Manufacturing Sales: Proven Strategies for Modern Growth

Manufacturing sales isn’t like selling software or services. It’s complex, often technical, and requires reps to navigate long sales cycles, layered decision-makers, and buyer skepticism. Whether you’re leading a manufacturing sales team or trying to break into the industry, understanding what drives success on the floor and in the field is critical. That's exactly why we went straight to the experts to break down what manufacturing sales really entails—and more importantly, how to succeed in it—with proven strategies, role-specific insights, and the skills modern buyers expect.

This article covers our conversation with Jennelle McGrath. In it we explore how she built a thriving agency by centering happiness, aligning values, and helping legacy manufacturers embrace modern marketing without losing their human touch. We also touch on the more tactical manufacturing sales strategies—CRM adoption, sales enablement, and trade show tips—to help reps and manufacturers boost revenue.

Learn more about Jennelle McGrath

Jennelle is the Founder and CEO of Market Veep. With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, she began her journey by founding her first business at age 18 while studying business and marketing at Merrimack College. Jennelle is particularly known for helping manufacturing and industrial companies modernize their sales and marketing strategies, bringing contemporary digital solutions to traditionally relationship-focused industries. As the host of the Finding Business Happy podcast, she explores the intersection of professional success and personal fulfillment, sharing insights on creating positive business environments and achieving work-life integration in today's hybrid workplace.

1. From burnout to breakthrough

Jennelle's story starts in a very different world: the high-octane, always-on environment of a mobile fitness company. For 15 years, she hustled between school gyms, parks, and private homes, managing a team and running large-scale boot camps. But something didn't sit right. The work was demanding, the calls came at all hours, and the weight of unpredictability eventually crushed her sense of fulfillment.

After 15 years, Jennelle recognized the need for change and made the strategic decision to transition her focus. Jennelle started consulting, helping companies modernize their marketing, and for the first time in a long time, she felt aligned. What began as freelance gigs turned into Market Veep, a full-fledged agency with a clear focus: doing meaningful work with people who share your values.

2. Why manufacturing sales?

Many digital agency founders focus on tech-forward industries, but Jennelle found her niche in manufacturing. Her first industrial client came through a referral, and she was hooked, not by the product lines, but by the people.

In manufacturing, where relationships and trust are paramount, Jennelle discovered an industry naturally aligned with value-based approaches that prioritize long-term customer success over transactional interactions.

3. The boots-on-the-ground mindset meets modern martech

A major struggle in this work? Breaking through decades of sales culture that values face-to-face meetings over digital touchpoints. Many manufacturing sales teams still live on the road, and it's not uncommon for companies to fund long-term lodging in client-rich cities just to maintain that presence.

Jennelle doesn't try to blow up that model. Instead, she advocates for a hybrid, omnichannel approach. It's more than just a productivity move; it's a retention one. With many sales reps aging out and younger talent hesitant to adopt the same grind-heavy model, companies have to evolve to stay competitive.

4. Where to start? CRM and small wins

For sales leaders managing teams hesitant to adopt new technology, Jennelle’s approach demonstrates that change doesn’t have to mean disruption. By anchoring improvements in visible wins—like cleaner pipeline views or faster quote turnaround—reps start to see how these tools make their jobs easier, not harder. Adoption follows momentum.

And that momentum matters. In manufacturing sales, where complex buying cycles and long lead times are the norm, even small gains in visibility and consistency can compound into real revenue growth. A centralized CRM isn’t just a software investment—it’s the foundation for better forecasting, smarter account targeting, and more consistent follow-through across the team.

Rather than chasing trends, manufacturing sales teams gain more by solving one real-world bottleneck at a time. That’s how digital transformation sticks—not as a top-down mandate, but as a series of practical improvements that help sellers sell.

5. A trade show framework that works

Trade shows are still a critical piece of the manufacturing marketing puzzle and can generate significant ROI.

Too many companies show up to expos without a plan, hoping serendipity will deliver good leads. Jennelle takes a strategic approach that reverses this trend. Her Trade Show Success Framework includes:

• Pre-show email nurture campaigns
• Digital ads targeting attendees
• Social engagement with companies exhibiting or attending
• Physical booth strategies like giveaways, interactive elements, and unique experiences

Creative booth experiences consistently outperform traditional setups because they create memorable interactions with prospects. But Jennelle is quick to note: what works at one show might flop at another. Knowing the audience is key. So is being willing to test new tactics, measure the outcomes, and improve over time.

6. Sales and marketing alignment

One of the most rewarding shifts Jennelle sees when implementing CRM and marketing automation is the softening of cold relationships between sales and marketing.

In traditional industrial companies, these departments often operate in silos. Jennelle breaks down those walls by encouraging open feedback: What makes a lead high quality? Where are reps getting stuck in the pipeline? What messaging actually converts?

The most successful clients, she says, are the ones where reps are willing to share call recordings, marketers are willing to tweak messaging based on real-world data, and leadership embraces cross-functional transparency.

Sustainable growth doesn't come from hustle alone. It comes from clarity on what kind of work you want to do, who you want to do it with, and what kind of life you want to lead.

By the end of the conversation, it's clear that Jennelle didn't just build a high-performing agency; she built one that reflects her values. And in doing so, she helped a traditionally analog industry step confidently into the digital age.

Burnout might have started her journey. But alignment, culture, and systems thinking turned it into rocket fuel.

How can a CRM help manufacturing sales teams?

In manufacturing, deals rarely close on the first conversation. Timelines stretch. Specs change. Decision-makers multiply. Without a centralized way to track it all, even the best reps lose deals to disorganization—not competition.

A well-implemented CRM system helps manufacturing sales teams cut through that complexity. It becomes more than just a digital Rolodex. It’s a shared source of truth that captures the full context of every opportunity—quotes sent, follow-up notes, engineering requests, procurement hurdles, and executive priorities—all in one place.

This visibility matters. When data lives in inboxes or spreadsheets, sales managers are forced to rely on gut feel over grounded forecasts. CRM adoption gives leaders real-time insights into the pipeline: which deals are stalling, where reps need support, and how opportunities map to quarterly goals.

CRMs also power smarter segmentation and targeting. Manufacturing reps often juggle large territories or diverse verticals. With the right system, teams can organize accounts by region, product line, lifecycle stage, or historical value—making it easier to prioritize high-potential opportunities and personalize outreach.

Most importantly, CRMs set the stage for scalable sales enablement. When paired with value-based frameworks, they give reps access to the right messaging, assets, and insights—so they can shift from quoting to consultative selling. It’s not just about logging activity. It’s about equipping the team to sell the way modern buyers expect.

Driving CRM adoption on manufacturing sales teams

CRM rollouts fail when they’re positioned as surveillance. They succeed when they’re positioned as support. Sales leaders in manufacturing environments—especially where reps have long tenures or field-based habits—need to start with use cases that solve a real problem, not just check a box.

Start small. Highlight tangible wins like quicker quote approvals, easier follow-up tracking, or clearer territory coverage. Tie those outcomes to time savings and cleaner communication—not compliance.

Then, reinforce adoption with coaching. Use pipeline reviews to ask good questions about deals in progress: What’s the buyer’s business issue? Who’s involved? What are the next steps? When reps can answer those questions clearly—and see that leadership is using CRM data to help, not micromanage—it becomes a tool they value, not avoid.

Above all, keep the focus on outcomes. The goal isn’t a full database. It’s a high-performing team that can qualify faster, forecast better, and deliver more value in every conversation. CRM is just the infrastructure that makes that possible.

Conclusion: Modern Sales, Human Foundations

Manufacturing sales is evolving—but not at the expense of its core strengths. Relationships still matter. Trust still drives deals. What’s changing is how those relationships begin, scale, and sustain over time.

Jennelle McGrath’s journey is proof that legacy industries can modernize without abandoning what makes them great. It starts with clarity: aligning your sales and marketing teams, making your data visible, and giving reps the tools to focus on the buyer’s business problem—not just their own quota. Whether it’s rethinking trade show strategy, implementing a CRM, or reshaping how teams collaborate, the goal isn’t to digitize everything. It’s to remove friction from what already works.

For leaders in manufacturing sales, the opportunity isn’t in chasing the next tool or trend. It’s in building systems that support the way your best reps already sell—consultatively, collaboratively, and with a clear line of sight to value.

Because when the process works for your people, it works for your customers. And that’s how growth gets real.