Cutting off underperforming customers can cause a lot of trouble for distributors.

In the world of digital, many distributors don’t know where to start. That’s the consensus among several speakers at MDM’s upcoming 2019 Digital Distributor Summit. Over the course of June 18-20, nearly a dozen distribution veterans will provide attendees with specific knowledge on how to figure out where their company stands now with digital technology application, develop the most essential foundational components for a successful program and find the right strategy to shape their future.

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There’s a lot of talk about whether or not the U.S. is looking at an economic recession in the near future and the impact a market downturn could have on distributors’ profitability in the process. But the truth is, distributors should be examining their pricing strategy no matter how well or poorly the economy is performing, says Al Bates, principal at Distribution Performance Project. “Whether it’s a good market or a bad market, you’ve got to get control of your pricing,” he says.

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January is typically not a big sales month for Earnest Machine, a 72-year-old fastener distribution company out of Cleveland. But this January was not typical. The company was up 29% at the start of 2019, said CEO Kirk Zehnder. Speaking last month at MDM’s Sale GPS Conference, Zehnder explained the radical shift in Earnest’s sales department structure that he credits for the boost.

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While new products and technology designed to assist and enhance the wholesale distribution industry have continued to evolve in the last couple of years, wholesalers report their top challenges remain the same. The short-term problem they most expect to face in 2019 is the increasing volatility of demand due to new competition, new customers and digital e-commerce (79 percent), according to supply chain solution company Blue Ridge.

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