With more information about products available to customers, price often becomes the main component in purchasing decisions. Distributors need to think holistically about the customer experience and to present that experience consistently across platforms, according to Guy Blissett in Top 10 Distribution Trends to Watch in 2014.
Blissett, author of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors Facing the Forces of Change report on the distribution industry, says that distributors need to consider that customers are expecting the same experience and information, regardless of how they receive that information. Customers want access to a multichannel experience.
But customer expectations continue to outpace many distributors’ ability to adapt. Top technology challenges that distributors reported one year ago in MDM’s Industry Outlook Survey included “slow updating of web content,” “communication between systems” and “back-office seamlessness with customer-facing tools.”
Acknowledging what is important to customers and responding to those demands will help prove your value beyond the product price. Read about more distribution trends such as expanding product portfolios, acquisitions and economic impacts on hiring in Top 10 Distribution Trends to Watch in 2014.
