Recommended Reading: Don't Let Knowledge Retire - Modern Distribution Management

Recommended Reading: Don’t Let Knowledge Retire

What are you doing to ensure that institutional knowledge isn't lost when a worker leaves?
jenel-white

There's a common complaint among wholesale distributors these days: The existing sales force is aging – and soon they'll probably be looking at retirement. These employees likely have a wealth of institutional knowledge that exists only in their heads and will walk out the door with them when they go. Technology can help enable information sharing to prevent that knowledge loss, according to Michael DeCata, president and CEO of Lawson Products, in Sales Models: From Lone Wolf to Pack Hunting.

But it can also help improve your sales efforts in real-time, he says. Lawson recently launched an internal social media platform called Lawson Central that enables communication across the company regardless of geography. A salesperson in Seattle can post questions from customers, such as "Does our windshield washer fluid smell?", and another salesperson as far away as Miami can respond.

It's about tapping into a vast knowledge base that reaches across the country, DeCata says. And as that information is shared, that individual's knowledge becomes a part of a shared repository of information.

“The big change, though, was teamwork,” DeCata says. “The big change was through culture, through getting people to recognize they’re a part of a larger team and a larger enterprise with responsibilities to each other.”

The days of the lone wolf salesperson are on the way out, he says. Teams need to understand that they’re connected to each other and supporting each other.

Read more about how the distribution sales model is adapting to a new competitive environment in Sales Models: From Lone Wolf to Pack Hunting, part of MDM's 2017 Distribution Trends Special Issue.

Share this article

About the Author
Recommended Reading
Leave a Reply

Leave a Comment

Sign Up for the MDM Update Newsletter

The MDM update newsletter is your best source for news and trends in the wholesale distribution industry.

2

articles left

Want more Premium content from MDM?

Subscribe today and get:

  • New issues twice each month
  • Unlimited access to mdm.com, including 10+ years of archived data
  • Current trends analysis, market data and economic updates
  • Discounts on select store products and events

Subscribe to continue reading

MDM Premium Subscribers get:

  • Unlimited access to MDM.com
  • 1 year digital subscription, with new issues twice a month
  • Trends analysis, market data and quarterly economic updates
  • Deals on select store products and events

1

article
left

You have one free article remaining

Subscribe to MDM Premium to get unlimited access. Your subscription includes:

  • Two new issues a month
  • Access to 10+ years of archived data on mdm.com
  • Quarterly economic updates, trends analysis and market data
  • Store and event discounts

To continue reading, you must be an MDM Premium subscriber.

Join other distribution executives who use MDM Premium to optimize their business. Our insights and analysis help you enter the right new markets, turbocharge your sales and marketing efforts, identify business partners that help you scale, and stay ahead of your competitors.

Register for full access

By providing your email, you agree to receive announcements from us and our partners for our newsletter, events, surveys, and partner resources per MDM Terms & Conditions. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Learn More about Custom Reports

Request a Market Prospector Demo

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Get the MDM Update Newsletter

Wholesale distribution news and trends delivered right to your inbox.

Sign-up for our free newsletter and get:

  • Up-to-date news in a quick-to-read format
  • Free access to webcasts, podcasts and live events
  • Exclusive whitepapers, research and reports
  • And more!