Bill WadeCommentaryWhy Teams Are Not Cocktail Parties: Recent Research at Northwestern Finds Five Common FaultsGive me a T…E…A…M! Teams are today’s solution everywhere. Industrial distribution says team selling is the future. Harvard Business Review says it is all about sharing a strong sense of group identity. Fleet magazines tout…July 19, 2016CommentaryStop Doing What You Do Well: Managers Must Learn To Be ConductorsIn looking at the great leaders of history—whether they are political leaders like Julius Caesar or business leaders like Steven P. Jobs—many people probably assume they must have taken a particularly active role in running…June 23, 2016CommentaryWeaving the ‘Amazon Expectation’ into distribution’s futureCEO Study: What three things would you focus your business on to differentiate yourself in the marketplace?” The “Amazon Effect” has led to considerable growth and evolution in consumer expectations and behaviors over the past…June 1, 2016CommentaryEnvision Models Beyond Pick-Pack-and ShipWhat is a business vision? It’s not as mystical or out there as it sounds. A vision, quite simply, is a picture of what success will be at a particular time in the future. The…May 17, 2016CommentaryA planned approach for a sales conversationWhen pulling your sales pitch together, here’s a quick refresher: Who, What and Why, Dollars, How, Close. 1. Who Who are you and whom do you represent? Don’t assume customers know you! 2. What Your…April 13, 2016CommentaryNo guarantees just because you’ve made it this farSome of my thoughts following both HDAW and the recent Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) annual meeting. I guess it is OK to subtly cheer the recent relatively flat trend in the heavy-duty truck parts and service…March 10, 2016CommentarySelling tactics for a slow growth heavy-duty marketThe non-recovery from the 2008-2009 heavy-duty parts market recession may continue to creep along for sometime. Certainly the recent hours-of-service (HOS) regulations, technician and driver shortages and softness in the worldwide economy don’t clear the…January 19, 2016CommentaryHappy 50th Birthday to Us: Independent Heavy Duty DistributionThe entire organized heavy-duty aftermarket seems to have emerged all at once about 50 years ago. Organizations such as the Automotive Electric Association (AEA) and the National Wheel and Rim Association (NWRA) were around earlier, formed mostly…January 1, 2016CommentaryMargin-killing heavy-duty pricing mythsHere is a perplexing contradiction in the heavy-duty parts and service business. On the one hand, it’s fair to say that every member of the heavy-duty supply chain would like to maximize their margins, improve their…October 25, 2015CommentaryWe’ve spoiled ‘em, and they’re still not happyThere is an interesting dynamic developing in the North American economy, both at the consumer level and in business-to-business marketing. Chinese goods are flooding most markets. And our customers have become terminally spoiled. Note, however,…August 25, 2015Previous PagePage 2 of 5Next PageTop StoriesOutlook and BenchmarkingACT's Ken Vieth gives trailer market forecastThe external pressures driving new equipment purchases downward appear more likely to impact truck orders than trailers in 2026 and beyond, and even tariff relief could be right around the corner.Technician trainingPartnering for Progress: ‘Illuminating the future’Used trucksPrices drop as selectivity rises among used truck buyersSuccessful Dealer AwardWATCH: TLG wins 2025 Successful Dealer AwardClass 7-8Trucking industry businesses weigh in on new truck tariffs
