2020 is here, and we’re still hearing some rumbling of an economic slowdown. Some might consider holding back on new investments until the economic future is more certain. And yet, thriving amid disruption is a differentiator in today’s market. Put another way: Disruption creates opportunity.

This May, IRCG’s Mike Marks and Mike Emerson will be participating once again in the Sales GPS conference in Chicago, Ill.

Just because Amazon is a household name doesn’t mean distributors must emulate its every move to compete.

IRCG Managing Partner Mike Marks’s latest guest post for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors offers up suggestions for distributors looking to succeed in the shadow of Amazon. It’s not about beating the online behemoth, but about creating more value in your own niche, for your own customers.

The terms “gross profit” and “gross margin” are often used interchangeably as they are both calculated the same way: the amount for which goods or services were sold minus the amount for which they were purchased. True, the mathematical values are ultimately the same, but what many folks understand those terms to represent are quite different.

On January 8, 2020 at 11am PT, Indian River Consulting Group managing partner Mike Marks will join Epicor’s ongoing webinar series on Distribution Innovation and Strategy. Marks will add to the conversation about how innovating your business model can help you embrace change in 2020 and beyond.

According to BigCommerce, more than 197 million people visit Amazon each month to browse more than 12 million products — and those numbers go up every day. But distributors don’t need to be afraid of Amazon. Rather, they need to innovate and sell to customers the way today’s customers want to buy.

More and more, we’re seeing industries move toward integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into operations structures.

If branded manufacturer margins decline, some distributors may consider expanding their model to add private label revenue. This could be a good idea for the company, but it’s only one component within the greater plan.

Margins are declining. Growth rates have become lower than the market standard. What's going wrong, and how can you fix it?

The biggest mistake management teams make, when it comes to sales compensation, is using the pay plan to manage salespeople.

Forecasters are pointing to market slowdowns in early 2020. And while things are expected to pick up again in the back half of the new year, this is no time to abandon your playbook.

We know market access starts with coverage, but do all your potential customers see you how you want to be seen?

Back in the day, the path to distributor growth was to sell service with excellent people.

There are two trends distributors should be paying close attention to in today’s market. One is understanding the role of technology, and the other is attracting and retaining talent.

Disruption is probably the one constant in today’s market.