Marketing Moment:  Lost in the Market? Let the 5-Cs Guide You By Desiree Grace Let’s get something straight: Marketing is not a walk in the park. It’s often underestimated, but the importance of good marketing is equal to having a solid map on a remote trail without WiFi. Frameworks like the 5-Cs help us navigate unfamiliar terrain and create order out of chaos. The 5-Cs are your compass, a tool that helps you analyze and strategize, guiding you through the marketing wilderness. You’ve probably heard of the 4-Ps: Product, Place, Price, and Promotion, the classic Marketing Mix. Let’s ditch the amateur level and talk about something more advanced: the 5-Cs. The 5-Cs are a framework for conducting a serious situation analysis. It’s how you take a long, hard look at where your business stands, where it’s heading, and how to outsmart the competition. Think of it like an annual inspection for your car, a health check that could save you from an overheated engine down the road. The...

We are well into January which means many of you have given up on your personal resolutions.  And maybe you gave up on your professional ones as well, but I have a feeling you didn't make any!   Wait, did I touch on a nerve there?  Never fear, I have some questions you can ask yourself to give you a jump on 2025.  Much like like we did during and after the Pandemic, we continue to pivot in the face of adversity.  Only instead of COVID-19, we're working with devastating weather patterns and political polarization along with past troubles like chain issues, rising labor costs, and general price increases. The way you adapt is the key to your success. So here they are, Top 10 Distributor Questions that Demand Answers in 2025: 1. What can we do this year to provide even greater value and service to our customers? 2. How can we strengthen our customer relationships today to make it harder for competitors to take our business? 3. What new strategies or offer...

Questions for New Year’s Resolutions It is the season for New Year’s Resolutions.  If you are like me, you have probably made a few of them.  But I am not going to make resolutions for you.  The truth is it would be impossible for me to do that.  Instead, let’s spend a few minutes tossing out some questions that might serve to guide your resolutions.   Since we all have a lot on our minds this time of year, I have broken these questions down by position.  This is the first of three posts, each designed for specific positions within the organization.   This one is for Distributor Leaders.   Distributor Leaders What is the state of the technology you are using? Can you easily: ·         Track purchases by salesperson? ·         Track purchases by the customer? ·         Track purchases by supply-partner? ·       ...

Based on a research published on strategyand.com, the average company in North America spends an average of five percent of revenue on Research & Development (R&D.)  Further study points out that more innovative companies are spending closer to 20 percent (Google spends 16.6 percent, Amazon was 27.7 percent and pharma companies go into the high 20s.)  While these companies are pushing for new and groundbreaking products, it makes sense that every company would want to invest a little in their future.  Should distribution be any different? Many believe that R&D involves white-smocked scientists Disclaimer: Frank was not in Back to the Future working in some secret skunkworks laboratory deep underground.  Arguably, distributors sell the products developed in this kind of product/technology-based research setting.  Research & Development involves more than just products.  Some research should also be focused on the customer.  Things...

Last week we covered the topic of managing opportunities. I made this comment: “Strangely, many “experts” advise sellers to ignore the competition. I believe the competition plays a major role in planning your strategy and understanding your situation.” Some of you took note of this comment and requested more information. It’s impossible to ignore the competition. Like the forces of market supply, recessions, economic recovery and upticks in energy prices, competitors influence your business environment. Extending further, competition varies from market to market and even territories within the market. While not paying attention to competition sounds high minded, noble and customer-centric, it won’t help you make more money. Competition is specific and local Except for Amazon, your competition is manifested in the form of a specific person or team of people. They need not live in your community, but they are assigned to one of your accounts, which makes them local to...

In the age of Star Wars for Distributor Sales, it’s still the Sticker Wars Don't let this be the last impression you left on your customer As strange as it may seem, in the age of the internet, iPads, smartphones, and   digital catalogs, best practices in distributor sales still rely on some very “old school” selling methods.   Those of you who have been with us a while may find this contrary to our article on Technology Killing the Dinosaurs , so b efore you write me off as suffering from premature dementia, let me explain.   In sales, it’s not about the seller.   You can be tech savvy and proud of it, but customer comfort is king.   For new salespeople, this is perplexing.   You maneuver through the e-catalogs of at Amazon.com.   You carry your life on a tablet – calendar, catalogs, contacts, kid’s pictures the whole shooting match.   Regardless of your electronic life, you have to understand many of our customers are still...