Complete Story
09/27/2025
018. Balancing Innovation and Trust: How Distributors Win with AI
Instructor: Benjamin Cohen
Level of Complexity: Intermediate
1:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Distributors are sitting on mountains of data—from transactions, product catalogs, supplier feeds, and customer interactions—but very few know how to turn that data into a strategic advantage. This session will show how distributors can move beyond surface-level digital tools and use AI to transform messy, underutilized data into actionable insights that drive revenue, margin, and customer loyalty. Benj Cohen will share real-world examples of distributors who are using AI responsibly to grow margins and strengthen customer relationships. And while AI opens doors to growth, it also raises new questions: How do we protect customer trust? How do we balance innovation with risk? Benj will show leaders how to seize the AI opportunity while putting data security at the center of their strategy. Listed below are examples of activities Benj can incorporate into a workshop: Small groups map out their current data landscape (where data lives today) and highlight opportunities where AI could drive quick wins. Distributors rank AI opportunities for their own businesses based on impact, feasibility, and trust. Attendees practice asking “must-know” questions of an AI vendor to separate real value from hype.
Bookstore
The Upside of Down Times: Discovering the Power of Gratitude
Lisa Ryan
Harness the Power of Gratitude One of the downsides of life is that we rarely have to deal with an overabundance of gratitude. Most of us tend to focus on the negative. We don't receive nearly as much acknowledgment as we would like, and we don't give as much recognition as others deserve. Now for the upside! When we learn to harness the power of gratefulness, we can make a major positive difference in so many areas of our lives, as well as the lives of those around us-and The Upside of Down Times is your first step toward making that happen. "I highly recommend this book if you want to be happier, healthier, and wealthier. I read this book in one sitting and began implementing some of the ideas the next day. The ideas are easy to implement but powerful in their results." -Jack Canfield, Co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and The Success Principles
