Sales Support for B2B Market Entry

Our client, a German company founded in 2003, specializes in the manufacture and distribution of premium car care and cleaning products. With well over 200 products, including cleaning products, microfiber cloths and polishing machines, the majority of production takes place in Germany, with certain products such as microfiber cloths manufactured abroad.

Previously, the company operated exclusively in the B2C segment – focusing on its own online store and social media marketing, particularly on Instagram. To achieve further growth, the company decided to take the strategic step into B2B sales. Our goal: to acquire wholesalers and resellers in the DACH region (i.e. Germany, Austria and Switzerland) in order to secure larger order volumes and sustainable business relationships.

Target customer analysis and sales strategy

A wish list of potential business partners was drawn up and refined. The original target group – car detailers and garages – proved to be less lucrative, as the order volumes were usually too low. Unfortunately, feedback from DIY stores indicated that they were not an ideal target customer either, as they preferred to work with full-line retailers.

As part of a strategic realignment, we focused on wholesalers and resellers with brick-and-mortar locations (e.g., gas stations) as well as online stores in the DACH region. This has laid the foundation for scalable growth in B2B sales.

One-stop sales and marketing

As a B2B sales partner, we handled the entire outreach to potential business customers, relying on multi-channel sales:

• Direct customer contact via phone, email and face-to-face meetings
• Sending out product samples to demonstrate the quality of the car care products
• Develop compelling marketing materials and company presentations
• Optimize pricing based on market analysis and competitive experience
• Attending trade shows and industry events to strengthen personal relationships

Despite the expected strong competition, we have made significant progress. We have entered into promising discussions with leading companies and a major e-commerce platform, on which a vendor profile has now been set up. In the medium term, we expect sales to be in the seven-figure range, representing sales growth of around 15%.

Another highlight was the cooperation with a major customer who was interested in a custom-designed glass cleaner – however, a specific chemical was not desired. By working directly with the customer’s chemists, we were able to develop a customized solution – an example of our technical expertise that goes beyond traditional sales.

Regular strategy meetings, online conferences and detailed reporting characterized the close collaboration with the client. The personal exchange with the new business partners played a central role and formed the basis for a sustainable customer relationship.

The successful entry into the B2B market required a flexible adjustment of the sales strategy, pricing and product development. By focusing on the right target customers – wholesalers and resellers – promising results were achieved. The next steps? The development of an online configurator for customized car care products and advanced discussions with additional key accounts.

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