We\'re finally through the planning season (yes, it is April and distributors now have less than 9 months to achieve supplier objectives!) and some of manufacturers discussed their new product launch plans (and maybe a distributor shared their approach to new product introductions.) During the planning process some manufacturers communicate to their distributors about their … [Read more...] about Why Product Launches Fail
Grainger’s Q1 2016 Highlights Industrial Challenges
Grainger released its Q1 results today. Historically they represent a proxy for the industrial and industrial MRO market so we decided to review for insights...(italics are commentary). The bottom line is that business is essentially flat in the US with challenges in the industrial / natural resources segments AND the company is experiencing pricing pressures, which … [Read more...] about Grainger’s Q1 2016 Highlights Industrial Challenges
Drive for Data
Over the past month or so Allen and I have had a number of calls for data. Some are from owners / senior management, some from marketing personnel and some from operational staff. The calls are from manufacturers and distributors. The commonality is that there appears to be a call for more quantitative information for companies to benchmark their business, understand their … [Read more...] about Drive for Data
Ace is the Place For …
You may remember the iconic jingle of \"Ace is the place with the helpful hardware folks\" but did you know that Ace is the place for LED lighting? According to an article in the April issue of Hardware & Building Supply Dealer, according to Brian Wiborg, VP retail development and supply, Ace intends to use LED lighting as a \"a crowbar in into the B2B market\". They plan … [Read more...] about Ace is the Place For …
Liening Up
Yes, we\'re talking about liens! They types that accounting / credit people like, not \"lean\" as in \"lean processes\" which we\'ll touch on in the near future when we discuss innovation. Why liens? Basically because a couple of weeks ago two pieces of information were received mentioning them. The first had information about a cloud-based lien rights management platform … [Read more...] about Liening Up
Ready for Growth?
As you sit around your corporate boardroom and and make decisions that impact growth either via acquisition or generating incremental sales, many don\'t give consideration to PRODUCTIVITY (in the back office). Why is that? Well, many assume, albeit incorrectly, that all the \".\"s are dotted and \"T\'s\" are crossed. Many feel their company operates optimally and is \"the best … [Read more...] about Ready for Growth?
Industrial Margins Declining?
Feedback from manufacturers and distributors indicate a rather significant drop in sales but recent conversations indicate that margins could be even more significantly impacted. While industrial margins typically are higher than contractor / construction business, this quickly could become a memory. We\'ve heard of: Contracts / blankets going for \"low teens\" (i.e. … [Read more...] about Industrial Margins Declining?
Moneyball for Growth
If you are stymied with geographical growth and think that many of your customers are not buying all they can from you, the odds are stacked in your favor that they aren\'t. Why? Because you don\'t know. Unless you have access to all your sales data and more importantly your sales people have access to it, then you are flying blind. Compound this if you are running a 10+ year … [Read more...] about Moneyball for Growth
Increasing Pressure and Competition in the Industrial MRO Market
Grainger and WESCO are typically good industry benchmarks to get a sense of the industrial MRO market. Grainger also sometimes provides insights into the institutional market, so let\'s look at their end of year / quarterly reports where they also shed 2016 guidance. Grainger While their January headline was good \"up 4% for the month\", this included 4% for a UK acquisition … [Read more...] about Increasing Pressure and Competition in the Industrial MRO Market
B All You Can B For Sales Effectiveness
Earlier this week I was speaking with distributor and we were discussing sales effectiveness. Throughout his career he has been in sales roles, inclusive of sales management. One of the areas we discussed is the attributes of successful salespeople. He told me about an article he wrote for his company\'s sales newsletter a number of years ago. He recently published it on … [Read more...] about B All You Can B For Sales Effectiveness
