Everywhere you turn, people are talking about inflation.  Whether you're out to dinner, in line at the grocery store, or filling up at the pump, rising prices are hitting everyone like a punch to the gut.  So what do we do?  Eat out less often, buy cheaper cuts of meat, work from home a few days a week?  Those seem like feasible options for a temporary problem.   But what if inflation is more of a long-term, possibly permanent problem? Here's what we know in Distributorland... Fuel prices are through the roof Logistics costs are escalating We must continue investing in our people We can't just sit idly by and hope for the best So, now what?   My recent article in Industrial Supply Magazine attacks this issue head-on.  Click  HERE for the rest of the details. Frank Hurtte, Founding Partner of River Heights Consulting, shares his personal experiences with 28 years of "in the trenches" training and 17 years as a consultant.  He serves ...

Last week we wrote about the right activities for tough economic times.  One of our points was the need for improved negotiations training with our salespeople.  At the risk of repeating myself, I stated: “….major industrial firms have gone public with their plans to squeeze their supply chain.  Some have noticed, they can get additional discounts just by “asking” for them.  Customer purchasing types are going to negotiate with our sellers and we need to be prepared.  Based on my observations, most distributor salespeople have not received proper negotiations training in recent history.” Last week I attended one of SPASigma’s inaugural events called, The Battle for Margin, a two-day seminar developed to assist distributors in growing their gross margins.  Much of the seminar revolved around negotiating with buyers.  During one of the breaks, I had the opportunity to speak to several distributor salespeople who candidly shared their e...