Distributors should focus on building relationships while using data to help customers meet their goals instead of attempting to compete directly with Amazon, says Mark Dancer, a fellow with the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence. "For example, distributors are 'here to help' customers; that is, they're willing to work side-by-side with customers to improve their operations and procurement results," he says.

The first class of early-stage startups recently graduated from the Food Foundry, a startup accelerator program born out of a partnership between Gordon Food Service and innovation hub Relish Works. Five startups were featured in the first 16-week program, with the next program to begin in January.

PolyOne will sell its Performance Products and Solutions business to SK Capital Partners for $775 million. The unit offers contract manufacturing services and formulated polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene-based items.

Distributors should use slower periods as an opportunity to re-evaluate strategic business agreements with manufacturers, writes John Gunderson. "If 2020 isn't a high-growth year your SBA will probably require more planning and creativity to negotiate a true win-win for both sides," he writes.

Marketers explore whether event sponsorship is an effective strategy, including GumGum's Som Puangladda, who discusses it from a business-to-business perspective and talks about the importance of identifying the right events for target audiences, exclusivity and measurement. Puangladda also explains how "[t]he ability to join in on live speaking sessions via VR headsets will solve" the problem of connecting with audiences on a wider scale.

Business-to-business salespeople should consider traditional factors such as need, budget and authority when qualifying prospects, but must also take company size, tenure of the decision-maker and other criteria into account, writes Ariel Wolfe. It's important to keep each company's budgeting constraints in mind as you work with customers and rely on more than one internal champion, Wolfe writes.

Bosses tell people what they want them to do, whereas leaders are collaborative and empower people to do their jobs, writes John Stoker, who offers 12 characteristics that separate leaders from bosses. "Good leaders will understand what is required of each team member and will support and encourage them in ways that motivate them to do their best," he writes.

Asking people why their energy or enthusiasm seems low can be enlightening and creates space to explore their feelings, writes Dan Rockwell. Be careful to observe rather than judge, which can put people on the defensive.

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