Dorn

According to James Dorn and J Schneider, focusing on building teams that listen and leveraging collective intelligence through collaborative partnerships, distributors and manufacturers can deliver innovative solutions tailored to their customers' evolving needs. They should not just mirror the strategies of competitors like Amazon, but instead carve out unique value propositions. Key Takeaways: - Avoid mimicking competitors like Amazon; instead, focus on developing a unique value proposition tailored to your end customers. - Organize your business around understanding and meeting the specific needs of your customers, rather than following industry trends blindly. - Build teams that prioritize listening and develop collaborative partnerships with manufacturers or distributors to leverage collective intelligence for innovation. #IndustrialInnovation #CustomerCentricStrategy #CollaborativePartnerships #UniqueValueProposition #MarketLeadership

James Dorn and J Schneider emphasize the critical need for manufacturers to invest in understanding their end-users and effectively engaging with them. Manufacturers must adopt a balanced approach that includes both push and pull strategies to stay competitive. Key Takeaways: - Manufacturers must invest in knowing their end-users and how to interact with them effectively. - Building brand awareness and preference directly with end-users is essential for long-term success. - An integrated approach that combines digital and traditional engagement strategies is necessary to adapt to evolving customer preferences. #ManufacturingStrategy #CustomerEngagement #BrandBuilding #DistributionChannels #DigitalTransformation

James Dorn and J Schneider discuss the evolving landscape of distributor and manufacturer strategies, particularly focusing on reallocation within selling teams and the rise of digital integration. - Reallocation of Resources: Distributors are undergoing a significant shift in resource allocation, particularly in field sales, inside sales, and digital teams. This realignment is driven by changes in market dynamics and customer expectations. - Strategic Collaboration: Manufacturers can support distributors by providing tools, knowledge, and resources to adapt to market shifts and enhance their competitive edge. Collaboration between manufacturers and distributors is crucial for mutual success in the evolving marketplace. #DistributionStrategy #ManufacturingIndustry #DigitalTransformation #MarketDynamics #StrategicPartnerships

James Dorn and J Schneider offer 5 key tips to guide distributors in their strategic planning efforts, emphasizing the importance of focusing on audience segments, understanding customer pain points, optimizing supplier partnerships, developing joint innovation roadmaps, and aligning with evolving buyer behaviors. Key Takeaways: - Distributors are actively seeking to evaluate and reshape their strategies in response to changing market dynamics. - Five key tips are outlined to guide distributors in strategic planning efforts. - Emphasis is placed on putting the customer at the center of strategic discussions and decision-making. - Strategies should be tailored to address specific audience segments and their unique pain points. - Optimizing supplier partnerships and developing joint innovation roadmaps are critical for long-term success. - Distributors should align sales and marketing resources with evolving buyer behaviors to remain competitive. For more insights like this, visit https://lnkd.in/gwG6warE #StrategicPlanning #CustomerCentricity #SupplierPartnerships #InnovationRoadmap #BuyerBehavior #MarketInsights #BusinessStrategy

Customer experience in modern terms encompasses the entire customer journey from seeking solutions to post-purchase support. James Dorn and J Schneider discuss the importance of aligning all departments to provide a unified customer experience, identifying and addressing gaps in interaction with potential customers, and achieving balance across functional groups. Key Takeaways: - Customer experience extends beyond customer service to encompass the entire customer journey. - Manufacturers and distributors should map out the total customer experience and identify opportunities to enhance interactions at each stage. - Alignment across departments is crucial to providing a unified customer experience. - Balancing different aspects of the customer experience, such as marketing, sales, and operations, is essential for success. - Before investing in technology or other solutions, understanding the specific problems to be solved and areas for improving the customer journey is vital. For more insights like this, visit https://lnkd.in/gb6-KXfU #CustomerExperience #CustomerJourney #Alignment #UnifiedExperience #BusinessInvestment #FunctionalBalance #CustomerCentricity

James Dorn and J Schneider discuss "moat building" for better defense of market positions and customer relationship fortification. They emphasize the importance of understanding customer needs deeply and collaborating closely with supplier partners to create innovative solutions that enhance customer loyalty and retention. Key Takeaways: - The analogy of medieval moats is used to illustrate the need for defending market share and customer base. - To strengthen their market position, distributors and manufacturers must deepen their understanding of their end customers' businesses. - Collaborative partnerships between distributors and suppliers enable the development of innovative solutions tailored to customer needs. - By aggregating manufacturing supplier partners and bringing new ideas and solutions to customers, distributors can enhance their value proposition. - Partnering on innovation and addressing customer needs collectively can lead to higher customer satisfaction and business growth. For more insights like this, visit https://lnkd.in/gb6-KXfU #MarketDefense #CustomerRetention #SupplierPartnerships #InnovationCollaboration #CustomerCentricity #BusinessGrowth #MarketStrategy

James Dorn and J Schneider explore the evolving dynamics between manufacturers and distributors, focusing on the shifting balance of value exchange in their relationships. They discuss By aligning their efforts to better serve the end customer, distributors can enhance their relationships with manufacturers and drive mutual success in the market. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Manufacturers are providing greater value to distributors today than in the past, offering inventory, terms, and support in meeting end-market demand. - Distributors must rebalance their value proposition to manufacturers without compromising their service to end customers. - Distributors can contribute deep customer knowledge and unbiased market insights, while manufacturers can offer innovation, technology, and support in scaling technical competence. - Collaborative efforts between manufacturers and distributors can enhance the overall customer experience and create more defensible relationships with end customers. - This recalibration of value exchange leads to a more balanced risk-reward relationship and fosters long-term business success. For more insights like this, visit https://lnkd.in/gwG6warE #Manufacturing #Distribution #ValueExchange #CustomerExperience #Innovation #Collaboration #BusinessSuccess

James Dorn and J Schneider discuss the pivotal choice between profit and growth in manufacturing and distribution. The key to success lies in a balanced strategy that prioritize unit volume growth for manufacturers and profitability for distributors. KEY TAKEAWAYS - Balancing Act: Striking a balance between profit and growth is crucial for manufacturers and distributors. Manufacturers focus on unit volume growth, while distributors prioritize profitability in a symbiotic relationship. - Strategic Collaboration: Successful programs hinge on joint collaboration. Manufacturers and distributors should develop targeted programs that cater to specific end-user needs, fostering innovation and deeper partnerships. - Scalability and Efficiency: Distributors should focus on scalability by driving market share growth and capturing a larger share of spend with enterprise customers. Streamlining the supplier base and fostering innovation are key components. - Customer-Centric Approach: End customers seek value and price concessions. Manufacturers play a pivotal role in creating financial programs, ensuring inventory availability, and developing solutions that resonate with distributors and end users. - Proven Programs: Scalable and effective programs include market share growth, capturing share of spend, and joint initiatives that drive unit volume growth while maintaining profitability. - Take Action: To implement these insights, manufacturers and distributors are encouraged to collaborate closely, sharing data, exploring new market development strategies, and jointly penetrating existing accounts for sustainable growth.

James Dorn and J Schneider discuss the pivotal choice between profit and growth in manufacturing and distribution. The key to success lies in a balanced strategy that prioritize unit volume growth for manufacturers and profitability for distributors. KEY TAKEAWAYS - Balancing Act: Striking a balance between profit and growth is crucial for manufacturers and distributors. Manufacturers focus on unit volume growth, while distributors prioritize profitability in a symbiotic relationship. - Strategic Collaboration: Successful programs hinge on joint collaboration. Manufacturers and distributors should develop targeted programs that cater to specific end-user needs, fostering innovation and deeper partnerships. - Scalability and Efficiency: Distributors should focus on scalability by driving market share growth and capturing a larger share of spend with enterprise customers. Streamlining the supplier base and fostering innovation are key components. - Customer-Centric Approach: End customers seek value and price concessions. Manufacturers play a pivotal role in creating financial programs, ensuring inventory availability, and developing solutions that resonate with distributors and end users. - Proven Programs: Scalable and effective programs include market share growth, capturing share of spend, and joint initiatives that drive unit volume growth while maintaining profitability. - Take Action: To implement these insights, manufacturers and distributors are encouraged to collaborate closely, sharing data, exploring new market development strategies, and jointly penetrating existing accounts for sustainable growth.

At the ISA Fall Summit, we asked distributors and manufacturers about their pricing strategies over the next 12 months. The majority (55%) plan to hold margin, while a significant portion (33%) intends to selectively reduce margin in strategic areas. Only 12% are willing to reduce margin broadly to capture incremental revenue. With pricing pressures mounting, now is the time for manufacturers and distributors to align on strategies that balance revenue growth and margin preservation, especially as targeted margin reductions may yield higher returns. How would you answer this question? Post in the comments! Thank you, John Gunderson, Eric M. Hatty, Brent Williams, Brendan Breen, Destani Barr, DES, and the Industrial Supply Association team. #SalesGrowth #ChannelPros #ISAFallSummit #MarginStrategies