Page 14 - MetalForming June 2011

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MetalForming/June 2011
www.metalformingmagazine.com
Tech Update
tells a similar story: Perfection Spring & Stamping Corp., Mount Prospect, IL, a manufacturer of springs and wireforms for the appliance industry. Unlike stan- dard-product and commodity manufac- turers that can market through a product catalog and hold standard inventory, Perfection Spring & Stamping designs and builds new and unique items for each cus-
tomer. The sales cycle often is lengthy, from six months to several years. It also is deeply consultative and collabo- rative. The unique nature of each prod- uct makes it difficult to know just what to showcase on a website or in sales materials. Additionally, each member of its sales team wears several hats, lim- iting their time and resources.
In order to build back the enterprise, the firm’s executive vice president, Joshua Kahn, sought to minimize sales and marketing costs while pursuing new customers in new markets. A flat, out- dated website was failing to help the com- pany achieve newly articulated objectives:
• Drive qualified leads to the company; • Generate interest in new markets; and • Streamline the efforts of a limited
sales force, enabling them to focus more on selling than on prospecting.
“We needed to attract prospects at their time of need,” says Kahn, who, after attempting to revamp the company’s site on his own, turned to ThomasNet, and results have been impressive. Prior to the collaboration with ThomasNet, Perfection’s website included only four indexed pages that could be found through general Internet searches. Today, the site boasts more than 100 search- able pages. Kahn worked with Thomas- Net’s team of engineers and web spe- cialists to create the new Perfection website, paying particular attention to developing content that highlights the company’s technical capabilities. A Learn- ing Center provides proven examples of cost-reduction success stories.
ThomasNet also provided Perfection’s administrators with tools to manage and update the site on short notice. This enables the company to provide real-time additions announcing everything from free technical seminars to new equipment and services, and updated videos of manu- facturing processes. Says Kahn: “We can keep our website new and fresh, always giving our customers a reason to come back.”
Since the new website went live in June 2010, the company has received dozens of highly qualified opportunities to provide quotes. “The new website has drawn a higher degree of qualified leads right to our door,” says Kahn. “The quotes completed are better opportuni- ties then we have ever seen, even in the days when we were represented by 18 sales agencies across the country.” Thomas Industrial Network: 212/629-1522; www.thomasnet.com
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