Industry Insights
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2021 State of Technology in Distribution: Automating the Customer Journey
Distribution Strategy Group conducted a survey and other primary research about how distributors anticipate ongoing, rapidly changing technologies will affect them, and how and where they plan to adopt new technologies.
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It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Industry Anymore
This post previews some of the key findings in the first report based on our research for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors into how distributors can take strategic action in response to disruption. Download the report now.
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How Satisfied Are Distributors with Their Core Technology Stack?
In our recent State of Technology in Distribution survey, we evaluated the core technologies, platforms and products used by distributors to manage their business including sales and marketing, internal operations and financial management.
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The Most Common Mistake Leaders Make in a New Job
The paradox of leaders in new roles is that the lessons they learned in their last jobs are often irrelevant in their new jobs – but they apply them anyway.
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Differentiation by Design: Moving the Distribution Industry into 21st Century Goes Beyond Digital
Peter Jackson, CEO of Miller Industrial Supply, came up in the world of consumer marketing and design before breaking into industrial distribution when he bought Miller Industrial – a 100-year-old MRO and hardware distributor based in the Chicago area – in 2018. Although he’s a newcomer to the distribution industry, he brings ringing endorsements from…
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5 Reasons Marketing Automation Fails (and How to Give It a Real Chance)
When the ROI of marketing automation isn’t what you expect, don’t retreat to a basic email package. Before you go, get honest about whether you really gave marketing automation a chance.
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How Lawson Products Grew Its Enterprise Value by 10x: A Differentiation Case Study for Distributors
Mike DeCata, CEO and president of Lawson Products, loves the way distribution touches all of our lives, and it shows. His impressive career spans from leadership at Grainger, United Rentals, and Chef’s Warehouse to growing the share price of MRO distributor Lawson Products by 1,000% since taking his position there in 2012.
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The Case for Marketing Automation in B2B
The scales have shifted. Buyers have evolved in the ways that they prefer to purchase. Technology, digital channels and non-stop connectivity continue to empower today’s buyers with more immediate information and many more choices than ever before. We, as marketers must change to adapt to these changes.
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Webinar: State of Sales in Distribution: Part 2
In the second part of this two-part webinar series, Debbie Paul and Ian Heller discuss how to build a sales force that will differentiate by using consultative selling.
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Wholesale Change: A Way Around Amazon: Portfolio Management for Distributors (April 14, 2021)
Learn how distributors can analyze transactional and customer-provided data to generate industry-specific insights, develop robust benchmarks and tailor advice to match customer objectives.
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Why Distributors’ Customer Churn Management Efforts Aren’t Working
Few distributors try to predict customer churn. Those that do, get it wrong because of how they define churn. The problem lies in how they define a “lost customer.”
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Distribution, Disrupted: How Associations Can Lead During Uncertain Times
In the wake of COVID-19, there has been plenty of speculation about the role of distribution associations and how they must adapt to disruption, rapid digitization and the evolution of marketplaces, all of which were accelerated by the pandemic.
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Why B2B Marketplaces Are Booming Today
Despite early failure rates, B2B marketplaces mounted a major comeback and are rapidly outgrowing company-specific websites in many industries.
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2021 State of Sales in Distribution: How Consultative Sales Will Differentiate Distributors in the Post-Pandemic Normal
In this free whitepaper, we outline how distributors can build a more consultative and adaptive sales force to differentiate in 2021 and beyond.
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Webinar: State of Sales in Distribution: Part 1
In this webinar we take a look at the results of the 2021 State of Sales in Distribution survey.
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3 Distribution Maxims That Are Wrong
Measuring profitability by enterprise gross margin is a sledgehammer approach to a problem requiring nuance and precision.
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How Technology Enables Sales Reps (Instead of Replacing Them)
With the right technology, sales teams can produce better results — for the customers, the sales reps and your bottom line.
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How IMARK Group Is Helping Distributors Compete Amid Disruption
Co-ops and marketing groups like IMARK Group play a big role in helping independent distributors compete in today’s fast-changing market.
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Office Depot Hires Former Amazon Business GM – and That’s Just the Start
In a series of moves, including bringing on the executive who launched Amazon Business, ODP is joining the marketplace war. With a flurry of aggressive, recent actions, ODP (the newly named parent company of Office Depot) seems intent on building a rival marketplace to Amazon Business. On Feb. 16, the company announced it had hired…
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How to Overcome Resistance to Strategic Pricing
Learn the secrets to successful strategic pricing implementation and get the results you need with buy-in from your entire team.