Published Paper Details:

This paper examines the relevance and effectiveness of the client engagement strategies adopted in catering to industrial buyers across diverse sectors within the Indian steel trading industry. The study focuses on understanding how CRM practices, service responsiveness and post-sales support contribute to building long-term business relationships and enhancing client retention. The study follows a descriptive research design and focuses on key steel trading hubs within Maharashtra, including major cities such as Mumbai and other important regional centers.. For the purpose of this study a sample size of 41 respondents was selected, comprising procurement managers, supply chain executives and B2B clients, based on purposive and convenience sampling techniques to include a representation from various industrial segments. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire containing closed and Likert-scale questions. Secondary data were gathered from trade reports CRM journals and company records. The key variables of the study include responsiveness of customer service, efficiency in handling queries, quality of post-sales support, CRM practices and client trust. Data analysis was done through correlation and regression analysis to check the relationship between service responsiveness and client loyalty. The results also indicate that proactive communication, timely query resolution and consistent post-sales support increase client satisfaction and trust and thereby improve customer retention in industrial markets. Recommendations for best CRM practices conclude the study with an emphasis on digital integration, personalized engagement and continuous service improvement as key means of sustaining client relationships within the steel trading sector.