None of us can afford to waste time.  Quite the opposite, we’re all constantly on the lookout for ways to save time.  How about some easy pickins’?  The process of customer/sales rep communication absolutely screams for streamlining.

Let’s say you’re an engineer looking to acquire “System X” or solve “Problem Y.”  You’ll almost certainly start with some Internet research, narrow the field of suppliers, then invite 3-5 sales reps for a face-to-face meeting to get into due diligence.  

How different are those 3-5 meetings?  The sales folks have all been thoroughly trained in consultative selling.  They all ask about your goals, your objectives, your strategy, your challenges, your requirements, what keeps you up at night, your decision process & criteria and what you’re looking for in a supplier.  Ughhhh...  How sick of answering the same questions over and over do you get?

Did you ever think about how sick the sales crowd is of asking the same questions over and over?  Or how about the rest of the meeting ritual?

There’s you walking from your office to the reception area - and then back - with the inane chatter - and a stop at the coffee pot - and settling in seats - and swapping of business cards - and thank yous and you’re welcomes...  All before the barrage of repetitive questions.  Ughhhh...

It gets worse!  The complexity of most decisions these days means you need to involve colleagues, bosses and subordinates; you’ll use a “decision network.”  All of the above gets repeated 3-5 times by multiple other people in your organization.

There’s a better way.  A few of the more advanced sales organizations are beginning to use a concept known as “e-Rep .”  The notion is to embed the knowledge, insight and experience of the sales professional into electronic formats: text, image, audio, video and combinations thereof.  That information is then available to you on-demand, at your convenience, 24 X 7 X 365.  If it’s good stuff, you can forward it along to others in the decision network.

The concept applies to the buying side of the equation as well.  Back to the example of the engineer looking for a solution...  Answer all those standard questions about goals, objectives,  features, functions, specifications, etc. in a short video, for example.  Do it just once! Then send it to your long list of potential suppliers and take it from there.

Figure 15 minutes per meeting gets burned with walking, greeting, business card exchanging, etc.  Take 5 sales reps X 5 people in a decision network and over 6 hours goes out the window never to be seen again.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.  And that’s only considering the very beginning of the buying process.  As a customer, it only makes sense to insist that your suppliers begin using the e-Rep concept right now!  And the best way to start is to create your own “e-Buyer.”

Todd Youngblood learns quickly & shares everything he knows.  Thirty plus years of methodical, relentless, “Think – Act – Analyze – Repeat” in the sales and marketing wars has generated an outsized mass of field-tested knowledge and insight.  His education continues.  Learn more at ypsgroup.com

Bimba Manufacturing Company

Featuring stainless steel end caps, standard urethane wipers, PTFE-based rod and pivot bushings and food-grade synthetic grease, this non-repairable actuator is ideal for wash down application environments common in the food processing industry.

“While these cylinders have been designed with the food and beverage industry in mind, their all stainless steel construction makes them ideal for any application that requires corrosion resistance,” said Jerry Scherzinger, Bimba’s Product Marketing Manager. “This is a natural expansion of our line of all stainless steel actuators that will provide a wider range of sizes for our customers requiring corrosion resistant designs.”

All stainless steel Original Line® cylinders are a perfect solution for challenging applications in food processing, packaging, medical, pharmaceutical, or marine industries where wash down solutions or other corrosives are present.  They are interchangeable with the basic Original Line® cylinders and offer a cost effective way to extend cylinder life in harsh environments.

What is the product being conveyed? Describe it completely!

What type of environment will the conveyor be placed in?

The environment plays a huge factor in the decision-making process. Is it an industrial application, clean room application or a wash-down/sanitary application? Environment may dictate the conveyor choice due the material of the conveyor..

Time for an example: Ready-To-Eat Food assembly line.

Anything with non-packaged food should be considered a sanitary application. How does this affect the choice? Conveyor Material Choice. The conveyor needs to be robust, easy to clean, and durable. Stainless steel and special plastics are used to accomplish this.

How is the product presented to and discharged from the conveyor?

The goal is to minimize product loss at the transfer points.

How will it be integrated to the current process/machine?

Choosing the wrong conveyor is an expense mistake. Before buying the conveyor, you need to know how it will be integrated in the current process or added to the machine. Here is a brief list of key factors that will help you integrate it.

• Overall Dimensions
• Motor Location
• Speed
• Voltage
• Controls

Use this small list of helpful questions to guide you in the decision-making process. If you need additional assistance or have any questions, please contact us and we will be glad to help you find the right conveyor for your application.

1. Choosing The Correct 80/20 Aluminum Extrusion for Your Application
2. Five 80/20 Aluminum Extrusion Assembly Tips
3. Machine Frame and Guarding | Aluminum Extrusion vs. Welded Steel
4. 3 Different 80/20 Aluminum Extrusion Applications
5. Automation 101 - Programming Robots Made Easy

Thank you for taking the time to read the blog posts and we hope you walked away with valuable knowledge.

Please take the time to let us know what you would like us to talk about. We have big plans for the blog in 2012, but want to make sure we are talking about topics that interest you.

Thanks again!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from The Knotts Gang!

• Robotics can be very beneficial for product quality as well as more expedient production. Once programmed, a robot can perform an operation consistently with optimum accuracy and precision. Throughput speeds can increase dramatically through the implementation of robotics. And robots can run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year if necessary – each time performing the same consistent operation with the same degree of accuracy and quality.
• Robots do require maintenance in order to keep them running and performing properly. But robots also provide a level of safety by handling operations where human hands or eyes could be put in harm’s way. The worker can be in a supervisory and maintenance role instead of handling intricate operations, potentially dangerous chemicals, or sharp tools.
• Finally, robotics can pay for themselves very quickly because they do not require all of the overhead that human workers require such as benefits and vacation time. It gives your company the ability to refocus your work force on your core competencies. 

When looking for robotics to supplement your production operations, contact the professionals at The Knotts Company for help in determining the best solution for your business.