Con noi il cliente respira l'innovazione.

This is the stage upon which contact between the key players - the customer and the machines - is established, as explained by Marco Toti, responsible for the Biesse showrooms in Pesaro.

What does your work and that of the team in the showroom consist of?

«"I am in charge of coordinating activities: I distribute the various tasks between the guys in the showroom, and manage requests from our salespeople and dealers with regard to visits from customers and the types of demo to be provided. We worked out that nearly 50% of customers who visit the Tech Center and take part in a demo go on to make a purchase. This figure is extremely high, and just serves to demonstrate the degree to which everyone at Biesse, from the sales director Federico Broccoli right down the hierarchy, believes in the power of the showroom - the ultimate location for customers to see and touch the product, where expertly trained technicians who can listen to their needs accompany them throughout their journey».

There is a team of nine people working on this mission daily, and first and foremost, they offer comprehensive knowledge of all of the technologies available.

«Exactly. All of our brands have a reference person, and the work centres in particular have 3 dedicated members of staff, due to the fact that demos of these technologies tend to be the most frequent, and are the most complex. Every member of the team is required to keep the machines in perfect condition, both in terms of technical functions and aesthetics, ensuring that they are always ready to deliver a demo. Personally, I also deal with orders, and with managing the materials: here at the facility, we manage some of the most common materials, but on specific request, there is a dedicated area for customers who want to purchase tools too. We also support our branches at trade fairs or internal events».

Contact between the customer and Biesse: the Tech Center is where this physically takes place, in a different way every time.

«When customers enter the showroom, they usually already have an offer in hand, and sometimes more than one - they may not yet be sure of the type of machine that best suits their needs, and as such, are visiting the showroom to remove any remaining doubts. The decision is not based solely on performance, but also on variables that may seem "secondary" at first sight, such as the amount of space the machine will take up when installed in the facility for which it is destined. At Biesse, customers are presented with a different experience - they allow themselves to be surrounded by technology, the thing that distinguishes Biesse throughout the world».

Standard and custom demos: what are the differences between the two, and who are they aimed at?

«Customers who are already loyal to the Biesse brand usually watch a standard demo, during which the features of the machine are illustrated, emphasising its strengths. Standard demos are the most common, due to the fact that waiting times for these are zero, and they are quick to set up. Custom demos, conversely, are tailored to the specific needs of the customer, and can be adapted in accordance with the designs to be produced and sometimes the materials requested: all of these factors have an impact on implementation times. We often ship the machined sample directly to the customer's facility, without the latter having to physically come to Pesaro. Demonstration videos, which are often provided with the piece that has been machined, are designed to allay any doubts regarding the purchase the customer has chosen to make».

Whether they are buying their first machine or finalising their hundredth purchase, customers expect to be guided professionally in their research.

«This is why I like to refer to our Tech Center as a great laboratory of experience. 80% of the guys who work in the showroom have previous experience of working in the field, and they put this field service to good use, in an environment where contact with the customer is everything. These customers come to you, asking you questions, and often sketch a line or two on a blank sheet of paper before turning to you and saying: "I want to perform this machining operation, can the machine do it?" The showroom technician must know how to read the needs of the customer, and anticipate any doubts».

Technical expertise is paramount, but a talent for sales is also important...

«Indeed, non everyone is suited to working in this environment. A great technician who boasts extremely specialised knowledge may not be able to listen to requirements from the customers or provide information that is not only correct, but appropriate... Of course, a thorough knowledge of the machines is necessary; these technologies hide a whole host of variables, with regard to the tools that are fitted onto them for example - each of which performs a certain function or creates a certain finish. We always try to ensure that we have the very best at our fingertips: we have several tool suppliers with whom we collaborate on the development of their products, which are then showcased in our showroom».

When working on the demos, do you come up with suggestions to improve the machines that you work with every day?

«Yes, because we work with the machines on a daily basis, we do experience problems, both in terms of the software and at mechanical or electrical level: all these anomalies are promptly reported. We are also often in touch with the prototype department, in order to ascertain the limits of a product, helping to solve any problems that are not evident in the design and validation stages».

Out of curiosity: how do new demos come about?

«They are developed on the basis of discussions between the Product Area Managers and my team, and also stem from the requests that we handle throughout the year. We're always trying introduce further innovation to our demos, but it's not that easy: specially when you find the right demo which is capable of emphasising the advantages of a given machine, like a wooden ball, one of our must. It may seem extremely trivial, but the wooden ball is the perfect expression of the power and precision of our infinite 5-axis CNC machine for woodworking, something the competition simply does not have. When we are developing new demos, it is important to take the duration of these into consideration: we try not to exceed 5 minutes, especially when demos are delivered during internal events or trade fairs, where the customer wants to gain an overview of the potential of the machine in a short amount of time. In these cases, demos become more "creative", in order to capture the attention of customers even from a distance, and spark their curiosity. The dinosaur, which is built to slot together, was created in collaboration with our branches, with whom we often exchange ideas and suggestions, which are then translated into new demonstrations».

Favourite machine?

«That would be the machine that has always fascinated me the most: the 5-axis Rover A work centre - the best-selling Biesse product, and not by chance. I am strongly bound to it through my past and then also because you can do almost everything with a 5-axis machine!».

Biesse in one word?

«Determination, which stems from its founder».