Download - Channel Marketing Group - Thinking About Today Planning for Tomorrow - Sept 2015

Copyright Channel Marketing Group, 20159/28/2015, page 1

Thinking About TodayPlanning for Tomorrow

Ideas that Deliver Results


The MarketQuestioning OurselvesThinking About TomorrowBecoming a Gazelle


1. Slow / Minimal Growth, Nationally◦ Nationally … +/- 2% … New England Originally 4.3%◦ Major Markets Experiencing Growth◦ Correlation to Urban Areas, Contractor-Focused, LED Drivers◦ Larger Companies Aggregating Business

2. Margins Eroding … Need for Operational Excellence 3. Better Marketing By More◦ Who “owns” the customer?◦ Manufacturers Funding Less

Need for Profitability

Need for Their Marketing

Redirecting Funds … Coop Going AwayPay for plan and performance

◦ Distributors Need to Learn “Budgeting” for Marketing


4. Different Sales Models◦ Inside Sales Being Valued More◦ 2 Tier Models◦ Compensation Structure Reviews

5. eCommerce Investments … Limited eMarketing … Limited Adoption

◦ Price Consistency & Inventory Accuracy Issues Accelerating◦ eConnectivity with Contractors◦ Think Retail

6. Alternative Channels◦ Anixter / Grainger / Fastenal / McMaster-Carr / e / ?◦ We’re Only One

7. Average Age Declining◦ College Recruiting◦ Technological Experience◦ Old Habits Dying Hard


DISC ReportJuly 2015

Patchwork EconomyLarger Contractors PrevailRe-Urbanization

Uneven market growthUrban Areas Growing


FocusRevenueLong Term ObjectiveCustomer / Product-Orientation

Goal Drives Direction, Strategy & Initiatives

Consider◦ Size for Size’s Sake? … Need Market Share◦ Size for Valuation? … Allows for Diversification◦ Size for Profitability? … Operational Excellence & Focus


Niches◦ Profitable or Distractions◦ Committed or Dabbling?◦ Goals? Annual Expectations?◦ Planning for Success or Enabling for Existence?

Need◦ P&Ls◦ Plans


Rising Tides =Market Expectations

Ride the Wave = Create Demand

On Shore =Consider Adjacencies


Smart HomeSmart OfficeSmart IndustrialLED Seller or Order TakerTurn-Key Solutions / Marketplace Knowledge Source

Seek New Business◦ Demand Creator◦ New Revenue Models


Differentiating oneself is important

BUT …

Need to know what is

important to “the” customer


Expectations Drive Service◦ Customer◦ Management◦ Self

“People Respect What You Inspect”

Metric Management Sets Expectations


“Right Sales Force”Integrative & Segmented Sales ApproachCommission ≠ Aggressive Sales forceProcess Trumps … Who Steers the Ship?

Different StrategiesTo

Different Customer Bases


Salesperson May Only Be an Element of Tomorrow’s SellingExperience = Relationship

Consider These Relationships:


Is Today’s Branch Centric Sales Model TheSolution for Tomorrow?

Consider◦ Remote Outside Sales Offices

Corporate Environment? Homes?

◦ Distributed Inside Sales?◦ Multi-Supplier … Complementary or Competitor!


But Whom’s?

◦ Who “Owns” the Customer?

◦ Who is the Customer”?

Follow the Money!

Are We In The Decision-Making Channel?

• The owner • The influencer• The overseer• The installer• The doer


If money wasn’t a consideration …What would you do?


Be THE Gazelle

Download - Channel Marketing Group - Thinking About Today Planning for Tomorrow - Sept 2015

Top Related