The Times They Are A Changing

Some of you might be thinking I am being just a bit negative. But actually, I see it as being realistic about what's happening in our industry. For the most part we continue on as if everything is the same when it's not. As long as we ignore the changes happening today and continue to do business as we have done in the past, we will just become obsolete.

As a person of faith and vision, what I see is not a negative viewpoint, but an opportunity! There are huge opportunities for those who can embrace and adapt to change instead of resisting or ignoring it.

Like many of you, I have been in business long enough to feel somewhat comfortable with my past success, and that's dangerous. Instead I choose to see the new reality and have taken our company into directions that work well in these changing times.

One big change is in the way the world is communicating. Communication is taking place more and more on social media sites. This causes anxiety for many. There seem to be two distinct camps: people who get it and people who don't. It takes time to learn something new and most of us don't have the time or the desire to explore these rapidly changing communication strategies. I truly believe however, we need to adapt or not survive.

Both distributors and suppliers want to embrace it but are looking for immediate gratification in the form of sales and typically that doesn't happen. Social media is about engagement and content. A few supplier companies do a great job on social media and it's been very effective for them. However, many more are doing it poorly, making me cringe at their misplaced efforts.

Distributors are discovering new ways to create interaction with clients and prospects, too. Many are having great success by building their online communities. They are being creative, using video and contests to stand apart from their competitors.