One More Question: 3M's Sales Trick for Expanding Sales Through Safety

WEBVTT
1
00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:06.000
Welcome to Distribution Unpacked.
2
00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:08.000
Hey, thanks Adam. It's great to be here.
3
00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:10.000
John, what's new at 3M?
4
00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:30.000
Well, with 3M this year we launched with SP, a new safety program which gives SP a full line of what we call low touch safety. And it's everything from your hard hats to your safety glasses, earplugs and disposable respirators to make it easy to have a complete solution cell for your customers.
5
00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:31.000
That's awesome.
6
00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:37.000
Yeah, it's great news. It's exciting. It's, it's, it's. When good isn't good enough, you need to go to 3M because we have
7
00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:39.000
the best applied science is right.
8
00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:44.000
Science applied to life every day. Right. You, you, you are so right.
9
00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:56.000
I spent time at the innovation center. I, you know, I paid attention. You know, when we think about trends in the market, you know, 3M is always leading from an innovation perspective. From all the research you guys do, what are some of the trends you're seeing in the market right now?
10
00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:47.000
Well, we're seeing supplies start to tick up a little bit as more people get back into the office. One of the unique trends that you're seeing is dispensers. Dispensers I believe during the COVID era may have walked home with individuals, with employees. And as we see the market dispensers are ticking up and especially when we look at pop up note dispensers make it convenient for individuals in their office and tape dispensers as well as we're starting to see an uptick in people wanting quality. They want it to last and they want to make sure that what they buy works. And it's been great to see that because we sell a lot of good, strong, high quality products that are manufactured here in the US So we're happy about that.
11
00:01:47.000 --> 00:02:09.000
That's awesome. Let's talk vertical markets. Big focus for SP going forward. When we think about whether that's education, K12 or higher ed, healthcare, acute and non acute, the Fed Gov space, or even the local municipal government, what are some of the areas that 3M is leaning into or is focused on or you feel is a strong focus in the new year?
12
00:02:09.000 --> 00:03:31.000
Well, that's a good question. And it all depends on the product line. When we look at our traditional supply space, the education vertical is very important to us. Whether it's tape, post it notes, easel pads, a lot of high volume product gets moved into that education space. With some of the government funding being reduced over the last year or two, we're seeing Some challenges in that space. Another space that we see that just continues to grow is the healthcare space. A lot of products that we have that make sense and it depends on what area. Whether you're cleaning the facility with some of our janitorial products or you're using them within the office space or administration space. We have vertical solutions that can align and they come from, as you said, you know, you talked about our innovation center, but they come from the technology across our whole corporation to make sure that in that space you can find a 3M product probably within six feet. Within those two spaces for sure. As we look at safety products, it kind of takes you into some different industries, but it helps the reps to kind of look for new opportunities. Right? You're in there already today. Just ask one more question, spend five more minutes in with that customer to, to really work on opportunities.
13
00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:46.000
Let's talk about safety. So it's, you know, you guys are, you rounded out our assortment. Where, where do you see safety as the best opportunity for? When we think about our, our shared customers. So the distributor, the dealer, where do you see that a big win for them? Is there a specific end user vertical?
14
00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:59.000
Well, the biggest end user vertical that uses a lot of safety products is the healthcare area. So you can look into that healthcare area. Then you get into the general warehouse, the general manufacturing type facility that works.
15
00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:00.000
Industrial space.
16
00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:38.000
Industrial space, exactly. And people forget about the schools, but you got your science rooms, you got your shop classes, all of those areas as well. So if you look at your core and main customers there. But as you expand out, you do find pockets depending on where someone's looking. Located around the country of food service, food manufacturing, oil and gas, all really big industries that use safety products. And you know, we call it low touch safety. The products that we've launched, which you don't need a ton of training, you just need to introduce and you know you have the best of the best.
17
00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:55.000
And you know, when you think about PPE or safety, it's as, it's as intense as you want to make it. But I think one of the things you and I talked about recently was eyewear and make sure you have protective eyewear. I mean I was wearing that in school when you were in science class. From that all the way up to even in our facilities today, our folks
18
00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:37.000
are wearing eyewear occasionally everywhere you go. If you're not, you should in those type of environments. And when you look at eyewear, your eyes, you can't replace them. And it's good to wear the best. And when we look at safety, there's three things. One is compliance. You know, does it work with OSHA or government regulations that are put in place? But there's two other things that work with that, and that's really comfort and fit. And when you work with the 3M product, we've designed that because that safety product is meant to work with a worker that has to have it on maybe eight to ten hours a day. It needs to be comfortable in order for them to comply. Also then with the company that they work for their safety programs.
19
00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:44.000
So, John, in. I think it was 25 or maybe early into 26, one of the brands celebrated a pretty big milestone.
20
00:05:44.000 --> 00:06:05.000
Yeah. With the number of years that I've been with 3M, it's amazing the milestones I could start putting on my hands. But we celebrated the hundredth anniversary of the Scotch brand. And if you think about where those products are used, it's amazing. Whether it's Scotch tape, Scotch adhesive, Scotch packaging products, it's just.
21
00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:08.000
It's so 100 years of Tattersall.
22
00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:09.000
100 years.
23
00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:22.000
That's awesome. That's so great. You know, when we think about our customers, our shared customers, what are some of the ways that they can win in positioning not only 3M, but a product or how they can tell your solutions what's. What's one way they can really push
24
00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:51.000
forward with your solutions, Engage the resources we have across the channel. We're here to help you. We're in the this channel to. To be successful. Right. We want every dealer to win. And if you need help, samples, you need someone to come in and do a demonstration, you need some science. We usually have the research and can help you with that sale. I always like to say that 3M is there as a support to help you be successful.
25
00:06:51.000 --> 00:07:17.000
Yeah, that makes total sense. One of the things that SP we're looking at into the new year is really repositioning us a little bit from the simplifying complexity. That's going to be our new kind of mantra. You'll see that in our branding as we move forward. What's one way we can partner SP&3M and really simplify the complexity not only for our customers, but if you think about our customers, end users, what's one way you can kind of just simplify the whole supply chain through?
26
00:07:17.000 --> 00:08:02.000
Well, you guys do a great job with how you get product to the customer. Sure. So that's challenging for me to answer for you. And we do a great job of getting you the product needs to get to that customer. So it's the outreach, it's the digital side of how do we get a content, the right imagery. We get the right first in search set up for that customer so that their customers can win. They can win with strong products and take away that price discussion. We want to talk about value. You want to give that customer the best product for the best situation. And that's really. I think that's the win is how do we close on that sale through some of the digital content and that relationship side of it to show that. That we're all together.
27
00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:16.000
So, John, you've been to 3M now a while. Fun fact. Something that we wouldn't know about 3M just because, you know, whether it's scotch or posted or whatever is what's like a fun fact that, that we. That I would know or we would know about 3am Go back to one
28
00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:17.000
of the Olympic Games.
29
00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:19.000
Okay.
30
00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:21.000
There was a sprinter, Michael Johnson.
31
00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:22.000
Okay.
32
00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:32.000
I believe it was in L. A. That 3M provided the material to go on his shoes to make them have a gold appearance.
33
00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:33.000
Okay.
34
00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:48.000
And it was real gold that was actually on that shoe. And you can see that shoe in the Innovation center if you get the tour up at 3m. But Michael Johnson actually wore those shoes for the Olympics when he won gold.
35
00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:49.000
That's exciting.
36
00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:50.000
It's an exciting one.
37
00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:52.000
So that's the goal. We have to make sure our runners have.
38
00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:58.000
Your runners have 3m on their shoes. Probably somewhere in there they do with an adhesive or some type of component.
39
00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:03.000
So do we know if it's anything for 2028 in LA at this point?
40
00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:04.000
I've not seen anything.
41
00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:06.000
Okay. That's awesome.
42
00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:11.000
I'll give you one other fact which is interesting. 3M has won an Oscar.
43
00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:12.000
Tell me more.
44
00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:12.000
Did you know that?
45
00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:13.000
I did not. Yeah.
46
00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:27.000
It's interesting facts from cliff clavin today. 3M won an Oscar for Artificial Blood in the movies. That's cool. They made for a lot of horror movies. We were the contributor to make Artificial
47
00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:30.000
Blood, so I didn't know that. That's super interesting.
48
00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:32.000
Yeah. Just have a little fun with you today.
49
00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:34.000
I think that's great. John, thank you so much.
50
00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:35.000
Absolutely.
51
00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:36.000
Good to see you.
52
00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:50.000
Appreciate your support and we appreciate everyone in the channel. Thank you.