Within two hours of meeting David Byrne, then CEO of a new manufacturing client, I saw for myself just how committed he was to understanding his customers.
It was August 2020, and we’d recently signed a new client specialising in the advanced manufacturing space. The buyer persona workshop — a staple of our strategy workshops — was in full swing, and David, then CEO at this company, couldn’t have been more invested.
Our workshops are tailored to offer the most value for each and every client, but it takes two to tango, meaning that attendees will generally get as much out of the sessions as they put in. From his side of the Zoom call, David played his part, steering the conversation in the right direction, ensuring everyone on his team had a voice, and driving the overall session forward through a mixture of curiosity and anticipation. Only later would I appreciate why.
Despite manufacturing’s tendency to put the product first, David saw “service excellence” as the real opportunity for his company to stand out and make a difference. This didn’t just mean supporting his customers with a wide range of well-rounded services but also the customer service his buyers experienced every time they placed an order or got in touch.
“Quality service is our ability to keep every promise that we make. We're only as good as the last promise that we kept or the last piece of equipment that we delivered. That’s how we'll be remembered, so we have to make sure that every interaction with our customers is of the highest quality standard.” David Byrne
Where does David’s commitment to service come from? How can other manufacturers learn from the way it informed his strategy? And what role did HubSpot play in the journey?
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“Service is what keeps your customers coming back”
In the last 30 years David has worked for a variety of globally recognised automotive brands, from Ford to Aston Martin. During this time, he’s had a front-row seat to the importance of quality service, even within a traditionally product-focused environment like manufacturing.
“Service is all about looking after your customers. Think of the car you drive. They say that the salesperson will sell you your first of that brand but the service manager will sell the second, third, and fourth. That experience is what keeps you coming back, year after year.”
This proposition is striking in the capital equipment manufacturing space, where prices are premium and brand recognition high, but David has remained dedicated to applying it across every manufacturing subset in which he’s worked. Why has it proven to be so successful?
“The quality of our service directly impacts the quality of theirs.”
In advanced manufacturing specifically, the business case for service excellence goes well beyond customer retention. As a key part of the supply chain, your ability to maintain high service standards — to manufacture a quality product in the specified lead time, to deliver it on schedule, to install it quickly and effectively with minimal disruption, to maintain it, to maintain clear, timely communications throughout this process, and so forth — directly impacts the customer’s ability to run their operations in line with their own quality standards.
“Our customers' reputations are on the line,” David explains. “In the manufacturing space, quality service is ensuring that they have the essential solutions they need. And if we don’t deliver the service that we promised in the agreed time frame then that affects their ability to operate safely or efficiently. The quality of our service directly impacts the quality of theirs.”
In other words, David’s commitment to service excellence speaks to every manufacturer’s need for reliability. In his customers’ eyes, it is as much service excellence as it is his company’s ability to deliver consistently high service, time and time again. David builds this consistency into his company’s processes so his customers can build it into theirs.
The key? A business software platform capable of supporting the high demands this approach asks of your data management and integration, and the training to unlock it.
Technology that serves you and your customers
The precise way in which your IT estate enables a service-first approach will be complex, multifaceted, and likely unique to your operations. However, there are several general areas we can look at to illustrate just how impactful your technology suite is and why it matters.
Real-time insights
Modern business software platforms offer advanced analytics and reporting capabilities that provide you with real-time insights into key performance metrics, customer trends, and market demands. With access to timely and accurate data, you can make informed decisions, proactively address issues, and continuously improve your service offerings.
Customer relationship management (CRM)
CRM functionality within a business software platform enables you to track customer interactions, manage leads and opportunities, and provide personalised support throughout the customer lifecycle. By maintaining strong relationships with customers and addressing their needs effectively, you can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Inventory management
An integrated inventory management system within the business software platform enables you to maintain optimal inventory levels, minimise stockouts and overstock situations, and fulfil orders on time. By ensuring the availability of products when customers need them, you can deliver better service and avoid disruptions in supply chain operations.
Service and support
Many business software platforms offer service and support modules that help manufacturers manage customer inquiries, service requests, and warranty claims efficiently. By centralising service-related activities and providing timely resolutions to customer issues, manufacturers can enhance the overall service experience and build trust with customers.
Supply chain visibility
A comprehensive business software platform provides visibility into the entire supply chain, from procurement and production to distribution and delivery. With greater visibility, you can identify potential bottlenecks, mitigate risks, and optimise the supply chain to ensure timely and reliable delivery of products to customers.
Adaptability and scalability
A flexible and scalable business software platform enables manufacturers to adapt to changing market conditions, customer preferences, and industry regulations. Whether expanding into new markets, launching new product lines, or scaling operations, you must be able to rely on your software platform to support growth and maintain service excellence.
How well do your systems currently support service?
David first approached us in 2020 because he recognised HubSpot’s ability to provide this functionality and he wanted the support of a top-tier platform partner to help his company unlock it.
Where does a buyer persona workshop fit into all this? To serve your customers, and to configure a business platform that enables you to do the same, you first need to take the time to sit down as a leadership team and talk about them. Not their demographics but how their minds work. Their goals and what makes them tick. As with any technology implementation, it’s crucial you first understand how the new system needs to work to deliver for your organisation and what demands your business — and customers — will place on it.
“We now talk in personas when we talk about our customers. We weren’t doing that 12 months ago. We hadn’t identified the key decision-makers within our customer base. We now look at how we talk and communicate with those customers. We sell the benefits of what we do and we sell on value. BabelQuest has facilitated and enabled us to do that.” David Byrne
By investing in both a cutting-edge business platform and the strategy workshops required to implement and onboard it, David was able to enhance his company’s ability to deliver service excellence, differentiate itself in the marketplace, and hit its ambitious growth targets.
“Whether a customer is investing in a new car or a bespoke manufacturing solution, their service expectation is proportional to the amount they’re spending. A sizable investment goes hand-in-hand with quality service, and it’s on the company to meet those expectations,” David reiterated. “For much of the advanced manufacturing industry, quality is synonymous with the product. But our customer commitment hinges on more than the quality of parts produced. In order for us to deliver our promises, the integrity of our services is paramount.”
“...pivoting from a transactional business to a credible service provider”
As a result of our work together, David enacted a “very successful exit of VFE, at the tail end of the pandemic, greatly assisted by the BabelQuest and HubSpot enablement and transformative nature of our working relationship”. But the story doesn’t end there.
"We then adopted the same approach at Emtez,” reveals David, now group CEO. “We're in the foothills of that transformation, but the early signs are extremely positive, as our relationship with BabelQuest and HubSpot is enabling us to pivot from a transactional business to a very credible solutions provider, where we’re having conversations now with decision makers that previously did not happen, all driven by buyer personas and HubSpot.”
How well are your systems currently serving you, and how could a more customer-centric platform equip you with the tools you need to ramp up your revenue-generating machine?
