James Dorn, President

Fact or Fiction? Suppliers Are Providing Distributors More Value Today Than 5 Years Ago

Are suppliers really providing distributors with more value today than they were five years ago? We’ve heard people talking about this topic, so let’s take a look at this statement and explore if it’s fact or fiction. This statement can be argued both ways. But we believe that suppliers are, in fact, providing more value to distributors today than they have in the past. https://youtu.be/hkOWrJaEtuQ In this article, we’ll look at what suppliers are currently doing that makes that relationship better. Of course, the other side of this argument is relevant [...]

Fact or Fiction? Suppliers Are Providing Distributors More Value Today Than 5 Years AgoJames Dorn2023-03-07T11:40:45-06:00

B2B Customer Interactions Are Down 40%. It’s Not Just You.

https://youtu.be/R6rzVBpInmA The challenges distributors are facing as they head into 2023 are too numerous to count. Watch James Dorn and J Schneider break down the top 5 priority threats. Read more about the evolution of B2B channel sales and actionable ways distributors can stay relevant and grow. Follow Dorn on LinkedIn for more channel strategy and insights for industrial manufacturers and distributors. Video Transcript: James Dorn: So if you're a distributor, your account managers are having 40% fewer meaningful interactions with your customers. That is an alarming amount. J Schneider: I [...]

B2B Customer Interactions Are Down 40%. It’s Not Just You.James Dorn2023-01-31T15:44:15-06:00

Your Customers Have Already Reset Distribution’s Value in the Channel

This article was originally published by Modern Distribution Management (MDM) and is used here with permission. For more than 50 years MDM has provided industry leading content for B2B Manufacturers and Distributors. We highly recommend becoming an MDM Premium subscriber. Demonstrating unique value has never been more difficult for distributors and manufacturers. The channel is changing and in need of new infrastructure. Recently, we had a manufacturing executive pose an interesting problem and question for our consideration. She talked about how it is so much more difficult to get meaningful time with end [...]

Your Customers Have Already Reset Distribution’s Value in the ChannelJames Dorn2022-10-19T16:43:24-05:00

What Manufacturers Can Learn from Fastenal’s Go-To-Market Strategy

This article was reprinted with permission from Modern Distribution Management (MDM) from their MDM Premium Content. It is a great publication and we highly recommend becoming an MDM Premium subscriber, for over 50 years MDM has provided industry leading content for B2B Manufacturers and Distributors. Become an MDM Premium subscriber at https://www.mdm.com/subscribe_premium/ Fastenal’s 2022 first quarter financial report shows the evolving need for manufacturers to adjust their sales plans and tactics for distributors. About 10 years ago, the B2B distribution business was simple: The more calls your outside account managers could [...]

What Manufacturers Can Learn from Fastenal’s Go-To-Market StrategyJames Dorn2022-07-22T09:15:54-05:00

Direct Selling: Manufacturers, Meet Your New Customer

https://vimeo.com/645308504 The answer to selling direct without jeopardizing growth among your existing distributors is understanding what the end-user wants and developing an evolutionary strategy that diversifies revenue streams. Are you ready for the next wave of disruption? Learn how manufacturers are diversifying their revenue streams to leverage disruption for growth: Gain insight on creating a successful direct sales strategy Lead your leadership team through the process of developing a direct sale strategy. Discover why end users are seeking to purchase directly from manufacturers. How to implement an evolutionary (crawl/walk/run) plan to [...]

Direct Selling: Manufacturers, Meet Your New CustomerJames Dorn2021-11-22T16:34:18-06:00