The art of reaching new customers is a challenge for many distributors. Frequently I hear we know everyone in the market we’re doing business with everyone we want to we know who pays their bills they are not our type […]
When you see this ad, what do you think? Grainger and GE Lighting ran this ad in the March issue of Purchasing. Some things to ponder … What are you doing to reach your end-customer (the one who writes the check […]
In talking to distributors and manufacturers, business in the electrical industry remains tough with many “cautiously optimistic”. Challenges range from uncertainty created by the media continual harping on negativity (BP spill, North Korea, euro problems, Israel and the Gaza strip […]
Does the downturn leave you thinking you have to scale the Alps for a come back? Maybe and then maybe not! Change is in the air both at inventory levels and the way product is being sold. This is about […]
As many know, NAED held it’s 2010 National Electrical Leadership Summit this past weekend. There were about 83 distributor companies represented and 74 manufacturer companies. While the distributor attendance improved, it seemed like the manufacturer number declined, especially small to […]
Mike Holt is considered one of the preeminent electrical contractor experts and is noted for his training endeavors and is recognized as “the” NEC Code expert. Mike knows contractor needs, and during a recent conversation with Stan Rydzynski, the issue of […]
Last week I visited an electrical distributor client to discuss customer service. Given the economic environment that has gripped the industry over the past 18 months, no one is surprised to hear that some companies have experienced customer service issues […]
People ask “what are we seeing in the market” to correlate it with what they are seeing and to integrate into their planning. And what we are seeing comes down to with challenges (we’re being nice) in the resi market […]
Most everyone in the electrical distribution channel understands that residential sales have fallen through the floor or are in the ditch. To understand currently what is happening, Allen Ray Associates started an“Informal” phone survey to 27 distributors (at this […]
Over the past month we’ve spoken to a number of manufacturers who have intimated that they are channeling their sales organization to focus their efforts on fewer, more profitable, distributors. These distributors typically are financially strong, larger, more aggressive, marketing-oriented […]
