How Manufacturers Can Find New Customers Without Cold Calling

Finding new customers is one of the most important—and sometimes most frustrating—parts of running a manufacturing business.

For years, manufacturers relied heavily on salespeople pounding the pavement, cold-calling prospects, attending trade shows, and waiting for referrals from existing customers.

Those methods can still work.

But they are no longer the only way to generate new business.

Today, manufacturers have access to tools that make it much easier to identify highly targeted prospects, attract potential customers to their websites, build credibility through useful content, and even expand into new markets outside the United States.

The goal is not simply to chase more prospects.

The goal is to make the right prospects find you.

Start With the Customers You Already Have

Before looking for entirely new markets, take a closer look at the customers you already serve successfully.

What industries are they in?

What type of parts do you manufacture for them?

What problems do you solve?

What is their NAICS code?

Who are their competitors?

Chances are, companies that resemble your best existing customers may also need the same manufacturing services.

Once you understand the profile of your ideal customer, you can begin building a highly targeted list of companies to pursue.

That is far more efficient than blindly contacting every manufacturer you can find.

Build a Targeted Prospect List

Once you know what type of company you are looking for, identify the businesses that fit that profile.

Your target list might include companies based on:

• Industry
• NAICS classification
• Geographic location
• Company size
• Products manufactured
• Markets served
• Equipment or components they may require

The more clearly you define your target customer, the more effective your marketing becomes.

Instead of saying:

“We’re a machine shop. Does anyone need parts?”

you can communicate directly with the companies most likely to need the capabilities you provide.

And that is where lead generation really begins.

Lead Generation Without Cold Calling

Here’s where I want you to wrap your old-school brain around an important idea:

There are more effective methods than simply cold-calling prospects all day.

Wouldn’t it be better if potential customers came to you already interested in what you do?

The goal is to gain their attention, provide something valuable, and give them a reason to learn more about your company.

That’s where your website, content, search visibility, email marketing, and professional networking can work together.

And while you’re doing it, you can also improve your company’s visibility in search engines so that even more potential customers find you.

Content Helps Potential Customers Find You

Years ago, simply having a decent website put a manufacturer ahead of many competitors.

That’s no longer enough.

Most serious manufacturing companies now have some kind of online presence.

The challenge is getting yours found.

One of the best ways to do that is by publishing useful information that answers the questions your potential customers are already asking.

I’m not talking about constantly advertising your company.

I’m talking about useful content.

Suppose you manufacture precision CNC components.

Instead of publishing another page that says, “We provide high-quality CNC machining,” you might publish articles about:

• Choosing the right material for a machined component
• Reducing machining costs through better part design
• When 5-axis machining makes sense
• Improving part tolerances
• Shortening production lead times
• Designing components for manufacturability

That type of information gives potential customers a reason to find your website before they are even ready to request a quote.

Does Content Still Matter for SEO?

Absolutely—but the way we think about SEO has changed.

The goal should not be to write articles simply because search engines like “content.”

The goal should be to publish genuinely useful information that demonstrates your experience and answers questions your potential customers are searching for.

A strong manufacturing website should clearly communicate:

• What you manufacture
• Your capabilities
• Industries served
• Equipment
• Materials
• Certifications
• Quality systems
• Examples of your work
• How someone can request a quote

Helpful articles can build on those core pages and demonstrate expertise in greater depth.

When done correctly, your website becomes both a sales tool and a long-term lead-generation asset.

Use Content to Establish Your Company as an Expert

Consider a manufacturer of carbide indexable insert tooling that also rebuilds and repairs older tooling.

Instead of only advertising its services, the company might publish articles about:

• Improving machine-shop uptime
• When cutting tools should be rebuilt instead of replaced
• How tooling condition affects part quality
• Reducing tooling turnaround time
• The history and evolution of carbide tooling
• New developments in cutting-tool technology

Imagine a potential customer researching one of those topics and repeatedly finding useful information from the same company.

Over time, that manufacturer begins to look like an authority in the field.

And when the prospect eventually needs tooling?

Guess who is already top of mind?

Social Media Can Put You in Front of a Targeted Audience

Social media can also help manufacturers get in front of potential customers without traditional cold calling.

LinkedIn is particularly useful because engineers, purchasing managers, executives, sales professionals, and manufacturing business owners are already there.

Years ago, I watched a gentleman named Steve Norall consistently publish useful information in manufacturing groups.

Steve wasn’t a manufacturer.

He worked for a freight logistics company.

But he regularly contributed helpful information about issues affecting manufacturers.

Think about what that accomplished.

He put himself in front of a highly targeted audience of potential customers without constantly saying:

“Buy our services.”

He provided value first.

Every useful post, article, comment, or discussion gave someone another opportunity to discover his company.

The tools and social platforms have changed over the years, but the principle hasn’t.

Be useful where your customers spend their time.

Turn Website Visitors Into Actual Leads

Getting someone to your website is only part of the job.

Once they arrive, make it easy for them to take the next step.

We live in the age of instant information. People want what they want, and they want it quickly.

Your website should make it easy to:

• Request a quote
• Upload drawings
• Ask a question
• Contact someone
• Request a consultation
• Subscribe for useful information

Don’t bury the contact information.

Don’t require someone to complete a 20-field form just to ask whether you can make a part.

And don’t make prospective customers hunt through six pages trying to figure out whether you have the capability they need.

Every unnecessary obstacle gives them another reason to leave and visit a competitor.

Stay in Touch With Prospects Who Aren’t Ready Yet

Not everyone who visits your website is ready to issue an RFQ today.

That doesn’t mean they won’t become a customer later.

Give visitors a reason to stay connected.

That might include:

• An email newsletter
• New technical articles
• Capability updates
• New equipment announcements
• Case studies
• Industry information

Once someone voluntarily gives you their email address, you have an opportunity to begin building a relationship.

Relationships are built through communication.

Provide useful communication consistently, and your company can become familiar long before a prospect actually needs your services.

You Don’t Have to Create Everything Yourself

So you’re not a writer?

That’s no excuse.

Do what you’re good at.

Build things.

Invent things.

Machine things.

Solve manufacturing problems.

Then get someone else to help communicate what you know.

Your internal team, marketing provider, web developer, or other professional can help turn your knowledge into useful website content.

The important thing is that the expertise comes from your company.

Manufacturers possess enormous amounts of knowledge that potential customers would find valuable. Most simply never publish it.

Don’t Overlook Export Markets

Finding new customers doesn’t have to stop at the U.S. border.

For some manufacturers, international markets can provide opportunities to diversify their customer base and expand sales.

The thought of exporting makes some owners start twitching.

Rules.

Regulations.

Documentation.

Customs.

Shipping.

Financing.

Foreign markets.

It can sound overwhelming.

The good news is that manufacturers do not have to figure it all out alone.

Programs Can Help Manufacturers Navigate Exporting

The original version of this article highlighted ExporTech, a program designed to help small and midsized manufacturers develop international growth strategies.

ExporTech was developed through the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and other export-development organizations to help companies move beyond simply talking about exporting and develop an actual plan for entering international markets.

The program has historically brought together export specialists who can help manufacturers understand issues such as:

• Selecting target markets
• International sales strategy
• Export regulations
• Financing
• Logistics
• Market entry
• Pricing
• Risk
• Building an international growth plan

The original program used small groups and multiple working sessions so participating companies could receive guidance specific to their individual businesses rather than generic export advice.

Manufacturers interested in exploring international opportunities can contact their local Manufacturing Extension Partnership organization for guidance and available export resources. The original resource can be found through your local MEP center.

Think Beyond Your Existing Market

The bigger lesson isn’t simply that every manufacturer should start exporting.

It’s that manufacturers shouldn’t automatically limit themselves to the markets they have always served.

Your next customer could be:

• In another state
• In another industry
• A competitor of an existing customer
• A larger manufacturer looking for a new supplier
• A government contractor
• A company reshoring production
• Or a customer outside the United States

Technology has made the manufacturing marketplace much larger.

The question is whether your sales and marketing efforts have expanded with it.

Finding New Manufacturing Customers Is About Being Visible and Useful

Lead generation doesn’t have to mean a salesperson spending eight hours a day cold-calling companies that don’t want to hear from them.

Today’s manufacturers have far more effective ways to identify potential customers, demonstrate expertise, build relationships, and allow qualified prospects to find them.

Start with the customers you already have.

Understand what makes them good customers.

Find other companies like them.

Create useful information.

Make your company visible.

Give prospects an easy way to start a conversation.

Stay in touch.

And keep your eyes open for opportunities outside your traditional market—including international opportunities when they make sense.

The goal isn’t simply to find more leads. It’s to build a system that consistently puts your manufacturing company in front of the right potential customers.

Everything we’re suggesting here comes back to the same principle we’ve applied in our own business:

Make it easy for the people who need what you do to find you.

Are you considering retirement, exiting your business, or looking for an investor? Don’t hesitate to contact us for a complimentary consultation.