Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/850474
4 FEDA News & Views Joe Schmitt President Rapids Wholesale Equipment jaschmitt@rapidswholesale.com The President's Message A s we continue our efforts to focus on leadership transition, strategic initiatives and industry collabo- ration, one significant item continues to place itself at the forefront of many urgent conversations—dealer advocacy. Before I dive into this, one thing is cer- tain: Our world and means of doing busi- ness is changing at a rate that continues to surprise some of us. In my opinion, it is critical for every FEDA member to ask themselves if they are creating the value that our customers are demanding and will pay for. More importantly, if not now, when? As end users continue to seek better ways to procure equipment and sup- plies, the notion of dealer-based distribu- tion is being challenged more than ever. This can range from them pressuring our supply partners to sell direct and strip dealer margin from the transaction to alternatively asking for a more efficient distribution partner to expedite procure- ment and reduce costs. While neither of these are new prob- lems, the time is now for FEDA dealers to act strategically and quickly to thwart threats. I will focus on two areas that every dealer can get involved in at the grass roots level, starting with pairing the appropriate services with the right customer. We need to take a serious look at how we can engage our customers in a proactive dialogue so we can thor- oughly understand how we can help them meet their ever-changing needs. This step requires admitting that change is required and that our business model, as we know it today, may have to be retooled. Many of our customers do not understand the entire value chain and, quite frankly, some may not want all the services that we believe are relevant and necessary. Within our channel, the services we provide can vary significantly from one dealer to the next. From design build, consulting, fulfillment, contract bid, smallwares replenishment, ecom- merce, showroom sales, etc., many of us approach the market in a different way, delivering what we each perceive as added value. When is the last time you asked your customers about their pain points? What do they need to become more efficient? What about more profit- able? When is that last time they told you and you chose to ignore them because it was not consistent with your current business model? If you actively asked, lis- tened and developed a plan to differenti- ate your value, stop reading. Otherwise, roll up your sleeves or you may be faced with another competitor who is ready to respond. The second area in which individual dealers can advocate for their role/value in the channel is by actively engaging their critical supply chain partners in a dialogue regarding how they can work together to serve the mutual customer. Remind them of the services we offer and ask how we can better serve our markets. (http://feda.com/magazine/ Mason-Green-Article.pdf?CFID=136315 7&CFTOKEN=1d0af862c6155ae-E6E1B- 8FE-B802-A653-DB55258187C1315A) In addition, encourage your supplier partners to reach out to you when they're approached by other entities that believe they can better service the market. Those truly committed to part- nership will give you the opportunity to react to demands from end users or from alternative distributors. Advocacy is at the Core of What Keeps FEDA Relevant continued on page 31