A great marketing department can help a distributor drive better sales, profits and long-term growth. 

Traditionally, however, the role of marketing in distribution has been limited – tasked with managing tchotchkes, product promotions and supplying the sales team with flyers. Many marketers in distributors feel like they have little influence on high-level strategic and tactical decisions. 

If distributors want to compete successfully, they need to take a more strategic approach. 

In a world where customers use upwards of 10 channels to research and make purchases, the role of marketing has become critical to managing and nurturing leads; targeting messaging based on segment or behavior; gaining greater visibility into the customer’s journey; and engaging at the right moments and with the right message. 

A strategic approach to marketing holds clear benefits for distributors: 

• Increased sales productivity 
• Increased top and bottom line through greater customer experience 
• Greater visibility into and impact on the customer journey 
• Improved internal cooperation across all customer-facing team members 

Distributors also need to integrate the right technologies into their arsenal to support these goals. 

Join our panel of distribution leaders on Nov. 14 at 9 PT / 12 ET, when they will share how they’ve transformed their marketing roles and tools to reach more customers, more efficiently, across channels. 

Generating leads, managing customer relationships, improving working capital performance, creating marketing content, expediting financial analysis, automating order entry, optimizing delivery routing – these are just a few areas where AI can help a distributor improve its effectiveness, productivity or accuracy.  

But where to start? 

AI veteran Brooks Hamilton will help you sort it out in this webinar. Brooks was one of the most popular speakers at Distribution Strategy Group’s recent AI conference. He has years of experience developing and implementing cutting-edge technology specifically for distributors.  

Over the past several years, he’s worked on how distributors can apply AI to improve their business outcomes. 

In this session, Brooks will share how to understand which AI applications have the most potential for you, where you should start on your AI journey and the steps you need to take to put together your plan. 

Join us on Nov. 8 at 9 PT / 12 ET to jumpstart your AI journey. This webinar is sponsored by our friends at Netsuite and Conexiom. 

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the distribution industry stands at a pivotal juncture. With shifting customer expectations and the integration of advanced technologies, there’s a pressing need for distributors to optimize their digital platforms and amplify customer experience. But how do you ensure your business is poised to leverage these advancements effectively?

Join us for a deep dive into the world of Customer Experience (CX) and Digital Experience Platforms (DXP). Seasoned technologists with hands-on experience across distribution channels will unpack the challenges, strategies and innovations shaping the future of wholesale distribution.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Real-World Insights: Case studies and stories of digital transformations that redefined customer engagement for distributors. 
• Technological Breakdown: Explore the latest in AI, machine learning, mobile platforms and more, all contextualized for the distribution sector. 
• Strategic Roadmaps: From integrating legacy systems to anticipating trends, get a blueprint for your digital journey. 

For distribution executives committed to staying ahead of the customer experience curve, this discussion is a can’t-miss event. Reserve your spot and shape the digital destiny of your distribution enterprise. 

For many wholesale distribution companies, sales compensation is an essential piece of their overall commercial performance. The long-term trends driving change in customer acquisition behavior that were accelerated during the pandemic along with levels of inflation unseen for decades have led many distributors to reexamine the effectiveness of their current programs.  

As distributors explore the introduction of new or refined selling roles and look to mitigate the pressures on their bottom lines, they have realized that changes to their sales compensation programs are required.  

This session will focus on how sales compensation programs can be developed that support evolutions in selling roles without diminished risk or opportunity for program participants. Attendees will walk away with actionable approaches to mitigate compensation related obstacles along with implementation best practices.  

Warehouse automation is proving to be a compelling investment for distribution operations seeking reduced labor costs and improved throughput efficiencies.

Many businesses rely on paper-based picking, discrete order-picking processes or ERP/WMS. But businesses with omnichannel order fulfillment operations that lack the tools needed to optimize and manage a complex order fulfillment operation will struggle to control labor costs.

This webinar will discuss the role ERP and WMS play in distribution operations and explore how Warehouse Execution Systems (WES) and Warehouse Control Systems (WCS) can support those functions.

Learn which systems are best suited to optimize order release while managing both traditional warehouse automation, as well as the latest automation technologies such as Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) and Robotic Goods-to-Person (G2P) systems.

This presentation will show how small and mid-sized distribution center operations benefit when investing in a WES-WCS system to extend productivity of an existing ERP or WMS system.

Learn:

• What size picking staff justifies an investment in picking automation
• Components of packing, manifesting and shipping automation
• How to eliminate errors to increase customer satisfaction and retailer chargebacks
• How to reduce reliance on manual labor

CRM is finally gaining traction in distribution. Leading distributors have integrated CRM with their ERP and are using CRM as a point of integration for applications that support customer facing personnel including marketing automation, web analytics, cross-sell/up-sell and other analytics. In this distribution leader panel, we will be looking at several key areas including: 

• Implementing CRM 
• Integrating CRM with ERP  
• Integrating apps into CRM 
• Evolution of business processes 
• Driving adoption and creating buy-In 

Join us to learn how distributors who are successful with CRM are navigating these topics. 

The breathtaking growth of marketplaces brings opportunities and threats to distributors.

Whether you plan to sell on marketplaces, build your own or simply expand your assortment on your own website, you must understand the available technologies to craft your strategy. Additionally, you need to gather and organize product data effectively so you provide a compelling offering to customers and prospects.

Join us Aug. 30 at 9 PT/12 ET when we’ll host a panel of experts who can help you understand: 

• How to participate and win on a 3rd party marketplace 
• Options to expand the assortment on your own website 
• Building your own marketplace: options and best practices 
• Setting up your tech stack and product data capabilities to be ready for marketplaces 

There’s information overload about AI – everywhere you turn, you find articles, videos, presentations and podcasts about this exciting new form of technology. But what could it mean for distributors?

In this exciting panel, DSG’s Chief Strategy Officer Ian Heller will moderate a discussion with two distribution executives about AI marketing, sales, and digital use cases for distributors. They’ll look at how AI might be used to improve sales effectiveness and productivity, more targeted marketing, better ecommerce solutions and more.

With extensive backgrounds in technology, marketing, sales and ecommerce, our panelists are perfectly qualified to talk about the opportunities AI offers distributors and how they can apply it as a competitive advantage.

Providing an outstanding customer experience (CX) is the most powerful way for distributors to differentiate. Customers may be able to buy your products elsewhere but competitors will struggle to match truly exceptional service. But you must know what your customers want from you and how well you’re delivering against their expectations.

Leading distributors have recognized that CX, the totality of the customer’s interactions and experiences with a distributor, is the most important product they offer.

Loyal customers generate more revenues and profit than indifferent buyers.

In this distribution leader panel, we will explore:

• Measuring customer satisfaction – What matters and what’s the right method?
• Components of customer experience – Which capabilities and touchpoints should you prioritize?
• Improving customer satisfaction – How should you act upon the data you gather?
• Measuring the value of a customer experience initiative – How do we know that our CX initiatives are working? What benefits are they delivering to customers and to our company?

If you are a distributor who takes customer experience seriously or are considering a CX initiative, don’t miss this panel.

Lost in the avalanche of news about AI is useful information about how this new type of technology can help distributors perform better. New and emerging AI-enabled systems offer distributors the ability to drive improvements in a variety of areas, such as: 

• Site search 
• Product data management 
• Produce recommenders – online and for sales reps 
• Inventory forecasting 
• Warehouse management 
• AR and AP management 
• Customer relationship management 
• Many others! 

On Aug. 1 at 9 PT/12 ET, we’re bringing together thought leaders from leading technology companies for a discussion on how AI can help distributors right now and in the near future.

Don’t miss the opportunity to listen to experts who will describe applications you can use to grow sales, run your operations more productively and improve profits.

Most distributors rely on outside sales as one of their primary growth strategies; sales compensation is often one of the biggest expenses for these companies. In order to get a strong return on this investment, a distributor must design a sales structure that is optimal based on its industry verticals and business model.

Add to your expertise by joining us on July 12 at 9 PT/12 ET for the webinar, “State of Sales in Wholesale Distribution,” when sales transformation expert Mike Kunkle will describe how distributors can design, implement and manage the right sales force for them. He’ll also discuss the disruptive forces driving change and the challenges he consistently sees in the market with distributor sales forces.  

Mike will offer proven advice about how to: 

• Determine your current Sales Effectiveness Maturity Level (meaning: your personal “State of Sales”)
• Start with strategy to define the best-path forward
• Select a sales model and design a go-to-market tactical plan to optimize results
• Execute that plan with discipline to achieve your desired outcomes

Join us on June 27 at 9 ET/12 PT for our panel of distribution executives. We will get their views and expertise on how you can select the right ERP system for your company – and how to leverage it once it’s live.

We’ll discuss topics to consider when selecting the right ERP, such as distributor-specific functionality, scalability, integration capabilities, ease of use, mobile access, vendor reputation and support, business intelligence and much more.

We’ll also ask our panelists for tips for leveraging a new ERP system. Topics will include:

• Planning/prioritizing the implementation and ramp-up  
• Training users and driving engagement  
• Migrating and cleansing data  
• Planning for continuous improvement  
• Managing change  
• Ensuring you regularly apply updates  
• How you can measure success

Don’t miss this essential panel for distributors who are considering a new ERP – or might sometime soon. Sign up below to attend live – bring your questions – or to listen to the recording.

Gross margin is the single most impactful driver of profit. For example, a 2% improvement in gross margin would drive higher profit than a commensurate improvement in either sales or expenses. 

Margin is, of course, driven by both the ability to buy right and to price right. Even though both are important, the impact of price far out ways the impact of purchasing. 

This webinar will review the key approaches to enhancing pricing performance. These include setting prices correctly from the start, reviewing pricing approaches on slow selling items, controlling salesforce pricing decisions and ensuring that supplier price increases have a positive impact. 

eCommerce is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a must-have. But what does that really mean for distributors, and how can you build out that sales channel to meet your customers’ true needs? 

We will convene a panel of distributor leaders on May 30 to share their tips and insights based on front-line experience with ecommerce to attract and engage their customers.  

These leaders will also share how they are overcoming common B2B ecommerce hurdles like: 

• Choosing the right technology partners 
• Not viewing sales through an omnichannel lens 
• Getting sales reps on-board 
• Inconsistent pricing  
• Messy product data 
• One-size-fits-all website 
• Defining success  

You won’t want to miss this conversation on this critical topic. Join us on May 30, 2023, at 9 PT/12 ET. 

Register to watch this panel live – and submit your questions. Or, if you can’t make it, register to get the link to watch on-demand after the show. 

After a few years of ups and downs in supply chain reliability – wreaking havoc on distributor lead times – where do we stand now? 

Join us for this webinar on May 17 at 9 PT/12 ET when G. ‘Ravi’ Ravishankar will answer that question. 

He’ll provide an update on the current state of supply chains and what’s coming so that you can better navigate the road ahead. 

You’ll learn: 

• How conditions at major ports have changed over the past year
• Demand and availability of warehouse space
• Inventory levels and what they indicate is coming
• Trends in container pricing and chassis availability
• The emergence of Vietnam as a major player in the China +1 strategy

Bring your questions and insights on your corner of the market to the discussion. If you can’t make the live event, sign up anyway and we’ll send you the on-demand link after the event.  

Distributors often conflate digital with online sales. But digital capabilities are still essential to your success even if your business model means you won’t see a significant portion of your sales coming through a shopping cart in the near future.   

Generally, digital technologies can be applied across a distributor’s business:  

• Distributor to Customer: This may include online training, product search and selection, services information or scheduling, account management, chat, delivery tracking and much more.   

• Distributor Internal: Process automation, internal communication and project management.  

• Distributor to Supplier: Communication, shipment tracking, financial reconciliation and training. 

While a great digital strategy requires a website, that’s just the starting point. Building connections and communication from the customer to the supplier is necessary to drive sales, manage costs and optimize. 

Managing cash flow and driving profitability is a critical component of any distributor’s operations. The goal is to: 

• Work more efficiently 
• Speed the order-to-cash cycle 
• Optimize the procure-to-pay cycle 
• Gain full visibility into financial management 
• Expand margins 

Distributors know that to drive more to the bottom line, as well as fuel future growth, they need state-of-the-art technologies:   

• Pricing/Margin 
• Sales Order Management
• Financial Management 

Distributors must have these systems in place to increase profits, reduce risk and drive operational efficiency. 

Developing and implementing these architectures takes expertise. Tune in September 19, 9 PT/12 ET, to hear from our experienced panelists, who will help you make the most of them. 

Great warehouse management and delivery capabilities are table stakes for every distributor. Just to keep up with competitors, you must:

• Keep accurate records of what’s in stock
• Know where every product is in the warehouse
• Prevent shrink from poor picking practices or theft
• Maintain accurate addresses for all customer locations
• Track shipments in real-time to ensure they arrive on time
• Keep employees safe
• Drive warehouse and delivery productivity to manage costs 

It takes great technology solutions to be competitive on capabilities and productivity. But the technology options continue to expand and distributors need to understand what’s available and what’s coming next.  

Join us on April 19 at 9 PT/12 ET, when experts from technology leaders at Infor share best practices they’ve gleaned from working with thousands of distributors. They’ll also describe emerging options you can use to win business by providing customers with better capabilities than your competitors. 

All decision-makers know that data, rather than emotions, must act as the main driver for running their business. 

The challenge is that today’s business leaders are inundated with data – their own company performance metrics, market data, economic data, customer data and people data. There’s so much information available that it’s overwhelming.  

So, how can executives, business owners and management team members leverage the data at their disposal to improve their decision-making?  

This session – on March 28, 2023, at 9 PT/12 ET – will leverage Alex Chausovsky’s expertise as a multi-decade seasoned data analyst, market researcher and consultant to teach practical and actionable methods for leveraging data to improve decision-making at all levels of the company.  

Session attendees will learn how to:  

• Improve strategic planning by utilizing company revenue, unit volume, etc. to identify trends, track business-cycle momentum, and see around the corner for the next three to six months.  
• Leverage market intelligence and economic data to identify leading indicators and segments of the business that will under- and outperform in the short, medium and long term.  
• Deploy data for your No. 1 asset – people – to improve your business’s attractiveness to new talent, streamline your hiring activities and improve retention for your existing workforce.