The Biden administration's planned COVID-19 vaccine rule will exacerbate the supply chain crisis by reducing the available workforce, especially if the Dec. 8 deadline remains intact, says Eric Hoplin, president and CEO of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. "If tens or hundreds of thousands of employees are terminated just two weeks before Christmas ... the result could be nothing short of catastrophic for the newly unemployed and their families and for the US economy," Hoplin wrote in a letter to the Biden administration.

Distributors can generate revenue from e-commerce data by packaging it and selling it to manufacturers and B2B customers, writes Ben Stump of Unilog. "Your e-commerce data may be more important than the products you sell," Stump writes.

Supply chains that want the benefits of real-time analytics need to overcome the objections of IT departments, which are not used to technology such as NoSQL databases, writes Steve Banker.

Distributors can boost conversion rates by reexamining usability, shopping features, content and confidence-building information on their e-commerce sites, writes Joe Bennett of Unilog. "What may seem like a non-issue to you could be the cause of bounce rates and lost sales," Bennett writes.

Ignite Visibility CEO John Lincoln provides a comprehensive guide to generating leads across multiple channels. Lincoln covers defining target audiences, testing lead gen tactics against competitors, using lead gen magnets, lead nurturing and email marketing.

Change is ever-present and seemingly the norm today, so we must try to think about opportunities in the unknown rather than how changes will be "difficult, costly, and weird," writes Erika Andersen of Proteus International. "You go from worried, irritated, overwhelmed, and unhappy to curious, a little more relaxed, and maybe even hopeful," Andersen writes.

Many distributors experience the paradox of watching marketplaces grow sales at explosive rates while seemingly seeing no sales erosion to Amazon Business, etc., themselves. How can this be? What is the nature of the threat? When will it affect you? Most importantly, what should you do about it? Discover the answer to these questions and more on Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. ET by registering today!

This 4-part series will take you from AI-unsure to AI-adopter through a riveting compilation of live webinars, thought-provoking articles and actionable whitepapers! You will gain the intel you need to formulate new strategies and ensure that your company thrives through this era of technology transformation. Register for this month's upcoming webinar "Understanding AI and How it Works" and learn the basics of Artificial Intelligence and how to understand business conversations about it.

Join NAW for an industry-wide virtual event for distribution CEOs on Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 2-3:30 p.m. Tailored specifically to CEOs of distribution companies with annual sales up to $80 million, the discussion will focus on the future of the distribution industry salesforce during a period of rapid post-pandemic change. NAW Institute Fellow Brent Grover will lead the discussion -- you don't want to miss out! Register today!