In the last three articles, we talked about the post-Pandemic  “new normal” and how life will change for distributors, customers, and suppliers.  In each post, we explored how we might position ourselves for greater success by anticipating these changes.  In the next few articles, we will spend some time thinking further about customer shifts.   Research, unrelated to distribution, has shown keen interest in several initiatives being studied by our customers.  In most instances, the interest was there ahead of the COVID shutdown, but economic storms tend to accelerate trends and push new ideas to the forefront of business executives’ minds.  Very few of these changes are as pronounced as the growing interest in robotics.  If you believe the researchers (and I do) the growth in all things robotic will come like a gigantic 64-foot wave sweeping into Honolua Bay in Hawaii.  As an industry, we are faced with a couple of choices.  We can hum ...

Friday, March 13, 2020: A day deeply burnt into our memories, the day the Coronavirus Pandemic became real, the day our economy shut down and the day distributors and their customers suspended in-person sales activities. We quickly adapted; switching to phone calls, Zoom Meetings, and other telesales activities. Early on, the phone calls were easy. We commiserated on the drawbacks of working from home, discussed available customer resources, and showcased a few new products. The calls flowed and each week we discovered some new ground without boring the customer. Today, some 11 weeks later, salespeople are struggling to keep the phone conversations fresh. To use a colloquialism from an old-time seller, “We’ve fished this pond to death.” Aside from normal sales call conversations, salespeople depend on non-verbal clues to generate new selling opportunities. For instance, during a quick walk through the customer facility, they might see a pile of parts stacked near a co...

Many of the readers of this group are involved in the sales of automation and machine guarding products. At times we all get wrapped up in setting goals, driving results and the business side of our work. But, I believe we have a higher calling. The things we do make the world a better place by improving efficiency, creating better and cheaper product for the consumer, eliminating tedious/back breaking labor and making the work place safer. We are the very small percentage of the population that understands how dangerous an improperly controlled or unguarded robot can be. Further, we understand the technologies available to minimize accidents. We often encounter those who see robotics and machine guarding as a government sponsored nuisance without real value. Occasionally, we see maintenance technicians and engineers disable safety equipment to expedite their work. It’s easy to lose heart and become calloused to the world around us. But, we have a mission greater than just...