The pandemic accelerated digital transformation, widened the gap between innovative leaders and those who resisted change, unsettled and increased customer expectations, and forced sales teams into remote interactions, says J. Michael Marks.
You don’t have to be a distributor to appreciate the simplicity of the trends Marks shares. He says if you’re willing to play offense, pay attention to three key trends in terms of customer expectations:
- Customers expect their online buying experience to be as good as the experience in their everyday B2C life
- Technology natives do not want to speak with you
- Things we knew with 100% confidence more than a year ago are now flipped on their head
Source: National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, July 15, 2021. Link.
Being on the defensive is only a strategy if you want to lose more slowly.” – J. Michael Marks