When a machinery company moves beyond the "survival-growth" stage and enters the mature stage , its customer acquisition logic undergoes a decisive change: from "capturing traffic" to "capturing projects"; from "grabbing inquiries" to "grabbing budgets"; from "finding customers" to "letting customers find you." Related reading: Machinery Industry Growth Stage Companies: The Most Profitable Channel Combination (Exhibitions + Platforms + Search + Email)

This article uses a mature machinery group with annual revenue of $800 million (pseudonym: GMC HeavyTech) as a real case study to deeply analyze how it continuously wins multi-million dollar projects through its global customer acquisition system.

The article focuses on the typical channel structures of mature companies:

• Exhibitions/Industry Summits: 30%–40%

• SEO + Brand Search: 20%–25%

• Overseas agents/branches: 20%–25%

• Social media/video platforms: 5%–10%

• B2B platform: 5%–10%

• Email/CRM Automation: 5%–15%

• Advertising spending: 5%

I. Where do large projects come from? The "closed-loop channel model" of mature companies.

After entering its mature stage, GMC views "global customer acquisition" as a continuous cycle:

Exposure → Interest → Technical Assessment → Solution Comparison → Tender Document → Negotiation → Implementation

The entire closed loop is driven by six types of channels:

1) Trade shows and summits are responsible for "building trust and getting major clients to see you".

2) Brand SEO is responsible for "making customers find you and recognize you".

3) The agent/branch office is responsible for "local trust + project implementation".

4) The case study library is responsible for "shortening the project evaluation and technology selection cycle".

5) The CRM system is responsible for "cultivating demand and capturing procurement windows".

6) Advertising/video/social media responsible for "strengthening brand recall"

Ultimately, this will lead to a mature customer acquisition system that is multi-channel collaborative and fully online .

II. Case Study: How did GMC HeavyTech win a large-scale conveyor system project worth $28 million?

The following section uses GMC's large order (US$28 million) for a port automation conveyor system in Southeast Asia as an example to break down its entire operation.

Step 1: Establish initial contact at the trade show (source of project leads)

GMC had a large 180m² booth at the Asian Logistics Summit in Manila.

Key actions:

• The core product module (detachable demo) was on display.

• The Chief Technology Officer gave a presentation ("The Latest Trends in Port Automation").

• The booth features a demonstration screen showcasing a cargo port simulation system.

Client A (one of the largest logistics groups in Southeast Asia) first came into contact with GMC here.

Post-exhibition actions:

• Scan the code on-site → Automatically access CRM ( AB Customer CRM, all features free to use )

• The "Port Automation Solution Package PDF" will be automatically sent within 2 hours.

• The regional manager will conduct the first follow-up visit within 3 days.

Experience from mature companies: Trade shows are not about running around to trade shows, but about gathering project leads.

Step 2: Brand SEO triggers "secondary confirmation" (customers proactively visit the official website).

After the client team returned, they searched on Google:

• "Port transport system supplier"

• “bulk material handling automation”

• "GMC HeavyTech + solution"

GMC's brand name and generic terms both rank in the top 3 on the homepage .

The core pages that customers click on include:

• Industry Solutions Page (Automation for Ports)

• Large Project Case Library

• Video demo page

The information provided on these pages directly influences whether a customer proceeds to the next round:

• 3 Port Project Case Studies

• Technical principles + drawing download

• ROI Calculation Template (Excel)

This is why established businesses must do brand SEO: when clients are in the "solution comparison" stage, search results determine whether to continue the conversation.

(Note: GMC's official website uses an AB customer enterprise-level website building architecture with multiple languages ​​and product categories , which is very friendly to large groups.)

Step 3: Local agents reach out to decision-makers (the trust turning point)

GMC's distributor in Malaysia is responsible for:

• Visit to the Port Authority

• Coordinating Technical Exchange Meeting

• Assist in preparing tender documents

• Follow up on local compliance requirements (Customs/Port Authority security standards).

Why are distributors a "must-have for mature companies"?

• Familiar with policies

• Able to access key personnel

• Building local trust

• Able to provide after-sales delivery

• Project progresses faster

For large orders from established companies, 80% of them require an agency system.

Step 4: Technical team involvement and case study library accelerate project progress (critical stage)

At this stage, the customer's primary concern is:

• reliability

• Do you have experience with similar projects?

• Lifetime Cost

• After-sales service capability

• Security Certification

GMC directly draws upon its "global large-scale project case library" .

The content includes:

• Implementation Timeline

• Customer Challenges

• Solution Drawings

• Project ROI

• Debugging process

• The entire video recording (from installation to operation)

Through our case library, we help clients do three things:

1) Report to the internal board of directors (reduce communication costs)

2) Reduce concerns about "trial and error costs"

3) Demonstrate the supplier's capabilities (not boasting, but verifiable).

The core competitiveness of a mature machinery group lies in its experience in undertaking large-scale projects, and its case library serves as the strongest endorsement of its credibility.

Step 5: Joint meeting of headquarters and local team to finalize the solution.

Through a combination of online and offline meetings:

• The technical team explained the system design.

• The project team provides a timeline.

• The finance team provides the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).

• The agent is responsible for local coordination.

After the meeting, the client proceeded to the "budget approval stage".

The GMC CRM system triggers processes through automation:

• Project update reminder

• Comparison Table of Schemes

• Risk assessment document

• After-sales SLA Draft

This enables large clients to quickly achieve compliance.

Step 6: Winning the bid, contract negotiation, and formal implementation

The reasons why the client ultimately chose GMC:

1. The exhibition has high credibility.

2. SEO allows clients to have a second confirmation of our "technical capabilities".

3. Agents accelerate project progress

4. Case study library reduces internal resistance

5. The solution is mature and has low risk.

6. Strong project management skills

The entire project took 5.5 months from lead to contract signing (the industry average is 8–12 months).

III. Summary of Six Key Customer Acquisition Experiences for Mature Enterprises

1) Exhibitions/summits are the "entry point" for large-scale projects and require significant investment.

Mature companies are not afraid to spend money:

• Large booth

• High-quality prototype

• Technical presentation

• VIP Private Session

Because one large project can be equivalent to the cost of 10 exhibitions .

2) Brand SEO is a long-term asset, allowing customers to "actively seek you out".

Mature companies don't rely on luck to get inquiries; they rely on:

• Technical keyword ranking

• Brand keyword placeholder

• Industry Solution Articles

• Video page

• Drawing download page

For mature companies, SEO is not about writing articles, but about writing an "engineering manual".

3) Agency system = local trust (accelerator for large orders)

The value of an agent:

• Familiar with policies

• Familiar network

• Negotiation

• Capable of delivery

• Zero language barrier

• Can do after-sales service

Large projects are almost inseparable from an agency system.

4) Case Library = Key Account Decision-Making Tool (Ultimate Weapon)

A mature company's case study library must include:

• Video

• drawing

• Data-driven (ROI/TCO)

• Failure Rate Display

• Full process record

The more realistic and "engineering-like" the case studies are, the easier it is for major clients to sign off.

5) CRM automation ensures projects "don't go wrong".

Key actions:

• Tender submission reminder

• Automatic data push during project phases

• Approval progress record

• Multi-departmental collaboration

• Automatically follow up to the decision-maker

This is the biggest difference between mature enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises.

6) Multi-channel collaboration, rather than relying on a single channel.

Mature companies have stable channel structures:

• Exhibitions: A Starting Point for Major Projects

• SEO: Stability Brings Passive Leads

• Agent: Increase conversion rate

• Social Media/Video: Brand Memory

• B2B: Replenishing the Lead Pool

• Advertisement: Short-term traffic

• CRM: Reduce Churn

It's not a single point, but a system.

IV. Action List for Mature Enterprises in the Machinery Industry

01 Exhibition Activities

• Set up industry-themed exhibition areas

• CEO/CTO Speech

• Follow-up must be completed within 72 hours after the exhibition.

• Establish a dedicated CRM process for trade show leads

02 SEO/Official Website Actions

• Establish a multilingual, multi-category structure (refer to AB Customer's enterprise-level website building ).

• Deep Solutions Page

• Real Project Case Library

• Industry White Paper

• Technical articles (not blog posts, but articles on technical standards)

03 Proxy Actions

• Optimize agent incentive policies

• Provide sales toolkits (PPT/case studies/ROI tools) for agents.

• Regular technical training

04 CRM Actions

• Clue rating

• Phase Reminder

• Automated email dripping

• Online Document Center

05 Content Actions

• Video-based: Project videos, factory capabilities, testing

• Drawing representation: schematic diagram/flowchart

• Data-driven: ROI, energy consumption, project duration, maintenance costs

In conclusion, the secret to mature companies securing large orders lies in their "systematic capabilities."

The case of GMC HeavyTech illustrates this point:

Large projects are never completed in a single transaction, but are the result of a system-wide effort.

Trade shows open doors, SEO builds trust, agents accelerate projects, case studies facilitate procurement, and CRM prevents lost orders.

This is the underlying logic behind the mature machinery group's continued success in securing multi-million dollar projects.