How Augmented Reality drives Sales for B2B Manufacturers

It’s influencing B2B buying decisions, it’s speeding up the buying process, and it’s shortening the sales cycle. It’s also enabling in-house and external teams to work more efficiently, and it’s providing an immersive experience for all of those who use it.

Forward-thinking manufacturers are adopting this technology for the foreseeable future – we don’t blame them! The rapid evolution of AR isn’t slowing down anytime soon. It offers a multitude of benefits for the innovative manufacturers who choose to utilise its power.

In this post, we’re going to cover all the ways AR drives sales for B2B manufacturers. From visual storytelling to increased buyer confidence. If you’re ready to experiment with new technology and skyrocket your sales, don’t go anywhere.

We’ll cover:

• Visual and interactive storytelling
• Innovative sales representation
• ‘Try before you buy’ approach
• Customisation options without the manufacture
• Easy product demonstrations
• Shortened sales cycle
• Brand differentiation

Incredible AR stats:

• The AR market is projected to be worth over $18 billion in 2023.
• 40% higher conversion rates with AR.
• 1.1 billion people worldwide use AR.
• There’ll be 1.73 billion augmented reality users on mobile by 2024

Visual and interactive storytelling

Through the technology of 3D models, you can visually walk buyers through every inch of your product, service, machinery, and its features. AR brings your product to life and enables the buyer to emerge themselves in the item you’re promoting. This is through the power of computer-generated perceptual information.

Storytelling is becoming more impactful than ever. Enabling someone to fully experience your product or service from a click of a button is not only revolutionary, but it’s going to allow people to make more informed decisions about their purchases.

AR enables you to tell stories more engagingly and reactively. It allows you to create unmistakable experiences, all whilst promoting and selling your product. 

Although it sounds complex, the visual output of AR is worth it. Buyers can discover options, choose multi-features, and learn how the product adds ROI. It adds definition to your brand and creates a whole new dimension to selling.

Innovative sales representation

Whether you’re at a trade show, offering a free online demo, or speaking with your buyers in person, AR provides the most innovative sales representation. AR is one of the many ways you can enable your sales team to recruit leads and close sales. Sounds too good to be true, but it’s not!

PowerPoint presentations and brochures can take a backseat, AR is the way forward. Stagnant presentations are boring – not only for your sales team but for your buyers too. Instead, you need to be providing an exciting and interactive sales presentation.

AR allows you to demonstrate true-to-life-size versions of your products or services in REAL scenarios. This’ll enable your buyer to visualise the process after buying and provide context. How will your buyer gain understanding and real-life insight from a static brochure? The simple answer is they won’t – unless you bring it alive with VR. Don’t bore your buyers, excite them!

‘Try before you buy’ approach

AR provides an incentive. It enables your buyer to try your product or service before even confirming any sale. Not only will this build valuable rapport with your audience, but your buyers will be more confident to decide after physically experiencing your offering.

We’d all love to ‘try before we buy’. Have you ever been apprehensive about purchasing something so instead, you’ve searched the internet for reviews or product demos? Well, now you’re saving your buyers time and you’re removing the guesswork for them.

From a click of a button, they’ll already know what it feels like to have your product and service. They’ll experience every moment of it and they won’t need to rely on poorly written reviews online. Instead, they can experience it for themselves in real-time.

Customisation options without the manufacture

2D product samples do have a time and a place. However, there’s nothing more efficient than being able to provide samples there and then with customisations. There’s no need to wait for anything to be delivered, you can enable your buyers to experience different customisations at their leisure.

You may want to show your product in different colours, sizes or variations. This is a great way of enhancing the 3D effect without creating samples that’ll end up in the rubbish bin. VR is sustainable and provides immediate value.

Easy product demonstrations

As we’ve previously covered, AR enhances easy sales demonstrations. Rather than your sales team having to scramble through selling the product, let your AR experience do the talking with the support of your sales experts.

AR can help your buyers look at different products, and it can provide the same feeling and experience as if they were in your showroom. Whether you sell refrigerators or bi-folding doors, you can visually show your product line wherever you are.

The technology of AR enhances brand familiarity, it involves overlaying visual, auditory, or other sensory information and the possibilities are truly endless. Enable your sales team to provide the best service they can and reap the results you deserve.

Shortened sales cycle

The B2B buying process is usually much longer than B2C. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t shorten it and make it more efficient. In fact, with the power of AR, you can! 

In the B2B sales journey, multiple stakeholders are likely to be involved, slowing the process down. However, this process is shortened with AR. Instead of a boring product demo, you can provide them with an interactive and immersive experience.

This is a resourceful way of encouraging decision-making, and this ensures the process is sped up – allowing you to close the all-important deals faster.

Brand differentiation

Do you know what your competitors are doing? Are they utilising the technological power of AR? If they are, they’re already ahead of you, and it’s time to act now. If they aren’t, you can get one step ahead before they do.

There are 40% higher conversion rates with AR, and that’s because buyers LOVE it. Differentiate your brand from others by providing innovative technological solutions. If you provide interactive experiences as part of the sales process, your buyer is more likely to remember you because you’ve engaged all of their senses and presented real value to them.

Don’t get swallowed up by your competition, and don’t be afraid to try something new. Let’s put it this way, the manufacturing industry is soaring with opportunities. So, you can’t wait around for them to present themselves.

AR works across any industry, especially manufacturing. It’s an easy and accessible way of creating multiple touchpoints for lead generation. It seamlessly guides the buyer through the decision-making process and brings printed materials alive.

AR has already had a significant impression in the world of tech, and it’s not too late to adopt your own AR tech too. Early adoption is key, so what are you waiting for? Get in touch with the experts today.