Our industry expertise
for manufacturers of basic materials
Many manufacturers of basic materials often focus their activities primarily on production and optimizing the cost side. In addition, they often manage their sales organizations on the basis of volume rather than revenue. In this context, the real value of the product for the given customer has only played a minor role so far. EbelHofer Consultants supports the companies in establishing processes and tools that put the customer in the center and improve the revenue on the market side.
Many companies in the area of basic materials and chemicals are perceived by their clients only as manufacturers of "commodities". However, our experience shows that a strategic orientation as a solution provider is worthwhile. It strengthens profitability and market position, especially in a highly competitive and technically complex environment. EbelHofer Consultants supports this strategy with the following measures:
- Definition of vision & mission
- Product portfolio analysis according to customer value
- Competitor analyses
Long customer relationships with consistent sales often lead to low flexibility and undifferentiated pricing. EbelHofer Consultants helps with value-based pricing for international product portfolios:
- Assessment of current product prices
- Analysis of transportation costs and product ranges
- Definition of value-based pricing structures
- Estimation of possible gray market flows
- Simulation of sales and profit effects due to price changes
- Model-based pricing
Many companies still have significant potential to optimize and professionalize their service offerings. This is because they often regard the service business as merely a by-product of the actual product portfolio. Yet this is where great sales and earnings potential resides. EbelHofer Consultants supports companies in identifying this potential in the service business:
- Customer-oriented differentiation of services
- Strategies for early identification of service needs
When it comes to procuring basic materials, many clients hardly notice the differences between suppliers. EbelHofer Consultants is familiar with this problem and advises companies on "product and supplier values". This is because in negotiations companies can only use their strengths to their advantage if they are also aware of them. EbelHofer Consultants supports this process by providing the following services:
- Argumentation guidance for the sales department
- Establishment of value teams in the organization
- Development of product-specific value cases with quantifiable customer value
- Integration of tools for calculating customer value in sales materials
Customer segmentation is part of the foundation of any differentiated "go-to-market strategy". By optimizing the use of resources, customer relationships can be further developed in a systematic effort and new sales and profit potential can be developed:
- Determination of individual segmentation criteria
- Differentiation of offers and prices
- Tool-based visit planning on the basis of segments
- "Cost-to-serve calculation" per customer and customer segment
- Optimization of channel strategy and distribution of customer segments to sales channels
The implementation of new strategies and measures can only succeed if they are also anchored in sales. EbelHofer Consultants has accompanied many manufacturers of basic materials in this process and transferred the results from various projects into pragmatic approaches as well as into tools. These have proven themselves in many individual trainings of sales staff. Because the feasibility of the measures is our top priority, this is how we proceed:
- Value argumentation: Determining product values, quantifying them and arguing benefits properly
- Negotiation tactics: assess negotiating partners and respond correctly
- Sales Funnel: Targeted improvements in the offer process through preliminary analysis
- Price enforcement: Implementing "value-based pricing" and demanding counter value
