When Corrugated Packaging Sales Decline, Pressures Rise

It’ll be no surprise to corrugated manufacturers that demand for boxes, custom packaging, and related materials has been dropping for some time. Q4-22 in particular saw a sharp decline of 8.4% according to the Fibre Box Association. US box operating rates fell as well, revealing that 20% of the nation’s capacity to produce boxes was stagnant at that time.

With this industry serving as a barometer for the broader economy, it’s clear that manufacturers need to do all they can to ramp up corrugated packaging sales. Outbound lead generation services are more critical than ever to success. Here, we’ll explore several key reasons why this is the case.

Why Outbound Lead Generation Services?

  • Sales teams are being stretched thin — Corrugated packaging sales teams are often tasked with handling more than just sales. Teams are often responsible for account service functions and sometimes even dealing with customer service issues. It’s simple — less time spent on revenue generation activities means less revenue generated. Sales teams today need to be prioritized on exactly what they do best, and that’s selling — whether it’s new business development or existing account growth.
  • Traditional sales methods are ineffective — Cold calling, blanket direct mail, and other selling tactics might land the occasional opportunity, but they’re more likely to be a waste of resources. Those resources should be invested in efforts that produce results. Outbound lead generation services leverage outreach methods that are targeted, are based on defined profiles of the ideal prospect, are consistent in execution, and are repeatable until the prospect reaches a clear decision.
  • Other avenues are often difficult to measure — Going about sales and marketing blindly without a defined strategy will not only fail to produce results but also fail to be measurable. And as we all know, you can’t improve what you can’t measure. Outbound lead generation services to support corrugated packaging sales leverage the latest CRM, marketing automation, and analytics solutions to track every effort from start to finish. Armed with this data, corrugated manufacturers can better understand what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to be done to make adjustments or maximize success.
  • It complements other marketing and sales avenues — While strong in their own right, outbound lead generation services are best when combined with additional sales and marketing strategies. For example, while outbound efforts function as a marketing and sales “push” designed to position your business in front of prospects, inbound marketing (SEO, email nurturing, PPC, content marketing, etc.) serves as a “pull” — efforts designed to position your business where prospects are already searching or interacting to capture attention and convert them into leads.
  • It’s faster and often more cost-effective — Re-tasking your sales team and internal marketing team — who are used to doing things a certain way using specific tools and processes — on a new corrugated packaging sales strategy would be no easy feat. Additional training, technology setup time, strategy development, and more would all come into play. Outsourcing outbound lead generation services for corrugated packaging provides you with the team, tools, and time to get the program off the ground sooner. The investment is typically lower as well, as you’re not hiring new leaders or specialists and don’t have to dedicate resources internally to training and new tooling.

Case in Point: a Holistic Strategy for Corrugated Packaging Sales

When this custom corrugated packaging and bulk bag manufacturer needed a solution for organic sales growth, it leaned on a combined inbound and outbound marketing strategy to break into new markets and build its pipeline. The result? More than $1 million in new account annual spend and the addition of more than $2.5 million into its active sales pipeline. Read the full case study here.

Take a New Approach During a Challenging Time

Athena SWC works with corrugated packaging manufacturers nationwide to help them implement a more structured front-end approach to new business development and revenue growth. With our holistic process, your organization gets a defined, effective strategy for targeting the most ideal prospects for your capabilities, winning and growing those new accounts, improving sales team productivity and accountability, and more.

It all starts with a no-obligation conversation into our process. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our corrugated packaging sales growth capabilities leveraging outbound lead generation services and inbound marketing. We look forward to supporting your success.