by Art Waskey | May 7, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Traditional sales techniques can be improved with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to a recent article in Forbes (“Why Sales Reps Spend So Little Time Selling by Ken Krogue, Forbes), conventional reps spend 35% of their time selling and 65% on everything else.
The traditional sales process
The traditional sales process for distributors involves juggling many tasks and coordinating lots of customer information. As a past VP of Sales, I remember my frustration with seeing outside sales reps in their offices until mid-morning. Why were they not out engaging with customers? The representatives shared that they were working to develop the best plan of attack. They were working on whom to call, what to suggest to existing customers, and which accounts needed the most attention. The actual selling time was being lost. Monthly prospecting target results were weak. Also, I received call reports listing a day of six to eight prospective calls, with, maybe at best, two qualified leads. The success with productive calls to existing accounts was not much better.
To improve the situation, I invested significant time training representatives on preparing for customer visits. I instructed them to review old call reports and actively gather data from business intelligence, other departments, and various online sources. I also encouraged them to analyze sales history and examine credit spreadsheets.
AI to the rescue
All this effort and research on the part of reps, while important, is incredibly time-consuming, and results are often incomplete. AI can change this scenario by automating tasks and streamlining the traditional sales process. Machine learning is constantly analyzing the data behind sales transactions. It enables reps to see priorities faster. AI automates repetitive and tedious tasks like sorting through endless data, and allows reps to focus on what they do best — selling.
Improving the process
As you can see, AI doesn’t replace sales reps, it assists them. Finally, it automates numerous tasks in the traditional sales process, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of sales strategies.
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by Art Waskey | Apr 29, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Attention, all sales executives. Digital Transformation (DX) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are here. It took a long time for the collection of technologies and applications referred to as DX (laptops, emails, texting, smartphones, social media technologies, etc.) to move from a conversation to a coordinated business reality. Also, take note that the adoption of artificial intelligence and its benefits is moving much faster. The good news is that artificial intelligence applications are affordable, even to smaller companies.
Outside sales is hard work
Outside sales is daunting work. Reps must be focused and able to close business fast to outperform the competition.
A rep’s job is a juggling act. He needs to chase leads, satisfy existing clients, follow up on backorders, correct pricing errors, handle objections, and keep competitors at bay. Inefficiencies within current systems can cause reps to spend too much time with the wrong prospects. Moreover, the correct information on existing customers’ objectives may also be lacking or hard to come by. This puts pressure on representatives and undermines their confidence in identifying next steps and surpassing the competition.
AI streamlines processes
New AI tools are available to make selling more strategically efficient. AI allows sales representatives to enhance various processes, such as lead generation, pricing, and follow-up, making it an exciting time to be in outside sales. According to McKinsey & Company, AI has “opened up 20% more sales team capacity” (“How Top Performers Outpace Peers in Sales Productivity,” July 6, 2023: mckinsey.com).
Adopting AI
In conclusion, be sure to provide your sales team with the appropriate artificial intelligence technologies to open up your sales capacity. AI tools are critical to beating your competition, especially the larger companies that have lots of AI tech powering their sales force. Lastly, you must adopt AI tools now. They will streamline the selling process and help you grow your business.
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by Art Waskey | Apr 18, 2025 | Uncategorized
Ensuring a Sale is Truly Complete
One of the most frustrating experiences for a salesperson is closing a deal only to see it unravel due to poor execution by their organization. A colleague once shared, “I worked hard to secure a new client, but our company mishandled the initial delivery, and we lost the business. It’s exhausting to see hard-earned sales slip away because of service mismanagement.”
As a consumer, I’ve experienced this firsthand. When my hot water heater started leaking, I sought a reliable provider. My first call was to a national hardware chain. They quoted me a reasonable price for both the tank and installation. But the next morning, a third-party installer called to add unexpected fees. Feeling misled, I canceled the order, and they didn’t even follow up to understand why.
This story highlights a key lesson: a sale isn’t complete until the customer is fully satisfied. Or, as Yogi Berra famously said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
Strategies to Ensure Sales Success
- Create a Strategic Plan
A salesperson’s job doesn’t end with the sale. Develop a clear schedule that outlines steps to ensure first-class delivery and service. Consider hosting a kickoff meeting with your customer and your internal team to set expectations for the first 60 days. Document required actions and anticipate potential challenges to address them proactively. - Enhance Team Collaboration
Salespeople are the bridge between customers and the organization. Strong communication between customer service, delivery personnel, and sales ensures any surprises are managed effectively. - Prevent Errors
Understand what your customer expects from the sale, from accurate inventory to seamless delivery and friendly customer service. Identify potential challenges and address them before they arise. - Exceed Expectations
Building long-term relationships hinges on surpassing customer expectations. Help customers streamline their operations, reduce costs, or improve efficiency with your product or service. - Measure Satisfaction
After delivery or installation, check in with your customer to gauge their satisfaction. Use a simple scoring system (e.g., 1 to 10) to understand how well you performed. Aim for a score of 9 or higher, and take immediate steps to address any shortcomings. - Foster Referrals
Strong relationships can lead to valuable referrals. When you consistently meet and exceed expectations, customers are more likely to introduce you to their network, expanding your pipeline.
Final Thoughts
In the end, I purchased my water heater from a personable local distributor who provided a clear, honest quote and managed the installation smoothly. After the project, the salesperson followed up with thoughtful questions to ensure I was satisfied.
This experience underscores the importance of seeing every sale through to the very end. Remember: it truly isn’t over till it’s over.
by Art Waskey | Apr 9, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Personnel issues, if left unaddressed, can create chaos and derail business operations. Remember, when working with others, there are no absolutes. You need to organize principles and solutions to meet needs.
Here are four ways to organize solutions.
- Delegate responsibility – In his ground-breaking book, The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker points out the mark of a successful leader is his ability to “use all the available strengths: the strength of associates, the strength of supervisors, and one’s strength.” Delegating responsibility is an opportunity to develop team members by challenging them to grow their skills.
- Maintain a proper balance – To achieve workplace balance, it’s important to cultivate self-awareness and understand your needs and limits. Balance involves moving past doing the things we know we can do and moving toward new levels. When I consider balance, the acronym SMART comes to mind: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework helps me create clear and effective goals.
- Make planning a team effort – In Sharpening the Focus of the Church, Gene Getz urges us to “take an approach to problem-solving and decision-making that takes into consideration the attitudes and feelings of all those who are directly involved.” Before enacting a plan, communicate your idea to the people responsible for its implementation. You may find the need to make revisions. You want to be sure all those involved with a plan’s implementation are motivated. Make it a team effort.
- Solve problems creatively – Don’t allow yourself to get locked into administrative methods and routines. Circumstances vary with each problem and solution. Be creative, expect alternative options, and solicit suggestions.
Still in the people business
No matter how digitized our lives are becoming with technology, we are still in the people business. Keep the implementation of your personnel strategies as simple as possible. Delegate responsibilities fairly, maintain workforce balance, make planning a team effort, and by all means, be creative!
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by Art Waskey | Mar 25, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Keeping your business on track with good people management
As an executive sales manager, I found that many work-related problems I encountered did not originate from business economics but from personnel issues. As organizations grow and develop, staffing needs change. To keep your business on track, you must get serious about good and fair people management.
Three guiding principles
Creative problem-solving takes moments of reflection. It focuses on developing new perspectives and fostering creativity. These three principles, whose basic conscript comes from Gene Getz’s Sharpening the Focus of the Church, are a good way to start.
Principle 1: Deal with people’s problems – Look at complaints as an opportunity for growth in a relationship. When a fellow worker or customer is upset with you, address the issue immediately. With effort, you can turn a bad situation into a good one. But also, if we ignore problems, they may overwhelm us.
Principle 2: Develop a proper perspective – Accept the fact that you may need help in solving problems. In his book, Who Not How, Dan Sullivan advises that seeking the assistance of someone qualified outside your organization saves time and grief. Also, asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness,s and people find satisfaction in helping others solve problems.
Principle 3: Establish priorities – Have your priorities clearly mapped out. This allows everyone to recognize company expectations and avoid conflicts of interest. In my program, The 4 Disciplines of an Organized Executive, I teach people how to prioritize the next steps for important projects every week. This eliminates wasting time figuring out your next move and provides a clear path of action for your team.
Stay on track
Lastly, people are your most important asset. Be sure to take their management seriously. As staffing needs change, address problems as they arise, seek outside help as needed, and establish a clear set of priorities.
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by Art Waskey | Mar 19, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
With the latest technology, you can streamline operations, improve customer service, and stay competitive in today’s market. Using automation tools has become increasingly important to achieving that goal.
Automation inside the shop
Fastenal, a large US distributor of industrial and construction supplies, has led the way in supplying vendor-managed inventory (VMI) at customer locations. VMI systems utilize advanced technologies to simplify inventory replenishment and track necessary products. These systems improve supply chain efficiency, foster collaboration, and drive predictability for both supplier and customer. Moreover, with omnichannel capabilities, the customer receives the best product at a competitive price. The traditional independent distributor should now work with a VMI equipment manufacturer to remain competitive.
Automating the warehouse
While VMI is improving inventory management for customers at the front of the store, inventory control costs behind the scenes at the warehouse are also improving with automation. In a recent article in Gasworld, Anthony Wrighton writes, “Drones, robots, and virtual reality might have sounded like science fiction a few years ago, but in industrial operations, they’re becoming everyday tools. With drones reducing inspection risks, robots taking over dangerous manual tasks, and VR transforming training… one thing is clear, digital transformation isn’t just coming, it’s already here.”
By deploying warehouse automation, distributors can reduce storage capacity by up to 35% and accelerate order fulfillment. Customer satisfaction is enhanced by accurate and timely deliveries. Be sure to take advantage of automation tools in your warehousing operations.
Stay competitive
In conclusion, stay competitive with automation in 2025. Streamline operations and improve customer service with automation tools both in front of and behind the sales desk.
Kim Phelan writes in the MDM Guide: Tailor Your Tech Strategy to Win in Any Market, “Customer experience is still the name of the game…” Automating while retaining customer loyalty can be complicated. Use resources like industry associations, cooperatives, and consultants to help you select the right tools for your needs.
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by Art Waskey | Mar 13, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Things are changing fast. Virtual online channels are raising the bar for efficiency in distribution. Customer expectations are becoming more demanding, requiring fast fulfillment, real-time inventory visibility, and highly personalized service. Legacy distributor systems cannot meet these demands. If the independent distributor is not collecting real-time data with up-to-date technology, the gap between his business and alternative channels may soon become insurmountable.
Three tools
Here are three tools that can help you meet customer expectations in 2025
1. State of the art ERP
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is the foundation upon which you build your digital business. ERP software streamlines and automates functions such as finance, human resources, manufacturing, supply chain, and procurement. This tool is designed to help you keep up with growing customer demand for fast, reliable service. It is important to note that the number of features these systems offer is growing at a fast clip. Stay current!
2. Real time price
In the past, business economics taught us the best way to improve profit was to grow your sales. Technology, however, has opened up other avenues to improve your margins. With today’s software you can increase profits with real-time pricing. You can ensure opportunistic buying decisions, systematically raise prices, control sales force pricing, and capitalize on supplier price increases. Moreover, the challenge in 2025 is to provide tailored, competitive pricing with better profit margins while keeping customer loyalty.
3. Predictive forecasting analytics
Today’s AI forecasting software is capable of mining data through predictive modeling and machine learning. AI can analyze historical facts to make predictions about future events. Using various tools and techniques, business predictive forecasting models are available for sales, cost, and profits. Generative AI predictive business software such as Microsoft Copilot, IBM Project Ripasso, and Oracle Analytics, are just a few of the products available for distributors.
Meet Expectations
In conclusion, don’t let the gap between you and your online channel competitors widen. Use the latest ERP and AI solutions to meet customer expectations in 2025.
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by Art Waskey | Feb 25, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Business expansion should always be a topic for discussion. Branching out can be an excellent way to grow, but it represents a significant investment and requires careful thought and analysis. If you are considering branching out, here are four key factors to consider.
Considerations
- An ideal location – I’ve seen cases where a distributor’s decision to expand to a new geographic location was based on the availability of prime property. While a desirable site is important, this is not your only geographic consideration. Look for sites that attract customers with easy access and sufficient parking. Also, a site that accommodates foot traffic can make a big difference. In addition, your market analysis should include an evaluation of customers currently coming to one of your existing stores that may be better served from the potential location.
- Investigate local regulations – There’s a lot of paperwork associated with a new branch. Don’t forget to do your due-diligence to secure permits, licenses, and registrations from local authorities. Investigate area zoning laws and building codes. I have had clients who did not engage with local authorities early in the branch expansion process. They were frustrated by substantial construction-start setbacks while they waited for permitting and approvals.
- Employment growth – Do you have employees that are ready and looking for the next opportunity? Before opening another location, think about your current team and how they fit into your business expansion strategy. Is your core support talent (administration, operations, and finance) encouraging you to expand?
Some of my clients have opened a new location because a competitor had several qualified but disgruntled key employees ready to jump ship. Are you getting job applications that are attracting you to open at a new location?
- Financial opportunity – Do you have the revenue, profits, cash flow, and financing to support your business expansion strategy? Also, a business that isn’t consistently growing will potentially fail. Are you deploying your profit-producing assets by making acquisitions or adding more facilities? Your financial capacity should drive your investments and be a key part of your long-term growth plan.
Ready to grow
Adding new branch locations is a continuous consideration for a successful business. It requires disciplined planning and timing for maximum growth. Lastly, if you have the right location, staffing levels, and revenue to support a new branch, you are ready to grow.
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by Art Waskey | Feb 19, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Central to any good business plan is the possibility of expanding. I am working with a distributor who asked me to advise him on adding a new branch store. When I was part of a distributorship’s executive team we often met to discuss adding more locations. We found that careful research was critical when considering expanding.
Distinctive challenges
Each business presents its own distinctive challenges when looking to expand. Here are some important factors to consider before opening a new branch.
- New market potential – A new location often is proposed by an existing customer, or a new potential client. They indicate a willingness to do business if you have a store nearby. For example, a company running a large long-term construction site or a new manufacturer may be interested in your goods and services if they are readily available. In many cases, distributor vendors and other local businesses will request and encourage penetration into the new market as well. Consider these collaborators when doing your market research for the potential site. A new branch is a large investment. It is advisable to hire a consulting company that does data development for your industry to define all potential customers in the new area.
- Identify competition – Strong distributors do regular strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat (SWOT) analysis of their competitors. Does a weakness in product availability, service levels, and/or other customer marketing analysis indicate a significant opportunity for your business? An important part of a business expansion strategy is identifying your competition in a new target market. Continuously monitor your competitors’ activities and adapt your marketing strategies in ways that will differentiate you in this new market.
- Expanding your best business practices – I have clients who have invested in the digitalization of their business with progressive ERP, eCommerce, product identification, sophisticated websites, and other software advancements. Since these practices are transferable, they can be employed in new locations. The distributorship I worked for realized its information technology development was considerably better than our competition’s. Our digital efficiency with best business practices allowed us to expand our locations and market reach successfully.
Considerations
Growing your business is important to success. Adding a new branch location is an effective way to do that. When considering a new branch location, research its market potential and competition. Use your digital tools to make your expansion as efficient as possible.
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by Art Waskey | Feb 11, 2025 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Ease, Efficiency, and AI
It’s hard to underestimate the power of AI. It is adding another layer of sophistication to the digitally transformed world. By enabling businesses to analyze data quickly, AI allows companies to offer their products and services more easily and efficiently.
Improving the bottom line
Here are four ways AI can help you improve your bottom line.
- Accelerating Continuous Improvement (CI) – Generative AI enables companies to accelerate their CI planning. It is an agent for constantly improving specific repetitive tasks. AI can also, analyze performance metrics, identify areas of improvement, and make necessary adjustments to enhance business operations.
- Revolutionizing Sales – The digital transformation has revolutionized the sales process. A salesperson can now present to multiple decision-makers. In preparation for those calls, Generative AI can provide insight into customer needs and each participant’s interests. For instance, this informed machine learning process changes the salespersons’ posture toward customer needs from reactive to proactive. Ensure your sales team is adept at using AI’s powerful sales tools.
- Creating strategic business plans – AI Smart Analytics uses Application Performance Management (APM) software. Also, it can create a single integrated digital thread across a company’s whole asset life cycle. This enables your entire executive team — from CEO to finance, operations, sales, and marketing managers — to have insight and input into your strategic business planning.
- Maximizing profits – The adoption of AI is accelerating rapidly. You must understand how the application of these tools impacts your bottom line. Moreover, a data-driven approach to sales and operations allows distributors to analyze their asset development for a maximum return on investment.
Ease and efficiency
The overarching goal of a successful distribution business is to provide products and services with ease and efficiency. Lastly, becoming more productive with AI tools allows you to grow and prosper. As the cost of entry to these tools continues to decline, the opportunities for improving your return on the investment are enormous. My advice — digitize as fast as you can.
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