Tech Data is working with Hewlett Packard Enterprise on edge computing offerings for channel partners. The coronavirus pandemic "has put a real spotlight on the need for those business outcomes to solve very specific problems," Tech Data executive Colin Blair says.
Patterson Cos. reported a loss of $608.6 million in its fiscal fourth quarter that ended April 25, compared with a $27.9 million profit a year ago. Sales declined to $1.29 billion as the coronavirus pandemic affected the industry, CEO Mark Walchirk said.
Distributors should differentiate their product and service offerings based on capability and responsiveness to best serve their top customers, write Andrew Horvath and Ann Marie Verhamme of the Alexander Group. This requires gathering information from stakeholders throughout the company, they write.
Digital-first distributors know what customers want, use segmentation to find opportunities and have modern value propositions, writes Dean Mueller of Distribution Strategy Group.
David Dodd explores the current state of play of in-person business-to-business events, the rise of virtual alternatives and forecasts the full scale return of in-person events won't happen until next year. He advises B2B marketers to monitor the pandemic's movements and vaccine developments to gauge where and when they can start engaging prospects in person again.
David McGuire, creative director at Radix Communications, outlines his company's research that reveals only 32% of business-to-business marketers are proud of just half of their content. He delves into B2B content's main problems, such as too many people signing off on it, limited budgets and resources, and not enough use of customer stories.
Companies cannot excel at meeting customer needs unless they know what competitors are offering and how their services match up, writes Jeff Wolf. "A critical element in retaining today's customer is actual service delivery performance, as well as what organizations do to close gaps between expectations and outcomes," he writes.
Distributors have made progress in navigating through this unprecedented disruption, but much more is needed. In this live webinar, we will follow up with Michael DeCata, President and CEO of Lawson Products, to hear how he is navigating through COVID-19 and how it has accelerated his plans around innovation. Mark Dancer, author of NAW's "Innovate to Dominate," and Richard Blatcher of PROS will explore with Mike how distributors must implement an "innovation ecosystem" to compete in the new normal. Register today! Sponsored by PROS.
Are you well-informed about different best practices and knowledge in our industry? If not, NAW's Top 10 E-book List can help get you up-to-speed quickly so you and your business can stay competitive in these challenging times.
