Author: GAWDA MEDIA

By Richard P. Schweitzer, ESQ. Sometimes distributors say they cannot afford the cost of a safety compliance program, or they defer sending employees to training programs because of the expense. Some owners do not see safety as necessary to improving the company’s bottom line – saying that if it does not generate revenue or reduce costs, they are not interested. Others appreciate the value of safety programs but still view safety as a cost item to be minimized. This is backward thinking. Safety programs are means to preserve revenue. I heard one GAWDA distributor complain that his company was disqualified…

By Charles McChesney Safety equipment is ubiquitous in the gases and welding industry. It is integrated into the operations of every fill plant, every warehouse and in every cylinder and cryogenic vessel. From pressure release valves to high-visibility gauges to tamper-proof fittings, the industry has developed a plethora of equipment to keep workers and customers safer. Personal protection equipment, worn and used by welders and other workers, is a part of that, and it’s a huge market on its own. Research published last year by Global Market Insights, Inc. found that Americans across all markets spent $12.5 billion on personal protective…

By Charles McChesney Safety is at the center of the Gases and Welding Distributors Association’s existence. The Association’s mission statement literally puts safety first – “The GAWDA mission is to promote the safe operation and economic vitality of distributors of industrial gases and related welding equipment and supplies” – and safety is woven throughout its operations. “You can replace equipment. You can replace trucks. You can replace cylinders. You can’t replace a human. And that’s actually the only way you should look at it,” says Jim Herring, chair of the GAWDA Safety Committee and vice president of Saf T Cart. …

By Jeremy Miller The five best words you can hear a customer say are, “that’s interesting. Tell me more.” When you get a customer to say, “that’s interesting. Tell me more,” you’ve caught their attention. They’re listening and responding to you. They’re having a conversation. This is powerful, because a conversation is a two-way dialogue to share ideas and opinions. Every company has an opportunity to engage its customers in conversation, but few do. They’re too busy marketing and selling to slow down to have a dialogue. But in a world of endless competition, having a conversation is one of the…

By Mike Hill Ever wonder how much – or how little – your company’s employees are focused and engaged in what they do on the job? There’s a significant cost to employee disengagement. According to a 2016 Gallup survey, 68 percent of employees in the U.S. work force is disengaged from their jobs. That means almost seven out of 10 of your co-workers (or, for managers, your employees) are disengaged. How’s that for an eye-opener? What’s the cause of employee disengagement?  One of the issues that prompts disengagement is if employees feel they are not being compensated fairly. Some employees…

By Graeme Roberts If a business calls, or we hear about it, we Google it. If we can’t find it immediately — near the top of the first page — that’s a big red flag. A hundred years ago, you wouldn’t put your money in a bank unless it had a grand stone building with columns. Today, we look for reassurance from a substantial website. Some distributors say they don’t need a website; most of their customers have been with them for years, and they’re like family. Fair enough, but what about new prospects, let alone the people who are…

By Jon Denney Where is the first place business leaders tend to focus when they decide that profits need a boost? It’s the sales team. Often, company leadership takes a critical eye toward the sales department and decides that the team needs to take it up a notch and make more sales happen. While that route certainly is one way to improve profits and increase profitability fairly immediately, it isn’t the only way. This recent exercise from a company I dealt with in my consultancy points out that there are alternative avenues to creating additional profits. They include focusing on…

By Kelly Wirges Objections are a delicate part of the sales process. It’s vital that salespersons not attempt to “overcome” objections on the spot, and instead address them carefully and professionally. I advise salespersons to continue through the sales process when objections arise, carefully addressing them using a process and tactics that I call a “1-2-3, Bridge, Pivot and Advance” technique. First, the best way to avoid resistance is to anticipate and prepare for objections. Salespeople should practice addressing objections before meeting clients. If objections do arise, a prepared salesperson is ready to concentrate on listening to the prospect rather…

by Ryan Dorhn The key to your success in the world of sales is increasing the number of meetings you are granted by prospective clients. Developing an effective prospecting process can be the difference between life and death in your sales career. For me, the goal of prospecting is not to sell anything; I am just hoping to meet with a client via phone or in person for 20 minutes. That’s why my goal in prospecting is simply getting to a meeting. Period. If you are selling during the prospecting phase, you will greatly reduce your success. Over 25 years…

By John Favalo Hard-nosed or soft-hearted? Which is the business-to-business buyer when it comes to brand loyalty? And, how do distributors factor in the brand loyalty equation?  I’m in the advertising business, and have been for more than 40 years. I’ve spent a lot of those years building brands. After all that time, you’d think questions like these wouldn’t get air time today: Are brands really important to grizzled B2B buyers? Is building brand preference worth the investment? Should distributors play a key role in building the brands they carry or should they work on building their own businesses’ brands?…