This summer, HARDI distributors reported the strongest consistent growth since the easy comparisons following the Great Recession. The National Bureau of Economic Research tells us that ugly downturn existed from 2008 through the middle of 2009. The beginning and end of recessions are not like turning a lamp on and off. The ability to identify our economic prospects is a gradual process, like when the sun is rising or setting. After the economic sun started to rise in 2009, it was not until the back half of 2010 that a recognizable improvement began to reach HARDI members and turn TRENDS sales growth to positive.
A forecast in this day and age is actually always going to be wrong because the reality is complex. On a global scale, one needs to conduct economic forecasts that will almost never hit the true outcome. This is similar to sales forecasts and logistics forecasts that depend on other factors to come true. They will be off. But that’s OK. Because one who views a forecast only as something that absolutely has to come true does not understand forecasting.
I want to start this column with a clarification. You might wonder about the relevance of an editor’s column on success and how it’s germane to helping you operate an HVACR wholesale business.
In my last article, I proposed some questions every distributor should contemplate as they move their business forward and offered up a list of 50 more that they could have just by asking for it. The response was fantastic. Most likely, because we were in the question mode, at least a half dozen distributors hit me with their questions. It was thought-provoking.
I recently had the opportunity to present “PR University: Building Your Business with Public Relations” to the HARDI Sales and Marketing Conference in San Diego. I was impressed with the audience’s interest, engagement and enthusiasm for the topic. And there’s a good reason for that. Because your industry, like others, is changing in significant ways, and PR can significantly help grow and protect your business.
I had a subtle yet red-faced moment recently. (I was red on the inside.) I was in a marketing meeting with a client that included staff and two outside consultants. One was Ken Smith (www.smithmedia.com), who handles the video responsibilities of the client’s work. I attended because I was responsible for the client's editorial content and public relations efforts.
Here’s the scoop in distribution: Nothing happens instantaneously. Looking back over my career, I can’t help but notice it took nearly a decade for HVACR distributors to adopt enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and something like five years for the group to fully adopt email.
Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), a global company, headquartered in the United Kingdom, has reached an agreement to acquire Mincron Software Systems, based in Houston, Texas, and its successful suite of products.
Myths about customer relationships abound in the world of distribution. A few are based in reality while some are based on a promotion gone viral. At best, most are only partially accurate. The adage, “the customer is always right,” has always stuck in my craw. I suspect many fine folks out in distributorland will disagree when I say if you live by this motto, you will soon be enjoying downward mobility and celebrating financial ruin.
