Ask almost any distributor what is at the front of their mind these days, and the answers sound familiar: tighter margins, fewer people to do the work, longer ramp times for new hires, and customers who expect quotes in minutes, not hours. These pressures are not going away. They are shaping how the most competitive businesses operate.

It’s in navigating these very pressures that a new theme keeps surfacing in conversations with distribution leaders: how to bring AI into the business in a way that produces immediate value and lasting advantage. For some, AI still sounds like a distant concept. For the distributors we work with here at Distro, it is already a proven force that is transforming quoting, accelerating sales, and helping teams operate at their best.

The most remarkable results we see are intentional. They come from two things working together: strong, engaged leadership and the right AI partner. Not just a technology vendor, but a partner committed to evolving with your business and helping you put AI to work every day. And not just with a single point solution, but with a complete, holistic platform that connects the entire sales process and delivers consistent impact across the organization.

Leadership that guides change

Technology only reaches its potential when leaders put their vision behind it. From the moment AI is introduced, teams take their cues from how leadership frames it. When leaders share why it matters, how it will help, and where it fits into the bigger strategy, adoption follows naturally.

We have seen leaders transform their organizations by making AI part of the everyday conversation. They celebrate wins, share examples, and show the team how it is helping them win more deals and serve customers better. This kind of visible, confident leadership turns AI from “something new” into “how we work.”

Why the right partner matters

In a market where technology moves quickly, finding a true partner who understands both AI and the world of distribution is one of the most important decisions you can make. This is not about buying a piece of software. It is about building a relationship with someone who knows your business, your workflows, and the challenges your teams face every day.

The right partner is invested in your success from day one and stays engaged over time. They adapt the platform as your needs evolve, make sure it fits seamlessly into the systems you already use, and keep it advancing alongside your business. When that happens, leadership has the confidence to drive adoption knowing the technology will always be ready to support their goals.

This partnership is where we have seen the biggest gains for our customers. When leadership and the right partner move together, AI does not just get adopted. It becomes part of the company’s DNA.

How AI fits naturally into distribution

AI in distribution should not feel disruptive. The most effective form is practical and almost invisible, embedded in the tools your team already knows and working quietly in the background to speed up the tasks that take the most time.

Quoting is where the transformation is most visible. Before AI, a single quote could mean 30 or 60 minutes of flipping between catalogs, ERP screens, supplier calls, and old emails. Now, we see that same request, whether a quick counter quote or a complex takeoff, matched to products, checked against stock, supplemented with substitutions, and flagged for upsell opportunities in under two minutes.

For counter reps, the front window and first touch of the business, AI’s instant knowledge retrieval is a game changer. Instead of putting customers on hold or digging through manuals, they can surface accurate pricing, availability, cross-references, and product documentation instantly. This means faster answers, better first impressions, and more opportunities to build loyalty from the very first interaction.

Reps simply review and send. Customers get faster responses. Accuracy improves. And the pace of business changes, allowing teams to handle more opportunities without adding headcount. New hires contribute sooner, and seasoned reps have more time to build and nurture customer relationships.

Agentic AI: More than just recommendations

One of the biggest advancements recently is the move to agentic AI, systems that do not just suggest next steps but take them. That can mean following up on a quote, filling in missing product specs, checking multiple suppliers at once, or updating the ERP automatically.

This is not about replacing the people who make the business work. It is about removing the repetitive steps that slow them down so they can spend their time where it counts most. In practice, it feels like having another top-performing teammate who is available around the clock.

For our customers, agentic AI has turned quoting and product lookup into something fast, accurate, and consistent no matter who is handling the request. That consistency builds trust with customers and confidence within the team.

Clearing up the myths

While AI adoption in distribution is accelerating, a few old assumptions still surface from time to time. The reality today looks very different.

“Our data is not clean enough.”

Modern AI thrives on real-world data. It can interpret incomplete product codes, vague descriptions, and even handwritten notes from customers.

“My team will not use it.”

When AI makes reps faster, more accurate, and better equipped to win business, they adopt it willingly and do not want to go back.

“This will replace people.”

The right AI makes people more valuable while helping to retain and attract talent. It amplifies their skills and frees them from the tasks that slow them down.

The results we see every day

When leadership is engaged and the right partner and technology are in place, results happen quickly. Quoting time drops from half an hour to just a few minutes. Technical documentation, product availability, upsell opportunities, and pricing are instantly accessible, whether at the counter, on the phone, or within product specialist teams.

Over time, those wins compound. New hires ramp up in days instead of months. Veterans spend less time searching for information and more time selling. Branches align around a consistent process, reducing errors and improving customer trust. And because the platform keeps evolving, teams continue to gain new advantages as the market changes.

AI as a strategic capability

The distributors we work with do not think of AI as a short-term project. They see it as a capability that grows with the business. The features you rely on today will expand tomorrow, and new opportunities will emerge, whether that is deeper integrations, richer data, or faster ways to serve customers.

That is why the partner relationship matters so much. A true partner makes sure the technology evolves alongside your strategy, so you are always ready for what is next. They help you put the newest capabilities to work right away, keeping you ahead of the curve. And when that technology is delivered through a complete, unified platform instead of scattered point solutions, you get consistency, scalability, and the ability to move faster across the entire organization.

The distributors embracing AI today are setting the pace for the rest of the industry. They are faster, more accurate, and more customer-focused, building an edge that is getting wider every day. 

Jason Sullivan is the Founder and CEO of Distro, the AI Revenue Platform for distributor sales teams and manufacturers’ reps. Distro automates quoting, from one-offs to complex takeoffs, empowering sales teams to sell faster and more profitably while driving fast adoption with measurable impact. The company partners with leading distributors to help them thrive in the AI era, along with industry associations such as NAW, HARDI, NAED, ISA and ASA to educate their members on all things AI.