E-commerce sellers and their third-party logistics companies leased 771 million square feet of warehouse space in 2021 after leasing only 95 million square feet in 2020, per Cushman & Wakefield, which expects demand and rents to remain elevated. "Rent growth for warehouse and logistics should rise by more than 15% over the next two years," write Carolyn Salzer and Jason Price of Cushman & Wakefield.
Trucking companies say real-time visibility tools often lack accurate information on estimated time of arrival, but that can be fixed by adding machine learning, the internet of things and blockchain, writes Chris Cunnane. "Machine learning is working with real-time visibility solutions to learn more about constraints (such as capacity, regulations and hours of service) and then using that information to give a much better ETA for shipments to warehouses, stores and end customers," Cunnane writes.
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Jonathan Bein of Distribution Strategy Group offers tips for distributors looking to build out a strong omnichannel experience. "An omnichannel strategy must be built on a solid infrastructure, including tools like CRM, marketing automation, click-to-chat and other technology that can drive the experience a customer is looking for," Bein writes.
Artificial intelligence-driven sales software from Proton.ai has helped distributor R.S. Hughes by training newer salespeople more quickly and helping experienced salespeople save time and focus on their most valuable clients. "Over time, the engine continues to digest data and learn and grow, so it keeps getting better all the time," says R.S. Hughes executive Mike Page.
Business-to-business marketers should consider Twitter to raise brand awareness and engage with prospects, writes Danielle Antosz, who outlines the platform's ad offerings such as Takeover and Live ads. Antosz also provides Twitter-specific B2B marketing tips including using high-quality videos and images, and featuring value-driven calls to action.
Leaders must recognize whether they are dealing with an interdependent, aligned team or with a group of people chasing independent goals -- a distinction that can sometimes change based on context, writes Susan Fowler. "If you think you're leading a team, but it's a group of individuals, you could be neglecting the one-to-one leadership individuals in the group need from you," Fowler writes.
Including employees in conversations before an acquisition can improve the transaction's rationale and likelihood of success, writes Invoca CEO Gregg Johnson. "Talking extensively with frontline managers and employees helped me evolve our story from, 'Why is this good for Invoca, and why is it good for your shareholders and your executive team?' to 'What's actually in it for you as employees?' " Johnson writes.
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