6 Steps to Position Your Company for Sales Growth
How to develop a unique sales transformation plan that is specific to your distribution company’s goals and priorities.
Type: Blog
Tracking COVID-19’s Destructive Path
The severity of the coronavirus crisis has exceeded that of the Great Recession more than 10 years ago, and while distributors haven’t been spared the impact of COVID-19, the industry is faring better than most.
Pandemic Sales Help Grainger in 2Q, Traditional Product Mix on Upswing
Grainger’s sales dipped 2% last quarter as pandemic-related sales (e.g., PPE) again offset softness in its traditional product line, but non-pandemic sales are showing signs of life.
6 Common Executive Beliefs That Trigger a Sales Department Transformation
The global pandemic has weakened traditional selling processes — making now an optimal time to revolutionize distribution sales teams’ performance.
Pandemic Accelerates the Next Phase of Distribution Analytics
Distributors shift from rear-facing analysis to forward-looking predictive analytics models.
Tariffs and COVID-19: Case Studies on Distribution Disruption
Industrial distributors Earnest Machine and LINC Systems share the impact of trade wars and the coronavirus on their businesses.
How Distributors Can Help Customers Comply with COVID-19 Safety Rules
Industrial vending machines not only offer customers the opportunity to provide safety and PPE, but also help track employee compliance during times of heightened risk.
59 Questions for Distributors to Assess Your Pandemic Response
Identify strengths and weaknesses across three business sectors — process, technology and people — to improve ongoing company performance.
The Skills That Will Strengthen Your Sales Team’s Remote Selling Style
Mine existing accounts, focus on empathy and serve customers the way they want to be served.
Distributors Find Value, Productivity in Work-From-Home Environment
Distributors are making advances in areas that have long been on the to-do list, such as improved technology adoption, better communication and more streamlined operations
Why a Cloud-Based ERP Has Never Been More Important
Cloud technology is here to stay, and the right ERP will help your company navigate not only the COVID-19 crisis but also whatever unknown business disruptions lurk on the horizon.
Can Fastenal Build Relationships with New Transactional Customers?
After seeing a surge in non-traditional business during the pandemic, the Winona, Minnesota-based distributor is looking to create long-term relationships with these newfound customers as normal buying patterns resume.
How Automation Can Enhance Your Customer Service
Automated processes like order-to-cash (O2C) can eliminate human errors, reduce costs and strengthen both your relationship and your wallet share with customers.
Is It Time to Rethink Your Delivery System as a Distributor?
The old axiom of delivering what your customers want, when they want it and where they want it may be holding your distribution business back.
The Problem with Monolithic Sales Coverage Models
Appropriately segmenting customers and aligning sales and marketing service levels help to maximize growth and manage overall cost to serve.
June M&A Roundup: Deals Resume After COVID-Related Drought
Mergers and acquisitions among distributors and manufacturers picked up last month after an especially slow April and May, due to concerns over the coronavirus.
The Pandemic’s Effect on E-Commerce and a Major Industry Merger: MDM’s Top Blogs of June
Walmart prioritizes its online business and WESCO becomes the No. 1 electrical distributor with Anixter acquisition.
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Distribution Sales Transformation
More distributors are taking a rapid and growing interest in sales transformation and rethinking how they enable their sales teams to perform.
The Strategic Role of HR in a Pandemic Recruiting Environment
Why leading distributors like Valin Corporation are putting human resources front and center.
The Capability Tool Kit for Distributors to Define and Differentiate Service Levels
To create a margin-friendly customer service model, examine your firm’s capabilities and responsiveness.