Distributors can stay on top of operations as they become more complex by stratifying different segments, including product, sales, warehouse space and suppliers, writes Pradip Krishnadevarajan, co-founder and managing director of ActVantage. "One of your main goals with stratification should be to identify your core business: core customers, core products and services, core suppliers, etc.," Krishnadevarajan writes.

The logistics market could soon feel the effect of Amazon's slowing growth and the company's plan to sublease at least 10 million square feet of warehouse space, although analysts predict other retailers can pick up the slack. "Other supply chain companies are still ramping up, which is likely to offset the negative effect from Amazon," Cohen & Steers senior portfolio specialist Evan Serton says.

North American businesses across industries bought 11,595 robots in the first quarter, up 28% from the same period last year, according to the Association for Advancing Automation. Quarterly robot orders by non-automotive customers surpassed those by automotive firms, and A3 President Jeff Burnstein predicts adoption will "continue to rise in every industry, and at companies of all sizes" as robots become less expensive and easier to use.

Salespeople with a deep knowledge of their product or service can make unique offers to customers without relying on a canned sales script, writes CRMDialer President Dimitri Akhrin. Salespeople who know the limits of what they're selling are also better equipped to handle questions and customer resistance, Akhrin writes.

Good podcast ads are read live, ideally by hosts, are relevant to the content, aren't interruptive of the listening experience and avoid repetition, according to Americans surveyed by Voices. The research found 3 out of 5 listeners trust podcast ads and 52% of Generation Z listeners have made a purchase due to an ad.

Reflexively offering advice or dismissing a colleague's concerns during conversations can lead you to miss important information, write medical professionals Rebecca Minehart, Benjamin Symon and Laura Rock, who recommend pausing before speaking and thinking about the goals of the conversation. "Through intentionally applying new ways to listen, we build relationships, understand others, and collaborate and problem-solve more effectively," they write.

The "OARS" technique that focuses on asking open questions, affirming good traits, reflecting back emotions and summarizing key points can help motivate people to change, writes Eric Barker. Questions that focus on why someone wants or needs to change can also help people reflect on those areas and feel motivated to do something different, Barker writes.

The NAW Large Company Roundtables are an exclusive community of thought leaders from Large Company distribution enterprises who congregate to network with non-competing peers in multiple lines of trade on key issues. The companies invited into this community are from distribution firms at or above $100M and $999M in annual sales. Register today!

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