by Art Waskey | Sep 30, 2026 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Are you feeling like a workaholic who is putting in too many hours with no end in sight? If so, you need to decide that your time is valuable and worth managing better. Below are some suggestions to get you started.
Managing each day
- Guard your high-energy time – Recognize the times when you do your best work and plan your day accordingly. This relieves stress and enables you to have a productive “get it done now” attitude. As a morning person, I try to use the first couple of hours to work on my highest-value projects.
- Delegate tasks – We are all unique. Remember that there are people who actually enjoy doing things that you do not. Detailed work is not my niche, so I have sought out valuable, detail-oriented associates to support me throughout my career. They are people who enjoy doing comprehensive functions. Trust those around you to handle the tasks you don’t want, and let it go.
- Debrief each day – Take 30 minutes near the end of each day to debrief. Collect information, delegate tasks that need to be done, and move unfinished business forward.
- Establish a relief day – Give yourself something to look forward to — designate a relief day. Mine is Friday, and I like to start that morning with no external meetings so I can focus on deep work. Then I plan the afternoon for light, fun, interactive social time. I think of it as my “one-foot-out-the-door” day.
- Preview your week on Sunday – Go over the week-ahead schedule on Sunday so you are ready to go Monday morning. Begin the week with a plan instead of reacting to the list of to-do items on your desk. You’ll be surprised how far ahead of your associates this places you.
Not a workaholic
As control of your workday improves, the workaholic label recedes. You will be pleased with how quickly stress loosens its grip on you.
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by Art Waskey | Sep 24, 2026 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
The stress of having too much to do and not enough time to do it is a top concern of my clients. It was also a concern of mine during a long period of rapid growth at the distributorship where I worked. With an engineering background, I was fixated on alleviating that stress. Creating a system was a priority that allowed me to get more done in less time.
Five principles
Reclaiming time is important to your emotional survival in a hectic business world. Here are five principles I suggest you add to your “Learn Your Limits” toolbox.
- Capture everything — Use a journal to capture the important details of each day. Get in the habit of putting every business task, idea, and commitment into a trusted place immediately. One of my goals for this year is to move my journaling from a paper notebook and pencil to a tablet and a stylus. As AI progresses, going digital will enable me to rapidly recapture and integrate my recordings.
- Conduct a daily debriefing — Referencing your journal, go over the previous day’s content and move forward with the prioritized action items.
- Develop next steps — Ask yourself, “What is the next step needed to complete each task this week and when?” Use the “Two-minute Rule,” — if a task takes less than two minutes, do it now instead of deferring it.
- Conduct a weekly review — Every week, take 30 minutes on Friday or Saturday to revisit your lists and calendar. Reset, close loops, and re-prioritize all items.
- Review your notes on Sunday — Take 15 minutes on Sunday to review your schedule for the upcoming week and make any necessary changes, such as canceling or postponing a meeting. This ensures you get the next steps for each project completed. Those 15 minutes of review on Sunday enable you to start your week with a plan.
Reclaim time
I have worked through the stress created by long periods of rapid growth and can assure you that these 5 principles are not theoretical productivity tips. They enable you to reclaim your time. Taking these steps makes the difference between you running your week or letting your week run you. In conclusion, master these five habits, and you’ll trade the daily scramble for the quiet confidence of walking into a Monday with a plan already in hand.
by Art Waskey | Sep 17, 2026 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
When I retired from a welding and atmospheric gas distributor in 2018, I made a decision to continue in that distribution sector as a consultant. To stay relevant, I continue to read and watch webcasts produced by Distribution Strategy Group (DSG), Modern Distribution Management (MDM), and the National Association of Wholesale Distributors (NAW). I recently came across a survey completed by DSG that reveals important information about how AI is impacting our business. AI can require large monetary investment. This has created a gap between small- and medium-sized distributors and the big guys. Here are some insights to help you close that AI gap.
AI Top 25 in Distribution
In July of this year, DSG released the results of a survey titled The DSG AI Top 25 in Distribution. The purpose of the survey was to determine the top distributors using AI and what separates them from everyone else. DSG researched over 300 distributors using 34 data points across eight evidence categories. Of the 25 distributors listed in their report, eight stood out significantly above the rest. In this article, I focus on two of the eight top distributors that impact the welding and gases distribution sector, and what DSG states sets these top players apart.
Two Distributors Leading with AI
The first distributor in the top 25 we look at is Grainger. It applies AI to product search and to Grainger’s contact center. Of specific note, Grainger installs a data engine with computer vision to manage inventory for their best customers. Computer vision enables Grainger to interpret, analyze, and process images and videos. It uses AI deep learning to recognize objects, people, and patterns with a high degree of accuracy.
The second top distributor in the Top 25 that is relevant to the welding and gases industry is Fastenal. It puts AI where product moves. Also, they have 136,600 vending and bin-stock devices that predict tool failures and reorder on their own, driving 62% of sales. Robots run 15 of Fastenal’s distribution centers.
A five-step roadmap
Given the facts above, it’s easy to understand why independent hardgoods distributors are experiencing substantial leakage. DSG suggests these five steps to close the AI gap:
- Name an owner — Select one person with budget authority and a mandate to execute AI applications.
- Build the data backbone — Develop clean, reliable data.
- Pick one function — Start where you have volume and measurable waste, such as pricing, search, or order automation.
- Prove one ROI use case — Accurately measure and report results of an AI application to your C-Suite.
- Then go broad — Expand your use of AI to a second and third function.
Closing the gap
The DSG survey demonstrates the need to create a pathway for independent distributors to adopt AI and outlines a five-step roadmap to do so. What DSG prescribes is actionable for any size distributor, starting with naming one owner and proving one measurable ROI use case before expanding further. Select one person in your business to own your AI plan — and get started today.
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by Art Waskey | Aug 27, 2026 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Managing pricing with AI
The pricing process, which is central to your business, has been significantly influenced by AI. As a consultant in the welding and gases industry, I’m frequently asked by distributors which AI software can provide the best chance for short-term return on investment (ROI). Therefore, AI applications for pricing rank at the top of their priority list. I recommend appointing a Pricing Czar to oversee the complexities involved in integrating AI into your pricing strategy.
What the Data Says
The National Association of Wholesale Distributors’ (NAW) 2026 survey data (naw.org) ranks these as the top three business areas for distributors to apply AI technology:
- Pricing is the top priority overall. 27% of distributors ranked pricing as their number one AI priority, making it the leading category. Even small gains in price realization can meaningfully boost operating profit, and AI can identify these.
- Inventory and demand planning is a close second priority. 21% of respondents ranked this as their top target for AI applications. Also, AI is a valuable tool for demand forecasting. It enables you to better balance carrying costs against stockout risk.
- Sales/CRM productivity: AI embedded in CRM tools is the third highest priority. Embedding AI in your sales and CRM processes improves productivity as it allows you to draft outreach and follow-ups based on a buyer’s recent activity, previous meeting notes, and current industry trends. This lets reps scale outreach without losing personalization (human review still expected before sending).
Time to Act
It’s time to take advantage of AI. According to Ian Heller of DSG (Distribution Strategy Group), “Companies that hesitate [to adopt AI] will lose ground to competitors using AI to reduce costs, improve service and make faster, smarter decisions.”
Large distributors have already made huge investments in this technology. Moreover, that investment has lowered the cost of entry for distributors with annual revenues under $20M.
The Pricing Czar
Customer satisfaction improves with better pricing, because your clients ultimately get better service. Select a person to spearhead the work as your Pricing Czar and keep your customer in mind. Also, making price a focus of your current SOP. Your Pricing Czar should look at pricing every day. Lastly, naming a Pricing Czar isn’t a luxury move anymore — it’s the next logical step for any distributor serious about staying competitive.
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by Art Waskey | Aug 18, 2026 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Take a look back to look ahead…
What have you done?
I am 76 years old and find myself asking — how did I get here so fast? I reflect on what brought me this far and where I still want to go. Do I want to achieve more or is it time to coast? R.G. Collingwood, a British philosopher and historian, expressed how to approach your thoughts on the future in this way: “The only clue to what man can do is what man has done.” (506443.R_G_Collingwood) In other words: look back to look ahead, and plan for the future.
A lifelong process
I still remember when one of my mentors asked for a little time alone with me — 25 years ago. My first thought was that he had some constructive criticism. It turned out to be quite the opposite. At 70 years old, this sage asked me to help him discover what he was going to be when he grew up. In a short time, we uncovered it: he was still passionate about writing a daily journal for seniors.
Today, my two closest friends and mentors are 71 and 93. The three of us share some amazing threads – we’re all enjoying life, and we still treat acquiring wisdom as a lifelong process. We’ve taken unique paths, but we share common interests, and we all have a life plan.
Creating the Plan
That mentor, Dr. Gordon VanRooy, published his book, Nuggets for the Golden Years, on May 7, 2009 – the fruit of the conversation we had 25 years earlier. Gordon lived to be 90, and his book is still available on Amazon.
Remember, “The only clue to what man can do is what man has done.” Take a deep dive into your past to uncover what matters most to you. Revisit your life story and identify what motivates you to succeed. Recognize what makes you unique and what abilities set you apart from your peers. Then build your plan for the future from what you find.
The question of who you’re still becoming doesn’t retire when you do.
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by Tera Jewell | Aug 12, 2026 | Art of Sales Weekly, Featured
Whether you are at the beginning of your career or nearing the end, it is important to have a life plan. A guiding strategy that takes into account your unique strengths as well as your passions keeps you motivated and on track. I am 76 years old and have a life plan that I am continually revising based on my life circumstances as they unfold.
Six Planning Categories
Here are six categories you should reflect on when developing your life plan:
- Your Story – What have you been doing? Take time to evaluate your experience. Understanding the big picture of your life story helps you define your future desires and goals.
- Your Purpose – Identify the reason you’re doing what you’re doing. What drives you? Recognize that your unique interests shape your path. Reflect on what has brought you to where you are now — it’s the key to your future purpose.
- Your Abilities – What are your unique contributions to this world? Identify what makes you distinctive. Also, the relationships and achievements that were fulfilling to you as a child are often fulfilling as an adult, just at a higher level. Though I was gifted in mathematics, what set me apart from my peers was my power of persuasion. My life’s greatest achievements have come from being able to influence others in a positive way.
- Your Legacy – What do you intend to leave behind? What do you want to pass on to those who will live after you — your family, your friends, your co-workers, and others? Focus on the people you want to invest in. Who are they and how have you impacted them?
- Your Strategy – Develop a strategy. Make your legacy a reality by integrating the four categories above into your plan. At my age, I spend more time than ever thinking about how I use my time. A skillful living plan considers life as a whole and is built on foundational principles. Reflect on how you can focus your time on a few guiding passions. What programs or projects mean the most to you? Spend your time developing those — and drop the rest.
- Your Habits – What habits need to become part of your life, regardless of your age or position? Pursue lifelong learning and fine-tune the habits you are most passionate about. Those are the ones necessary to create a legacy worth passing on.
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