First Qualified Leads in 30 Days: How KNOLL Successfully Launched Outbound

Hintergrund

KNOLL Maschinenbau develops systems for metalworking and works with industrial companies that need to run complex production processes efficiently and reliably.

Die Herausforderung

KNOLL relied mainly on trade shows and personal contacts to win new customers. New inquiries came in only sporadically and depended heavily on individual events. There was no continuous effort to build conversations outside these channels. At the same time, it was unclear whether decision-makers in mechanical engineering could be reached on LinkedIn at all, and whether they would respond to that kind of outreach. What was missing was a structured approach to build new contacts independent of trade shows and turn them into a steady stream of new business opportunities.

1. 1New customer acquisition heavily dependent on trade shows
2. 2No continuous outreach outside of events
3. 3Unclear whether decision-makers could be reached on LinkedIn and would respond
4. 4No structured process for regular new opportunities

Die Lösung

A clear approach was built for KNOLL to approach production managers in mechanical engineering directly and in a targeted way for the first time. Instead of a broad scattershot, the target group was narrowed down and the messaging was designed to be relevant and understandable for this industry. Communication followed a structured process and was automated in the background, so quality stayed consistent even at higher volumes. This made it possible to test, independent of trade shows, how decision-makers respond to this channel and whether it could produce concrete opportunities.

1. Schritt 1

   Clearly narrowed target group in mechanical engineering

2. Schritt 2

   Direct outreach to production managers via LinkedIn and email

3. Schritt 3

   Individually written messages, delivered consistently through automation

4. Schritt 4

   Structured process for a predictable pipeline

Die Ergebnisse

6 new customers in mechanical engineering through targeted outbound

Reaching out directly to production managers not only drew a strong response but, within 12 months, produced a total of 196 qualified leads and 6 new customers. In mechanical engineering, with its long decision cycles and high deal values, this result shows that targeted outbound works even in conservative industries and translates directly into new orders. At the same time, a continuous flow of new opportunities was built that keeps the pipeline predictable, independent of trade shows.

• 196 qualified leads generated over 12 months
• 6 new customers won
• More than 1,100 replies from relevant decision-makers
• Continuous pipeline built independent of trade shows