| February 6, 2013 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Analytics, sales processes among themes at NAW Executive Summit
Analytics, improvement of sales process and increased merger and acquisition activity were among the key issues discussed at this year's NAW Executive Summit, Thomas P. Gale writes. "When a salesperson today goes to make a call, that customer has more information and knowledge about products than ever before through the Internet and other sources," said 2012 NAW Board Chairman Mark Kramer, CEO of Laird Plastics. "There are very different skills required today to be effective and communicate the value of your offering," he said. Modern Distribution Management/Economy blog
(2/1)     
| Operations and Technology | | |
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- How technology can enhance operations
Technology can provide valuable benefits for electrical distributors, but they have to select the right tools, Bridget McCrea writes. Distributors should consider using cloud-based software, inventory-management applications and smartphones. "A salesperson's own mobile device can serve as a valuable connection for tech-savvy clients that would rather 'text' their orders in versus make a call, send a fax, or type up an email," McCrea writes. TED Magazine
(2/4)
- Consumer technologies help businesses increase profit, survey shows
The rapid consumerization of IT is giving some businesses a leg up by helping them streamline processes, increase efficiency and ultimately bolster their bottom lines, new data show. A survey of 600 executives in 19 countries by Wakefield Research finds companies that embrace mobility and bring-your-own-device are 73% more likely to generate new business and sales and 54% more likely to report higher profits than companies that have yet to fully employ consumer technologies in the workplace. eWeek
(1/31)
| Sales and Marketing | | |
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- Building a companywide B2B social media team
Marketing, sales and some customer-facing employees should all be involved in business-to-business social media efforts, Bob Apollo writes. Sales, in particular, should realize the value of Nimble and other programs that integrate customer-relationship management with social data. Broad involvement in social media requires unifying the participants' presence as positive and professional for sharing and teaching, not selling. Use clear guidelines to encourage employee creativity without stifling them with a top-down approach, Apollo advises. Inflexion-Point.com (U.K.)
(2/1)
| The Business Leader | | |
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- How to tap talents you didn't know your workers had
Managers who spend time getting to know their workers, who are more open to the initiatives that their workers suggest and who push people to take more responsibility for their projects may find those workers have skills they never knew existed, Laura Vanderkam writes. CBS MoneyWatch
(1/31)
| NAW Insider | | |
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