James strolled down the expo floor. His backpack cut into his shoulder. He’d filled it up with product samples, brochures, and business cards. His stomach reminded him that he forgot to grab breakfast before he left the hotel. He wished he’d brought a more comfortable pair of shoes.
Two years ago, he started a custom manufacturing business. He finally had enough staff to be able to get away for a few days. Despite the knot in his stomach, he knew they’d be fine. Even though it wasn’t a vacation, it still felt like one to him.
The bold colors and modern logo of one booth caught his eye. He took a look at the sign: “ManuMaker – The Money-Making Tool for Custom Manufacturers”.
As he walked over, someone walked up to him and put out his hand. “Hi, I’m Jeff,” he said.
Before James knew it, he fell deep into a conversation with Jeff. He spilled all the details about his business. He shared the challenging projects he’d pulled off for his customers the prior year.
Halfway into his third story, he caught him. “I’m sorry, Jeff. I caught up with myself. Are you a financial advisor?”
“No,” Jeff chuckled. “We have a software tool that we built for custom manufacturers like you. Care to take a look?”
James nodded and walked over to the laptop running on the table.
Jeff highlights the perks of ManuMaker
Already warmed up, it didn’t take Jeff long to dive deep into his pitch. “Everything in your business hinges on how fast and accurate your quotes are. If you can’t quote them, you can’t close them. If you quote too high, you lose the sale. If you quote too low, you’re giving away your profits.”
James almost jumped into another story, then caught himself. He’d had his share of intense conversations with his operators and accountant. He’d had tough talks with his investors. He wished he’d be a better salesperson, like Jeff.
Jeff continued, “You put in the setup costs, material costs, and labor. Then, you can give your customers a breakdown on their quantity discounts. You can set those quantity discounts wherever you want. We tell our customers to set the middle bracket 10% higher than what the customer actually wants. They don’t want to overpay with a small quantity. They don’t want to overstock with a large quantity. But we can still get a little extra money from them, because they’ll choose the middle one.”
James scratched his head and leaned back. He couldn’t imagine doing that to his customers, but he still listened.
Jeff showed James everything about the software. He showed him where to put in his materials, set up the labor, and write up quotes.
Jeff paused. “Now, here’s the real magic,” he said.
James caught himself. He’d been daydreaming about no longer spending hours in the office doing the quotes. “This could be a game changer. I have to pay attention,” he reminded himself.
Jeff clicked a few more buttons. “Okay, do you see these orders?” James saw the order listed on the screen. “Yes,” he said.
Jeff pointed to a number on the screen. “This schedule only uses a 61% capacity. Watch this.”
Jeff clicked a button and waited on the spinning circle. The screen blinked two, then all the orders popped up again. This time, they were in a different order.
“What’s that?” James asked.
Jeff pointed to the same place on the screen. “See these orders? You can start Order 1 and Order 5 at the same time. While order 5 is finishing up, you can start Order 3. See how much capacity it uses now!”
James’s jaw dropped. “That’s at 89%!” he exclaimed.
“That’s right,” Jeff told him. “For your size of business, even if you use 10% more capacity, that’s $30,000 more profit every year.”
James makes a decision
James knew a born salesman when he saw one, and Jeff fit the mold. He hesitated, then asked, “What does something like this cost?”
Jeff looked James square in the eye. “It’s $25,000 to get started, then it′s $10,000 every year after that.”
James gulped and got quiet.
His wife and his accountant both knew how impulsive he was with his money. They had even gotten together before he left and made him promise not to make any rash purchases.
Jeff stood by, not saying a word. James could feel the awkward seconds ticking by as he argued with himself. “I met this man a few minutes ago. But this software will pay for itself faster than any equipment I could buy. My wife and accountant won’t be happy. But I can prove it’s not rash. And they’ll be happy when they see the returns. What if there’s a better option? But everything works together so well.”
James broke out of his thoughts and stood up a little bit taller. He was the boss. He held the checkbook. He knew what this could do for his business. “Let’s do it,” he said.
He knew it was the right thing for his business. He wasn’t sure what his wife would have to say.
The Takeaway
Have you had an experience like that of James? Have you considered how better software could enhance your day-to-day operations?
We know software, and we understand the needs of small and mid-size businesses. Call us today, and we’ll help you determine if our Silverloom business software is right for you.
Ellis Miller, CEO