Strategies for fuel companies to strengthen sales - Warm Thoughts Communications
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Ed Cardell

Strategies for fuel companies to strengthen sales

By Ed Cardell

I don’t know about you, but doesn’t it feel like the pace of change in our business is only accelerating? I’ve been working with fuel dealers for over 30 years now. We’ve faced big challenges over that time – wars, price spikes, temporary fuel shortages, regulatory attacks – but the sheer pace of change on multiple fronts seems to be increasing. Changing consumer buying behaviors. New mobile and digital technology. Bio and Ultra Low Sulphur fuel. Shrinking gallons. Shrinking pool of good drivers and techs. Insurance companies dictating changes. Banks dictating changes. Government dictating changes. Oil hedges. Weather hedges. Benson and Hedges. You get the picture. You get it because you live it.

Several years ago, a couple of great Connecticut guys, Craig Snyder and Sam Gault, asked me to help them and Jim Townsend put together a small group of non-competing fuel companies that could benchmark with each other, share good ideas and learn from each other’s mistakes.

From that acorn, Warm Thoughts Breakthrough Groups™ have grown. We now have over 60 participants from 12 states, meeting in six groups, with the largest contingent coming from Connecticut. We expect two more groups will form this year.

The groups meet two or three times per year, made up of non-competing, similar-sized companies. They spend a couple of days serious idea sharing punctuated by some good laughs and fun, animated with a spirit of helpfulness and a disdain for BS. While individual discussions are confidential, I’m happy to give some insight into the broad themes that we cover.

The reality is that in our challenging industry, whether by necessity or by virtue of great vision, companies are taking innovative steps to navigate the choppier waters. By learning from each other – the good, the bad and the ugly – you can accelerate your learning curve, gain valuable allies, avoid costly mistakes, and increase the chances that your boat will find safe harbors.

For more information about Warm Thoughts Breakthrough Groups™, you can contact Ed Cardell at 201-906-1103, or email him at ecardell@warmthoughts.com.


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