The clock is ticking, but deals are still dragging. While manufacturing sales cycles may be slowing down, new research shows that you don’t just have to grin and bear it. Here are 6 practical strategies for speeding up your sales process and boosting your overall sales performance.
Manufacturing sales cycles are getting longer.
In 2024, a study by Focus Digital found that the average time taken to convert a manufacturing prospect from a contact in a database to a fully fledged customer was 130 days.
But that’s not the whole story, as the buying process starts much earlier in the prospect's journey than ‘first contact’ suggests.
In fact, B2B research by Dentsu found the average time taken from conducting ‘initial research’ around a pain point to a deal being closed is much longer.
Their 2024 research found it takes an average of 379 days from the start of that process to a final deal being agreed.
And the length of that journey has increased 16% from 2021.
But the buyer's journey is not just getting longer - it's becoming harder to track and control.
With the rise of digital and zero click search, buyers are making important decisions about the services you offer without ever talking to a sales rep.
According to Gartner:
Here's the good news.
Sales cycles are getting longer (and buying panels are getting bigger) because outsourcing deals are becoming more complex and valuable.
Increasingly, OEMs are looking to consolidate multiple services with single suppliers, including design, prototyping, testing and logistics.
This represents more opportunities for OEMs with individual businesses.
However, accelerating these high value decision-making processes can be hard.
Frustratingly, these multi-stranded RFQs and procurement processes are often wrapped in red-tape.
But, the latest research shows there are ways you can make shortlisting your company a no-brainer for the buying panels who are your gatekeepers. And digital orchestration can help streamline the buyers’ decision-making process in your favour.
Dentsu’s study shows there are 6 areas that manufacturers can focus on to help shorten the time it takes for OEMs to move from researching solutions to signing on the dotted line.
| EXPERIENCE AREA | DECISION TIME THAT COULD BE SAVED |
| Where the initial interaction with the brand is strong, where essential credentials of the brand are quickly established | 16 weeks |
| Where peer recommendation and advocacy for the brand are strong | 11 weeks |
| Where the negotiation and contracting process is streamlined | 11 weeks |
|
Offering market-leading digital experiences:
|
9 weeks |
|
Where there is a strong, 1-to-1 human interaction with the brand during the purchase process |
4 weeks |
|
Where a brand’s engagement with the buyer’s procurement function is strong |
2 weeks |
Let’s look at them in a bit more detail.
For contract manufacturers who doubt the value of ‘brand building’, think about this:
Put bluntly, companies who are not already in their prospect’s minds when they begin their research process are unlikely to become their chosen partner in the end.
In an age of the slow-burn sell, contract manufacturers must become a recognisable brand. To cut through, they need to stand for something in the marketplace and bring a distinctive offering to the table.
But how?
Luckily, there’s no alchemy involved in B2B brand building and you don't need some Shoreditch hipster to tell you how.
Instead, it’s about finding your authentic voice and working to increase your visibility in the sector with the right combination of publishing and promotion.
When you have these building blocks in place - it's time to publish and promote:
As Dentsu’s research shows, becoming a recognisable and trusted brand can decrease the average sales cycle by 16 weeks.
“Brand building is about creating lasting impressions in people’s minds that predispose them to choose your brand in the future.” (Source: Binet & Field, Media in Focus)
Want a little help to isolate the key messages to focus on? The marketing company Wynter offers a free, digital crash course to help with this process.
Every manufacturer claims reliability, but buyers trust industry peers more than marketing messages. According to Dentsu, strong peer advocacy can shave 11 weeks off the decision cycle and support a robust B2B sales cycle.
How to build peer trust:
Anonymous case studies can protect sensitive client details while telling your most compelling stories. Find out how in Equinet’s guide to writing powerful anonymous case studies.
Contract finalisation often gets bogged down by multiple stakeholders. A structured, efficient contracting process can cut 11 weeks from the sales cycle, resulting in a smoother sales process and improved sales cycle management.
How to speed up deal closures with digital tools:
Modern B2B buyers expect B2C-like convenience. Companies with user-friendly digital channels and self-service options can speed up decisions by 9 weeks, boosting overall sales velocity.
How to optimise digital engagement:
Even in a digital-first world, human connection matters. Strong direct engagement can reduce the sales cycle by 4 weeks. Whether through consultative selling or virtual selling, a dedicated sales rep can make the difference in closing deals.
How to build buyer confidence:
Procurement functions focus on cost, compliance, and contract structure—neglecting them can cause unnecessary delays. Engaging them early can save 2 weeks in the decision cycle, ensuring smooth progress through every sales stage.
How to align with procurement:
Dentsu’s research highlights a significant opportunity: B2B purchase cycles are long and complex, but there are ways to shorten them.
By focusing on digital orchestration, you can automate and accelerate key parts of the buyer journey. In doing so, you free up your sales team to focus on ABM, outbound sales, and one-to-one work when it really matters.
But another important message emerging from Dentsu is the growing realisation that B2B brand perception can have a dramatic effect on buying behaviour.
The research shows your sales process can be made much easier when the key messages of your brand already inhabit the minds of your prospects.
Levels of trust and understanding engendered throiugh brand building cuts out a lot of the time you need to spend establishing credibility when you go from a standing start.
Because, as the veteran researchers Binet and Field point out:
“If you want long-term [B2B] growth, what you've got to do is change people's minds. You've got to build up memory structures that will bias their behaviour into the future…”
That's why B2B branding is more than just window dressing. It's the way you position and root your company in the mind of your prospects, so they're more likely to say yes when the time comes.
It turns out, that the rules are the same in B2B as they are in B2C:
“Branding is a conversation starter. It sets the mood for the transaction long before the sales pitch even begins.”
Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather
Want to accelerate your sales cycle?
The data says you should start by making your brand the obvious choice - before buyers even start looking for you.