Before joining the electrical trade, I had the chance to work with over 20 companies as a management coach. During five years of consulting, I saw some companies that were doing great, some good, others not so good, and a few that were just trying to survive until the next order. Now what is the difference between the ones that were thriving and the ones that were barely surviving (or about to close)?
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Canada generated 48.7 million megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity in October 2013, up 1.1% from the same period in 2012. The increase was led by gains in hydro (+2.1%) and nuclear power (+3.1%) generation. Combined, the two sources represented 78.9% of total power generation. Canadian demand for electricity rose 0.6% to 44.9 million MWh. Exports to the United States rose 11.5% to 4.8 million MWh. Read on for key provincial figures.
Jigsaw’s SPA Control platform is the first contract management system that encompasses the entirety of the SPA management process, from contract setup, administration and auditing SPA rebate claims to measuring contract performance via an impressive array of simple, easy-to-use analysis tools. The web-based platform, which is currently being used by more than 100 electrical distributors, has thus far delivered impressive results with 40% increases in SPA revenues, 12% improvements in SPA profitability and 85% decrease in administrative expenses.
In Canada, electrical distributors first came together under the banner of the Canadian Electrical Distributors Association (CEDA) on March 29, 1934. Those men of goodwill as they were once described by Christian Major have passed on but the foundation they built lives on in this dynamic industry. In his diary, Kerrwil founder Jack Kerr noted the following: “Ham Gardiner exercised magnificent foresight in forming CEDA…”
There are really only two ways to increase sales: sell to new customers or sell more products to existing customers. Both require that distributor sales management and salespeople effectively evaluate their customers, and identify new opportunities and manufacturers’ salespeople (direct and reps). Marketplace competitiveness requires a back-to-basics sales approach that differentiates you, especially in light of the movement to more e-communications/e-commerce. No longer will “let’s see what today or this week brings” succeed. Planning and applying basic selling skills are the order of the day, so ask yourself these eight questions.
It is always interesting to see manufacturers develop new products for the electrical industry. Lately we have seen an influx of hi-tech products that require a special type of salesperson at the distributor level. Over the past few years we’ve seen CFL and LED lighting, solar energy, wind power, Wi-Fi enabled lighting solutions, and the expansion of industrial controllers that incorporate new features and related benefits. The challenge for electrical distribution: are you willing to invest time and money in this new hi-tech market by hiring and training salespeople who have the skills to pitch the product and the expertise to answer relevant questions that will arise during a typical sales call?
As a distributor considering participating in a supplier’s Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program, you might be asking yourself, “Why should I let a supplier manage my inventory?” It may seem counter-intuitive that you can improve inventory management and increase sales by allowing suppliers to maintain your inventory. But more and more distributors are happily doing just that with key suppliers. In fact, many distributors are now encouraging key suppliers to include them in their VMI programs. Why? Because for you the distributor it results in increased sales, improved inventory turns, and reduced administrative costs.
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This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.
