Distributors' financial departments should focus on supporting customers and meeting their needs, just like sales, marketing and other departments, says Grainger Chief Financial Officer Deidra Merriwether. "To ensure the finance organization is delivering on this promise, my finance leadership team stays close to the customer through in-person and virtual sales ride-alongs and brings back the insights to the broader finance team," Merriwether says.

Distributors looking to sell via online marketplaces need to ask whether they can own, build and control one themselves or whether they should find a partner, write Alex Moazed and Nicholas Johnson of Applico. They also recommend having a product data strategy for e-commerce.

While artificial intelligence collects and analyzes data for predictive purposes, augmented intelligence applies that data to improve human performance and productivity, writes Kenneth Budka of Bell Labs Consulting at Nokia. "With extended reality -- which pulls in AI-driven data and processes to create a faithful digital model of the physical world -- augmented intelligence can make human analysis, decision-making and process modification quicker and easier," Budka writes.

Truck driver recruiting and staffing companies are seeing increased demand from carriers looking for drivers. Companies such as TransForce Group and SL Recruiting Resources also offer consulting services and driver training to help address shortages.

Salespeople can often provide value to users by helping onboard them and guiding them through the use of a specific product after the sale, writes Ramli John. This particularly applies to product-led sales models, where contact after initial purchase or at key intervals can lead to happier customers.

When things go wrong, get control of your thoughts, find a way forward and place the event in perspective instead of feeling defeated, writes TruPerception CEO Melissa DeLay. "Whatever doesn't kill you may hurt, but you will come away from it stronger and more knowledgeable than before," she writes.

Interchange rate increases and changes to rate tiers implemented in April are the largest in a decade, according to Bloomberg News. The fees target payment types common in the wholesale distribution industry. Stream the "Restructured Rate Tiers and Increased B2B Card-Not-Present Transaction Costs" podcast from Unified Payments Group to learn more.