Several startups that received venture capital investments from Amazon or discussed a potential investment from the company say that, after receiving their information, Amazon launched its own version of their products. A spokesman for Amazon denied that the company uses confidential information from startups to develop products to compete with them.

Business executives have a responsibility to speak out against systemic racism and learn how to "conduct business differently and make different business decisions to help further change," Cardinal Health CEO Mike Kaufmann says. "Diverse and inclusive workplaces consistently outperform non-inclusive and non-diverse workplaces," so pursuing diversity and inclusion makes good business sense, Kaufmann says.

When it comes to getting the most out of their truck fleets and dealing with the unprecedented demand caused by the pandemic, it's critical for grocers and distributors to leverage the power of data analytics and to stay flexible, writes John Flynn, CEO of Fleet Advantage. Flynn adds that lessons from the pandemic -- such as dealing with a rapidly changing environment -- can be applied for long-term success.

The FBI has issued a private industry alert warning about an increase in severe distributed-denial-of-service attacks. The uptick began in February, with hackers using built-in network protocols to overwhelm servers with requests.

Salespeople should discuss their customers' goals and apply a sense of urgency to helping buyers achieve them, writes David Brock. "Begin every buying journey, every deal strategy with the end in mind," Brock writes.

Product knowledge, enthusiasm about company offerings and problem-solving skills can all help salespeople reach their goals, writes Lestraundra Alfred. Other helpful skills include active listening, time management and a willingness to accept feedback.

The coronavirus pandemic has tossed traditional in-office perks out the window, and some companies have responded by delivering those in-person benefits to employee homes, but others are revamping their entire approach. Companies are taking stock of what they can afford and what is truly important to employees -- and their new "office mates."

Join NAW and Ian Heller for "The Coming Storm of Converging Technologies" webinar on Tuesday, July 28, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Ian will provide an overview of current and upcoming technology disruption that is driven by new, advanced technologies and outside entrants. He will discuss how these technologies will change customer expectations and how distributors should change to meet them. Traditional distributors must find new ways to compete and non-traditional ways of adding value. Also download "The Coming Storm of Converging Technologies" Research Report. Sponsored by Unilog and SAP.

NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Mike Marks writes, "The pandemic is affecting the ways in which many distributors operate -- especially how sales teams sell. Distributors have an opportunity right now to rethink their sales structures to innovate, despite this being a trying time. To do that, we must be curious about what the new normal looks like, return to a few fundamentals, keep a positive attitude to solve problems, stay relevant and come out ahead." Read his post.

Subscribe to the new NAW Podcast Series: INNOVATE TO DOMINATE, sponsored by PROS so you don't miss a single episode. In episode 1, listeners will learn about INNOVATE TO DOMINATE and what it means in the context of COVID-19. This podcast series is centered around the findings in NAW's "Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change Series," which helps distributors connect the dots between the forces of change, the things that are reshaping how customers buy, and how businesses operate.