# Creating a Well-Designed Sales Playbook w/ Kevin Roach

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2021-03-23
- Length: 35m
- Episode: 41
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-23-creating-a-well-designed-sales-playbook-w-kevin-roach
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-3898a690-22ea-417e-8eac-8f3b0979a909

## Summary

Kevin Roach, President of Harpak-ULMA, explains how his company developed a rigorous, buyer-centric sales playbook to replace ad-hoc selling. He details a five-stage process—Recognition, Determining Needs, Evaluating Options, Resolving Concerns, and Selection—that requires prospect activities to advance, ensuring alignment and preventing sales cycle elongation. Roach emphasizes integrating Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) into sales conversations to demonstrate financial value, while leveraging partners like Rockwell Automation and PTC to build smart, connected packaging equipment.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-23-creating-a-well-designed-sales-playbook-w-kevin-roach#t=0) Introduction: The Problem with Ad-Hoc Sales Processes
- [3:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-23-creating-a-well-designed-sales-playbook-w-kevin-roach#t=224) Kevin Roach's Career and Harpak-ULMA's History
- [5:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-23-creating-a-well-designed-sales-playbook-w-kevin-roach#t=356) The Necessity of a Documented Sales Process
- [8:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-23-creating-a-well-designed-sales-playbook-w-kevin-roach#t=511) The 5-Stage Buyer-Centric Sales Process
- [13:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-23-creating-a-well-designed-sales-playbook-w-kevin-roach#t=802) Developing the Process with SBI and DoubleCheck
- [17:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-23-creating-a-well-designed-sales-playbook-w-kevin-roach#t=1071) Integrating OEE and TCO into Sales Conversations
- [26:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-23-creating-a-well-designed-sales-playbook-w-kevin-roach#t=1591) Key Recommendations for Overhauling Sales Teams
- [30:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-23-creating-a-well-designed-sales-playbook-w-kevin-roach#t=1840) Smart Connected Machines and Future Strategy

## Topics

- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Harpak-ULMA (company)
- Rockwell Automation (company)
- PTC (company)
- Honeywell Intelligrated (company)
- SBC Sales Benchmark Index (company)
- DoubleCheck (company)
- TW Cutter (company)
- Epicore Software (company)
- Activint Solutions (company)
- Rockwell Software (company)
- GE Industrial Software (company)
- Gorilla 76 (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [218: Best Sales Processes for Selling Hardware Products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-03-21-218-best-sales-processes-for-selling-hardware-products) (Product Startup)
- [S6E42 Ramzi Marjaba | From Idea to Approval: Persuasion for Engineers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-17-s6e42-ramzi-marjaba-from-idea-to-approval-persuasion-for-engineers) (Being an Engineer)
- [#047 - RERUN - How next-generation retail looks like, with Vibhu Norby of b8ta, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-01-31-047-rerun-how-next-generation-retail-looks-like-with-vibhu-norby-of-b8ta-usa) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [141: Product Sales Process for Hardware Startups](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-14-141-product-sales-process-for-hardware-startups) (Product Startup)
- [S6E10 Clint Biggs | Sales Engineering, Relationships, & Earning Potential](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-07-s6e10-clint-biggs-sales-engineering-relationships-earning-potential) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

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