Making Marketing a Priority

Marketing is not always a top priority for many small to mid-size mold manufacturers. Oftentimes, it’s because they don’t possess the time or resources to concentrate on such efforts, especially when pushing to meet strict delivery deadlines. But then how do you go about ensuring that your shop is consistently busy and attracting new customers? 

Although a marketing strategy may not be a top priority, it needs to be. We asked MMT’s 2013 Leadtime Leaders, Tech Mold Inc. of Tempe, Ariz., and Micro Mold Co. Inc. of Erie, Pa., to share a few successful, yet simple, solutions.

Tech Mold Sales Manager Jerry Seidelman says his company acknowledges the need to keep the company name in the forefront of industry news, and it has implemented several strategies for doing so. The company holds educational seminars at its OEM customer facilities to provide information on Tech Mold’s capabilities, and it exhibits at a number of trade shows for the plastics and moldmaking industries, as well as at shows sponsored by the various markets the company serves, such as medical, packaging and consumer products. 

Seidelman even runs a three-minute promotional video in his booth at trade shows to capture attendee attention and highlight the company’s capabilities and offerings. The investment in a professionally produced video provides a glimpse into the technology solutions that Tech Mold incorporates throughout its three divisions, which, according to Seidelman, yields satisfied customers who return to Tech Mold to meet their mold requirements year after year.

Tech Mold’s marketing strategy also includes promotion of its latest equipment installations and moldmaking innovations through press releases, white papers and articles it contributes to appropriate media outlets. The company also makes itself available to the trade press for relevant stories within the markets it serves.

Micro Mold employs similar marketing strategies using its internal team members, but also contracts with an external public relations and marketing firm to assist with content development for press releases, industry articles and real-world case studies, and with social media content on Facebook and LinkedIn.

“These marketing and PR efforts are targeted on both a national and local level, and are credited with attracting new customers, as well as new employees,” says Ryan Katen, Micro Mold’s general manager and co-owner.

Katen believes that exhibiting at relevant industry trade shows and actively participating in technical conference programs also expands the company’s customer base, and its broader industry reputation. In fact, earlier this year, Micro Mold and its sister company, Plastikos, debuted a new trade show booth at the MD&M medical device show. 

Additionally, Katen offers sales and marketing training to employees through Dale Carnegie Systems (dalecarnegie.com) so that they can better promote the company’s “100% Made in the USA” message and better represent both companies.

“This eight-week long training program targets the sales cycle—prospect, interested, objections, commitment and close—and how to effectively manage customer objections and expectations,” he explains.

Seidelman and Katen also agree that a solid web presence is essential to marketing efforts. Both companies revamped their websites last year. Micro Mold added a medical landing page and customer relationship pages, and Tech Mold added a video to its website that succinctly explains who it is and what it does.

Implementing just a few of these strategies will show you how you can benefit from making marketing a priority for your company. 

For more information:  
Tech Mold Inc.
480-968-8691
jerry.seidelman@techmold.com / techmold.com

Micro Mold Company Inc.
814-838-3404
rkaten@micromolderie.com / micromolderie.com