With a wide range of products for processing and manufacturing, tailored content was essential to engaging target audiences. Unfortunately, Bühler’s large, dispersed Sales organization struggled to streamline its approach to leveraging content, and the company’s Marketing department likewise grappled with how to optimize sales support.

That’s when the company discovered Showpad.

Bühler’s extensive product portfolio necessitated a large number of business units focused on specific target markets. Until recently, each division had its own Sales teams equipped with unique marketing materials. This content varied from country to country and was stored locally.

For example, one business unit that relied on PowerPoint content required each Sales representative to store a copy of a 20 GB database on their computer. Sales reps had to reinstall the entire file each time Marketing made an update because no live or partial updates were possible. Due to the size of the file and how long it took to reinstall, reinstallations were irregular, resulting in the Sales force using outdated content.

Similar problems sprung up across different business units and the specific systems they used. Salespeople wasted valuable time creating their own content to send to customers, and marketing had no insight into what was being shared.

Bühler needed to change. The company began evaluating multiple sales enablement solutions in its hunt for the right tool. “As an interface for every IT and process requirement, we took the initiative, but worked closely with Sales and Marketing from the very beginning,” said Customer Experience Application Manager Mario Scheiwiller. “We were looking for a solution that would help us secure our sales and marketing processes for the future, and further develop our already solid internal communications.”

Bühler ultimately selected Showpad, and decided to roll out a pilot as part of an upcoming trade show.

Showpad’s content management features made it simple to house all relevant materials in one centralized location where marketers could quickly update content and sellers could easily access it. And since Showpad enabled Salespeople to share digital content using mobile devices, Bühler was able to eliminate the costs associated with printed materials.

Employee response was uniformly positive. Not only did the company save thousands of Euros on printing costs, Showpad led to more fruitful conversations and content sharing than in the past. Sales reps could see how buyers were interacting with content using Showpad analytics, allowing them to tailor their follow-ups and better target prospects.

The pilot soon expanded to the entire company. All business units within Bühler began working exclusively through Showpad.

Showpad created a single source of truth for Bühler. Salespeople save time on finding content and are able to send materials to buyers more quickly. Analytics data provided by Showpad enables more targeted communications. And, of course, expenses associated with printing, transporting and storing printed materials are now nonexistent. The IT costs that came with storing digital content using different systems were also reduced.

“Thanks to Showpad, our sales representatives always have up-to-date marketing documents. They are available offline anytime and anywhere and can be shared directly with the customer,” said Marketing & Communications Specialist Gabriel Würth. “In addition, colleagues can be kept up to date and informed about new documents via push messages.”

Additionally, Marketing has regained control over content, ensuring sellers are only using up-to-date, brand-approved materials. Even better, they’re able to see which content performs best with buyers so they can optimize future strategy.

Bühler is excited to develop its use of Showpad further in the future, leveraging the powerful multimedia sales tools available in the platform to engage buyers.

The company knows better than most how important the right technology is to serving everyday needs. That’s why it relies on Showpad to meet its sales and marketing goals.