Case Study — SAE
Marketing High-Tech Solutions to Seriously Low-Tech Industries
Transform helps achieve a 267% sales increase over 14 months
Bar code scanning has revolutionized manual workflows in every industry sector, but technology can be a tough sell in traditionally low-tech industries. SAE (Systems Application Enterprises) had “first-mover advantage” when it launched Selector Pro®, a barcode-driven order selection system for distribution centers relying on paper-based processes. Yet, first-year sales reached only $350,000. The sales team reported that prospects just didn’t understand how the system worked and how it could benefit their operations.
Our Response
Having helped SAE rebrand a few years earlier, Transform was invited back to assess and address the challenge. SAE was founded by engineers, so not surprisingly, its sales materials and conversations focused on the technology features, not on the customer benefits. What was missing was a compelling customer business case. Through interviews with developers and early adopters, we distilled the system’s dramatic impacts on productivity, order accuracy, customer service and margins. These became the key message set, articulated with a unique spin for each stakeholder in the purchasing decision process.
Execution
Transform outlined an integrated package of marketing, advertising, sales support and training, squarely focused on customer business value. The platform featured information graphics that quickly gave prospects a functional understanding of the technology and how it was used in the warehouse. Digital video captured the system in action along with testimonials from warehouse employees and operations managers. All media incorporated branded visual elements to present a unified image across every sales channel.
Results
Within 14 months of its market relaunch, system sales had reached $9.7 Million – a 267% increase! The company has since introduced additional system components that Transform rolled out as extensions of the original product platform and leveraged via a revamped website. Since the last refresh, SAE Pro System sales have ranged from $35 to $40 Million a year.