Everything starts with what your customers need and want. Unfortunately, distributors’ buyers aren’t as simple to market to as B2C customers. For example, many industrial buyers move from project to project and need new solutions every few months. In contrast, others may manage inventories that carry the same items and frequently need to replenish their […]
Benj Cohen
8 Questions Every Distributor Should Answer Before Building an E-commerce Site
Everything starts with what your customers need and want. Unfortunately, distributors’ buyers aren’t as simple to market to as B2C customers. For example, many industrial buyers move from project to project and need new solutions every few months. In contrast, others may manage inventories that carry the same items and frequently need to replenish their […]
Why Digital Transformation Fails: Lack of Communication
Digital transformation seems to be a silver bullet. While it is necessary for success, it doesn’t guarantee success for distributors. Companies don’t always manage change effectively when they modify their business with technology. If they don’t introduce digital tools to their organization with effective communication, their odds of success with digital transformation plummet. What is […]
How to Bridge the Disconnect Between Buyers and Sellers Online
B2B buyers and sellers have different perceptions of what is important to the buying journey, according to Amazon’s “B2B E-Commerce in Evolution Report.” Amazon surveyed 250 U.S. B2B buyers and 250 B2B sellers in December 2020 and January 2021. Buyers reported that online features were far more valuable to them than phone calls with a […]
Why Has CRM’s Potential Not Been Realized for Many Distributors?
Customer Relationship Management software is notorious for its failure rates, ranging from a third to 90% of projects not delivering on the promised ROI. The idea behind CRM is not bad – help your team meet customer needs throughout the customer lifecycle, streamline sales processes, give managers visibility into the sales pipeline and ultimately increase […]
COVID-19’s Impact on Distribution Is Here to Stay
Now that COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out across the nation, you might think we’re on the verge of “returning to normal.” However, instead of returning to life as it was, some of the changes brought on by the pandemic will likely stick. It’s time for distributors to embrace this next stage and accept the lasting […]
How AI Can Turn Sales Reps Into Full-Catalog Product Experts
When you think about search, you typically think about plugging an item into a search bar online. Customers, meanwhile, have historically leaned on their field sales reps as the human equivalent – a go-to for product information – and they usually expect quick answers. A sales rep may walk into a customer’s office, and get […]
2 Things Amazon Does Better Than Anyone Else
Everyone knows that Amazon sells a lot of stuff. But what most people don’t know is that Amazon collects billions in advertising fees to do it. In fact, Amazon is the third-largest internet advertiser, trailing just behind Google and Facebook. In 2019 alone, Amazon racked up roughly $14 billion in advertising revenue, and made a […]
The Technology Behind Amazon’s Search Dominance
When you search for something on Amazon you are four times more likely to buy it than when searching on comparable sites. In fact, Amazon enjoys an amazing 12.9% conversion rate when customers use their search bar. Rivals, in contrast, convert only 2% to 3% of customer searches into sales. As these successful searches add […]
Amazon’s Secret to AI-Powered Product Recommendations
In 2015, Amazon launched an online B2B marketplace called Amazon Business. The enterprise was immediately successful, racking up $1 billion in sales in its first year. But what happened next was truly alarming. In 2018, Amazon Business recorded over $10 billion in sales. In 2019, RBC Capital predicted that Amazon would make $52 billion in […]
The Future of the Outside Sales Rep
COVID-19 has dramatically changed the way distributors sell. This disruption has most profoundly affected the way outside sales representatives (OSRs) operate: More than 90% of B2B companies have shifted to a virtual or hybridized sales model, according to a recent McKinsey report. This begs a hard question: Do OSRs have a future in distribution? Being […]
