Sales and marketing basically come down to three elements: the products and services offered by a company, the needs of its customers, and the marketplace including competing products and competitors. Those of us in the metal industry are typically business-to-business sellers. And as such, we typically rely on repeat business whether that business comes from construction, component parts of equipment or other industries.
Those of us in the business of curving steel strive first of all to communicate the products and services we offer. That is typically done by identifying the range of metal sections that a company can curve, e.g. the maximum beam size that can be curved against the strong axis, say a W44 x 290# beam. These companies also might identify that they can curve an angle as small as 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/8 with the leg out to a 3in diameter. The upper and lower limits of the metal sections that a company can bend help define the capacity of its services. Similarly companies define the services they offer in terms of speed of delivery, experience, quality and service. Identifying and communicating these aspects of a company’s offering can in itself be a service to its current and future customers.
These Bender/Rollers also need to identify the needs of its current and future customers. Again, this is the role of sales and marketing. Ideally, open and clear communication between a Bender/Roller and its customers and prospects will determine whether there is a good fit between them. Because the marketplace for curved steel is so wide and varied, this communication can be challenging. For example, a Roller/Bender might have a way to make a curved part for a tractor that would save the manufacturer time and money as well as improving quality. But the Bender/Roller may never see the opportunity because the purchasing agent of an equipment manufacturer may not be able to identify the need.
Lastly, Bender/Rollers strive to understand the marketplace including understanding their strengths and weaknesses compared to their competitors. Recent years have seen significant growth in the capacity of these companies to bend metal. This development has resulted in competitive pricing which benefits the marketplace. Furthermore, curved steel sections encounter competing products, for example, structural steel competes with concrete in construction including tunnel supports. Buyers and sellers need to investigate these alternatives to provide the optimal solution for each application.
