Distributors of all sizes "can get value right away" from newer, customized artificial intelligence products, says Benj Cohen, CEO of Proton.ai. AI can also help distributors address changing sales models, supply chain challenges and labor shortages caused by the pandemic, Cohen says.

Transportation management system platforms are becoming more nimble and agile but need to continue improving in terms of connectivity. "Sometimes, TMS platforms can make that integration very cumbersome ... it needs to be more Google-like," says Stephanie Silvestre, senior vice president of supply chain at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits.

The "product delusion," a belief that only the quality of a product matters, is preventing business-to-business marketers from propelling business growth through emotional, creative and entertaining brand messaging, write Peter Weinberg and Jon Lombardo of the B2B Institute at LinkedIn. "Buyers don't want the best possible product, buyers want good-enough products that come to mind easily (mental availability) and are easy to purchase (physical availability)," the pair write.

Sales managers should begin problem-solving discussions by first summarizing the issue as it currently stands and exploring all relevant data and information. Afterward, consider all available actions before finally collaborating on the best way to solve the problem, writes Mike Schultz.

B2B sellers need a capable digital platform and a holistic strategy to succeed in omnichannel sales, write Doug Chung, Isabel Huber, Jean-Charles Devignes and Tom Clauwaert. For best results, organizations should assess their omnichannel maturity to decide which tasks to prioritize, they write.

Feedback sessions -- whether positive or constructive -- should give the recipient a clear sense of what happened and why it matters, writes David Burkus. While the end goals might be similar, don't combine negative and positive feedback, Burkus writes.