Jason Hein on Hybrid Selling, AI-Powered Customer Intelligence, and B2B E-Commerce

What does the next era of B2B e-commerce look like when buyers, bots, AI agents, and self-service expectations all collide?In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton welcome Jason Hein, Vice President of Academy at the B2B E-Commerce Association, for a sharp conversation on digital buying behavior, AI-powered customer intelligence, hybrid selling models, CRM-ERP integration, and the future of consultative commerce. This episode explores why e-commerce is no longer just a transaction portal, it is part of a broader digital customer experience that helps distributors build trust, support complex sales, and future-proof distribution.What You’ll Learn:Why B2B e-commerce should be viewed as a digital customer experience, not just a website with a checkout buttonHow younger buyers research, compare, and validate distributors before ever talking to salesWhy complex products still need consultative selling—and how digital tools can support that buyer journeyHow AI agents, bots, and non-human traffic are changing how customers may interact with distributor websitesWhy CRM-ERP integration, product content quality, and AI-powered customer intelligence are essential for revenue leaders in distributionHow distributors can use hybrid selling models to combine self-service, sales expertise, and human-centric sales automationEpisode Highlights:06:01 – Jason Hein explains the mission of the B2B E-Commerce Association and why education matters in digital transformation11:59 – The Fed, inflation targets, and why economic uncertainty still affects distributors and manufacturers31:50 – AD’s Supply Force acquisition and what buying group consolidation means for independent distributors44:08 – AI job displacement, software engineering, and why leverage may matter more than replacement1:00:21 – Bots, AI agents, and the “dead internet” problem for B2B e-commerce1:04:23 – Complex vs. commodity products: why self-service does not eliminate consultative sales1:09:49 – How trust, product content, and McMaster-Carr’s digital experience shape buyer loyalty1:15:23 – Why e-commerce alone does not drive demand generation—but a strong digital experience can1:22:35 – Omnichannel strategy, silver tsunami knowledge loss, and institutionalizing customer intelligenceMeet the Guest:Jason Hein is Vice President of Academy at the B2B E-Commerce Association, where he helps manufacturers, distributors, agencies, and technology providers understand how to build better digital experiences. With nearly 30 years in B2B, Jason has worked across manufacturing, distribution, consulting, software, and e-commerce strategy.Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned:B2B E-Commerce Association AcademyDigital customer experience strategyHybrid selling modelsConsultative commerceOmnichannel customer experienceProduct content quality and product data standardsAI agents and agentic buying behaviorCRM-ERP integrationCRM data enrichment with AISmart CRM strategySales Co-Pilot and AI Co-Pilot for SalesLeadSmart Channel Cloud™LeadSmart Enterprise Growth PlatformHidden revenue detectionSales automation without losing the human touchFuture-proofing distributionDigital readiness for successionCustomer knowledge institutionalizationClosing Insight:E-commerce in wholesale distribution is not just about letting customers place orders online. It is about creating a digital experience that helps buyers research, trust, validate, reorder, and engage with your team more effectively.As Jason explains, younger buyers may prefer self-service, but that does not mean they reject expertise. The winning distributors will combine strong product content, connected data systems, CRM-ERP integration, and human-guided consultative commerce to meet buyers wherever they are in the journey.Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.Learn more about the LeadSmart AI B2B Sales Platform: https://www.leadsmarttech.com/Join the conversation each week on LinkedIn Live.Want even more insight to the stories we discuss each week? Subscribe to the Around The Horn Newsletter.You can also hear the podcast and other excellent content on our YouTube Channel.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.