The Amazon Small Business Academy recently launched to help third-party suppliers maximize growth through the platform. Amazon said it has dedicated $15 billion to assisting and educating third-party sellers, which account for about 58% of its online store sales, and has rolled out over 150 tools this year to help them.
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.
Supply chains have become increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks, so companies should take steps to make them secure, according to the SANS Institute. It recommends vetting all supply chain partners, monitoring their vulnerabilities and having a manager or executive on board with cybersecurity efforts, among other strategies.
Some warehouses are using wearable technology made by StrongArm to track workers' physical movements, gathering and analyzing the data to improve safety. Critics say the data could violate workers' privacy and be used to punish them.
Stacey Danheiser provides statistics and examples of research that show the importance of customer research for business-to-business marketing and explains how to gain an in-depth understanding of prospects in three steps. Regain a sense of curiosity to put yourself in your customer's shoes and ask customers questions that a journalist might pose, she writes.
Andrew Last offers four reasons why business-to-business marketers must be given the resources to focus on long-term brand building, as evidenced by a recent report from LinkedIn and the B2B Institute. Two of these, he argues, are that investing in share of voice leads to higher market share and brand building not only attracts new prospects but reaffirms the buying decisions of existing customers.
Business leaders can learn from how the British Army has become more agile by empowering people to make quick decisions and using standardization to ensure everyone is "speaking the same language," says Justin Maciejewski, director general of the National Army Museum and a former commander in the British Army. "For me, a good process is a process that helps someone see how to think, how to find a solution, but it doesn't tell them what to do," Maciejewski says.
Organizations can tap into older employees' skills and knowledge by creating ways for them to mentor younger team members and giving them new challenges, writes Janice Sutherland. Give performance feedback to more mature team members to increase motivation and allow them to help shape a culture of high expectations, she writes.
Leaders can promote creativity and risk-taking in their team members by creating a culture where they know it's safe to explore and grow their skills, writes Marlene Chism. Foster a safe environment by enhancing the leadership abilities of front-line managers, holding regular one-on-one meetings and modeling a growth mindset that values constant learning, she writes.
NAW Institute Fellow Mark Dancer and Mike DeCata, President and CEO of Lawson Products, will have a lively and informative discussion about how distributors can lead in the age of B2B innovation, defeating disruption and reinvigorating our business economy through digital transformation. Register for NAW's Nov. 14 "Welcome to the Age of B2B Innovation" webinar, sponsored by PROS. Can't attend? Register anyway and we'll send you a webinar replay link.
Real companies are finding real solutions and practical steps to attracting and keeping their best employees with "Optimizing Human Capital Development." You've got to have the right arsenal to keep your top performers and build your competitive advantage. Grounded in research and a data-driven approach with 18 leading distributors, this study includes 25 sets of talent best practices, 16 action steps and 62 real-world distributor examples. Read the table of contents and introduction.
Wholesaler-distributors save up to 25% off Hertz car rental base rates* on business or leisure travel when reserving with NAW discount code CDP# 55709. To reserve, go online or call 800-654-3131. *Taxes excluded. Terms apply.
