Brand value is a huge asset for both manufacturers and distributors. With continued homogenization, investments made in developing ones brand starts to erode and price becomes the primary differentiator.
Inside Every Threat There is Opportunity Read More »
Increased competition from both traditional and non-traditional distributors coupled with technological advancements have put the power of analytics into distributors hands. Use your metrics to your advantage to measure company performance, make better decisions, understand customer activity and give customers exactly what they want.
4 Reasons to Adopt a Data-Driven Mindset Read More »
Inventory management is wholesale distributions biggest pain point, Blue Ridge and SmartBrief survey shows.
Distributors Report Difficulties with Managing Inventory Read More »
Latest Manufacturers Shipments, Inventories, and Orders Survey shows little growth overall, except for a few categories that continue to rise.
U.S. Census Manufacturers Shipment Data Reveal Key Segments for Distributor Growth Read More »
Companies like 3M are prioritizing distribution for those most in need, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai predicts a direct impact on 2020 revenues.
Will the COVID-19 Coronavirus Infect the World’s Supply Chains? Read More »
A look at the legislative status of bi-partisan bill American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2019, its potential industry impactsincluding whether or not states will act to pass legislation on their own and the bills chances of reaching President Trumps desk.
Where Does HARDI-Backed Legislation to Phase Down HFC Production and Import Stand? Read More »
There are myriad ways for distributors to go beyond the status quo, including creating a business development team, building marketing around unassigned accounts and changing commission plan incentives, says MDMs John Gunderson.
Why Your Sales Coverage Plan May Be Poised to Hold You Back Read More »
The Industrial Supply Associations Women Industrial Supply Executives recognized ADs president of Industrial & Safety DivisionU.S. with the award honoring those committed to advancing the development of women in the industrial channel at its fall conference.
8 Questions with Marisol Fernandez, W.I.S.E. Impact Award Winner Read More »
Already a growing strategy for larger global firms, small- to mid-size distributors can benefit the business by bringing HR into overall company planning. Distributors can start by rethinking the HR department label, bringing HR into safety initiatives, ensuring the right leaders are in place and embedding employee relations into recruitment and selection.
4 Ways to Create a Human Resources Strategy Read More »
A sense of urgency in developing or enhancing a digital strategy for your business could be a core theme of 2020. The key word? Marketplaces.
Where Does Your Business Fall on the Commoditization Spectrum? Read More »
While this privately held industrial supplier with more than 300 employees may not be a Harvard Business School case study in management structure, the three-brother leadership team has managed to buck the odds of many third-generation businesses by nurturing an entrepreneurial culture in an 85-year-old company. Listen to Doug Ruggles share whats worked to drive growth with a customer-centric solutions approach, with host Tom Gale.
Martin Supply’s Doug Ruggles on the Secret to Family-Owned Success Read More »
Under-investing in customer-facing resources and tools can erode a distributors value, says management consultant Andrew Horvath. However, he cautions that being all things to all customers is often an expensive and inefficient approach. Successful distributors differentiate commercial service levels (CSLs) based on customer need and value, Horvath says.
Why You Should Consider Differentiated Service Levels to Grow Margin Read More »
WESCO lands Anixter International acquisition and Fastenal draws attention as earnings season gets underway. Follow the links below to read MDMs most popular blogs from January.
Fastenal, Anixter, WESCO Grab Headlines: MDM’s Most-Read Blogs of January Read More »
Speakers at NAW 2020 Executive Summit: Innovate to Dominate urged distributors who have yet to embrace e-commerce to invest in digital platforms. There is plenty of room for growth in international B2B e-commerce, which is six times larger than the B2C market, noted Alibaba Groups John Caplan.
Are Online Marketplaces the Future of Distribution? Read More »
The 4Q19 Baird Industrial Distribution Survey reveals a high percentage of companies that are focused on revamping their sales processes for the year ahead. They will invest more in skills training, improve digital marketing efforts and increase outside sales coverage.
How Distributors are Improving their Sales Processes Read More »
I haven’t talked with a distribution executive in January – in Europe or North America – who had a good thing to say about the last two weeks of business in 2019. The likely culprit was having Christmas and New Year’s holidays fall mid-week; customers, employees and revenues took time off. Manufacturing employment declined slightly in December
2020 Outlook and Emerging Trends to Watch Read More »
Innovation is hard to define. But that didn’t stop us from trying to get beyond generic bromides to analyze what it means in markets that are getting increasingly commoditized – by Amazon Business, new emerging marketplaces and other alternative supply sources. “Innovation in the commercial and industrial space is the equivalent of adding incremental or new
New MDM Podcast: The Value in Making Innovation Part of Your Business Model Read More »
We’re already seeing some of the tariffs imposed in 2018 and 2019 beginning to be rolled back, but there’s still some confusion and uncertainty over what lies ahead for U.S. manufacturers and distributors in 2020. This week, for example, President Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he’s serious about imposing tariffs on European cars. At the
5 Things Distributors Should Know About the Impact of Tariffs on US Business Read More »
B2B distribution sales managers generally believe that driving sales is all about hiring, retaining and managing the best account managers. You hire the most skilled outside account managers you can, and then pair them up with excellent inside sales support. Then, the more calls your skilled account managers can make on customers, the more the
Why Distributors are Revamping Their Sales Coverage Plans Read More »
A couple of weeks into 2020, it’s about that time of year when our New Year’s resolutions can start to lose their shine and our motivation might wane. There’s plenty of literature out there about why our resolutions often fail or never get off the ground in the first place. One reason is a lack
Accountability Helps Strengthen New-Year Resolve Read More »
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