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INSIGHTS BLOG

INSIGHTS BLOG
The Single Most Important Thought Exercise For Distributor Strategic Planning
Returning from the Labor Day weekend begins the strategic planning process for many distributors. Leading the business without a strategic plan would be equal to, if our political leaders in Washington continually …
It’s The 4th Quarter
33 years ago, my father had me in tears. It was long into being mentored how to speak from a stage. I was tired. Doubting myself. Wondering if I had what it takes. That’s when dad held up 4 fingers. “Games are won or lost …
How To Lead Sustaining Change During Crisis: A Case Study
Brendan Deely, CEO of wholesaler-distributor Banner Solutions, is a transformative leader who is humble, hungry, and also understands the power of Do It Together (DIT).
How To Best Adapt To The New Way Of Remote Working
For years we have known that the very essence of work was changing, and that the future of work would require new thinking. New technologies, digitization of business, changing…
7 Proven Ways To Support Your Work-From-Home Team
As the country turns to remote work to battle the spread of COVID-19, business leaders are turning to remote work pros and veterans to help us make the most of this new situation…
Struggling with Tech Adoption? This Could Be Why
Living and breathing innovation in the distribution industry means I’ve worked with a lot of companies as they’ve introduced new technology platforms. One of the biggest struggles…
How to Find and Use Your Vision to Drive Innovation
Marsh Electronics has changed shapes several times over the years. The electronics distributor has undergone a number of major structural changes in its 80-plus-year-history. Its leaders changed…
Reject The Status Quo To Redefine Your Relationship With Your Customers
In 2010, the Edward Hines Lumber Company went bankrupt. At the time, it seemed the company would be a sure casualty of a tough economy, a crumbling housing market …
Focus On Sensational Customer Obsession To Create Thrill
I’ve had the good fortune of working with Berlin Packaging over the past 25 years and, although they’re one of my clients, I know I’ve learned a tremendous amount from Berlin’s recently retired Chairman and CEO Andrew Berlin…
The Art of Genuine and Sensational Customer Obsession
There’s a lot of talk in business circles these days about customer obsession. But for too many companies that’s all it is, talk. Here’s how I know the customer obsession concept hasn’t sunk in for a company…
Distribution As We Know It Is Dead
Distribution is dead. Ok, I don’t want to be hyperbolic. So, let’s try this: Distribution “as we know it and we’ve relied on the past doesn’t exist anymore.” This quote comes from the mind of someone…
3 Important Strategies For Innovative Distributors In 2020
Distribution is changing. It’s not just that it’s changing; it’s changing with such ferocity, speed and complexity that it’s unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before…
Want To Be More Creative, Innovative & Productive? Ignore Your To-Do List.
What did you do today that will keep your business thriving five years now? As I type this, I’m about to board a flight back home to Chicago from Austin. I just spent a sun-up-to-sun-down day with a group of …
How I Became Obsessed With Business Innovation For Distributors
My business changed completely while I was standing on the deck of the USS George Washington as it was streaming through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. That’s the moment that would turn my company…