The conversation around this approach has moved past the question of whether to adopt it. The real question now is how to deploy AI for distributors in a way that actually supports the people doing the work. Too many solutions focus on one slice of the sales process while ignoring the rest. That approach creates silos, not scale.
Jason Sullivan is the Founder and CEO of DISTRO, a platform built specifically for distributor sales teams. In this piece, originally published in Southern PHC, he makes the case for unified systems that serve every role from counter to C-suite. His argument is practical: disconnected tools create friction, and friction costs you orders.
If you have worked in distribution long enough, you know the story. One order might have hundreds of SKUs. Pricing depends on the customer, the branch, and the day. Products are out of stock, alternates need to be suggested, and contractors do not want to wait while you figure it out.
For years, we have leaned on product knowledge, hustle, and systems that were never built for the pace of today’s market. That worked when customers were more patient. But now they expect answers right away. Competitors are moving faster. Margins are tighter. And every branch feels the same challenge: it is harder than ever to hire and keep experienced people.
Technology is starting to make a real difference. The right platform can take repetitive work off people’s plates, reduce mistakes, and give every role in the sales process the same access to accurate, real-time information. The question is not whether distributors should use AI. The question is how to make sure it supports the entire sales team, not just one piece of it.
At the Counter: First Impressions Matter
The counter is where many relationships are won or lost. A customer shows up with half a part number and expects you to know the rest. You need to check stock, confirm price, suggest an alternate, and move quickly so the line does not back up.
A connected platform makes this easier. It surfaces product details, shows live availability from the ERP, and even suggests related items to increase the value of the order. New hires can get up to speed quickly instead of spending months learning the catalog.
The result is faster service, fewer errors, and customers leaving confident they were taken care of.
Inside Sales: Dealing with the Pile of RFQs
Inside sales teams are buried in quotes. Some come in as spreadsheets, others as PDFs, and some are barely legible faxes or emails. Cleaning that up and entering it into the ERP takes hours, and every delay is a chance for a competitor to sneak in.
With the right tools, quotes can be generated in minutes. RFQs are read, matched to SKUs, and turned into clean ERP-ready quotes automatically. Revisions are tracked so nothing slips through the cracks.
This not only speeds up turnaround but also protects margins with built-in guardrails. It gives inside sales the ability to handle more volume without adding more headcount.
Outside Sales: Answering on the Spot
Field reps often hear, “Can you get me a price?” or “What is in stock?” Too often the answer is, “I will check when I get back to the office.” That delay can cost you the order.
A unified platform changes that. Reps walk into customer meetings with the same visibility they would have sitting at their desk. They can pull up live pricing and availability, generate a quote from a parts sheet, and answer technical questions on the spot.
When reps have that kind of access, customers notice. The rep who gives the answer right away is the one who earns the trust and the business.
Project Teams: Handling the Big, Messy Jobs
Estimators and project teams face the toughest jobs. Long bills of material, complex drawings, and constant revisions are the norm. Manually creating takeoffs and submittals can burn days of effort.
A connected system can cut that work dramatically. It reads drawings, builds structured BOMs, and creates submittal packages with current data sheets. If a specified item is unavailable, it suggests alternates and documents them clearly.
This allows project teams to submit more bids, reduce errors, and win more jobs, even when hiring more estimators is not an option.
Branch Managers: Running a Tight Ship
Branch managers juggle staffing, service, and profitability. But every rep has their own way of quoting, training takes months, and it is tough to see where opportunities are slipping through.
A standardized platform brings order. Quotes follow the same workflow, pricing rules apply consistently, and dashboards show turnaround times, hit rates, and margin mix. Coaching alerts flag when reps need extra support before issues get bigger.
Managers gain a clear view of performance across the branch and can lead more proactively, even when the team is stretched thin.
Executives: Seeing the Whole Picture
For leadership, the questions are simple but tough. How do we grow without doubling headcount? How do we know tools are being used? Where is the ROI?
The answer lies in visibility. A unified platform connects activity to outcomes. Leaders can see how many RFQs are processed, how fast quotes go out, and how many turn into orders. Margin protection and upsell opportunities are tracked. Because everything is tied back to the ERP, executives finally see one clear version of the truth instead of a patchwork of spreadsheets.
This makes AI something you can measure, not just a technology experiment.
Why AI Needs to Work Across the Whole Sales Team, Not in Pieces
It is tempting to solve problems with one-off tools: one for quoting, one for takeoffs, one for field reps. But that approach creates silos and frustration.
The real value comes when every role works from the same system.
- Shared data: Everyone works from the same live ERP truth.
- Consistency: Pricing and quoting rules apply evenly.
- Scalability: Adding branches or teams does not mean reinventing workflows.
- Simplicity: Reps do not have to juggle a dozen logins.
- Measurable ROI: Leaders finally connect sales activity to business outcomes.
This is how distributors can do more with the people they already have and keep performance steady, even during a labor shortage.
Why AI for Distributors Matters Now
The pressures on distributors are not easing up. Customers expect speed, competitors are pushing hard, and margins are under constant squeeze. Hiring is difficult, and many branches cannot simply add more staff. That is why a complete platform matters now. It does not replace people. It helps the team you already have work faster, smarter, and with fewer mistakes. It takes care of the repetitive work so your people can focus on what really drives business: serving customers and building trust. The distributors who put this type of platform in place today will set the standard for the industry tomorrow. The question is not if this shift will happen. It is who will move first and benefit most.
Key Takeaway
AI is no longer a “future trend.” It is becoming part of how distributors compete today. But the distributors who win will not be the ones stitching together point solutions. They will be the ones who invest in a single, connected platform that supports their entire sales team, from the counter to the C-suite.
About the Author:
Jason Sullivan is the founder and CEO of Distro, the agentic AI platform purpose-built for distributor sales teams. Distro has empowered industry-leading distributors to harness AI to drive revenue. In partnership with Heating, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI), Distro also launched AskA2L, a specialized AI tool to support the A2L refrigerant transition.
Sullivan’s point about measurable ROI deserves emphasis for any distributor evaluating AI for distributors. Distributors have been pitched technology for years, often with vague promises about efficiency. What separates useful platforms from expensive experiments is whether leadership can actually see the impact in their numbers. When quoting speed, margin protection, and conversion rates all tie back to one system, the conversation shifts from “is this working” to “where do we double down.”
For HVACR distributors navigating tight labor markets and compressed margins, that visibility is not a nice-to-have. It is the difference between guessing and managing.
If this aligns with what you are seeing in your market, lets compare notes. CMG works with manufacturers, distributors, and rep firms who want clearer strategy, stronger channel performance, and better alignment across the field. If you are exploring ways to strengthen your commercial approach, reach out and let’s talk through what you are trying to build.
Leave a Reply