Category Archives: AmazonBusiness

115. Selling Millennial – B2B, Self-Serve, Digital Buyers

Millennials? Digital-Buying Preferences?

Millennials are presently: 20-36 years old; involved in 85% of B2B purchases; the final buying authority 35% of the time, and will be growing past 50% by 2020. Their Amazon (AMZ) phone app is (statistically) their most valued and frequently used. They want their Amazon B2C buying experience at the office. AMZ owns your Next Generation Customers (NGCs)

Reps, Distributors, Master Wholesalers, Manufacturers: will you ally to be first with solutions for your NGCs needs?   Continue reading 115. Selling Millennial – B2B, Self-Serve, Digital Buyers

114. Reviews on Best Distributor Web Sites: MSC Industrial, Crescent Electric, Essendant, Hajoca, et. al.

Must-Read Blog Series

Go to this link for an article on MSC Industrial and Crescent Electric:

digitalcommerce360.com

Pay attention to the specific features, benefits and design guidelines that are reported. Consider doing the same for the reviews for: Essendant’s (8/9); Hajoca’s (8/28); Cardinal Health’s (8/31); Univar’s (7/30); and Blair Candy (7/25: small-firm story!) Continue reading 114. Reviews on Best Distributor Web Sites: MSC Industrial, Crescent Electric, Essendant, Hajoca, et. al.

113. It’s Human Nature to Resist Analytical Opportunities

Moneyball and Astroball Lessons

The book Moneyball was published in 2003. At the time, Major League Baseball (MLB) managers despised it, because the book made them look like old-school ignoramuses. A highly-recommended new take published in July 2018 and titled Astroball, summarizes the league’s transition since 2003.

Here are a few key points from the book: Continue reading 113. It’s Human Nature to Resist Analytical Opportunities

112. Investment News for Winning at Cloud Ecommerce in 2021

Who Will Control Millennial Buyers’ Clickstream In 2021?

Millennials are now: 19-36; glued to their smartphones; overwhelmingly Amazon Prime Members; and rating their Amazon App as most valuable and frequently used.

They want their Amazon B2C shopping experience on the job. 73% of all present, B2B buying decisions involve a millennial. 33% of final purchasing decisions are made by a millennial (and climbing!).

Whoever controls Millennials’ digital shopping journeys in 2021 can capture and monetize their clickstream data. Will all verticals that sell anything to Millennials be paying advertising fees to AMZ? Recent news suggests: not without a battle for eyes.    Continue reading 112. Investment News for Winning at Cloud Ecommerce in 2021

108. Amazon Business Has a Secret Plan

Distracting Stats v Strategic Profit Intent

Amazon is secretive, even deceptive. For instance, it trumpets amazing stats in press releases that can distract us from seeing their strategic goals. Maybe this is part of the plan. Why spark early competitive responses?

Consider AMZ-Biz. The last official numbers we saw for sales, resellers, and buyers were at year-end 2016. Wouldn’t you brag on growing 20% per month?

So what final profit streams is AMZ-Biz envisioning? How about fees from: Continue reading 108. Amazon Business Has a Secret Plan

107. Friends, Your Input Please. One-Day Fall Seminar Series

THE VISION

I will start conducting one-day seminars in larger cities in North America this fall. The working title: “Analytics for Defending Against, Partnering, and Out-Niching Amazon”.

The content is radical. Download the seminar summary for the full story, including:

  1. An “Overview”
  2. Who should attend and what you’ll learn and (hopefully) act on
  3. How your distributor affiliation groups, trade associations, buying groups, ERP vendors – can become co-sponsors to earn their constituents a discount from an already affordable fee
  4. A summary of my AMZ-oriented blogs to spark team discussions
Get the summary here:
Grand Summary of Fall Seminar Series

THE CITIES

Already booked due to local co-sponsor support:

  1. St. Louis on 10/16 with St. Louis University’s Center for Supply Chain Management as a co-sponsor and host for the presentation.
  2. Montreal on 11/5
  3. Toronto on 11/7

Other Prospective Cities: Chicago, Boston, NYC/N. NJ, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, LA, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma. And, wherever else enough bottom-up interest may arise.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

  1. Email me your interest. On a 1 to 5 scale: 1 is “No Way. AMZ is a fad.”; 3 “Maybe” and 5 “Will be there”.
  2. If not a “5”, any changes to boost interest to assure your attendance?
  3. Alert your affiliation group about being a co-sponsor. I will be contacting many directly too.
  4. If you are in one of the target cities, can you suggest a best logistical place to run an 8am to 4pm seminar?
  5. If you would like the seminar to run in your unlisted city (or sponsor your own private seminar), be in touch to brainstorm on making that possible.
  6. I’m also amenable to doing one-hour, highlights, free webinars for affiliation groups.

The St. Louis University (SLU) Model In Other Cities?

From previous experiments at SLU, the Supply Chain Center discovered that by hosting this seminar:

  1. Their MBA students can attend all or part of the seminar for free and network with distributors for consulting/employment opportunities.
  2. Attending companies get exposed to the Center’s offerings.
  3. The Center can invite their own community supporters for a 50% discount (as a co-sponsor): a good outreach benefit.

If any readers have a hometown MBA/Supply Chain, university connection that could be a co-sponsor like SLU, please request an e-introduction of your SC Head to SLU’s Center Head: Cindy Mebruer.

Here’s hoping I’ll see you this fall and into next year for a provocative educational experience!

Sincerely,

Bruce Merrifield

[email protected]