Today on the podcast we dive deep into the world of supplier incentives. What they are, how they work, and how to get alignment between these incentives and bottom line company goals. Summary How supplier incentives fit into the bigger picture of compensation The ideal compensation mix: Base, commissions, PFP, and supplier incentives The complexity…

Today on the podcast we hear from Sean McLaren and Adam Bush from OMAC Beverage Advisors. OMAC has worked on hundreds of transactions in the beverage industry, and understand the unique considerations for these types of deals. Sean and Adam share insights and analysis on the state of wholesaler consolidation, trends in valuation multiples, and best…

Tom DeMayo is a partner with PKF O'Connor Davies, specializes in cybersecurity, and is a self-described 'ethical hacker'. Cybercrime is a $10 trillion problem globally, and beer wholesalers are target. In today's podcast, Tom shares how these crimes occur, how to find out if your company is vulnerable, and what steps you can take right now to preve…

Want smarter wholesaler analytics to get better results? Then you'll want to learn more about VxP, the best tool for guided selling strategies to increase sales and gross profits while decreasing finished product loss. A powerful 1-2-3 combo to supercharge your income statement. In this recorded workshop you'll learn how VxP provides the tools for …

Today on the podcast I'm joined by Orman Anderson, CFO from Glazer’s Beer and Beverage, and RJ Martucci, a partner with PKF O’Connor Davies. You'll hear the audio version of our NBWA presentation on A Practical Guide to Beer Wholesaler Mergers and Acquisitions. Our presentation covers four key issues - Target identification: Selling or buying, who …

Today on the podcast we hear from Lester Jones, Chief Economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Lester takes us through his 2024 U.S. Economic Outlook and Beer Industry Trends report. His bottom line: "The economy is resilient, people are spending money, just in different ways. We need to react to that in a dynamic way." Key Points H…

Today on the podcast we talk mergers and acquisitions and wholesaler consolidation with RJ Martucci from accounting firm PKF O'Connor Davies. Key Points How to generate the maximum return on a sale Strategies to make the sale tax efficient State of mergers and acquisitions in the beer industry Primary motivations for sellers Resources Learn more ab…

Today on the podcast we talk wholesaler mergers and acquisitions with Orman Anderson, CFO for Glazer's Beer and Beverage. Orman is a former investment banker with Bear Stearns and JP Morgan, and has done multiple transactions as CFO for Glazers. So, this man knows his stuff. In our conversation, we dig in on how Glazer's conducts it's acquisition d…

In today's podcast we talk about the beer distributor health insurance captive with Natalie Witmyer from Bernie Little Distributors and Lee Anne Klas from BevCap. Natalie shares how Bernie Little has benefitted from the captive with cost savings and improved benefits for employees. Lee Anne tells us what a captive health insurance is, how it all wo…

Today on the podcast we hear from Scheppers Distributing President Joe Priesmeyer and Bud Dunn from VxP. In Joe's words, "We had a severe finished product loss issue in our business..." Joe shares Scheppers's challenges managing out of code and close to code product, and how VxP helped to significantly reduce this expense. Key Topics Incentive stru…

Health insurance is one of the biggest expenses on your income statement. And every year that expense just keeps going up. In today's podcast we hear from John Kirke, President at BevCap Health. John leads BevCap Management's healthcare captive team, client services and growth strategies empowering clients to create value for their organization thr…

In today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of a recent webinar focused on how to grow wholesaler gross profit, reduce finished product loss, and redefine your distribution strategy in 2024. Bud Dunn from VxP talks through the features and benefits of a new sales tool that will help you increase gross profits, decrease finished product loss an…

Today we hear from RJ Martucci from PKF O'Connor Davies, accountants and advisors. RJ and I talk about a wide range of subjects including the current economic conditions facing beer wholesalers, 2024 budgeting strategy, KPIs, as well as tax credits and deductions you should take advantage of. Key Topics Beer wholesaler budgeting strategies How to m…

In today's podcast Bump Williams shares an early read on the BWC growth strategy survey. The results are...surprising. The survey is sent to hundreds of retailers, wholesalers and breweries, and asks one simple question: What are your strategies for growth in the upcoming year? The results are tallied, sorted by the most common answers, and analyze…

The Oakland A's baseball team used data-driven decision-making to build a competitive team despite a limited budget compared to wealthier teams. This approach came to be known as "Moneyball" and was popularized by author Michael Lewis in his book of the same name. "Moneyball" explores themes of innovation, data-driven decision-making, and challengi…

In today's podcast we hear from Orman Anderson, CFO for Glazers Beer and Beverage. Orman shares his process for financial analysis, budget planning, key metrics to track, and compensation planning. Key Topics Wholesaler financial planning tactics Key metrics Glazers follows Compensation planning strategies Glazers software stack Resources Learn mor…

Today we talk sales compensation planning with the leadership team at Stokes Distributing. Sparkman Walker, President, Matt Mumme, VP of Sales and GM, and Chris Leonard, CFO, share their experiences, challenges and benefits they've seen since partnering with Volume x Profit (VxP). Key Topics How Stokes Distributing reduced finished product loss by …

Distributors are always on the lookout for ways to reduce costs and increase sales. In today's podcast we talk with Bud Dunn from VxP, who shares a tool that you can use to reduce finished product loss by 50% or more, and increase gross profit per CE by 20 cents or more. Key Topics Volume is good, profits are better, how to use VxP to increase both…

Today we talk about navigating current market challenges and brand slumps with Bud Dunn from VxP. These days, beer wholesalers have a doozy of a "brand slump" with the Bud Light debacle. Bud and I talk about tactics and strategies that distributors can use to navigate the current chaos, and overcome future brand slumps when they occur. Key Topics F…

The goal of our new wholesaler finance group is to bring people together to solve problems, overcome challenges, and share best practices. In our virtual meetings we talk about the key issues facing beer wholesalers: how to build a better sales compensation plan, ideas to manage expenses, next generation succession planning, and gross profit manage…

In today's podcast we hear from VxP's Bud Dunn and Brad White. VxP is a tool that can help your beer business substantially improve gross profit. We dig in on this important question: Why are we afraid to show a gross profit to our sales reps? Basically, all other industries do it, why not beer wholesalers? Key Topics Most common reasons why owners…

In today's podcast we hear from Lester Jones, Chief Economist and VP of Analytics for the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Lester's job is to track everything quantitative, economic and demographic about the beer industry. And today he shares what happened in 2022 and his outlook for 2023. Key Questions Asked and Answered How did beer do last…

Today we hear from Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewer's Association. Bart breaks down 2022 beer data, shares trends, volume and market share on the beer industry. Key Topics Beer data and trends to watch On premise vs. off premise volume and growth Trends in pack counts, sizes, formats Brewery openings and closings Bart's forecast for 2023…

Today we hear from Everlance CEO Alex Marlantes. Everlance helps beer wholesalers modernize their vehicle program and lower costs without creating an administrative burden. If you have a vehicle reimbursement program, you'll want to hear what Alex has to say about how to re-claim the tax waste for your business and your employees. Key Topics Common…

Today we hear from Todd Grote and Rick Flagg from OnTrak Software, who give a demo of POS marketing software management tools for Beer Wholesalers. Ten of the Top 20 Beer Wholesalers depend on OnTrak solutions every day. In this podcast you'll learn how they do it. Key Topics Tools to closely monitor your investments in POS marketing assets How to …

In today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of our recent webinar on How to Build Your Beer Wholesaler Financial Plan. We'll review how to put together your sales plan, gross profit, operating expenses and bottom line. Key Topics Financial planning best practices Budget pitfalls to avoid 6 Steps to build your financial plan Tips to overcome th…

In today's podcast you'll learn about a new organization called Beer Wholesaler Financial Professionals. Beer Wholesaler Financial Professionals is the ONLY national network created specifically for those driving and ensuring your business financial performance. It’s an organization of financial pros, like you, looking to improve financial results,…

In today's podcast we hear from Bud Dunn from VxP Tech and hear about financial metrics for beer wholesalers. What numbers should you track? Who should have key metrics? How do you automate the reporting process? Key Topics 5 Best practices to design your KPIs 5 Watch outs (pitfalls) with tracking and measuring KPIs Bud's Favorite KPI metrics for b…

In today's podcast we hear from Brad White from VxP Tech. Brad shares a proven and profitable compensation program for distributor sales teams. Topics covered: The key drivers of financial performance: Gross profit, volume and finished product loss How to link these key drivers to sales compensation How to automate compensation programs using techn…

Craig Purser is President and CEO of the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Today we hear his perspective on the state of the beer industry, get a recap from the recently concluded legislative conference, and learn more about the Next Generation Leadership Conference for emerging leaders. Key Topics Craig's perspective on the state of the beer …

NBWA economist Lester Jones joins the podcast today with an update on 2022 beer sales trends to help you prepare for the summer selling season. Key Topics Early beer sales trends for 2022...and what they mean for your business Lester's expectation for the beer summer selling season How to combat the headwinds: inflation, supply chain issues, labor …

What if you could pay your frontline sales reps based on what really matters to your business? In today's podcast, you'll learn how. Brad White from GP-Analytics joins us to explain how to use the VxP Compensation System to build a comp plan based on the key drivers of profitability in your beer business: Gross profit, volume and FPL (finished prod…

In today's podcast we hear from Lester Jones, chief economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Lester provides a recap of 2021 and his outlook for the beer industry in the year ahead. In our conversation we dig deep into the data and review the key topics for beer wholesaler owners and managers: Total beer consumption in the US Packag…

Today we are going to talk about goal setting and New Year's Resolutions. We'll talk about a framework you can use to create goals that stick. We'll look at systems, models, and techniques you can use to set your goals and achieve them in 2022. Key Topics Business Plan Goals...Start with your Core Values (what do you stand for?) Financial Plan Goal…

In today's podcast we hear from Kim McKinnish, CFO and SVP of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA). Kim and I talk about a wide range of topics including the mission of the NBWA, membership benefits, NBWA's Next Generation Leadership Group, and the newly launched BREW initiative, Building Relationships and Empowering Women. We also disc…

The single best way to improve profitability in your business is to measure and manage your gross profit margin. In the podcast we’ll take a deep dive into the key drivers of gross profit so that you can improve this critical number. Key Topics Covered in the Podcast: Gross profit fundamentals: Calculations, what’s included/excluded in cost of good…

Inventory is a huge asset for beer wholesalers, and it consumes a lot of cash. In today’s podcast, we’ll review how to use numbers to measure and improve your inventory management plan. Key Topics Covered in the Podcast: How to calculate the total carrying costs of inventory (and cost spreadsheet model) One page inventory count process checklist Ho…

Gross profit is one of my favorite topics. In this podcast, I share the audio from my webinar titled How to Improve your Wholesaler Gross Profit. Gross profit measures how much of each sales dollar is kept by the wholesaler. The math works like this: Sales minus cost of goods sold equals gross profit. On average, about 75% of the sales dollars goes…

In this podcast we’ll review tips, tactics and strategies to help you build a profitable sales plan. The goal is to create a plan with actionable steps to achieve your sales goals. Key Topics Covered in the Podcast: Sales planning fundamentals: Team, timing, and tools to use Open book management sales planning techniques How to align the sales plan…

In today's podcast we hear from Guy Amisano, the Founder and CEO of Salient Management company. Salient created a software solution that puts tools and data in the hands of reps in the field. Salient allows managers to overcome the major barriers to making business activity coherent, transparent, and controllable so that they can determine where to…

Today we talk dashbaords, KPI's and compensation planning with Darin Spence and Grant Barrett from InTrench Consulting. Darin is a former GM and VP at Encompass Technologies, and Grant is a former VP of Sales at Origlio Beverage. Key topics covered: How to manage the supplier / wholesaler relationship Building performance management systems How to …

In today's podcast, you'll hear a replay of the live Q&A session from the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program. In this episode we cover wholesaler cash flow management: Best practices, key drivers of cash flow, and scorecards to track, measure and improve your cash position. The Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program is for beer wholesal…

In today's podcast, you'll hear a replay of the live Q&A session from the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program. In the episode, we cover the 6 Steps you can follow to create your beer wholesaler financial budget. The Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program is for beer wholesaler owners, managers and staff who need practical financial train…

In today's podcast, you'll hear a replay of the live Q&A session from the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program. In this episode we review common beer wholesaler financial problems, how to quickly identify them, and how to fix them. The Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program is for beer wholesaler owners, managers and staff who need practi…

In today's podcast, you'll hear a replay of the live Q&A session from the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program. In the episode, we cover best practices you can follow to create your beer wholesaler financial statements. The Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program is for beer wholesaler owners, managers and staff who need practical financia…

Today we chat with Harry Schuhmacher, Editor and Publisher of Beer Business Daily, Craft Business Daily, and Wine & Spirits Daily. These publications are read on every continent in the world except Antarctica. Harry has worked in the beer business for over 30 years, and has published Beer Business Daily for the last 20 years. Harry is also the prod…

Today we talk with Todd Grote and Rick Flagg from OnTrak software. OnTrak makes software to help beer wholesalers reduce costs and sell more products. In our conversation, we talk about specific tools to help distributors get a handle on different parts of the business: Printed POS - signs, banners, table tents Permanent POS - coolers, tap handles,…

In today's podcast we present tips, best practices and key questions so that you can build a profitable financial plan for your beer business. Beer Wholesaler Financial Planning Topics Financial Planning Best practices, Key questions Planning pitfalls to avoid 7 Steps to a Brewery Financial Plan Sales, margins, operating expenses How to build the s…

Inventory is a huge asset on the balance sheet and it just keeps growing. In today's episode we'll review best practices to measure, monitor and improve wholesaler inventory management. Beer Wholesaler Inventory Topics Covered How to Compute Total Inventory Carrying Costs Quantify fixed + variable, template to capture costs Best Practices for the I…

In today's podcast we take a deep-dive into what Gross Profit is, why it's important, and how your managers can improve this critical number in your beer business Topics Covered: Gross Profit (GP) Fundamentals GP Calculations, Items Included / Excluded Practical Uses of Gross Profit Knowledge Decision Making Tool, Cost per delivery, Hot Shots Commo…