The role of the traditional field salesperson has been disrupted by the rise of Amazon, other digital platforms and fast-changing customer expectations of the buying process. It’s time to transform your sales model into one that adds more value and works to fend off digital players.

Use Your Sales Team to Fight Digital Disruptors

What is the role of the distribution sales rep at a time when outside players are entering the industry and technology is performing an increasing number of jobs formerly done by people? How do you establish and coordinate the right roles for your inside reps, outside reps and customer service personnel?
 
MDM’s Sales GPS Conference will help you develop new sales strategies for a new era. Once again, we’ll have leading thinkers on stage and in the audience – a combination of distribution sales expertise you won’t find elsewhere. Presenters include industry experts and distribution executives describing in detail how they’ve transformed their sales function to act as a value-added barrier to competitors.
 
We’ll cover topics including:

• How to organize outside sales, inside sales and customer service to get the most from each
• Sales compensation programs that help you retain talent while growing your business
• Making sales and marketing work together in a distribution company
• Getting sales reps to support your online channel
• The role of sales in creating a seamless, omnichannel experience for your customers
• How to improve your sales productivity by assigning the right work to the right people

Sales GPS has drawn glowing reviews from past attendees. Some have contacted us to rave about how concepts they learned at the conference have driven big dividends in their businesses.

If you lead or support a sales force for a distribution company, you can’t afford to miss this conference. See below to learn more about Sales GPS 2019 and to watch and read testimonials from prior attendees.

Session Leaders:
 

Thomas P. Gale
CEO, Modern Distribution Management
For more than 25 years, Tom Gale has been MDM’s lead researcher and industry analyst on independent distribution channel trends, consolidation, technology and competitive landscape. He is a frequent speaker and moderator on these topics at company, marketing group and association meetings in North America and Europe.

Ian Heller
President, Modern Distribution Management
​Ian Heller became President & COO of Modern Distribution Management in 2017. Ian started his distribution career as a truck unloader at a Grainger branch in Ft. Collins, CO. Fifteen years later, he was the Marketing VP for Grainger and went on to serve in senior executive roles at GE Capital Rail, Newark Electronics, Corporate Express and HD Supply Construction & Industrial. Along the way, he founded, ran and sold the distribution consulting firm Real Results Marketing.

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Mike Marks
Managing Partner, IRCG
Mike Marks, managing partner of Indian River Consulting Group, began his consulting practice after more than 20 years in distribution management. His narrow focus in B2B channel-driven markets has created an extensive number of deep executive relationships in construction, industrial, OEM, agricultural and health care. Mike has led project teams that improve market access by aligning resources to growth opportunities, serving manufacturers, dealers and distributors.

Mike's contributions to the field include multiple terms as a research fellow with the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, a permanent faculty member for Purdue University’s University of Innovative Distribution and eight years as graduate adjunct faculty in the Industrial Distribution Program at Texas A&M University. He has also rendered several precedent-setting expert opinions in contract disputes between manufacturers and distributors.

Prior to forming IRCG, Mike was executive vice president at Lex Electronics, an $800 million vertically integrated electronics distributor in Stamford, CT. His path to management was marked by increasing responsibilities in sales and sales management. He also completed a tour of duty as a manufacturer’s representative.

Mike is the author of What’s Your Plan? Smart Salesforce Compensation in Wholesale Distribution, Value Creation Strategies for Wholesaler-Distributors and Working at Cross-Purposes: How Distributors and Manufacturers Can Manage Conflict Successfully.

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John Gunderson
VP, Analytics & E-Business, Modern Distribution Management

John Gunderson has held senior distribution leadership roles in analytics, marketing, e-business, category management, pricing and sales over a 20-year career across multiple distribution product sectors. He was previously Vice President of Marketing for EIS, an $800-million electrical and electronics distribution subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company.

In addition, he has led marketing, analytics, sales, category management, and pricing teams for Anixter (formerly HD Supply Power Solutions), HD Supply Construction & Industrial – White Cap, and Crescent Electric Supply Company. He started his career as a "distribution runner" picking up supplies for a general contractor.