Distributors with or without an established digital presence need to possess a competitive edge in e-commerce customer experience, says Jason Hein, principal B2B strategist at Bloomreach. Artificial intelligence, machine learning and "looking at not just the product data but also how your buyers engage with that data, how they search for it, how they browse" can add value to the customer experience, Hein says.

Ingram Micro is now owned by Platinum Equity, which will help the distributor "accelerate the strategies we have in front of us and continue to deliver," says Paul Bay, president of global technology solutions, who shares some of the potential opportunities.

Distributors can sell salespeople on new technology by having managers train on it first, emphasizing the most effective feature and providing incentives, writes Mark Heneine of Proton.ai. "When your sales reps quickly realize they can make more sales (and more money) by adopting technology, they are more apt to use it," Heneine writes.

Prices for corrugated cardboard and other packaging materials have been rising due to increased e-commerce demand and supply chain disruptions, so shippers are looking for more economical and environmentally friendly ways to package products. Right-sized packaging and box alternatives such as padded envelopes are among tactics companies are using.

Customer relationship management software should be useful for generating leads while integrating with current software and offering modular email templates, writes Glenn Norrgard. CRM should support useful data analytics and be enhanced by artificial intelligence, although it's smart to avoid needlessly complex features, he writes.

Leaders often overestimate the depth of workplace conflicts and how much information they possess about the situation, according to Liz Kislik and Dixon, Ill., City Manager Danny Langloss. "So even within a relatively small functional team, it's helpful for a leader to draft an actual communications plan that includes presentation, discussion, written follow-up, and structured opportunities over a period of time for additional questions and answers," Kislik writes.

Suppliers are increasingly selling direct, customer demographics are skewing younger and many distributors are struggling to keep up. Distributors are grappling with fundamental changes in the expectations of their supply chain partners. Suppliers increasingly report frustration with their distributors' poor digital capabilities. Watch on demand.

According to Pradip Krishnadevarajan, Co-author of Seven NAW Institute Best Sellers "Many distributors struggle to manage their sales teams effectively. They oversimplify the sales management function, failing to recognize that every salesperson is unique and requires a customized approach." Read his post here.

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