Sysco earned $465.6 million in its fiscal first quarter, up 23% from $378 million a year ago, on sales of $19.1 billion, up 16% from $16.5 billion. "We are upbeat about our business, while remaining appropriately cautious about the macro-environment," Chief Financial Officer Aaron Alt said.

Watsco had e-commerce sales of $651.2 million in the third quarter, a 14% increase from $570.2 million a year ago, according to estimates by Digital Commerce 360. E-commerce accounted for slightly less than one-third of the HVAC distributor's total Q3 sales of around $2 billion.

Artificial intelligence-powered demand forecasting can help businesses get the most out of their micro-fulfillment operations, writes Troy Prothero, vice president of product management and supply chain solutions for Symphony RetailAI. An AI engine can also help optimize warehouses by pinpointing areas for logistical improvement like the location of a dark store or its transportation network.

Kathryn Strachan, managing director and owner of Copy House, explains why business-to-business marketers should invest in developing online communities and offers advice on choosing the right social platform and establishing a group. "Within the B2B space, it can be hugely empowering for your brand to have a strong community around you as it enables a collaborative approach to marketing that your competitors may well fall short of," Strachan writes.

Sales managers should stay out of the trenches even in tough times, doubling down on helpful coaching and development work, such as pre-call planning and post-call reviews, writes consultant Scott Edinger, co-author of "Making Yourself Indispensable." During economic downturns, sales managers also can bring top executives into the sales picture sooner and remind staff to avoid reducing prices by instead highlighting quality, enhanced productivity and other benefits.

Creating good working relationships with colleagues and team members, whether you like them or not, is good for your performance, job satisfaction and health, writes Kevin Eikenberry. Build rapport by asking about their weekend, seeking their opinion and finding what you may share in common with them, Eikenberry writes.

Employers can create a better development pathway for high-potential talent by providing practical experience opportunities, which can include the use of simulation technology, writes Brandon Hall Group's Claude Werder. Other tips include creating a culture that prioritizes mentoring and coaching, diversifying the talent pipeline and adopting multiperson feedback.