MDM lost a long-time contributor and friend last fall. Bill Hodgdon, a consultant with a strong manufacturing operations and marketing background, died from complications with cancer. Over 18 years, Bill wrote many articles for MDM and spoke for many distribution associations. He consulted with international manufacturers who sold through distribution and helped them with channel strategy and tactics.
Bill had a unique perspective. He worked for 10 years as an industrial engineer for Packard Electric, a division of GM. He then formed his consulting business and increasingly focused on business-to-business selling and marketing strategy. His knowledge of industrial and distribution channels made him a great fit as a contributor to MDM. He understood and appreciated the value of distribution, and over many years he helped some large manufacturers create strategic distribution programs. He was a creative thinker who challenged himself to understand and articulate the issues well.
One of the most popular articles MDM published during the 1990s was one Bill wrote: “Market Growth Strategy Based on the Lanchester Strategic Model.” That two-part series outlined specific market share guidelines and targets. It identified specific percentages to achieve minimum, dominant and maximum market share. I had many conversations with distributors who found these articles extremely valuable. A few large manufacturers used this strategy with dramatic results in the 1990s.
Another central part of his consulting business focused on the concept he developed around Customer Results Selling (MDM article, Feb. 26, 1996). Specifically tuned to industrial markets, his concept was that industrial sales required salespeople to move from a presentation or even a questioning model to a learning model. Sales productivity increases happen when the salesperson learns about the customer’s business results and ultimately delivers on improving those business results. Bill argued that the key metric for salespeople shouldn’t be contacts or answers to a set list of questions – it’s what new learning about needs, pains, current conditions, etc. they could gather with each visit.
Bill had a great way of cutting through conventional wisdom, whether about market share, national account business, customer penetration and sales management.
He can be proud of the results he achieved in advancing the knowledge of business development for many manufacturers and distributors. Thank you, Bill, for all your hard work and critical thinking.
Use the links below to read the articles mentioned.
Market Growth Strategy Based on the Lanchester Strategic Model, Part I
Market Growth Strategy Based on the Lanchester Strategic Model, Part II
