Blogs from Art Waskey
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From Purchasing to Procurement
Technical Abilities A young woman came into a distributor’s store to buy a robot to automate her company’s business. The counterperson referred her...
Promoting the Product: A New Sales Model That Meets Your Needs
The New Sales Model MSC Industrial Supply Co's new brand proposition — built to make you better — is an important strategy to note. The digitalized...
Focus on Profit Segmentation
One of the most challenging responsibilities of a sales manager is bridging the gap on account profitability between sales reps and the executive...
Mentor (ing) for Success
Proverbs 11:14 says “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in the abundance of counselors there is victory.” I find these words...
Leading with Added-Value
The term added value has been a significant part of sales strategy discussions in the last several years. In the digital age, its importance...
Ask Why They Are Leaving
A sales manager responded to a recent article I wrote which examined the importance of finding out why a customer was unresponsive. He noted that...
Personalize the Selling Process
Digitization is altering the way people sell. Sales professionals must now look at how to personalize their processes. A great way to do this is...
Distributor Sales: Best Strategies
The Advent of Distribution Networks As we know it today, distribution sales began in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
Grow With Digitalization
A punch-card solution I have seen how digitalization has transformed society through my long and fulfilling career. I still have my first calling...
Winning Through Relationships
Focus on core strength Independent distributors have been introducing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms to their businesses over time....
Ask the Unresponsive Customer “Why”
A sales manager recently brought a problem to my attention. One of his customers had called and asked why he hadn’t been by to see him. The...
Make Price Increases More Palatable
Price increase alert The Producer Price Index (PPI) climbed 10% in 12 months through February 2022. In line with economists' expectations, the...
Adjusting to Changes in Sales Process Relationships
Digitalization has created significant changes in the space between salespeople and their clients. Sales process relationships were altered quickly...
Mentor your Business Forward
A mentor’s objective is to identify your needs and expectations and offer creative solutions that move your business forward. In today’s...
Beating the Alternatives with Digital Capabilities
Successful salespeople are constantly looking for ways to thrive in a marketplace loaded with alternative business channels. They ask, "How do...
Always Service First
Focus on improvement There is no question that in the last three years a lot has changed for sales professionals. Yet one important thing has not....
The Wolf at Your Door
Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the wolf at the distributor’s door. It enables alternative channels to directly compete with...
Drive your business forward with an ERP
Take advantage of your data Due to a proven track record of delivering products, small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) enjoy working relationships...
Lean on your Strengths
My past experience includes growing a distributor business from $10M to $65M. My current focus now is on advising small and mid-sized...
Outside Sales Is Switching Positions
I was fortunate to be part of the glory days of an outside distributor sales team. We built strong customer relationships. Using our technical...
Success or Failure, the Choice is Yours
A choice- crisis as opportunity There was a time in my life when many people around me didn’t think I had the necessary knowledge and ability to be...
The New Just In Time Strategy
The pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of business. We all remember how long it took for some to accept automated attendants, email,...
Selling in a seller-free marketplace
Seller-free sales The transformation to the digital marketplace for sales channels happened gradually — and then suddenly. The global pandemic...
How to Attract and Retain Employees during a Labor Shortage
Looking for fulfillment With over 38 million people in the US leaving their jobs in 2021, the coronavirus pandemic has spawned what some are...