Bruce Merrifield, President — Merrifield Consulting •distribution management best practices •Distribution Personnel Training and Development •cost-to-serve math •cost-to-serve in distribution •line-item profit analytics in distribution Wednesday, January 24, 2018—This is the second installment of Randy MacLean and Bruce Merrifield's discussion of the Enterprise Account Selling Model. In the previous installment, Randy and Bruce reviewed cost-to-serve, the whale curve, and matching service levels to the scale of profitability and profit potential of an account. However, you won't – you can't - take your best account to a transformational next level with a standard service model, routine or even frequent sales calls, and contract pricing, regardless of whether they honor the contract. Your approach to selling cannot be a monolithic policy. By segmenting your customers, you gain the opportunity to address issues situationally and you re-engage your best sales reps. Every account is different and tailoring your service to each account – or each critical account – allows you to be judicious about how you spend your resources. By providing your sales team with information, they can deliver the next level of support – that "next level" is no longer nebulous or theoretical. A motivated sales rep can act decisively and confidently with their accounts, proposing solutions and actions, such as auditing a customer's soft costs, which no other distributor can offer. For more information about Bruce Merrifield, visit: www.merrifieldact2.com |
The 7 Areas That Need Your Focus (brief)The 3rd of 3 lists defining the markers of Distribution companies outpacing their peers. Beyond Business IntelligenceRandy MacLean explains the differences in business intelligence systems, and how to know what you're getting with each kind. A Culture of Innovation Starts at the TopSteve Epner and Randy MacLean discuss topics from Steve's book. In this video: How to Innovate. LIPA: Prophet of Customer NeedsSee how implementing LIPA can give you the bandwidth to be more accommodating to your customers with analytics-based service excellence Getting a Deeper Understanding of CostsRandy MacLean and Bruce Merrifield of WayPoint Analytics discuss different levels of cost analysis, and why deeper analytics can bring much greater benefits. How Distributors Should Rethink Their 2017 Sales Growth PlansWaypoint Analytics uses line item profit analytics to dig deep into the numbers, and Waypoint users learn both bad news and good news about their customers. 9 Steps to More Profitable RelationshipsDiscussion about a 9-step process aimed at transforming a transactional relationship with an account into a partnership. Gross Margin Percent: A Poor Indicator of ProfitabilityMany naturally occurring, high gross margin percentage accounts and high gross margin percentage SKUs are operating profit losers. The Advantages of SegmentationA discussion of the benefits of segmentation and how this approach can help distributors achieve far greater levels of profitability. Protecting Your Core BusinessHow to identify and protect the accounts at the core of profits. Increase Profits: Rank Customers and Act AccordinglyHere is a case study in which the lowest gross margin percentage niche was the most profitable and the highest gross margin percentage was the loser. Discussing the Enterprise Account Selling Model (#3)Continuance of the Enterprise Account Selling Model video series. Refers to a preceding video. Drawn from Bruce's presentation at APIC on March 1, 2016. Discussing the Enterprise Account Selling Model (#1)Bruce Merrifield and Randy MacLean discuss Bruce's Enterprise Account Selling Model, as presented at APIC on March 1, 2016. Getting Your Salespeople to Negotiate SmarterUsing the negotiation process to achieve CTS savings, allowing you to offer your customers lower prices while leaving the table with a larger profit. Increase Innovation with a Rule and a ToolBruce Merrifield discusses the Wheel of Learning and how this simple tool can catapult you forward with innovative thinking. Cost-to-Serve Math: Why Gross Margin May Fool You Every TimeThis video by Bruce Merrifield and Randy MacLean describes why you can't rely solely on gross margin to determine profitability. The Changing Face of SalesAn in-depth look at some historical limitations to sales compensation, and why those factors no longer apply with the availability of LIPA. Gross Margin FixationA fixation on gross margin – without looking at cost-to-serve (CTS) – has blinded countless distributors and limited their ability to achieve profitability. Amazon Tactics: Know Your SKU Profit Winners and LosersSee why your most profitable 200+ items are typically popular commodities with lots of picks for lots of customers with a high average sales dollar per pick. A WayPoint Client and Whale Curve Success StoryLearn how this distributor was able to massively ramp up its profitability even as it lost many of its customers. Cost Structures: What Makes for a Good Sale?Learn why distributors can't simply rely on gross margin when determining whether a sale will add to the bottom line. Why You Should Sweat the Small DeliveriesA discussion on how little extras can sometimes add up to a lot of infrastructure cost in wholesale distribution companies. Increase Innovation with a Rule and a ToolLearn how to boost your company innovation IQ by adopting the Anti-Nitpick Rule and the Wheel of Learning Tool. It's Not Who You Think It IsRandy MacLean discusses key profitability metrics for QPM. Why You Should Be Optimizing InventoryRandy and Bruce explain why it's important to optimize inventory in the same way you optimize personnel and other resources toward the best profit opportunities A Two Step Strategy for Being Number One in DistributionIn this video, Bruce Merrifield turns the tables on Waypoint President Randy MacLean, and asks Randy to strategize on how to beat the competition. Prioritizing Your CustomersA discussion of the perils of a cookie cutter approach when it comes to sales and service in the wholesale distribution industry. The Element of PricingIt's not necessary to compete with AmazonSupply on pricing when you've got your ordering and delivery systems, fill rates and customer service at a high level. Quantum Profit ManagementRandy MacLean introduces the core principles of QPM and illustrates how it's the most effective way to run a business. The Benefits of a Cost-to-Serve Math ProgramHave you had trouble conveying the importance of CTS to your team? Learn how this course provides an affordable and convenient educational solution. Why Come to APIC?What is the value of the APIC conference for a business, and why does it stand out above other education programs? Making Money by Giving Away ProductBruce Merrifield and Randy MacLean discuss profit strategies for wholesale distributors that will raise their cost-to-serve and profits. Webinar: How to Create a Sales Compensation Plan (pt 2)Webinar: Quantum Sales Compensation Plan Part 2 Webinar: How to Create a Sales Compensation Plan (pt 3)Webinar: Quantum Sales Compensation: Designing Your Plan Webinar: How to Create a Sales Compensation Plan (pt 4)Webinar: Quantum Sales Compensation for the Wholesale Distribution Industry: Launching Your Plan |