Transformation Blockers
When Channels Fight Each Other
Political channel conflict. Rep versus portal, distributor versus direct, commission that protects the past, active sabotage of digital.
HUB — Third-Party Marketplaces as a Demand Channel
Treating Amazon Business or similar marketplaces as the enemy is the wrong move. The strategy that works is using them as a top-of-funnel entry point while building margin on your own channel — but only with price governance and differentiated terms by channel.
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Your AI Agent Will Cut the Same Side Deals Your Sales Reps Already Do
Deploying an AI agent on your B2B portal without first formalizing commercial rules doesn't fix channel conflict — it scales the same off-policy deals your reps already cut, now at volume and without an audit trail.
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Your B2B Portal Is Live. The Governance It Needs to Actually Work Isn't.
Most distributors have digitized the storefront. Few have digitized the decision — and that's where the risk, the margin, and the data that matter actually live.
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When the Manufacturer and the Channel Fight Over the Same Customer
The end customer calls the manufacturer directly, ready to buy — and selling to them is the trap that breaks the channel that built the business. With MTE-Thomson's operation, when going direct destroys more than it captures.
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How an industry built a direct channel that protects its distribution
An industry's official online store that connects technical support and a brand-curated catalog to sales through distributors and retailers, guiding customers to the right part and the right partner.
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