United Rentals posted $391 million in third-quarter earnings on $2.49 billion in revenue. Revenue was up 18% from a year earlier, while profit increased by 17%.
Fastenal's e-commerce sales increased by 28% in the most recent quarter, fueling a nearly 8% net sales increase, said CEO Daniel Florness. Chief Financial Officer Holden Lewis said the company has increased spending on IT operations, including chatbots.
You Deserve an Apple Watch Series 4 We're giving away 2! To enter the drawing, simply complete our brief industry survey about your 2020 inventory and supply chain planning initiatives for competing in today's complex wholesale environment. Respond today; entry deadline is 11/1.
Distributors that want to benefit from predictive analytics should first define their objectives and determine which data sources will help them meet them, writes Marv Landers CEO Mark Linder. Assign a dedicated person to ensure consistent data quality, and use regression testing to validate models, Linder writes.
Electrical distributors can foster growth by retaining customers and expanding sales to them, writes Bridget McCrea. "If, for example, you're only selling low-end equipment at a certain cost, consider selling both low- and high-end options that give customers a chance to make their own decisions," says consultant Stacy Caprio.
Why ERP is the key to customer experience It is more important than ever for today's manufacturers and distributors to be able to deliver the seamless experience customers want — and ERP can get you there. Download this new report to learn how digitized processes and unified data improve overall business performance and boost customer satisfaction.
Eric Christopher interviews PitchGround's Udit Goenka to offer business-to-business marketers five tips for successful product launches, including leveraging social media as a press release strategy and creating social contests to give prospects exclusive early access. Tap into a fear of missing out by giving early adopters lifetime deals and create a viral buzz by providing "talk triggers" -- offers that inspire prospects to share recommendations.
People tend to be more persuaded by those who exude confidence in the modulation of the tone, pitch and speed of their voice, according to research by Wharton School professor Jonah Berger. "We should think about situations where that humanizing power of voice is useful, where the persuading power of voice is useful, and make sure to use those features of our voice that can help us," Berger says.
In this Oct. 24 live webinar, Author Mark Dancer will share insights from his brand-new study, "Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change Series." He will be joined by SAP's Magnus Meier to explore essential requirements, including how to win by being human, how to engage customers through shared interests and mutual advantage, and how to optimize benefits through intentional combinations of human and technology forces of change. Register today! Sponsored by SAP.
Are you well-informed about the latest knowledge in our industry? If not, NAW's just-updated Top 10 Best Sellers list provides the best wholesale distribution knowledge all in one place. These top 10 books are what distributors across the industry are reading right now. Which of these top picks should be on your fall reading list? Quantity discounts start with two copies ordered.
"Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change Series" is different from the previous 11 editions. It's less a report on trends and more of a roadmap for innovation. It's about helping distributors connect the dots between the forces of change and how distributors can change their business to capture opportunities ... and defend their business when necessary. The best innovations are about getting ahead instead of catching up. Let "Innovate to Dominate" show you the way.
