TECHNOLOGY
Your Marketing Is Only as Good as Your Tech
What’s today’s most persuasive sales and marketing tool? The technology on your shop floor. Customers want proof – not promises. A connected, modern factory doesn’t just make parts; it builds trust. Real-time data, digital twins, automated processes, and predictive analytics communicate capability, reliability, and innovation better than any brochure ever could. Manufacturers often spotlight equipment on their websites – but showcasing the digital technologies driving speed and consistency can be just as powerful. The smartest manufacturers align marketing with operations, using digital maturity as a differentiator. If your tech can’t sell your value proposition, it might be time for an upgrade.
INTELLIGENCE
Precision Prospecting: How Data Drives Manufacturing Technology Sales
In today’s competitive manufacturing technology market, data-driven decision-making is transforming sales and marketing. Companies are using purchase histories, service logs, monthly industry order data like AMT’s USMTO, and macroeconomic indicators to identify likely buyers. According to McKinsey, data-driven sales teams are 23% more likely to outperform peers in acquisition and profitability.
Manufacturers and distributors can prioritize high-potential leads, improving efficiency, reducing waste, and shortening sales cycles.
AMT Research Services helps members transform their own data into actionable insights and can assist in developing statistical models that estimate customer purchase likelihood. Through its research services, members also access targeted prospect lists, focusing on regions or industries where data trends suggest strong readiness for new equipment investment.
With these tools, companies can sharpen their outreach, focus sales efforts, and compete more strategically in a data-driven marketplace.
SMARTFORCE
Bet on People: AMT’s 2025 Meetups Deliver Relationships, Sales
Want to win in sales? Invest in relationships that scale your business, and that starts when you bet on people, not pitches. Join us at AMT’s 2025 Meetup Series, where we bring together real buyers, sellers, and decision-makers to spark conversations that go beyond the handshake. With diverse attendees from the AMT, Women in Manufacturing, and National Tooling & Machining Association communities, you will find new opportunities, fresh insights, and real leads that convert. Seven cities, hundreds of conversations, one mission: authentic connections that drive your bottom line. See the schedule at AMTonline.org/events/AMT-meetups.
Introducing ‘The Inside Track’: AMT Committee Highlights
Get the inside scoop on AMT’s six committees with “The Inside Track,” our new feature on AMT Online. Stay informed on recent news, upcoming projects, and opportunities to get involved. To learn more about AMT’s Automation in Manufacturing, Distribution, Economics & Statistics, Global, Show, and Technology Issues committees, visit AMTonline.org.
ADVOCACY
Trump Administration Releases $1.7 Trillion Budget Proposal for FY2026
At the end of May, the Trump administration unveiled its $1.7 trillion discretionary budget request for fiscal year 2026, signaling significant shifts in federal spending priorities. The proposal includes a 13% boost in defense funding and a record-setting $175 billion investment in border security. In contrast, nondefense discretionary spending would be reduced by nearly 23%. The budget strongly emphasizes research and development, particularly at the National Laboratories, with targeted investments in emerging technologies such as fusion energy, quantum information science, and artificial intelligence.
While the administration’s request serves as a blueprint, Congress must now draft and pass the final spending legislation. The House Appropriations Committee has already begun work on the 12 appropriations bills that must be approved before the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1. As lawmakers continue deliberations throughout the summer, August presents a critical window for advocacy. Contact your members of Congress and urge them to prioritize manufacturing as they shape the FY2026 budget.
INTERNATIONAL
Thriving in Today’s Market — Anywhere
In today’s unpredictable global climate, many traditional business strategies no longer suffice. Globalization and regional trade blocs like the EU, USMC, ASEAN, and Mercosur now lack cohesion, requiring new approaches to sustain international relationships.
So, what can you do to succeed? In the short term, reassure customers that you’re committed to navigating trade barriers, tariffs, and bilateral challenges together. Engage your sales channels to actively support and maintain strong client ties. In the long term, invest in optimizing trade operations, cutting costs, and maintaining your edge through quality, service, and technology. Embrace tools like foreign trade zones and consider localizing operations where practical.
For expert guidance and international support, turn to AMT, whose global team – based in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and Tech Centers around the world – is dedicated to helping you access and thrive in foreign markets – in good times and difficult ones.
To read the rest of the Sales & Marketing Issue of MT Magazine, click here.
