Your Branch Manager is Your Foundation

Insights for every branch manager

Customer service is one of the services that differentiate distributors. In fact, it is the most critical one as it is the essence of what is delivered to customers … and delivered by your people. Your branch managers are at the tip of the spear.

One of the services of Channel Marketing Group is a market research tool we call “Uncover” which helps identify how satisfied a distributor’s customers are – whether it is poor, satisfactory, or quality. And quality is the goal because quality is defined as “meeting customer expectations.”

Our model is built upon the precepts that are used in the automotive industry and epitomized in the concepts of JD Power (CSI and SSI scores). We’re asking, “what is important” and “how well does XYZ (distributor) perform on this.”)

Frequently there is a correlation to a customer’s local branch performance which is typically driven by the effectiveness of the branch manager.

This role is one of the toughest within distribution. In some companies the branch manager is akin to a general manager and could be entrepreneurial. In others the role is operational. Some companies want sales leaders in the role. Some are “confused” and inconsistent.

The role can be thankless because every department has some expectation of the branch manager … and inevitably they have multiple bosses … and that is not including their key manager … the customer.

Earlier this fall I was introduced by John Gunderson to Brian Eason. Brian, coincidentally, lives in the Raleigh area, so we were able to get together for lunch.

Who is Brian? Nowadays he is in senior management for a distributor in the building materials industry. He grew up in the business, learning the role of branch manager, under fire, within Ferguson (23 years!).

His educational background is psychology (which seems appropriate for someone who needs to understand people as a branch manager – juggling customers, suppliers, reps, internal staff, corporate and others!)

Brian recently wrote a book, that he self-published, sharing his experiences, and learnings, from being a branch manager. Consider it “from a branch manager, to a branch manager.”

I ask Brian to share his thoughts on his first book, Foundations of a Giant:

Foundations of a Giant: A Branch Boss’s Blueprint for Wholesale Distribution

If you work in wholesale distribution, you already know this: Strategy gets written at the center. Reality happens at the branch. And most branch managers are promoted because they were great at the work—not because anyone taught them how to lead people.

For almost thirty years, I have lived in that reality. I started on the warehouse floor, moved into inside sales, outside sales, branch management, and now serve as a Group Vice President leading multiple locations in the wholesale building products world. Along the way, I saw the same pattern repeat itself in market after market.

The companies that win are not always the ones with the prettiest slide decks or the most sophisticated initiatives. They are the ones where frontline leaders run tight, disciplined, people-first operations every single day.

Why I Wrote the Book

Foundations of a Giant: A Branch Boss’s Blueprint for Wholesale Distribution grew out of that conviction. It is a practical field guide for branch managers, warehouse leaders, counter managers, and territory reps who live in the pressure cooker of daily execution.

These leaders are asked to do everything: hire and develop people, hit the number, protect margin, manage inventory, keep trucks moving, handle problem orders, put out fires with customers, and implement the next corporate project.

Most of them are promoted because they were great individual contributors. Very few are given a clear playbook for leading others.

Foundations of a Giant is the book I wish someone had handed me when I took my first branch. Not theory. Not slogans. A working blueprint built from real wins, losses, and scars in the trenches.

Eight Pillars for Frontline Leadership

The book is organized into eight pillars that define what I call the “Blueprint of the Branch Boss.” Each pillar tackles a core responsibility of frontline leadership:

• Laying Your Foundation — How you show up, what you tolerate, and the standards you set from day one
• Forging the Team’s Steel — Hiring, coaching, accountability, and creating a team that wants to win together
• Mastering the Movement — The blocking and tackling of operations, delivery, inventory, and branch cadence
• Building Your Bench Strength — Developing the next generation of leaders inside your four walls

The remaining pillars cover sales execution, communication, and leading through change. Each combines short stories from real branch life with simple frameworks and tools leaders can use immediately.

Why This Matters Now

Distribution is changing fast. Technology, AI, and data are reshaping operations. But customers still judge us one delivery, one promise, and one person at a time—and that person is usually a frontline leader.

That is why I believe the frontline leader is more important than ever. You can invest millions in systems, analytics, and initiatives. If the branch manager is not running a disciplined, people-first operation, the customer will never feel it.

The best companies find a way to combine both. They leverage data and technology, but they also equip their branch leaders to run consistent operations, coach behavior instead of just chasing results, protect the customer promise when the pressure is on, and build bench strength so the operation is not fragile.

Foundations of a Giant is designed to support that kind of environment. It gives operators a common language and set of guardrails they can use alongside whatever tech stack or playbook the company already has in place.

How Companies Are Using It

Early readers include CEOs, distribution executives, and leadership coaches. Organizations are already using it as a core text for new branch managers, a discussion guide for regional meetings, and a resource for high-potential salespeople preparing for their first leadership role.

My hope is simple: I want this book to help the men and women who open the doors, run the trucks, and lead the teams that keep our industry moving. When they have a clearer blueprint, everybody wins. Customers feel it. Culture improves. Performance follows.

A Thought to Support Your Branch Managers

Foundations of a Giant: A Branch Boss’s Blueprint for Wholesale Distribution is the type of book that can make internal personnel more understanding, can help a new branch manager learn about being a branch manager, can help “struggling” branch managers, and is just a general good read on the distribution business. In fact, it may educate manufacturers on the challenges of distributor branch managers so that they can be better suppliers and execute better in the field.

Consider ordering it on Amazon (he self-published … a typical branch manager!) and I’m sure if you wanted quantity, you could reach out to him on LinkedIn.

And if you’d like to learn more about how Channel Marketing Group helps uncover customer satisfaction, reach out and let’s discuss.