With the emergence of new digital tools due to COIVD-19 restrictions, business practices are changing rapidly. Rather than face-to-face meeting with clients, companies are conducting meetings over video conferencing platforms. Videos of factory tours are replacing in person tours and online brochures and videos of products are replacing the practice of producing and distributing hard-copy marketing materials. Further, with travel and large gathering restricted, tradeshows are going virtual with exhibitors uploading brochures and videos about their company and video-chatting with attendees. BC Wood has rapidly changed its’ approach to take advantage of these new virtual tools.
To support companies adapting to this new business environment, BC Wood is introducing new programs to help companies successfully develop new sales during these challenging circumstances. BC Wood, as it has in previous years, will deliver market and business development activities in partnership with value-added wood products manufacturers, but do so using virtual platforms. BC Wood’s staff in the US and Asia markets are ready to assist companies to break through barriers to find and develop new clients, without the need of travelling to the market.
Virtual Workshops
BC Wood will deliver several virtual workshops throughout the year on business development and marketing topics that will help you adapt to the new business environment and continue to grow your markets and sales. These workshops will deal with topics that include “Managing a Workforce from Home”, “Retooling Sales and Marketing in a Post-COVID World” and the recently announced “Video Production” workshop. (You do not need to be a BC Wood member to access these workshops)
Export Readiness Training Program
The BC Wood Export Readiness Training Program is an in-depth webinar based 9-module program developed for BC’s wood products industry that will guide participants through the complete process of exporting.
Video Production Workshop: Every Wednesday from Nov. 4 to Dec. 9
Join BC Wood for a six-part online course via Zoom platform to learn basic information, tips, and tricks to help you create more effective communications videos that connect with your audience(s). Learning how to create effective communications videos is imperative in successfully promoting your company, as virtual meetings and conducting business online becomes the new norm.
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Whether it’s building rapport, identifying needs, or presenting professionally, Part 1 will dive into how you need to shift your sales strategy to win over prospects (using research-based insights available during these early days of virtual selling). Part 2 will focus on how to present and perform on your web camera for the biggest impact and best experience D2D (device-to-device), focusing on aspects such as designing slides, building surprise, and staying engaged.
Assessments
With the support of a marketing specialist, you will review and evaluate your own company’s marketing activities and strategy. Following this evaluation, you will receive a comprehensive summary report that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of your company’s marketing activity/strategy, recommended changes or improvements, and suggested new marketing activities/strategies that should be considered. You will also receive recommendations on how to accelerate your marketing strategy, as well as recommendations on how to strengthen and improve your overall brand and messaging, to further set you apart from competitors and achieve your desired business goals. There is government funding available to cover a portion of your cost – a significant cost savings of up to 75%! For more information on marketing assessments, please contact Rumin at rmann@bcwood.com. (You do not need to be a BC Wood member to access this program).
Marketing or Business Development One-on-One Assistance Projects:
The Company Projects use the information gained from assessments to develop projects that will improve competitiveness, address gaps in sales and business development and strengthen your company’s supply chain. Through these company projects you will learn how to manage your business and market your products in a more effective manner with the goal of making your company more competitive. Examples of topics that are dealt with in the company projects include leadership and management training, sales coaching, creating a social media strategy and effectively managing teams virtually training. BC Wood cost shares these projects providing you with a significant cost savings! For more information on company projects, please contact me rmann@bcwood.com. (You do not need to be a BC Wood member to access this program).
WoodTALKS™ Program
The WoodTALKS program provides you with the opportunity to educate Specifiers (architects, designers, engineers, developers, builders, and contractors) in BC, Alberta and the US on their products or expertise. You receive the added benefit of establishing yourself as trusted industry leader, presenting your company and products to specifiers, and building their client bases. Through education, the goal is to create more customers/markets for your products and services by creating awareness. These sessions will be conducted over Zoom and the participating architects will be receiving learning units. For more information, you can contact Ken Hori at khori@bcwood.com.
Virtual Marketing Programs
The current economic uncertainties in domestic markets caused by COVID-19 pandemic requires that BC companies need customers in export markets more than ever. How can you expand sales when you cannot travel? BC Wood’s in-market representatives in the US, Japan, and Korea will work with members to develop a virtual market strategy for your specific products, research and then find qualified clients for you, host and translate online meetings with the clients, and most importantly, stick-handle the follow-up to help you seal the deal.
For more information on BC Wood’s new virtual marketing programs contact Jim Ivanoff at ivanoff@bcwood.jp for Asian program activities, and David Farley at dfarley@bcwood.com for North America program activities.
Virtual Trade Events
BC Wood will offer companies the opportunity to participate in virtual trade shows and conferences that are delivered by third parties or in some cases by BC Wood itself. Many of the organizers of traditional wood products and construction sector tradeshows are rapidly developing and delivering virtual alternatives, including several established conferences that match manufacturers with architects, builders and wholesale distributors. BC Wood will coordinate the participation of companies in these trade events to connect qualified buyers to companies like yours.
Virtual 2020 Global Buyers Mission: January 25 to 29, 2021
With the restrictions on international travel in place for the foreseeable future, BC Wood will develop and deliver a virtual alternative to the 2020 GBM. The virtual platform will replicate the GBM experience which has become a one of a kind meeting-place for buyers and sellers of wood products. Utilizing a virtual format, BC Wood expects to attract many more qualified buyers than the 450 that have traditional attended the in-person event. For more information on BC Wood’s new virtual GBM, contact Randi Walker at rwalker@bcwood.com.
Virtual Trade Missions
BC Wood will organize and host virtual trade missions to select target markets throughout the United States and Asia. For the past two years, BC Wood’s members have participated in these in-person market development missions. BC Wood’s in-market representatives will coordinate virtual group meetings with 4 to 6 companies and design and construction professionals in specific regional markets. This is a great platform for you to introduce your products and services to qualified buyers. Through your participation in these missions you will develop new business contacts and sales leads as well as gain valuable market intelligence on select regions in the US. Target buyers include builders, architects, construction specifiers and building product distributors in regional markets in Asia and the United States.
Virtual One-to-One Meetings
BC Wood has identified a specific need for one-to-one meetings between qualified customers and value-added wood products manufacturers. These product or project focused meetings will be using the virtual Zoom platform. BC Wood will organize, host and moderate meetings between you and key decision makers including architects, builders, wood products importers and distributors and construction specifiers. BC Wood staff will utilize its own extensive database of contacts and in-depth knowledge of key market contacts to directly connect representatives of BC’s industry to buyers and specifiers in the US and Asia.
For more information on any of the above programs or BC Wood membership, please contact me at rmann@bcwood.com.