The Secrets of Top Material Handling Distributors
For the next issue of The MHEDA Journal, we’re focusing on distributors who were honored with Top Dealer awards by their manufacturers. In the past, we’ve simply published the list of honorees and highlighted the MHEDA Members in boldface. This year, we’re taking it a step further. We’re reaching out to the members listed by the manufacturers to find out their secrets.
Obviously, 2009 was a down year for the industry, so how were these dealers able to achieve what passed for success in such an environment? A couple of the distributors I’ve already talked to said, I think only half-jokingly, some form of, “We just didn’t do as bad as everybody else” and that’s their secret.
Even if that is the honest answer, the reasons why they didn’t do as bad as everyone else can still serve as a learning tool for the rest of us. If limiting the damage is considered success, then how did you do it?
Over the next few weeks, as I talk to more and more people, I’ll be sharing some of these distributor secrets. For now, I’ll just mention that we’ve actually gotten a wide range of brilliant strategies, ranging from making more customer visits by sales managers, to doing more product demonstrations, to enhancing Web presence. I’m sure you’ll find a nugget you can use from one of these top dealers in the July issue of The MHEDA Journal. Stay tuned!
Tags: best practices, manufacturer-distributor relationships, material handling
