Industry Insights
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The Younger Your Customers, the More Important Your Sales Reps
Your value proposition – not the age of the buyer – determines the value your sales reps can add.
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Webinar: State of Manufacturer Sales Channels
In this free webinar you’ll get the latest research on manufacturers’ plans to reach the end-user, and how distributors fit into the picture.
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Manufacturers’ Top 3 Concerns About Traditional Distribution Channels
Here’s why an increasing number of manufacturers are going direct to the end customer.
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40+ Ways Distributors Are Using Analytics for Growth
Here are more than 40 ways distributors are using analytics to improve sales effectiveness, increase efficiencies, and drive growth.
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Shake Up Sales Models and See Results
An early jump into next-generation capabilities could help distributors grow at twice the rate of the economy.
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6 Steps to Help Your Customers on Their Shopping & Buying Journey
Take bold action to meet build an efficient, seamless experience no matter the channel your customers are shopping and buying from.
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Office Depot Hires the Amazon Business Team to Build a Rival Marketplace
As many distributors wonder how to respond to the breathtaking growth of Amazon Business, Office Depot has gone on to create what looks like a direct competitor.
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3 New Strategies Distributors Are Embracing in 2022
Distributors learned some difficult lessons through the pandemic, and they’re planning to build resilience by investing further in digital capabilities, accommodating remote work where feasible, and more.
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Webinar: Is Your Product Data Making You Money or Costing You Sales?
Join us for a fireside chat with Dawn Zassick, VP Customer Solutions at Magnitude Agility, for insider tips on using your product data to stand out in front of the crowd.
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The Risk That Marketplaces Pose to Your Distribution Business
Platforms are indeed “eating the world.” Most distributors can still choose whether they will do the eating or be the meal. This post presents key findings into new leadership strategies for distributors to add value in a post-pandemic world. These findings were originally published in a National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors report. Want to learn more…
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How AI Drives Sales Productivity to Offset Labor Shortages
The difficult post-pandemic labor market is having an impact on businesses across industries from retail and hospitality to manufacturing and distribution. While there is high demand for salespeople as companies implement aggressive recovery plans, recruiters can’t find people interested in a sales career.
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How Arbill Built Its Product & Service Strategy on an Unwavering Foundation of Safety First
Safety distributor Arbill has developed a deep set of services, including training and compliance, as well as a private-label product line to meet customers’ needs.
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Gustave Larson’s Sales Force Transformation & the Distributor’s Focus on the Customer’s Customer
Read how HVAC distributor Gustave Larson has introduced and driven real value from innovative services. Andrew Larson, the long-time CEO and chairman of Gustave Larson, an HVAC distributor, joined Distribution Strategy Group to share what has worked for the company as it has transformed its sales force and built a suite of services focused on helping the customer’s customer.
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Webinar: 2021 State of Shopping and Buying in Distribution
his free webinar we shared the results of our research on what your customers want in 2021 and beyond.
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New Study: Distributors’ Customers Prefer Manufacturers’ Websites and Search Engines
Distributors continue to fall behind in building websites that meet their customers’ needs better than other choices, such as search engines and manufacturers’ digital offerings.
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What Private Equity Firms Want in a Distributor: A Look Behind the Curtain
Get an insider’s look at how private equity (PE) firms evaluate distribution companies, from people and processes to market opportunities. John Schweig, Chairman of the Board at BlackHawk Industrial and Operating Partner at private equity firm Snow Phipps, joined us for a recent Wholesale Change episode.
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Webinar: State of Analytics in Distribution
In this webinar, we reveal the results of our survey of distributors on how they’re using analytics now and their plans for leveraging data in the future.
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When It Comes to Tech, You Only Get One Chance for a Great First Impression with Sales Reps
Distributors must implement a state-of-the-art tech stack to preserve market share, according to Ian Heller in the NAW research report, “Strategic Change During Disruption: An Industry Response to Get Smarter, Faster and Stronger.”
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Distributors Need New Sales Toolkits Post-Pandemic
COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out across the nation, and it feels like we are “returning to normal.” But some of the changes brought on by the pandemic will stick around. While distributors have always sold products on multiple sales channels (for example: outside sales, inside sales, customer service, ecommerce, and VMI), COVID-19 shifted the dynamics and reliance…
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Will Amazon Survive the Wrath of Khan?
Amazon critic Lina Khan, who has upended antitrust thinking, is the new FTC Chair.