Materials & construction
We analyzed the sales mailbox of manufacturers and distributors in the materials & construction industry. Here are the numbers we found, and the agents that handle them.
The gap between the low and high end comes down to how the order desk is organised, not to the size of the distributor.
The pattern has nothing to do with the distribution model, and everything to do with the absence of systematic follow-up.
Constant across the distributor mailboxes we analyzed. A customer who has to chase you: the most reliable churn predictor.
Your order desk spends 70% of its time on data entry, not selling.
For materials manufacturers, product complexity keeps the order desk stuck on data entry instead of selling. A Catalog agent absorbs the data entry and builds a shared memory. A new sales rep gets access to all that accumulated intelligence from day one.
“We estimated a typical day was 60% order desk work and 40% actual selling. What we wanted was to flip that ratio.”
Between 62% and 95% of quotes go out with no follow-up.
Across the materials distributors in our diagnostics, between 62% and 95% of quotes sent are never followed up within 5 days. Everyone knows it. No one has time to do it. The Quote Follow-up agent detects it, drafts the email, and sends it or holds it as a draft for order desk approval.
“We know we’re losing money on this. We just never have the time to do it.”
Identifies quotes with no reply and triggers a personalized follow-up at the right time. +10% quote conversion.
Applies your opportunity rules and suggests complementary products to customers. +5% average basket.
Detects orders below the free-shipping threshold and prompts customers to complete their basket. +5% average basket.
Sends the confirmation as soon as the order arrives and sets clear expectations on processing.
“We reckoned a day was 60% sales support, 40% selling. What we wanted was to flip that.”
Gerald Farfouillon
IT & Marketing Director, Inter Inox
At Inter Inox (35 people, 100,000 references), product complexity kept the sales support team on data entry rather than on selling. The Catalog agent absorbs the entry work and builds a collective memory: a new salesperson has all the accumulated knowledge from day one. The challenge: shift the effort back towards selling, without growing the team.
60% to 50%
sales support entry time, in testing.
