As a wholesaler and system provider in the mechanical and plant engineering sector, LEINIGEN is also increasingly relying on digital platforms for sales. It's a process that goes a long way towards meeting the customer's needs – and one that they’re happy to develop further in personal discussions with their Visable consultant. Managing Director Marian Leinigen tells us how it works.
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In a nutshell: what does your company do?
We specialise in high-quality C-parts, standard parts and operating and machine elements as well as assemblies for mechanical and plant engineering. We source our products from every reputable manufacturer and supplier on the market.
What developments can we expect to see in this industry?
A lot is happening here, especially in digitisation. The purchasing process is becoming leaner, and much is being handled via platforms – whether it's C-parts reorders, strategic purchases, or contract award processes. We are also developing strongly in the area of IoT. It is very important to us not to leave customers to fend for themselves, but rather give them real added value with this development.
So what does that mean for the distribution of your products?
The internet also plays a decisive role here – and of course saves us a lot of work in acquiring new customers: By this point, potential customers are finding us online! We initially searched for suppliers via wlw ourselves, as you know, and then immediately decided to create our own profile in 2019. This allows us to reach customers who have a specific need for products much more quickly and easily.
You then went one step further and had a custom marketing mix created. How did that process go?
We first met on site with our personal consultant, who took a lot of time to really understand us as customers. Together, we were then able to crystallise our strengths – as a basis for a suitable offer.
After a few days, everything was already implemented as planned, and the first inquiries about wlw came in.
Has this increased the number and quality of inquiries?
Definitely! Looking back, this decision was exactly the right move. I think that the pandemic has also led to purchasing departments in some companies rethinking their structures – and also trying to question their supply chain.
How do you use our online marketing package and how does it benefit you?
Our company is successfully represented on europages and wlw. We are currently coding a store that is in the testing/finalisation phase – the SEO and SEA campaigns for optimising the texts are also incorporated into this project. There is a Google Ads campaign as well; Visable also fully supports us with that.
Quite apart from measurable successes – especially through new inquiries – we’ve also noticed that our external image is perceived much more strongly than before. And there have been some internal changes, too: online marketing as a topic has become much more present, and acceptance has increased. Of course, the recent successes achieved thanks to Visable have played a large part in this.
Focusing on personalised service: How satisfied are you with Visable?
Everything is great – communication runs smoothly, no matter which contact person is in charge of our various projects. You really feel like you’re not just a number here: our contacts at Visable simply want to help us succeed. Of course, we’ve also had experiences with other agencies, but they were not able to help us in every area.
How can we make wlw even better in the future? Do you have any suggestions for improvement?
I find the “wlw Connect” service very exciting, and it should definitely be expanded further. But I could also easily imagine virtual trade fairs that network customers and suppliers even more powerfully and sustainably, especially in the current situation.
What role does sustainability otherwise play in your company?
Sustainability is a complex issue that we really work on every day – from delivery routes to picking. We’re always scrutinising our actions and also seeking external assistance with the necessary expertise in various areas.
What marketing activities are you currently involved with?
At the moment, we are converting our AdWords campaign to the products in the new store.
Mr Leinigen, thank you so much for talking to us.
