COVID-19 has quickly and permanently changed the way B2B sales are conducted among European companies, with remote meetings becoming the dominant means of interaction. What started out as a necessity due to travel restrictions and limited opportunities for in-person engagement is now the norm as buyers and sellers experience the efficiencies, cost-savings and expanded global reach that virtual delivers.
ECRM, the global leader in driving long-term, critical business relationships for retail markets, has enabled European retailers and global brands to continue engaging remotely with its ECRM Connect virtual meeting platform that was custom-designed for the retail and consumer products industry.
According to a recent McKinsey study, more than three quarters of buyers and sellers say they now prefer remote human engagement over in-person interactions – citing not only safety as the reason, but also how remote interactions have made it easier for buyers to get information, place orders, and arrange service. Only about 20% of B2B buyers say they hope to return to in-person sales. Similarly, The LinkedIn State of Sales Report 2020: Europe Edition, found that 45% of professionals have indicated that they expect a permanent shift in how they work as a result of COVID-19, and 77% of sellers worldwide are holding more video meetings since the crisis began.
ECRM facilitates highly curated, category-specific face-to-face meetings at scale between retailers and suppliers of fast-moving consumer packaged goods. Traditionally these meetings are held in-person, but when the pandemic hit, the company developed a virtual meeting platform modelled after the format and process of its in-person programs that has enabled retailers and brands to continue doing business as trade events everywhere cancelled. To date, the company has hosted more than 65,000 buyer-seller meetings globally, connecting over 2,500 retail buyers and over 2,300 brands face-to-face since launching in May, 2020 during 71 virtual programs.
“I think it’s a new way of doing business and it’s probably going to stay even after COVID is gone,” said Conor O’ Farrell, Buying Manager for Positive Healthcare at Boots Ireland. O’ Farrell is a regular attendee of ECRM in-person programs, and recently participated in ECRM’s European Health, Nutrition and Wellness virtual program. ECRM has helped him and his colleagues become first-to-market with innovative brands.
How the virtual programs work: Once a buyer or seller is registered for a program, ECRM Client Success Managers train them on the platform and ensure that their internet connection, audio and video is optimized for meetings. They then curate a list of relevant appointments matching suppliers’ products and capabilities with buyers’ needs and objectives. During the live virtual program, which consists of 10- and 20-minute video meetings, participants can take notes, share presentation slides and product images, rate meetings, and assign follow up timelines. All of this information is stored in each user’s profile and can be accessed during the follow-up process.
“The platform was pretty seamless,” said O’Farrell. “You get an alert when the meeting is about to end just like the knock you would get on the door at ECRM’s in-person meetings. I have the follow-up site with all of my notes and rankings of each meeting saved and that I can send right to my email inbox. I already have some follow-up conversations with some of the suppliers I met at the virtual session.”
When it comes to sales, the McKinsey study also pointed out that remote video meetings are ideal for prospecting, and that the shift to virtual can help organizations lower their cost per visit and extend their reach – two key benefits that attract suppliers to the ECRM Connect platform.
“COVID will prevent us from having these meetings in-person, but the important thing is to find the buyer’s interest in 10 or 20 minutes, and through ECRM and its perfect organization, I succeeded,” said Yves Anthonioz, Founder and CEO of Paris-based Happy Oils DIY Hair Brand, another recent ECRM virtual program participant. “The platform is a very user-friendly and reliable, and a great way for brands to remotely engage with retailers and distributors. The meetings with buyers are very organized, with the buyer’s needs and objectives listed, and we were able to share our presentation slides and product images so we could get the most from our live meetings.”
ECRM Programs can help participants propel their product supply and sourcing efforts through state-of-the-art technology solutions that offer greater efficiencies than the in-person alternative.
“I definitely see virtual continuing, and as that’s what the younger generation is already used to, the older generation has to understand that it’s not going away,” said Shirley White, Founder, Owner and Managing Director of UK-based OTC Beverages and another ECRM virtual program participant. “The great thing is that the technology will continue to improve, and add new enhancements, so we have to embrace it.”
As part of its continuing evolution, ECRM has added new features to the platform to enable additional engagement and experiential skill development during the live programs. “We now have a thought leadership section in the platform, which features relevant content that participants can check out during their breaks,” said John van der Valk, CEO of ECRM Europe. “We also now have the capability for virtual moderated roundtables, private company meetings spaces, and a new chat feature that enables colleagues to communicate privately during meetings. We will continue to evolve the platform based on user feedback.”
About ECRM & RangeMe
ECRM brings efficiencies and effectiveness to the buying and selling process by propelling connections between buyers and suppliers through key programs that utilize digital and face-to-face platforms. With 25 years of experience, ECRM’s programs promote relationships, forward-thinking insights along with process efficiencies. ECRM works with companies around the world in a variety of different categories including food & beverage, general merchandise, health & beauty care, pharmacy & medical markets and foodservice.
RangeMe, an ECRM company, is the leading online platform that streamlines new product discovery between suppliers and retailers. The platform empowers retail buyers to efficiently discover innovative and emerging products, while streamlining the inbound product submission process. For product suppliers, RangeMe enables them to grow their retail relationships with a platform that gives them the tools to manage their products, market their brand, and build awareness. Now integrated into the ECRM product offering, RangeMe adds increased breadth and depth to the industry’s most complete sourcing solution for top retailers and product suppliers in the US.
For further information, contact:
Kardelen Zengin
Tel.: +31 30 899 3114
Email: [email protected]
www.ECRM.MarketGate.com
