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This article is part of MDM's 2017 Distribution Trends Special Issue.
Distribution sales have traditionally been driven by outside salespeople who set their own course for how and where to sell in a given territory. But purchasing behaviors have changed, driven by technology and a generational shift, which means that sales models will need to change, as well, to capture and maintain business going forward.
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This article is part of MDM's 2017 Distribution Trends Special Issue.
While data-sharing among distributors and their supply channel partners has been discussed for years, new technologies and skillsets have increased the usability of even more data. As a result, respondents to the recent MDM market trends survey noted an increase in requests for data-sharing up and down the supply chain.
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Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. The full 2017 Distribution Trends Special Issue is available to download in PDF format to MDM Premium subscribers.
This article is part of MDM's 2017 Distribution Trends Special Issue.
The “era of the customer,” as many have labeled today’s business climate, means distributors are being asked to provide more services yet charge the same price, or sometimes less, for the products they sell. Response to customers’ new demands vary by company size, sector and geography, but all distributors agree that retaining business and growing market share while remaining profitable is critical for survival in today’s increasingly competitive landscape.
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Change can be difficult; that’s not new. But the pace of change over the last three decades has increased dramatically, creating even more need to approach it critically. Steve Samek, author of the first Facing the Forces of Change study for NAW, recently spoke with Editor Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier & Evergreen Consulting’s Brent Grover about what has changed around innovation for the distribution industry since that first study in 1983 and how to adapt your business for success.
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It’s hard to count how many times in the past year I’ve heard from distributors about their use of customer relationship management: “We’re getting closer to making a decision on what platform to use and how we implement it.” 20 years later and Peg Fisher's summary still rings true. “Many distributors have a wealth of untapped sales potential in their existing base of customers, a virtual gold mine of sales opportunity, but they don’t have an efficient and cost-effective method in place to go after that potential.”
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Is the distributor’s strategy the start of a race to the bottom on price?
Avnet recently launched a rebranding campaign with a new logo, color scheme, website and tagline – “Reach Further” – with the goal of creating a unified message that “symbolizes growth and possibility.” Associate Editor Eric Smith spoke with Avnet CEO Bill Amelio about how the rebranding campaign aligns with the company’s recent moves and industry trends.
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Can Grainger make it up on volume or is the distributor’s strategy the start of a race to the bottom on price?
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Is the distributor’s strategy the start of a race to the bottom on price?
The pace of change in our economy today is unforgiving. That’s the message Ross Shafer presented at the annual convention of The Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution (NAHAD). For the better part of a decade or more, traditional distribution channels have continued to compress, re-fragment and get squeezed on profit margin while digital channels have grown stronger.
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Distributors are more focused on growing revenue from existing customers in 2017 than by any other means, but achieving this can seem daunting. This article outlines how a company can garner more wallet share from its current customers.
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You may have tailored your office culture and training processes to accommodate more millennials in the workplace, but have you considered how you’re selling to the next generation? More millennials are in B2B buying positions, and they shop and buy differently than preceding generations. This article examines those changes and how to adjust to meet these new demands.
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A critical part of realigning sales resources is reassessing how your sales compensation supports – or competes with – your company’s sales goals. This article, based on a presentation of Mike Emerson, Indian River Consultant Group, at the Sales GPS 2017 Executive Workshop, examines some of the common challenges to aligning compensation with company goals and some options for overcoming those challenges.
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This article, based on the 2016 MDM Industry Outlook Survey, outlines and analyzes key trends and issues affecting how distributors will do business in 2017.
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The economics of relationship selling are changing, and that means distributors must change, as well. This article – part 2 in a series on the role of the distribution sales rep – examines that change and paints a picture of the future of field sales, including its role, function and purpose for the successful distributor. Part 1 examined what’s driving the shift and why distributors should act.
Join Indian River Consulting Group and MDM for Sales GPS, a live event on the future of field sales. Learn more at SalesGPS2017.com.
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ADs e-commerce services, which became available for its industrial division in January and launches in early December for its electrical and plumbing, PVF and HVAC (PHCP) divisions, gives member companies access to fully attributed data and can help level the playing field for small and mid-sized distributors.
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How customers buy is challenging the traditional role, function and purpose of the distributor field sales position. But many distributors have resisted changing their approach to sales for fear of losing sales reps, customers or both to the competition. This article, the first of a two-part series on the changing role of distribution sales reps, examines what’s driving the shift and why distributors should act.
Join Indian River Consulting Group and MDM for Sales GPS, a live event on the future of field sales. Learn more at SalesGPS2017.com.
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A joint MDM-Real Results Marketing survey revealed that distribution and manufacturing, in general, are 4.5 times less likely than other industries to be extremely satisfied with their marketing capabilities. This article examines how distributors across sectors approach marketing and what they consider the most effective channels to be.
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A mobile app might not work for every distributor, but gauge your customers demand for it before deciding. This article explores how distributors can use mobile to create a competitive advantage.
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Not enough distributors listen to their customers, and this is a problem in the era of the customer. With the rise of Amazon and other unknown disruptors possibly on the horizon, B2B companies must map their customers experience to uncover deficiencies and then work to solve them.
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