts. But the ability to determine a clear ROI for marketing continues to elude many companies. While there is no single solution to getting more out of your marketing,

Content marketing is a great tool for reaching your prospects at every stage of the buying cycle — it’s a benefit we’ve revisited time and again. This week, let’s take a closer look at that B2B industrial buying cycle — and the marketing tools that are best suited to making an impression at each st

No matter your role — sales, marketing, operations, or leadership — you have a lot to accomplish. So do the buyers of your companys products or services.  By understanding what your buyers have on their plates, you can more easily accomplish one of the most important things on yours — generati

Many companies worry about how their business will fare in bad economic conditions, but sometimes opportune outcomes stem from times of economic uncertainty — especially for manufacturers. With seemingly difficult economic conditions on the horizon, there are plenty of indicators that can seem at o

To limit the coronavirus spread, many companies have gone completely virtual and the workforce in some states is required to stay at home, with the caveat of essential businesses and manufacturers exempt from these mandates.  Although the world has seen unprecedented changes during the past fe

Theres plenty of coverage and chatter on IoT trends, being replaced by robots, and legacy equipment vs. digital manufacturing in our industry. Thats a good thing because technology becomes more integrated with every aspect of our lives each day. How Can Manufacturers Keep Up With Technology?

American manufacturing stands at a critical point in its long history — and how industry leaders view and react to the changing landscape will influence its future. As technology, demographics, and economic climate shift, manufacturers must innovate in order to stay competitive. Manufacturing in pa

Almost without notice, COVID-19 changed the way businesses operate and how individuals live. The manufacturing industry has shown inspirational resilience throughout historical times, yet the continuous effects of COVID-19 on the economy have pushed the manufacturing industry to reimagine the way t