Can a Strong Digital Infrastructure Guarantee a Company’s Longevity?

Most distribution companies have always thrived in face-to-face sales and traditional methods of advertising and marketing, until now.

In a world where technology has made so many things easier for us, it has made gaining leads and sales a lot harder for the distribution company.

What's Changed?

Digital innovation has been slowly creeping up on the distribution industry. And then, just like that, COVID has made this disconnection with people much more prominent.

Traditionally, customers would look to salespeople to recommend products that might be of interest to them. Today, that middle man has been eliminated because a customer can find just about anything and everything he needs online, including product recommendations. 

There is still usually a relationship between the salesperson and customer because, at times, a customer will call a salesperson when they cannot place an order online. But of course waiting for the phone to ring is not the best use of your salespeople’s time. 

So, what’s a distributor to do? I'm afraid this may sound like a cliche, but it really has come to that time where you've got to decide to innovate, or to die.  

It's Necessary but It's not Difficult

It's been quite a while now since any of us can comfortably interact face-to-face. And it seems to be harder than ever to get in touch with potential customers because they are no longer in the office. 

The problem is that in most areas and for most distributors, ‘going digital’ is much easier said than done. It requires the kind of knowledge and experience most distributors don’t have. 

Digital innovation is a necessity and it isn’t as far out of reach as most people think. By understanding how the rest of the world is using digital innovation successfully, you can learn from their experience and make more informed decisions.

For example, it’s a given that marketing automation is essential for capturing leads. Why is it a given? Because most non-distribution companies have been using marketing automation for years and can point to a high success rate. Even better, like most technology that’s been around for years, it’s gotten better with time.

The Ultimate Sales Support

When it comes to supporting sales, the level of targeted marketing realized from marketing automation helps support sales forces everywhere. It used to be that salespeople knew what their customers wanted and needed. Now, that knowledge can be streamlined and backed by analytics in marketing automation systems and CRMs.

You're Probably on the Right Path Already

It’s critical today that all companies, especially distributors, build their online presence because most customers are quickly switching to online buying. The online world has become the modern-day brick and mortar. The storefront of companies today is their website.

If you've put in a good eCommerce system, you're almost half-way there. Now you've just got to get customers to use it. You've also got to get customers to take advantage of the solutions and services you offer because THERE is where you can be most competitive.

To stay competitive and maintain longevity, communicate better, create more excitement, and engage your customers wherever possible. The importance of online engagement vs. face-to-face engagement has shifted for customers. It’s crucial you shift with them.

To answer the question, ‘does a strong digital infrastructure guarantee a company’s longevity’ — the more you grow your online awareness and build your community, the more influential and engaging you will become and the more longevity you will experience.

The fact that you’re reading this article may mean you’re already a step or two ahead of your competition. Your greatest strategy with regard to digital innovation is to widen that gap, stay ahead of your competitors, and make it difficult for them to catch up.