Lawson Products has differentiated itself by following a three-part strategy of infrastructure, processes and growth, says President and CEO Mike DeCata, who also discusses the distributor's hybrid sales service model, company values and pandemic-era customer communication strategy.

WESCO reported first-quarter net profit of $59 million, an increase from $34 million a year ago, on sales of $4.04 billion, up from $1.97 billion. The distributor is approaching one year since it acquired Anixter.

Cardinal Health reported $119 million in profit on revenue of $39.28 billion for its third fiscal quarter ended March 31, while McKesson's fiscal fourth-quarter saw profit of $666 million on revenue of $59.14 billion. McKesson reported a full-year loss of $4.54 billion.

Many North American and Western European logistics professionals are finding that outdated technology is hindering their ability to meet rising demand for last-mile delivery, and more than half say they plan to use automation systems to address their needs, according to a Bringg survey. "While [businesses] want to take advantage of growing opportunities in the world of e-commerce, they are challenged by legacy systems, limited visibility and high operational costs," Bringg CEO Guy Bloch says.

It's often too easy to make the flawed assumption that maximizing sales is as simple as increasing activity while keeping win rates constant, writes David Brock. Instead of coaching salespeople to do the same things at higher volumes, encourage them to rethink their strategies and become more efficient at winning over customers, Brock writes.

Business-to-business marketers can prepare for a return of buyers who have adopted new behaviors during the pandemic by prioritizing a personalized experience via phone calls, texts and chat, Palmer Houchins writes. Recognize that buyers might be suffering from Zoom fatigue and create virtual experiences that offer unexpected interactivity, Houchins advises.

Leaders can boost morale, productivity and engagement by taking a personal interest in people's lives, being respectful of their time, recognizing success and communicating openly, writes Mike Horne. "Words and actions matter in organizations, and authentic leaders are at the helm of high-performing teams and organizations," he writes.

With signs that masks, social distancing and, especially, vaccinations, may put COVID-19 in the rear-view mirror in 2021, we will explore in this third free webinar how the effects of the pandemic will change the distribution industry in the long run. Join NAW and Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein of Distribution Strategy Group on May 19 at 2 p.m. ET. If you can't attend, register anyway and we'll send you the recording. Sponsored by Oracle Netsuite. Register here.

NAW and Distribution Strategy Group want to get a feel for how leadership in distribution is adapting as we emerge from the pandemic. Let your voice be heard by May 10 in this 5- to 7-minute survey! All questions are optional, but please complete as many as possible. You will NOT be required to identify yourself or your company, and your responses are held in the strictest confidence by the researchers. Your participation will make you eligible for a chance to win one of five $100 gift cards.

Wholesaler-distributors operate on razor-thin margins. According to the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), 82% of businesses are migrating from paper-based back-office A/R processing to digital A/R workflows. Learn more about digital replacement for paper invoices and checks, and schedule your demo to find out how much paper processing costs your firm.