Distribution Talk

"There are three things that we ask when we make a call: what should we start doing? What should we stop doing? What should we continue doing? What should we stop doing is usually some of the best feedback." ~Gabriel Curry Jason sits down with Gabriel Curry, president of G&S Nursery and Impact Media, to discuss client retention, business expansion, and the myriad ways data informs decisions. Gabriel credits The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes with helping uncover his customer's needs and focus on his niche market. Once identified, CRM technology like SalesForce and Microsoft Dynamics provides the data that allows him to take his business to the next level - so long as it's used on a consistent basis. As he sees it, if a conversation isn't logged into the CRM that you've invested time and money into, "It didn't happen." Other advantages to using a CRM includes the ability to reconnect your sales team to clients who've gone dormant for one reason or another. "There's no way greater to grow your business," he says, "than reaching out to customers that have already worked with you." Gabriel also shares with Jason the role feedback has played in his success, whether from fellow professionals in the Young Presidents Organization or from clients. "These differences of opinion have really stretched my mind." Want to know which question has provided Gabriel with some of the best feedback? You might be surprised by his answer. Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution. *** Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals. Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn. Connect with Gabriel on LinkedIn.

"I think salespeople do a fantastic job accomplishing the task that they've been given. That said, none of what they produce out there can really come to fruition without the support of a wide network of folks within the organization." --Marshall Jones Jason catches up with Marshall Jones, former owner of Marco Supply Company. They cover a lot of ground from life in and out of the family business to the merits of various talent assessment methods. And, if you've got kids of your own in the family business, you'll want to hear Marshall's views on sending them to gain experience elsewhere. "I feel like I got a lot more out of the experience than they did," Marshall says of his post-graduation gig with Omaha-based Carlson Systems (now SouthernCarlson Inc.). At a time when internships were few, even for graduates of the esteemed industrial distribution program at Texas A&M, Marshall credits Carlson for giving him a tremendous amount of flexibility to make mistakes and prove himself. "I had my work cut out for me and it was a great year of knocking on a lot of doors and learning a lot of lessons." Admittedly, not all of the ideas he brought back home worked. Still, Marshall says his time away prepared him to face the challenges. "It was incredibly valuable… to see some of the struggles that you're going to encounter going back into the family business." One such struggle was learning how to overcome internal biases. No one wants to spend time or money setting up a good employee for failure in another department. "Not every individual...is cut out to be successful in every role," says Marshall. Finding the right assessment method was key. "We learned lessons and they were painful lessons but we got better and better as we went along," he says. So which method produced better results: instinct or standardized testing? And how does Marshall make sure each department gets recognized for the value they add to the organization? Tune in to find out. Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution. *** Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals. Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn. Connect with Marshall on LinkedIn.

Meet Jason Bader, executive coach, speaker, and owner of The Distribution Team, and find out the origin story of the Distribution Talk podcast (the idea for which came like a 2x4 to the back of the head.) Get ready to hear stories, struggles and solutions from business owners and thought leaders in the wholesale distribution industry. Thanks to Michael and Greg at Get a Grip on Lighting for helping to inspire this show, and to podcast coach/editor Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios for her expert advice. And thank you to our sponsor PeersOnDemand.com *** Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals. Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.