WESCO's pending acquisition of Anixter will create a company capable of weathering a downturn and doing more than either could accomplish on their own, says WESCO CEO John Engel. "[T]he combined business would be in a much better position to invest in digital capabilities and to take a leadership role in transforming their business in the context of a more digitized value chain in B2B distribution, like what exists in B2C, the value chain," he says.

Amazon Business, the company's B2B marketplace, saw gross sales grow by 60% and net sales by 67% in 2019, according to an analysis by RBC Capital Markets. Amazon doesn't break out numbers for Amazon Business and did not mention the unit in its most recent earnings call.

Distributors need to be investing in their own e-commerce platforms, as "distributors' leverage will never be as strong as it is today," said Applico founder and CEO Alex Moazed at the recent NAW Executive Summit. Services on top of products are another tactic for distributors to deploy, said Ian Heller, founder of Real Results Marketing, who also presented.

Accenture Interactive's Neil Michel describes why it's vital for business-to-business marketers and sales executives to blend digital and human interaction to deliver a seamless customer experience that meets individual buyers' expectations. He cites their research that shows this combined approach boosts B2B sales, but must be supported with centralized data, investment in emerging technology and leaders who create a customer-centric culture.

Business-to-business marketers must adapt their strategies to members of Gen Z who are moving up the buying ladder, and can appeal to their preference for peer-to-peer recommendations by embracing social media for building relationships, Zen Media's Shama Hyder writes. Use social to give Gen Z control and build communities of advocates, and use industry influencers in experiential campaigns, she recommends.

Change management requires leaders to be transparent, to address multiple levels of employee concern and to admit when they don't know something, writes Randy Conley of the Ken Blanchard Cos. "Instead of spinning the truth, evading answers, or tap-dancing around difficult questions, admit you don't know but commit to finding the answer," he writes.

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