Manufacturing technologyHow a manufacturing technology company used FunnelX to get value “right out of the box,” turning AI roleplay into a daily practice habit that keeps the team sharp in a low-connect-rate selling environment.
Overview
Selling AI-powered quality analytics to automotive and manufacturing executives is complex. Reps need to understand the specialized technology, speak the language of manufacturing engineers, and navigate multi-stakeholder buying committees, all while competing against legacy systems and internal status-quo bias.
For Acerta Analytics, a fast-scaling manufacturing technology startup, the challenge was not just onboarding new reps. It was finding a way to keep the entire sales team sharp when today’s lower connect rates mean reps simply do not get as many live conversations to practice on. Each call counts more than ever, and the team needed a way to stay sharp.
FunnelX delivered immediate value for Acerta, helping them onboard new SDRs in record time, establish daily AI practice as a team habit, and build a foundation for deeper coaching as the platform becomes embedded in their sales motion.
Acerta Analytics is a manufacturing analytics company that uses AI and machine learning to help automotive and industrial manufacturers reduce the cost of poor quality. Their platform analyzes production data in real time to predict failures, reduce scrap, and improve yield, saving manufacturers millions in warranty costs and production downtime.
With a growing client base of Tier 1 automotive suppliers and OEMs, Acerta’s sales team must navigate highly technical conversations with engineering leaders, plant managers, and C-suite executives who are evaluating AI solutions for the first time.
acerta.ai →The challenge
Acerta’s sales process is anything but transactional. Reps sell into manufacturing environments where buyers are often skeptical of AI, deeply technical, and accustomed to legacy quality management methods. The typical sales cycle is lengthy, involving multiple stakeholders from plant floor engineers to VP-level decision makers, each with different priorities and objections that reps had to be ready for.
Beyond the complexity of the sale, Acerta faced a reality that every modern sales team faces: lower connect rates. With fewer live conversations happening each day, reps do not get as many opportunities to practice, and there was no structured way for reps to put onboarding knowledge into action.
“We needed a partner that could deliver value fast, without a long implementation cycle.”
Angela DrystekDirector of Marketing, Acerta AnalyticsThe solution
Acerta partnered with FunnelX to deploy AI-powered sales roleplay and coaching across their sales and SDR team. What stood out immediately was how quickly the platform delivered results.
The platform was configured with scenarios that mirrored Acerta’s actual customer conversations including the technical objections, the ROI questions, and the data integration concerns that manufacturing buyers raise. Reps began to practice discovery calls, objection handling, and product positioning in a realistic environment that prepared them for the real thing.
Acerta is an industrial AI company helping manufacturers build better products. Their AI-powered platform transforms production data into real-time insights, enabling teams to identify quality issues faster, reduce waste, and optimize manufacturing processes with confidence.
That became a natural part of the team’s routine.
Build specific practice scenarios for different personas and conversation types quickly, using internal documents they already had.
That mirrored real conversations closely enough to build genuine, Acerta-specific selling skills.
That scored each rep after every session and reinforced the right discovery, objection-handling, and positioning behaviors.
The outcome
The results were immediate. Acerta onboarded new SDRs in record time. Reps were practicing realistic customer scenarios from day one rather than spending weeks passively reading documentation and shadowing calls. FunnelX gave new hires a way to build confidence and competence simultaneously. Because each simulation included automated coaching and scoring, reps were getting specific, repeatable feedback that managers would otherwise deliver one on one, freeing leadership to focus on strategic growth while raising the floor for the whole team.
Beyond onboarding, scheduled practice sessions became an essential part of how the team operates. In a market where reps may only connect with a handful of prospects each day, daily FunnelX sessions ensure the team stays sharp on discovery, objection handling, and product positioning, improving their efficacy in real conversations.
“The simulations mirrored our customer conversations and helped us onboard new SDRs in record time. The scheduled practice sessions have become part of our daily practice and are essential to keep the team sharp since today’s lower connect rates mean they don’t get as many shots to practice. We are getting value “right out of the box” with FunnelX and look forward to diving in deeper with the advanced coaching tools.”
Angela DrystekDirector of Marketing, Acerta AnalyticsSee how FunnelX’s AI roleplay and coaching help reps onboard quickly, stay sharp with daily practice, and make every customer conversation count.
