CRM for hydraulics distributors

A hydraulics distributor sells hoses, fittings, pumps, cylinders and valves to workshops, plant operators and machine builders. A CRM for that trade has to hold each customer's prices, the parts they buy and the paperwork around a quote, so a rep can answer a breakdown call in minutes and still protect the margin.

In PromptLab, each customer's agreed prices sit in a customer price list that you pick on each quote, quotes are built from your products with the margin on each line, and sales orders sit on the account. Trade counter, workshop and OEM deals share one pipeline, told apart by a field. The wider distribution view is on the distributors page.

How does hydraulics distribution actually sell?

Three kinds of buyer share one counter. Plant and fleet operators buy to keep machines running and care most about speed. Hydraulic workshops and repairers buy components and hose to rebuild other people's equipment, and expect a trade price. Machine builders and OEMs buy in volume against a drawing and expect a stable price and steady supply.

The breakdown call is the most urgent sale. A machine is down, the buyer has a worn fitting or a leaking hose in their hand and wants the part today. The rep who can identify it, quote it and confirm when it ships wins the account, often for years.

Planned orders look different. An OEM or a maintenance planner sends a part list for the month, and the work is accuracy and repeatability, not speed.

What do buyers ask for before they order?

Hydraulic parts are specified tightly. A buyer names a thread type, a size, a working pressure and a fluid, and two parts that look alike can fail if they do not match. Expect these requests:

• Cross-references. The buyer has another brand's part number and wants the equivalent from your range. Keep the cross-reference in a product field, so any rep can answer it.
• Made-to-order hose assemblies. A hose cut to length with fittings crimped on is a custom item. The quote needs the hose, both end fittings and the length, and the lead time differs from a catalogue part.
• Certificates and test records. Some buyers ask for paperwork with an assembly. Keep the current copy on the account's Files tab.
• Lead times. Catalogue parts, imported parts and made-to-order assemblies all take different times. Say which on the quote. What is lead time covers the term.

Why do repeat orders and trade accounts matter so much?

Hydraulic parts wear out. A fleet that bought hose last quarter will buy it again, and a workshop that trusts your counter sends the next job there too. The value of an account is in the repeat orders, not the first one.

That makes two things worth watching. First, the account that quietly stops ordering, usually because a second supplier answered a breakdown call faster. A rep who can see that an account ordered every month and has not for two months can ring before the loss is complete. Second, the trade price. If a workshop gets a different price from one rep than from another, the account notices. A price list per customer fixes that.

What pipeline stages fit a hydraulics distributor?

PromptLab has one deal pipeline per workspace, with stages you choose. Mark each deal as a breakdown, a planned order or an OEM programme with a field, and save a view for each. A workable set of stages:

Breakdown deals will skip stages and close in an afternoon. That is fine: a deal can move straight from Enquiry to Order placed.

What must the CRM track?

• A price list per customer, by part and pack size, so a rep never quotes from memory.
• Quotes with the margin on every line, and a clear status: Draft, Pending or Approved.
• Cross-references and part specifications, held as product fields.
• Documents such as test records on the account's Files tab.
• Order history by product, so the rep sees what the account buys and what it stopped buying.
• Messages from every channel. Buyers email a part list, send a WhatsApp photo of a failed fitting, or message on Telegram. They should all land on the account.

How do you set this up in PromptLab?

1. 1

   Import accounts and products

   Bring in accounts, contacts and products from CSV or Excel. Add a deal field for the type of order: breakdown, planned or OEM programme. Add a product field for the cross-reference.

2. 2

   Build a price list per account type

   Create a customer price list for each key account and for your workshop trade tier. Quotes use them. Editing a list reprices every quote linked to it, so put a price change in a new list. Managing customer price lists shows the routine.

3. 3

   Quote from the list

   Pick the products and the price list on each quote. Line discounts show as you build, and so does the margin on each line, worked out from each product's cost price. Send it as a PDF or a public link.

4. 4

   Put the counter in the Inbox

   Mechanics and plant managers send photos on WhatsApp. Connect your WhatsApp Business number and your company Telegram bot, with email, and the thread about a failed fitting lands on the account, not on one rep's phone.

5. 5

   Chase the quote with a task

   A workflow can create a task for the owner when a quote changes status or a deal changes stage. A Pending quote then never sits unnoticed.

6. 6

   Review the quiet accounts

   Use Ask AI to list accounts whose latest sales order is more than a couple of months old, then book a call to each one that has gone quiet. How to increase repeat orders has the routine.

How does PromptLab compare for hydraulics distributors?

Swipe the table sideways to see every CRM →

Pipedrive is easy to learn and has a clear pipeline. It has no sample tracking and no price list per customer, so a workshop's and an OEM's agreed prices for the same fitting live outside it, and quotes wait for Premium at $59 a seat a month, billed annually. Zoho CRM has quotes, sales orders and price books from $23 a user a month, billed annually, which suits a trade counter.

HubSpot is a polished all-in-one suite with a Starter plan from $7 a seat a month, billed annually. For product sales, quoting sits in the separate Revenue Hub, and sales orders and price lists aren't there. Professional and Enterprise add a $1,500 to $3,500 onboarding fee. For a side-by-side look at one of them, see Pipedrive vs PromptLab.

Frequently asked questions

What should a CRM for a hydraulics distributor include?

It should hold a price list per customer, quotes built from your products, sales orders, documents such as test records, and a record of every message. PromptLab includes these on every plan, starting at $11.99 per user per month.

Can a CRM handle made-to-order hose assemblies?

You can quote one by picking the hose and each end fitting as lines on a quote, and write the length and lead time in the quote's notes, which print on the PDF. Add the assembly as a product if you sell the same one often.

How do I manage trade prices for workshops?

Keep a price list for each customer or trade tier and quote from it. Editing a list reprices every quote linked to it, so put a price change in a new list.

Where do I keep test records for assemblies?

Keep the master copies in your quality system and attach the version you sent to the account's Files tab. The CRM then shows what each buyer has received.

Is there a free trial?

Basic and Professional come with a 14-day free trial, with no card needed. There is no free plan.