Who is our client?
Iron Makers is a new manufacturer of firefighting equipment on the Polish market, successfully operating in the Ukrainian market. The company specializes in the production of firefighting equipment such as fire extinguishers and hydrants. They manufacture both standard solutions and custom-designed products. In addition to firefighting equipment, the company successfully supports development projects by providing custom-made mailboxes and producing employee lockers for various businesses.
Extensive experience in manufacturing the offered products.
Assured quality of the offered products.
Lower production costs compared to local manufacturers.
Iron Makers' problem: the need to achieve initial sales and gain recognition in the Polish market.
The company had a clear goal -> to secure its first order, but achieving this required solving several problems first, which our agency was tasked to address:
Understanding market rules, customer habits, and competitor activities
Creating sales and marketing materials tailored to the Polish market
Defining the target group and buyer personas
Adapting the value proposition from the Ukrainian market to the Polish market
Defining competitive advantages
Reaching decision-makers through “cold” outreach
This is how we helped Iron Makers.
We started our collaboration with our client by analyzing their sales materials and comparing them with those of their competitors. Together, we developed a new product catalog, standardizing and simplifying the graphic format. We reached out to partner companies that could be related to the sector of interest to our client. We obtained information regarding the characteristics of firefighting product sales across various sectors that are consumers of such products.
The information gathered at the very beginning allowed us to quickly define the target group. Since it differed from the one initially identified by our client, during the first weeks, we split our efforts to verify which path would be the right one.
The activities for Iron Makers were conducted by a team consisting of a Manager, a Sales Specialist, and the Sales Support Department. The tasks carried out by the Sales Support Department provided sufficient information volume to present findings during the working meetings held even several times a week. Together with the client’s representative, we refined the buyer persona and developed a tailored pricing strategy.
Throughout our activities, we continuously defined new tasks for the Sales Support Department to gather as much valuable feedback from customers as possible. We focused on understanding what they liked, what would help them decide to switch suppliers, and which values they appreciated in their current relationships with companies providing products that Iron Makers offered. This allowed us to define competitive advantages and adjust our communication with potential customers to effectively transfer the value proposition from the Ukrainian market to the Polish market.
This allowed the sales manager and sales specialist to work with leads whose interest in the product had been pre-verified. This avoided wasting time on business meetings that were not productive.
In our communication with potential clients, obtaining contact with decision-makers was crucial. Proper communication prepared for the Sales Support Department allowed the Sales Specialist to participate in conversations with those responsible for collaboration decisions or experts in the field of firefighting equipment. The time saved by the specialist, not having to navigate through company structures, allowed them to prepare thoroughly for key conversations and analyze the collected data. During these discussions, the specialist gathered valuable information for the entire project while maintaining communication in a way that made the potential client feel that their input had a real impact on shaping the new brand. This helped build relationships with individual companies and left the door open for future cooperation when Iron Makers’ offer could meet their expectations.
What did our client gain?
Precisely defining the target audience for the products offered by Iron Makers
Tailored Pricing
Information about competitors such as: prices, payment terms, delivery conditions
A multi-point strategy for re-entering the Polish market
During the sales activities, it became evident that the characteristics of the Polish market differed significantly from those of the Ukrainian market. Clients pointed out several obstacles preventing them from deciding to start cooperation with a new supplier. Polish customers purchasing products from domestic manufacturers are accustomed to Polish certifications confirming the approval of firefighting equipment. This made it impossible to gain understanding from potential clients regarding the legitimacy of Iron Makers’ internationally recognized certifications, which are superior to domestic Polish certifications. Additionally, adapting the delivery process to meet the expectations of Polish customers, who prefer fast deliveries and flexible orders, proved to be a challenge.
Together with Iron Makers, we developed a strategy that included an educational campaign on the integrity of certifications within the European Union, followed by obtaining full certification for all their products, as well as logistical adaptations to align with local conditions.
Summary
The case of Iron Makers is an excellent example of how crucial it is to thoroughly understand the specifics of the local market during international expansion. Entering a new market, as the Polish market was for Iron Makers, required not only adapting the product offering but also rethinking the sales and communication strategy, as well as obtaining key information about competitors and the preferences of local customers.
The collaboration with Sales Agency brought Iron Makers tangible benefits, enabling the company not only to start operations in the Polish market but also to lay a solid foundation for further growth and expansion. The insights gained and the experience acquired will undoubtedly serve as a valuable knowledge resource that Iron Makers can leverage when entering new markets. Iron Makers is now a company better prepared for the challenges of international expansion.
