Northwest Manufacturing

Challenge

Northwest Manufacturing was adding products to its business: WoodMaster Renewable-Fuel Furnaces, HeatLink Radiant Floor Heating and more. They wanted to help new and existing dealers grow their business and expand marketing efforts while keeping up with orders and engaging prospects.

Solution

Northwest Manufacturing made many of our applications available to the dealer sales channel, enabling dealers to market themselves more efficiently and effectively. The Northwest Manufacturing programs include:

• Learning Management System (LMS)
• Online resource center (a dealer's one-stop shop for all marketing materials)
• Dealer website program
• Dealer direct mail program
• Engage (automated, email-based marketing system)

We developed all systems and materials to fit Northwest Manufacturing corporate materials, ensuring consistent, on-target branding and easy, efficient dealer utilization. Our programs were easy and intuitive for dealers, as well as beneficial to their own goals.

Specially trained Flint Direct team members worked with dealers, assisting with list development, direct mail selection, advertising and public relations opportunities. The direct guidance helped dealers spend their money wisely, eliminated confusion and allowed the marketing team at Northwest Manufacturing to focus on other initiatives.

Results

With the dealer-friendly systems from Flint Direct, Northwest Manufacturing could focus on product development and distribution while our programs helped grow the dealer channel at an impressive rate. In the first year, 20% of dealers participated in the dealer direct mail program; 50% of dealers logged onto the dealer Internet site. Flint Direct continues to work with this dealer group to increase program participation, enhance systems and attract new dealers.

Challenge

In addition to expanding its dealer marketing efforts, Northwest Manufacturing wanted to expand and refine its dealer network. Their emphasis was to identify prospective new dealers and encourage existing dealers to take on new product lines.

Solution

Northwest Manufacturing reached out to prospective dealers with a strong show of meaningful marketing support, at a level that few competitors could match. To this end, Flint Direct designed a complementary suite of marketing programs and materials, including:

• Engage (automated, email-based marketing system)
• Trade show presence
• Dealer direct mail program
• Relevant incentive programs
• Personal phone visits and/or personal visits from Northwest Manufacturing

We developed materials to fit Northwest Manufacturing's existing communications, with a balanced, entrepreneurial tone to resonate with dealers—especially prospective dealers who had little or no familiarity with the company and its opportunities. As appropriate, Flint Direct also helped guide communications from Northwest Manufacturing to prospective dealers, offering appropriate incentives, training and other guidance to get dealers on board.

Results

Flint Direct helped Northwest Manufacturing communicate with potential and current dealers in a timely, professional manner—and ultimately added qualified dealers throughout North America. Northwest Manufacturing has been able to increase its dealer network by 20%. This growth in a quality dealer base has allowed them to increase sales performance and drop partnerships with historically underperforming dealers.