DigitalituM Podcast Episode 16 - Ed Marsh - Ed Marsh Consulting - Rethinking B2B Sales in Manufacturing with Ed Marsh

DigitalituM Podcast - At the Intersection of Manufacturing and Digital Transformation

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Beyond Specs: Rethinking B2B Sales in Manufacturing with Ed Marsh

🔧 Episode Summary:
In this episode of the DigitalituM Podcast – at the intersection of Manufacturing and Digital Transformation, host Markus Rimmele welcomes Ed Marsh, an expert in B2B industrial sales and global market strategy. Together, they explore how traditional manufacturers—especially German and European capital equipment builders—struggle with modern sales practices in the U.S. market and what to do about it.

Ed shares stories and proven frameworks from his decades-long experience working with Mittelstand companies and global manufacturers. From cultural differences and buying behaviors to digital disruption, sales enablement, service transformation, and trade shows—this episode is a must-listen for anyone in industrial sales, marketing, or leadership.

🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why many European manufacturers fail in the U.S. market—and how to succeed
• The difference between selling specs and selling outcomes
• Why marketing must handle 67% of the buying journey before sales ever get involved
• How AI, LLMs, and content formatting are changing industrial buying decisions
• The myth of "qualified leads" and the hidden value of early relationship building
• The role of service teams as potential revenue generators
• How proactive service models and predictive maintenance shift the business model
• Why your trade show leads don’t convert—and how to fix it
• The importance of cross-industry partnerships in building long-term trust
• A new way to recruit and evaluate superstar industrial salespeople (hint: it’s not resumes)

🧠 Key Quotes:

“German manufacturers bring rigor to engineering and production—but often a casual attitude to sales.” – Ed Marsh“Buyers don’t buy because of speed or specs. They buy because of business outcomes.” – Ed Marsh“97% of your target market isn’t buying right now. You need to be part of their 97% thinking.” – Markus Rimmele

🌍 Guest: Ed Marsh
Ed Marsh is a B2B revenue growth consultant, speaker, and founder of Consilium Global Business Advisors, helping mid-market industrial companies grow through modern sales and marketing strategies. He’s also the host of the “Signals from the OP” podcast, focused on strategic B2B growth.

🔗 Ed Marsh on LinkedIn
🌐 Consilium Global Business Advisors
🎧 Signals from the OP Podcast

👤 Host: Markus Rimmele
Markus is the Managing Principal of DigitalituM, a boutique consultancy helping European and U.S. manufacturers embrace digital transformation with tools like AR, VR, IoT, AI, MES, and Predictive Maintenance. He’s passionate about cross-cultural success, smart field service, and sales enablement in manufacturing.

🔗 Markus Rimmele on LinkedIn

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