Thermoplastic resins distributor M. Holland has helped employees, known as "Mployees," during the pandemic by providing computer equipment, stipends for home internet, flexible schedules and paid time off for coronavirus-related concerns. The company has overhauled its communications while encouraging meeting-free Fridays.

Entities based in China accounted for 75% of new Amazon marketplace sellers in January in the core markets of the US, UK, Germany and Japan, compared to 47% the previous January, but US sellers still generate the bulk of sales, according to Marketplace Pulse. Amazon has improved vendor transparency by providing links with seller details to customers in the US and Europe.

Companies need to make sure that warehouse workers are protected from falls, hazardous chemicals and other safety threats, not just the coronavirus, writes Anna Wells. Having a strong safety culture that goes all the way to the executive level is key, Wells writes.

Sales managers often fall into the trap of solving symptoms and negative indicators instead of digging down to find the root cause of a problem, writes David Brock. While solving for symptoms may provide "an illusion of progress," they don't lead to the type of sustainable improvements needed for consistent success, Brock writes.

Business-to-business sellers should cultivate long-term relationships with partners and customers to deliver more value, but the key is investing in those who want or need the same longevity, Allen Weiss writes. Weiss offers advice on identifying customers who want close relationships and fostering trust through "credible commitments."

People at all levels of an organization wield different types of situational power, with different consequences for the two participants, writes Josh Levs. Workshops focused on "power consciousness" can help co-workers understand and navigate perceived power issues.

In this free NAW webinar on April 6, at 2 p.m. Eastern, Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein of Distribution Strategy Group and Alex Moazed of Applico will bring you the latest thinking on marketplaces. They'll evaluate the marketplace strategic options available to distributors, such as becoming a third-party seller on a merchant-owned marketplace, becoming a third-party seller on a marketplace not owned by a merchant, building your own marketplace, the imperative for an industry-owned marketplace, and opting out of marketplaces. Register now! Sponsored by Oracle Netsuite and Zoro.

Through the NAW Certificate in Distribution Professional Management, which is completely virtual in 2021, NAW and our partner Texas A&M University offer these three comprehensive sessions to help you help your managers to strengthen their skills with the educational foundation they need to enhance their value to your company: Optimizing Distributor Profitability, May 24-27; Generating and Managing Growth, July 19-23; Distributor Capability Development, October 18-22. Register your team today!

How have distributors been innovating their business during the pandemic? Find that out and much more from 10 distributors who tell their stories and share ideas for both surviving and thriving in a drastically changed business environment. Author Mark Dancer shares up-to-the-minute ideas and insights from distributor leaders based on their experiences and lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic. Order this just-released e-chapter, "Distribution Leans In: Stories of Resiliency and Innovation During the COVID-19 Pandemic."