The pandemic has prompted Grainger to provide more product details and other information on its digital platforms to meet customer expectations, says Chief Product Officer Brian Walker. "The ability to provide fast and reliable information to customers through the channel of their choice will only continue to accelerate in a post-pandemic world," Walker says.

MRC Global's sequential revenue increased by 5% in the first quarter, with growth in every sector except for gas utilities. However, the distributor posted a net loss of $3 million on sales of $609 million, which were down 23% from Q1 2020.

Companies implementing warehouse management systems should first get buy-in from multiple departments, evaluate equipment needs, and minimize the need for modifications, among other suggestions from Jeremy Hudson of Open Sky Group.

Supply chains experienced 67% more disruptions in 2020 than in the previous year, 83% of which were attributed to human causes, according to supply chain risk monitoring firm Resilinc. The highest number was in North America, which had 2,935 disruptions, followed by 1,323 in Asia and 1,210 in Europe.

It's easy to assume that sales models for similar products should be extremely similar, but this flawed "one size fits all" approach doesn't reflect the wide range of buyer needs and motivations, writes David Brock. For instance, software-as-a-service providers may be similar in that their offerings are cloud-based and rely on subscriptions, but they often solve very different types of problems.

Remote working has disrupted the abilities of business-to-business marketers to digitally target prospects based on the methods traditionally used in account-based marketing, writes Semcasting's Ray Kingman, who examines the main data challenges for lead generation and qualification. Kingman explains that employee-based targeting is the answer to reach and engage key decision-makers in a world where the lines between home and work are becoming increasingly blurred.

Overexplainers have lots of good things to say, but they might be better off starting with their main point, then underline it with data or a story, writes John Millen. "The real work is boiling your message down to its essence, the few powerful points that really matter," he writes.

It's decision time: If you plan to attend or send your leaders, please register by May 6. This program is not a full 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. 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!

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.

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."