January 2004              return to the newsletter contents page

New NAW Publications for Wholesaler Distributors

DREF to Publish “Facing the Forces of Change^®: The Road to Opportunity”
Adam J. Fein, Ph.D. and Pembroke Consulting Inc.

NAW’s Distribution Research and Education Foundation (DREF) and Pembroke Consulting of Philadelphia, PA are getting ready to publish an all-new edition of the leading wholesale distribution industry trends report, Facing the

Forces of Change. The new report will be available in March 2004, but wholesaler-distributors, manufacturers, and other interested parties can reserve copies now at special, pre-publication prices.

Facing the Forces of Change: The Road to Opportunity provides strategic insights into key trends impacting the wholesale distribution supply chain through 2008. The new report covers key industry demographics, technology, salesforce issues, manufacturer relations, and much more. “The Facing the Forces of Change series occupies a unique position in the distribution industry and in the analysis of supply chain and marketing channels,” said DREF Executive Director Ron Schreibman. “The new edition of the study builds on a tradition of excellence by bringing together an unprecedented volume of information to help wholesale distribution executives prepare for the future.”

The price for SEDA members is $149. To order your copy now, go to www.nawpubs.org

What's Your Plan?
Smart Salesforce Compensation in Wholesale Distribution

Mike Marks and Mike Emerson
Indian River Consulting Group

"Indian River's research confirms what they have been preaching for years: Compensation programs are effective only if they exist in an environment of clear and actionable objectives with real sales management. This book goes much further than just providing research results; it supplies a comprehensive process on avoiding the common pitfalls companies make when redesigning their

compensation programs and walks the reader through effectively designing and implementing compensation programs that support company objectives."
Patrick M. Visintainer
Senior Vice President, Sales
Airgas, Inc

Take this little quiz:
To increase market share, a wholesale distribution firm should pay its outside salespeople
A. Commission, to keep them hungry.
B. Salary, so they think beyond the short term.
C. Some combination of A and B.
D. It doesn't matter.

Our hunch is you didn't pick D. But, say the authors of this eye-opening book from NAW's Distribution Research and Education Foundation, there is absolutely no relationship between your sales incentive plan and your likely gain or loss in market share.

In fact, here's what matters most: setting an objective, getting management to use it in rating salesperson performance, and making sure your whole team buys in.

The price for SEDA members is $89. If you order online with a credit card, you get an automatic 2% discount.