Case Studies
The Creative Internet Makes Sales Process
More Efficient, Easier
About the Organization
Pellerin Milnor designs and manufactures commercial laundry equipment for clients like hotels, hospitals, cruise ships, correctional facilities, and athletic complexes. More than 50 distributors located in countries all over the world sell Milnor’s laundry machines to the company’s customers.
The Situation
To be effective at sales, the distributors need up-to-date specifications of all of Milnor’s products as well as specifications of competitors’ products.
The Problem
Every two months, the Milnor marketing department sent to distributors CDs containing the needed specifications. The CDs were an improvement on an older paper-based system, but the production, mailing, and tracking of them still proved expensive and time-consuming. Also, the lag-time between product changes and CD updates hampered sales.
The Creative Internet’s Solution
The Creative Internet built a database-driven intranet web site which allowed the marketing department to address the distributors’ need for up-to-date information. In addition, The Creative Internet built upon the original the site to include other functions. Some key features of The Creative Internet’s work are:
- Easily accessible sales information of all of Milnor’s products
- A database of competitors’ product specifications
- Scrolling text to highlight important information unique to each product and its manufacturing lead times
- A brochure ordering service with thumbnail images
- A company store allowing sales representatives to order Milnor-branded promotional products
- Bulletin board (upcoming)
- Different levels of password protected access
The Results
- Distributors close sales more easily because they have current information as soon as it’s available at any Internet-connected computer.
- Distributors impress customers with Milnor’s innovative sales resources.
- Milnor’s marketing department has eliminated the time and expense previously needed to create, manufacture and ship CDs to distributors.
- The marketing department has eliminated time spent on CD mailing follow-up and other communications about products.
- Distributors can order brochures, promotional items, and other sales tools easily.
- Distributors’ morale has increased.
- The marketing department has new insight into the work habits of its sales force by analyzing activity on the site.
Testimonial
“The staff at Creative Internet understand that we’re not technical people, so they make the interfaces easy to use. They’re enthusiastic and approachable. I have no qualms about running an idea by them and seeing how they can get it added to the website.”
Stephanie Russell, Marketing Coordinator
Pellerin Milnor
