Full service logistics company boosts sales with SCMEP training program

Company Profile

Vision 2 Destiny (V2D) is an asset-based logistics company that has been providing a wide variety of services for the Spartanburg, SC, area and beyond since 2003.

The company prides itself on being a company that “does it all:” assembly, just-in-sequence, just-in-time delivery, manufacturing, kitting and labeling, quality inspection and sorting, repackaging, warehousing, and cross-docking. V2D is locally owned, and is currently working towards its ISO 9001:2015 certification, which should be completed by the end of August.

The company is a proud member of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the National Association of Small Trucking Companies, the South Carolina Truckers Association and the Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council. V2D recently passed as satisfactory in its DLT Safety Review.

Situation

V2D wanted to improve their sales and internal processes to better the company as a whole. They solicited assistance from the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) to lead the staff through sales and marketing training and implementation.

 Solution

After discussing management’s goals, SCMEP presented the Sales and Marketing Boost program to V2D. The training program consists of six modules: Marketing Messaging, Market Planning and Research Strategies, Creating Effective Communication Tools, Sales and Customer Service, Response Driven Lead Generation Techniques, and Marketing Measurement Systems and Reporting.

To begin the training, SCMEP met with V2D management, sales and operations staff members and led a Marketing Messaging session to uncover strengths, areas for improvement, target markets, and the overall message to leads and customers.

Next, SCMEP performed a competitive analysis and market research to determine the best way to position V2D’s services to target customers.  During the messaging session, the V2D team decided that a new website with updated photography and information would prove to be an effective marketing tool for prospects as well as existing customers. While planning and developing the new website, marketing messages were implemented to ensure that V2D’s all-encompassing services and offerings were highlighted.

Once the website was complete and live, a lead generation campaign was launched to target customers in industries indicated to be ideal during the messaging session.  New contacts were uncovered and called.

Email messages were designed using marketing messaging, photography and video from the marketing project and scheduled to continue lead nurturing.  A Pay-Per-Click campaign was also executed and brought leads to the website where they could fill out contact forms.

Prior to the lead generation campaign launch, sales training was conducted to familiarize sales representatives with updated marketing messaging and tools to generate conversations, leads, and conversions to sales. The staff implemented the new marketing messaging and communication tools across all lines of business and noticed immediate impacts.

Results

As a result of SCMEP’s Sales and Marketing Boost training program, Vision 2 Destiny was able to implement a marketing overhaul complete with new and updated tools to target new customers as well as nurture new found leads. V2D was able to retain 42 employees and all existing customers, even regaining one they had previously lost. V2D has gained five to ten new customers per month as a direct result of the marketing project.  Marketing leads increased, and website traffic saw a dramatic increase as well.

• Employees Retained: 42
• Sales Retained: 1
• Sales Added: Averaging 5-10 additional customers per month

 Testimonial

“SCMEP helped us optimize our process and generate new leads. They were a pleasure to work with, and went the extra mile for us every step of the way,” Robert Henderson, Jr., President/CEO, Vision 2 Destiny.