Fastenal is increasingly using customer fulfillment centers in addition to walk-in customer service branches, which President and CEO Dan Florness says will help improve its e-commerce business. Such centers account for about half of the distributor's branches, he said.

MSC Industrial Supply is reconfiguring customer service operations to make greater use of virtual hubs instead of branch offices. The industrial distributor will make the pandemic-related closure of 73 branches permanent and eliminate 115 commercial sales positions.

The pandemic led Insight Enterprises to focus on communicating with employees and articulating leaders' intent, according to CEO Ken Lamneck. "When you look what we identified as the key tasks we had to undertake, as part of the leader's intent, first and foremost it was the safety and well-being of our teammates," he says.

Worldwide spending on cybersecurity could surpass $60 billion this year, an increase of about 10%, research company Canalys predicts. Noting the SolarWinds compromise of US government computers late last year, Canalys Chief Analyst Matthew Ball says, "The biggest threats are always those not yet known."

Remote diagnostics, available from vehicle manufacturers and technology suppliers, are helping motor carriers better manage truck maintenance. UPS has found the system reduced fleet downtime by identifying needed repairs and streamlining maintenance.

Personalization has become one of the most important foundations of successful sales prospecting, writes Stephanie Carrillo. Research potential customers' blogs, social channels and company information to personalize emails, phone calls and templates, Carrillo suggests.

Texting is becoming an increasingly viable tool in the marketing arsenal as consumers are increasingly gravitating toward mobile screens and downloading apps for product purchasing, writes Steve Weiss, MuteSix's CEO. He predicts the one-on-one nature of texting and the ease of it will lead to texting as an individual "distribution channel where users can complete their entire purchase journey quickly" and urges marketers to take a thoughtful approach.

Watching someone's body language can reveal if they are interested in what you're saying or if they are feeling on the defensive, writes Vanessa Van Edwards. She offers 16 examples, including raised eyebrows, closed arms or legs, head tilts and fidgeting.

Don't miss NAW's first-ever Digital Summit, Jan. 27-28, which attracts CEOs and senior leaders of leading wholesale distribution companies. First-time attendees will have the chance to hear from industry leaders and experts and discuss topics relevant to their business, including learning from distribution CEOs on our "Leading in a Time of Transition" panel as well as having opportunities for peer-to-peer networking and idea exchange. Use NAW's special 5- and 10-pack registrations to bring your team! Register today!

In his NAW Blog post, NAW Institute Fellow Mike Marks ponders, "How do you plan when all certainty has gone out the window more than once in the past year? Even with an end to the pandemic in sight, distributors may be looking at their 2020 business plan and wondering if it's even worth putting a plan together for 2021. It's tempting to stay light on your feet and be ready to pivot." Read his post.

With financial distress and identity theft on the rise, NAW and Trusted Partner, Gallagher, have partnered with LegalShield to offer wholesaler-distributors comprehensive identity theft and legal protection benefits to their employees. Get more information.