I have one client who wants us to help his Field Applications Engineers with soft skill techniques. Another has us teaching time management skills to his entire staff of customer service, software engineers and department managers. As the distribution industry continues to grow and prosper, as it has for past several years, it has also changed a great deal in the last five years.

The larger companies are able to attract the better-educated people; they offer a challenge, higher pay, and a different environment as compared to the smaller startups or the Mom & Pop companies.

David can outsmart Goliath

Great, you say, so what are mid-sized or smaller distributors supposed to do?  Well, you have an even more interesting opportunity in that you must continue to stay abreast with what is going on. Therefore, you must pay more attention to this issue. If you do not, you’re gone. All the computers in the world will not save a company that has a second class sales or customer service team.  What supplier wants to play babysitter to a channel partner?  It is easier to terminate the relationship. But what supplier or customer is not impressed with an organization that knows its product and has well spoken helpful and efficient people?           

How do you get to this position – big or small? You plan for it, you train for it, you stick to your goals and you work for it!  All the tools are available to you – the key is you must want to do it and you must budget for it. As one manager said, “Education and training should be a line item on every companies budget and they should spend all that money.”           

I listen to many people whine about loss of market share, a major line, a customer, etc.  I ask them for their mission statement, their sales plan, their goals, and their training budget, etc.  I hate to tell you the stupid excuses I get from them for not having these basic tools. I am amazed at the lack of job specifics on simple everyday jobs. Some of these companies must think that all the employees have to do is “show up.”

Put “stock” in employees 

Whose fault is most of this?  It is the management’s fault that’s who. These same people will invest $50 to $100K it get a new line, or add inventory because they may lose a line but won’t spend $500 to $1000 on basic employee training. How shortsighted is that? Very shortsighted. How many companies have a resource center or a way to offer videos, books, etc. to employees who want to learn on their own time? 

How many employers offer any incentives to help an employee with outside education or offer them an easy way to buy a computer to increase efficiency while at home or on the road? The smart ones do.          

Few companies take an inventory of the people skills within their own organization, or ask employees what they need to do their job better. It is called a needs analysis and it can be a terrific tool.          

Many of the inputs I offer here are basic common sense. I have studied how winners in different industries do it. I have listened to my various clients and have worked with trainers. This is a real problem area and you would be wise to do something about it.

Take a look at your payroll versus other expenses. Ask yourself if you are getting optimum productivity from your people. Are you comfortable that your employees are trained to their capacity?

If you are not sure, do what you do with your products – take an inventory to see what you have and what you need to be competitive. The pay back may be larger than you think.          

Don Lupfer has been in management positions for over three decades, including stints with GTE, Motorola and TRW.  He is now a consultant, trainer and writer.  Reach him at (508) 655-3950 or email donlupfer@aol.com