Amazon has successfully used artificial intelligence to build a system that recommends products to customers and delivers relevant search results, while generating ad revenue, Proton.ai CEO and founder Benj Cohen writes. Distributors should take a similar approach and use AI to bolster product recommendations, omnichannel sales and customer growth, Cohen writes.

Almost all of the business-to-business buyers who responded to a survey by consulting firm Avionos said they encounter at least one obstacle when purchasing from e-commerce sites, with delivery and fulfillment being the most common issue. Nearly 95% of respondents said they want to work with companies that are constantly improving digital functionality, and 85% said they would go to a competitor if their expectations weren't met.

The number of unfulfilled hours of service among truck drivers has been steadily rising since March and was 12% higher in June compared to the same month last year, which drivers primarily attribute to higher fuel costs and unchanged wages, according to an analysis of electronic logging device data by FleetOps. "This past year has certainly proved challenging for freight truck drivers, and many of their pain points and the overall difficulties of a driving job have been brought into the limelight," FleetOps CEO Chris Atkinson said.

Self-driving trucks could offer a solution to the ongoing labor shortage in the trucking industry, writes Thomas Black. "If autonomous trucks are introduced prudently, they can improve highway safety and continue to promote the small-business ownership that dominates the trucking industry," Black writes.

Full-service distributors can better compete against low-cost e-commerce sellers by mapping their unique value and making it tangible and visible to customers, writes consultant Scott Benfield. Companies should also engage in value management, "a methodical, step-by-step process that maps service offerings, determines their value relative to the marketplace and sets an acceptable price," Benfield writes.

Tracking too many metrics -- even those that are deceptively useful -- is a common mistake sales managers make, Rex Biberston of No Fluff Selling writes. "What does it matter that Rep A has 3x more meetings per cold call than the rest of your team if you don't implement a call coaching program?" asks Biberston, who shares three other typical errors as well as a three-step process to yield more productivity from reps.

Leaders who make a sustained effort to connect with their team will build better relationships with employees, know about upcoming challenges and see and value their unique contributions, writes Lolly Daskal. "When you focus your leadership on connection, you create an environment that fosters loyalty and encourages retention," Daskal writes.

Saying "yes" to the moment and being open to improvising different solutions when things go awry are key to breaking old habits and opening yourself up to new ways of thinking and engaging with employees and other stakeholders, writes organizational development expert Joyce Wilson-Sanford. "The art of flow, not a strategy of resistance, is needed to maneuver through the obstacles and the possibilities to keep your business moving," Wilson-Sanford writes.

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