Is Qimtek Membership Right For You?

Sarah is a sales & marketing content writer, with ten years of experience within the engineering & manufacturing industry.  Working both at Qimtek and on a freelance basis, she can usually be found hammering away at a keyboard or with her head in a pile of engineering drawings. 

Media Name: copy_of_icon_orange_q_890.png

If you’re considering joining the Qimtek membership to win new business and grow your customer base, then great! We can provide you with a steady stream of live engineering projects that match your in-house capabilities, complete with buyer contact details and technical drawings. However, our membership is not suited to everyone so before you take the plunge, it’s worth asking yourself the following questions:

Am I Prepared to Call Buyers?

We find that quotes submitted by companies who first call the buyer to introduce themselves garner a much higher success rate. For instance, we recently received feedback from one company who had used our service to source quotes for a machining job. Out of the quotes they received, they decided to place the work with a member who had provided a mid-range price, simply because they were the only supplier who had taken the time to call them before submitting it.

Introducing yourself to potential customers is extremely important and largely underestimated within the sales process. Firstly, it goes a long way towards the establishment of a relationship and makes your quote stand out against the backdrop of anonymous emails that the buyer has received. Secondly, you may be able to glean more information about the project which allows you to tailor your quote accordingly. For instance, the buyer may reveal that they would prefer a KAN-BAN system - information that none of your competitors have. If you can offer this, then this puts you in pole position to win the work.

Am I Prepared to Take Responsibility?

After all, we can lead a supplier to sales enquiries, but we can’t make them quote! Qimtek membership requires a degree of responsibility from its users - we will provide you with the project details, batch sizes, delivery information, quote deadlines, buyer contact details and relevant technical drawings, but the rest is up to you! We believe that nobody can sell your company the way you can, which is why we don’t interfere in the sales process. That’s not to say that we can’t assist you - we’re more than happy to contact a buyer on your behalf if you’re unable to do so, but our role is much more supportive and requires you to proactively contact and professionally quote buyers if you are to succeed.

We clearly state the buyer’s intentions on every project, so that you can decide whether or not you want to take the time to quote. Whilst some of our buyers are looking to line up a supplier for their next order, or require quotes as part of a larger job for which they’re tendering, the vast majority have an immediate order to place, meaning that there’s no reason you shouldn’t win work provided that you quote correctly.

Can I See the Bigger Picture?

Whilst some of the projects that appear on the Qimtek network are not the most exciting to a subcontract supplier, our most successful members are able to see the bigger picture. Wherever possible, we try to include the buyer’s annual spend on the project, so that you have some insight into how much the account, as a whole, is worth. Savvy buyers will never place their biggest job with a supplier they have never used and therefore, they will often put out a smaller job initially, in order to test the water.

We have many reports from long-standing members who are now working directly with a buyer they were introduced to through Qimtek. Many of these members started out by completing a smaller project on the client’s behalf and have now been offered much larger jobs as a result.

As a Qimtek member, it’s important to consider not only the job itself, but also the account as a whole. If a multi million-spending customer requires quotes for a set of brackets, then they will often invite you to quote for additional work directly once you’ve fulfilled the initial order to a high standard of quality.

Can I Quote Professionally and Add Value?

This goes back to my first point. There is much more to a quote than simply a price; a professional quote will be itemised, detailing exactly what is included. This demonstrates to the buyer that you have understood their requirement and also offers an opportunity to add value to your quote.

What do I mean by added value? Well, first of all, you cannot add value if you don’t understand what the buyer considers to be valuable, as this is certainly not a ‘one size fits all’. That’s why it’s so important to put in those introductory phone calls early on! Once you’ve gained insight into what the buyer holds in high regard, be it a fast turnaround, high quality, or experience working in a specific industry, you can shape your quote accordingly. It doesn’t then matter if you aren’t the cheapest, as you have ‘justified’ your price by offering something that the buyer values more.

It’s also worth noting the importance of laying out your quote professionally. Simply flinging over a poorly-worded email will not impress the buyer. Use a proper quoting template and spellcheck your quote before sending it. One other thing - check that you’ve spelt the buyer’s name correctly, as this is guaranteed to sour the relationship before it’s even begun!

Am I Persistent?

What I don’t mean here is that you need to hound the same buyer over and over until you get their business. I’m referring to the perseverance required to quote a few jobs before you win any work. Whilst it has happened in the past, members winning the first project they quote is not the status quo - in fact, we recently conducted some research which shows that it takes an average of 8.8 quotes to win a new job. Therefore, it’s vital to the success of your membership that you don’t become disheartened, as success could be around the next corner.

The same is true of all sales methods, whether you’re using a live lead service like Qimtek, or you’re going it alone. In fact, the rate of success is undoubtedly higher as a Qimtek member, as we bring live engineering projects to you. With organic sales methods, you first need to identify the companies who are actively outsourcing before even getting as far as submitting a quote, making the sales cycle inevitably longer.

Remember - We’re Here to Help:

We completely understand that the sales process can be somewhat daunting if you’re not a sales professional. That’s why we not only offer our members the engineering projects themselves, but also hands-on support to those who need it - don’t be afraid to ask if you need an extra helping hand!

If you would like to find out more about Qimtek membership, receive an online demonstration, or browse our live engineering projects, simply visit www.qimtek.co.uk, or call us on 01256 394 500.