MSC Industrial Supply has revamped its sales proposition and customer service model, which involved shifting from physical branches to virtual service this year, says President and CEO Erik Gershwind. "We reengineered our supply chain to move from thinking about the four walls of the distribution center to thinking about the entire supply chain from our suppliers' plant floor all the way to our customers' inventory management solutions," he says.

Wurth Industry North America has made multiple acquisitions and introduced new businesses during the pandemic, all part of its plan to double in size by 2025, says CEO Dan Hill. The distributor wants to be a leader in providing PPE and other safety equipment, in addition to fasteners, Hill says.

Winsupply Acquisitions Group President Monte Salsman wanted to safely meet in person with potential prospects during the pandemic, so he bought a recreational vehicle and drove about 12,000 miles in six months. The travel has resulted in at least one acquisition.

People with disabilities are an asset to their employers, and bringing accessibility to warehouse recruitment and work processes can also benefit other workers, according to a retailer presentation at an event. The unnamed company has found that designing workflows for people with disabilities makes the job easier for everyone to understand and contributes to safety.

Marketers can prove their worth to the C-suite by talking the language of economics and adopting the mindset of a consultant, Allen Weiss writes. Weiss recommends using leading and lagging indicators to demonstrate return on investment and explains how strategic thinking can help both convey and grow brand value.

The business-to-business buying process has been permanently disrupted by the pandemic and marketers can adopt five strategies to find success in the new digital-first environment, writes Showpad's Marissa Aydlett. These include serving prospects with personalized, relevant content; engaging more meaningfully via video and interactivity; and prioritizing social media, especially LinkedIn.

Burnout can leave people feeling cynical and exhausted, and small steps to combat this include pushing back on overwork, building personal connections and helping others with the same struggle, writes LaRae Quy. "It may seem like an added burden to your already overloaded day, but humans like to make sense of the messiness of life and your effort to help someone else may be just the thing to wipe out your own cynicism," she writes.

The NAW Virtual Distribution Leadership Program is June 7-18, but this isn't a 2-week commitment of time. Rather, this virtual course will allow your leaders to conduct their day job and expand their skills and knowledge at the same time. No missed work and no travel time. Become a smarter business leader, plus, learn how other distributors operate, solve problems and drive solutions. This course builds competence and confidence for everyone from emerging leaders to seasoned veterans. Register your team today!

Designed for C-suite executives, these NAW roundtables provide actionable strategies that will increase your company's competitive advantage. Companies belonging to this community are from distribution firms that exceed $1 billion in annual sales. You'll engage in thought-provoking conversations with your peers and hear from industry experts on topics that will ultimately increase your profits! Register today.

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!