For decades, distributor pricing strategies have relied on the experience and intuition of skilled sales teams. These “Cowboy and Cowgirl sales teams have successfully used relationship selling to set prices and close deals. However, this model is... Read More
In today's rapidly evolving chemical distribution industry, data is the key to unlocking efficiency and profitability.We were proud to be featured in the Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD) article, "Making the Most of Data," highlighting our... Read More
A Strategic Framework for Distributors to Achieve Faster, Easier, and Better Growth.As a distributor, driving strategic growth can often feel like an uphill battle. Complex analytics projects, pricing challenges, and operational inefficiencies... Read More
Welcome back to the second installment of our series on overcoming cognitive biases in analytics implementation. In part one, we peeled back the layers of illusion surrounding analytics ROI, shedding light on the cognitive biases that thwart... Read More
Welcome to the first part of our two-part series on decoding the complexities of analytics implementation in distribution.In this installment, we'll delve into the cognitive biases that hinder the realization of substantial ROI from analytics... Read More
Aligning working capital with customer needs is crucial for distributor success in today’s volatile and uncertain market. Rather than waiting for a return to more predictable conditions, distributors must adapt their capabilities to the current... Read More
Customer stratification is a foundational analytics practice for distributors, offering numerous benefits beyond sales applications. By segmenting customers strategically, distributors can boost profitability, drive performance, and foster... Read More
In the fast-paced world of HVAC distribution, maintaining profitability and customer retention stands as the ultimate goal.Three common blind spots, however, significantly impact HVAC distributors and their ability to achieve these objectives.... Read More
You may provide your sales team with growth playbooks – but are those playbooks informed and driven by customer data? If not, you’re one of many distributors with high potential to do more and see greater results with customer data. When you let... Read More
At ACTvantage, we had the opportunity to work with distributors through the past year and a half to improve processes and achieve sustainable growth. In a recent article for Industrial Distribution, we took a moment to share a handful of success... Read More
For any growth planning to be successful, distributors need to plan for sustained growth. However, many spend most of their time generating growth and not enough on managing and maintaining it. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has made quick wins... Read More
In planning for growth, distributors need a clear idea of their capabilities in all relevant areas of their business. These areas break out into seven critical groups: Source, Stock, Store, Sell, Ship, Supply chain planning and Support services.... Read More
Many of the methods distributors used to generate growth before the pandemic are less applicable today. Remote selling has meant less on-site interaction with customers, resulting in fewer raw insights into those customers’ operations and needs. Read More
At ACTvantage, we developed a Growth Cube Framework to help distributors plan for robust and sustained growth. We created this framework by analyzing the financial statements of hundreds of independent distributors and over 40 public distributors,... Read More
For most distributors right now, change is essential to adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19. But making a change, taking that first step, can be the hardest part of the whole process. Distributors hesitate to “rock the boat.” They don’t... Read More
Strategic planning for 2021 shouldn’t look like it always has because your distribution business probably doesn’t look like it always has. For most, there’s been substantial change imposed by social distancing, rapid digital acceleration, supply... Read More
