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Risk Prediction and Mitigation Are the New Normal

From the NAW Blog

The hard truth about the Coronavirus is that extreme, unexpected events are becoming an essential new requirement of effective supply chain planning. In the current crisis, distributors are doing the crucial work of delivering critical products to essential businesses. As the virus peaks, distributors will play a leading role in rebooting our economy. As industries recover, a new normal will set it. It will be one where customers judge supply chain performance not only on efficiency, but on the ability to predict and mitigate risk.

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Unbundle and Rebuild Your Sales Force

From the NAW Blog

Many distributors are reporting that the Coronavirus crisis is leading to an increase in online ordering and virtual interactions with their customer service reps and inside salespeople. As this trend takes root, it may shift customer interactions away from a distributor’s field salespeople. As a result, salespeople may be defensive or uncomfortable. However, if customer behaviors are changing, there is a huge opportunity for your sales force around creating new value for customers.

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Distributors Must Lead to the New Normal

From the NAW Blog

The conduct of business will change as the Coronavirus crisis recedes, but it’s too early to know the new normal with certainty. Just as first reporting in any emergency often proves to be inaccurate and wrong, so too may early predictions about a new normal for doing business miss the mark.

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Empower Your First-Line Managers to Survive a Crisis

From the NAW Blog

The defining characteristic of a crisis is uncertainty. First-line managers are a powerful force for surviving a crisis, but only if leaders help them embrace a new role. Every employee wonders how long the crisis will last, which work is most important and if their job is secure. Leaders don’t have all the answers, and employees know it. The role of first-line managers shifts from directing activities that drive performance to gathering ideas that may help the company survive.

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How to Improve Digital Sales During Coronavirus

From the NAW Blog

Coronavirus has thoroughly disrupted the sales processes for distributors. Not only have customer demands changed, but the process of selling has also been transformed. Social distancing has forced an accelerated digitization upon distributors. Suddenly, businesses that relied heavily on personal interactions and skilled outside sales reps are unarmed. Meanwhile, inside sales, customer service and e-commerce have become key channels. In this post, I’ll explain how distributors can accelerate the digitization of their sales channels to meet the demands of this new market.

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Don Nowak is NFDA's 2020 Fastener Professional of the Year

The National Fastener Distributors Association’s is pleased to announce the 2020 recipient of its Fastener Professional of the Year award is Don Nowak of Falcon Fastening Solutions (Charlotte, North Carolina).

The Fastener Professional of the Year award was created by NFDA to honor individuals and companies that make a substantial positive impact on people’s lives. The inaugural award in 2017 was presented to Robbie Gilchrist of Capital Marketing (High Point, North Carolina). In 2018 Jim Ruetz of AIS (Franksville, Wisconsin) was honored and in 2019 Kevin Queenin of Specialty Bolt & Screw, Inc. (Agawam, Massachusetts) received the award.

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How Will You Win by Being Human?

From the NAW Blog

“Technology is capable of doing great things. But it doesn’t want to do great things. It doesn’t want anything. That part takes all of us.” — Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

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Fastener Fair France Returns May 27-28, 2020

FASTENER FAIR FRANCE
THE SECOND EDITION SHOWCASING RECENT INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS AND TRENDS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

On 27 and 28 May 2020, industrial fastener and fixing professionals will converge on Fastener Fair France for a second edition packed full of innovations and trends. This international exhibition is the only one in France devoted to fastener and fixing technologies.

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How to Succeed in a Customer-Driven Digital Value Chain

From the NAW Blog

Are you ready to participate in a digital value chain driven by customer demands for the virtual ordering of products and services, which provides for instant transparency and ever-increasing benefits while at the same time lowering costs?

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EFC International Expands Product Line With Air Filter Hardware Components

EFC International is pleased to announce the addition of air filter clips and specialty air filter fasteners, manufactured by Springfield Spring & Stamping, to their product line.

Springfield Spring & Stamping is a manufacturer of standard and custom air filter holding frame clips in the United States. The product line is complementary to EFC’s current HVACR product offerings including wire routing components, caps, plugs, clamps, rivet-nuts, panel fasteners, specialty nuts, bolts and screws.

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Winning in a Post-Amazon World

From the NAW Blog

Many distributors think they need to look like Amazon to compete in today’s market. After all, more than 197 million people visit Amazon every month to shop the more than 12 million products available, according to BigCommerce. But just because Amazon is a household name doesn’t mean that distributors need to emulate its every move to be competitive in the digital distribution game.

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Kimball Midwest Recognized for Robust Training Programs

From Industrial Distribution Magazine

The MRO products distributor has been named to Training Magazine's list of 125 companies honored for employer-sponsored training and development.

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How Can You Enable the Future of Business for Customers? – Distributors in the Digital Era #73

From the NAW Blog

Distributors are in a strong position to enable the future of business for customers, and they can build on their reputation for customer service and support, including product advice, training and ad hoc recommendations for improving customer operations. But much more is needed. Distributors must have in-depth knowledge of the customer’s market dynamics and competitive challenges, and they must offer foresight about what the future holds. Commitment starts at the top, and leaders must establish new processes for working with customers and metrics that are about achieving customer success measured in terms that are relevant for customers. Successful distributors will build a culture that goes beyond responding to customer requests. They will suggest innovations, line up resources for execution and work to implement plans.

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Distributors Are Using Intent Data to Supercharge Sales

From the NAW Blog

Distributors need to collect data fast. If distributors can compile lots of data quickly, they’ll be able to provide AI-enhanced customer service and draw customers away from competitors. However, if distributors are slow to aggregate data, the competition (i.e. other distributors, or online-only players like Amazon) will claim their customers first.

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Industrial Supply at Sea? Fastener Supplier Launches Innovative Import Model

From Industrial Distribution Magazine

Launched Sept. 3, Earnest Machine-owned Zirks aims to slash lead times with an at-sea warehousing approach.

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2020 Sales Professional Training Camps

Don Buttrey's popular Sales Professional Training Camps return in 2020 with four sets of dates:

  • March 3-5
  • May 19-21
  • August 4-6
  • November 10-12

Click here for details and to register

Fight Complacency to Win Today

From the NAW Blog:

It’s 2019 and more than 197 million people visit Amazon each month to browse more than 12 million products, according to BigCommerce. The numbers go up every day. But distributors don’t need to be afraid of Amazon. They need to innovate and sell to customers the way today’s customers want to buy. It’s that simple.

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Obituary: James (Jim) Zehnder

James (Jim) Zehnder, passed away November 25, 2019 at the age of 84 (two weeks shy of his 85th birthday). He is survived by his wife of more than 62 years, Margaret; his son and daughter-in-law, Dan and Cindie Zehnder; daughters, Mary and her husband, Faron Cajthaml, and Barbara Zehnder. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Joshua, Erin, Caleb, Claire, Hope, Grace, Brooke, and Sam; great-grandchild, Naomi.

Jim was an ordained Lutheran minister for more than 20 years, was also the CEO of the family business, a member of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, and was an active member of the Rotary.  He enjoyed feeding birds, working in his backyard, wood-working, and exercise.

Like his brother John and father Paul, Jim served in the NFDA for many years.

Click here for more information.

How to Write Impactful Job Descriptions

A Caliper Talent Management Article:

Did you know that 64% of job applicants don’t respond to bad Job Descriptions? Learn how Caliper says to write job descriptions that work:

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3 Tips to Inspire and Motivate Employees During Performance Reviews

A Caliper Talent Management Article:

Are you still relying on annual reviews to manage Employee Development? Caliper shows you why coaching is the way to go.

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