The Women Who Move Us Forward By Jenny Shannon In the early days of the electrical industry, a woman’s job was to answer the phone and get coffee. Even in the late 1990s, only a small percentage of women held leadership roles. That’s why the NAED Women in Industry Forum matters so much. Women now hold positions at every level of the channel and are gaining momentum as leaders. They’re taking charge, being recognized, and inspiring women and men alike. Desiree Grace is one of those women who is deeply respected by her cohorts. But as a woman who works alongside her, I have the honor of being her biggest fan. Desiree leads with knowledge, poise, and confidence. She is a force that is also approachable. She is a mentor who continues to learn and absorb new ideas. When someone like that is highlighted in a national setting, it sends a message with a reach beyond the event: Women are more powerful when joining forces and supporting each other! Electrical Trends captured the energy of the...

Why Relationships Alone Are Not a Growth Strategy Stop Waiting for Competitors to Retire By Frank Hurtte Relationships matter. If everything else is equal, the salesperson with the relationship usually wins the order. But if your only competitive advantage is that customers like you, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. Your competitor has a relationship, too. And if your growth plan depends on waiting for that competitor to retire, transfer, or die, that’s not a strategy. That’s wishful thinking. I’ve watched salespeople play this waiting game for decades. Their “growth plan” often sounds like this: “I’ll keep showing up. I’ll answer the phone at night. I’ll jump when there’s a problem. I’ll build trust. And when the competitor eventually slips up, I’ll move up the food chain.” Relationships can open doors. The keyword is "eventually." Eventually might mean a year. It might mean five. I’ve seen reps wait a decade for a competitor to “finally mess up.” Meanwhile, the accou...

Reflections from a Road Warrior: The Power of Clean Bathrooms and Good Coffee A Distributor Channel Marketing Moment By Desiree Grace Early in my career, I logged a lot of miles in a company car across the Midwest. One of the first lessons I learned was where to stop, and where not to stop, for coffee, fuel, and the inevitable bio break. I quickly became a fan of Casey’s, and there’s a lot we can learn from them. Casey’s understands how to deliver what matters. It’s not just the gas. It’s the clean bathrooms, the fresh hot coffee, the decent beverage selection, and the surprisingly good pizza. For road warriors, those details add up. Some aspects of their customer experience aren’t obvious, but they clearly figured out what their travelers value. Let’s be honest: not all rest stops are created equal. For those of us who prefer a non-unisex bathroom, ample paper products, and reliable soap, Casey’s is a safe bet. I’ve had more than one unpleasant surprise in less-than-sanitary gas...

For years, friends and regular readers of The Distributor Channel have commented they would engage more if Frank made his work available in an audible, on-demand format.  This would make for easy listening during windshield time or even mowing the lawn!   A few weeks ago, Jim Lucy, editor of Electrical Wholesaling, interviewed Frank at length for a new podcast episode.  The podcast covers Frank’s thoughts on new salespeople and since Jim likes to know more about leaders in our industry, there is also some random discussion.  Catch this episode HERE or anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts!     BTW – For years folks have told Frank he has a face for Radio--might be true. ...

  This week we have a feature article on IMARK Electrical Now! I have spoken and written at length about charging for services.  In the same vein, this article talks about considering the impact your services have on your customers and how to use that information to your advantage.   Go check it out! Short on time? Here are direct links to items mentioned in the article: My manifesto on Amazon about the subject A whitepaper written for The Distribution Strategy Group Frank Hurtte, Founding Partner of River Heights Consulting, shares his personal experiences with 7 28  years of "in the trenches" training and 17 years as a consultant.  He serves as a personal coach to industry leaders across many lines of distribution.  He has authored 5.5 books (one is almost done) and has written hundreds of articles for national trade magazines, including Industrial Supply Magazine. Frank is also a sought-after copywriter of marketing materials for technology companie...

The first Monday in November is JOB ACTION DAY.  Never heard of it?  Probably not, but you likely have felt strongly about taking action with your job.  Think about the last time you updated your resume.  I am not talking about a resume to find a new job, instead, I am thinking more about taking an inventory of the skills you possess and comparing them against your skills last year.  Have you learned some new skills?  If the answer is yes, that’s awesome.  If not, why not.  You aren’t perfect and the world is changing around you.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to improve your worth, by developing skills that enhance your value to your company or maybe to some future company?   With the state of the world over the last few years, it's impossible for us to think we have job security without new skills.  We have witnessed the unthinkable many times over.  Companies across the globe have closed shop with little to no notice. ...

Over the past few months, I have been working closely with David Gordon of the Channel Marketing Group.  David is laser focused on the Electrical Distribution Channel.  His blog, Electrical Trends is widely read by those who call themselves electrical distributors.  This is a large and diverse group.  They range from people who are full ahead knowledge-based distributors to those who might be better categorized as “supply houses”.    We have discovered, the issues are very similar.  A good many in the electrical channel wonder who is doing the selling.  More importantly, how does this selling impact the operational costs and how should a distributor (and their supply partners) look at the overall direction of their business?  As suppliers continue to broaden their product offerings and fight for market share in sometimes niche areas, these suppliers must review and take a new look at precisely who is doing the selling.    Wi...

Many segments of the wholesale business use rebates as a plan to modify and reward distributor behavior. While the roots of these end of year rebates and similar programs are mostly lost to history, they have become an important part of the distributor financial sheet. For example, Electrical Distributors typically report around 40-60 percent of their bottom line comes by way of rebates. Other lines of trade indicate similar numbers. This information is not anecdotal. This is not beer talk, the Profit Reports published through groups like NAED and others back up the statement. Without rebates, the channel could be in serious trouble. Marketing and Buying Groups help drive the rebate dollars Many independent distributors receive their rebates through   marketing groups. Organizations like IMARK and Affiliated Distributors (AD) in the electrical industry come to mind, as do groups in other lines of trade. Here is a short list (mostly top of mind): • Distributor P...

I just finished reading a great article in The Electrical Distributor online called “ BOOSTING YOUR DISTRIBUTOR'S VALUE-ADDED PROPOSITION ”. As I started to read, I was attracted to a distributor comment which stated, “(Our) company knows that it may not always be able to compete on price, so it focuses on helping customers run their businesses better.” I liked the message, step away from pricing and instead work on providing the kinds of services customers value. The article went forward with a number of great examples of the non-product services provided by distributors in the electrical segment. Here’s the deal: Since Tom Reilly’s ground breaking book by the same title back in 1985, distributors have embraced the concept of Value-Added Selling. They have let their creative juices run wild with new and innovative ways to help customers. In the process they have further endeared their product offerings to customers throughout their territories. But we have a problem...