A Good Question

I recently received this question I thought I’d blog for any of you out there who might be asking the same question.

I am very interested in taking the Brooke Freight Broker training class. I have done allot of research into the transportation industry and am familiar with much of it given my experience as Director of Operations at a publishing firm for 20 years. I was responsible for all aspects of distribution and logistics. The prospect of working in this industry as a freight broker / agent and being able to have it as a home based business is very intriguing - particularly from where I live.

My first question is whether or not you felt any advantage to taking the "live" class in Dallas versus the on-line course through Gatlin Education. Both appear to be excellent, yet the live class is one week where the on-line course would last much longer at 150 hours. Cost is a bit of a factor as well, but I am willing to pay for the quality course.

My second question is whether or not you recommend being a freight broker agent first rather than jumping in head first as a broker. My desire is to be a broker. Is it difficult to leave a brokerage house as an agent to start your own brokerage house? Are there non-compete issues?

Any advise or direction you could give me would be extremely helpful and appreciated. I look forward to taking your training course very soon.

Blessings,

Stephen D.
Sisters, OR

Stephen,
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Choosing a course all depends on how you think you learn most effectively. The live class is more interactive. The on-line course is more detailed. The live class is available in more locations than Dallas. See the website for a , and keep checking back because we are adding new classes as the need arises. We currently have live courses in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, Ontario, California, Jacksonville, Florida, Charlotte, North Carolina, Rochester, New York, and Indianapolis, Indiana.


One of the things we hear from graduates is how much they enjoyed meeting other students and keeping in touch with them as they each start their own business. We have super instructors, so having face-to-face interaction with them is beneficial. The online course is very convenient, very thorough and you can take it at your own pace. I know our live course graduates feel a bit of information overload by the end of the week.
Honestly the best case is to take the two-week course (Freight Broker Basic, then hands on Freight Broker Advanced) and then the on-line course. The hands on Advanced Course is offered after the basic when requested by graduates. We will have more information on that in the near future.
Upon graduation you will be set and be ready to compete in this industry.
I’ll answer your second question tomorrow. Thanks for the inquiry.

Moving Forward,

Jeff

Sales Tips and Tricks

Need a few more tips to close out more sales? Could you use some motivational speak? Then sign up for one of our Super Sales Days.

The Thursday of our Freight Broker Training Course will be opened up to all sales professionals who want to learn and be motivated by the Top Gun sales professionals Jeff Ashcraft , Lance White and me, Jeff Roach. We each approach sales with our own style, befitting our unique personalities and professional experience.

The one day Super Sales Day will be held on the Thursday of the class date of the basic course every Month. Our beautiful auditorium has a back seating area ideal for additional students on that one day. So if you are in sales and need a day of motivation, and sales tips from seasoned guys with an entertaining style then join us. Freight Brokers will benefit greatly but the techniques are applicable to all sales fields.

I started my sales career selling door to door in my neighborhood as a kid. I just about always got the top sales award for selling whatever the school fund rasier was that year. I still use the same techniques, just honed a bit for my more sophisticated audience. Jeff Ashcraft works for one of the largest truckload Brokers in the nation. His career started as a car salesman. Lance background includes sales in the financial arena and business ownership.

First Super Salesday will be Thursday, January 24, 2008 in Dallas. To sign up, view our schedule or for questions go to our website or call 214-206-1169.

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach

Step out on a Limb

Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires...courage.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Each day in my email inbox I get two encouragements to think on throughout that day. I get a quote (like the one above) each day from ZigZiglar.com and a Bible verse from BibleoftheDay.com. I need encouragement to have courage for the day Starting your own business takes courage. Courage to start, courage to continue on and courage to finish strong each day strong. I pray each day to do only what God would have me do that day…and to do it to the best of my ability.

Today I encourage you to be proactive and develop your people skills

Go the extra mile. Be proactive. Don’t wait for others to think of reasons they should use you. After you begin building up a relationship with a traffic manager, study what you can about their organization - then go in and proactively ask a lot of questions, then listen - try to determine what their transportation needs and challenges are, and any problems or obstacles that they run into. I repeat: listen. Do you think of salesmen as good listeners? Or good talkers, persuaders? You earn the right to talk and persuade after you’ve listened proactively and learned about what your prospect wants.
Act with a sense of urgency. Let them know you want to earn their business.

-Great People Skills:

What are you building? TRUST. You build trust by doing what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it. Tell your prospect up front that you can only control one thing in this business. That is your ability to establish trust with both the shipper and the carrier by looking out for both of their best interests. The other thing that you can control is communication. Most shippers want more than anything someone they can trust, who will be fair to them, and will deliver what they promised – service and communication. Your PRODUCT is your ability to build trust, and your ability to communicate the status of the shipment from pick-up to delivery.

During the holiday season you can practice your proactive people skills on friends and family. Be proactive by starting an intriguing conversation. Develop people skills by approaching the one in the room who is the hardest to talk to (perhaps a teen). Ask open-ended questions. (those are questions that require more than a yes or a no answer). Conversation ideas: current events, holiday plans, reflections on 2007, children, hobbies, interests, resolutions, best Christmas gift ever, etc. Some people are comfortable talking about personal issues right off; others need to warm up to you by talking more “weather” kind of talk. As you go through the day, make mental note of what happened to you, that day that might make for interesting conversation because your listener can relate or will find humorous.

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com

The Key to Self Motivation is You

Last week I wrote about a Freight Broker’s need to be organized, disciplined, patient, focused and diligent. You must also develop self-motivation, resourcefulness and be persuasive. ¬

As a freight broker or even as an agent you are the one that has to get yourself going everyday. You also need to be self-motivated in order to discipline yourself to constantly make the calls necessary to secure and build your business. Just because you finish the freight broker course and hang your shingle out, the business won’t just start coming to you. YOU go out to them. As you get to know prospects and their needs, you can begin to persuade them why they should want to use you. You need to believe in yourself first for others to believe in you. You need to be resourceful. Be creative and think of ways that you can help make their job easier, and services that you can offer. Set yourself apart from your competition by offering more and offering unique services if at all possible. Remember that you are a service company, so the more ways that you can think of to bring added values and extra personal customer service to your prospective clients, the better chance you have of winning them over, and the more they will be happy to pay the price for your service. I can’t emphasize enough that winning in this industry is a process that takes time. Focus on daily progress, not perfection. Just like running a marathon- ten more yards every day for a year, and you’re ready to do the marathon.

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining ,com

The Harvest Takes Time

We live in a get rich quick, I want it today, instant gratification society. Making money as a freight broker or agent takes time. I tell all my students to have at least 6 months of living expenses saved up before starting their business. You can comfortably live off those savings while you take the time to plant sales seeds, water then harvest some loads.

Be patient, diligent and focused

You have to be patient, especially during the initial start-up phase of your brokerage or agency. Just as in any new business, it takes time to begin building up your clients, so it will be awhile before your revenue begins coming in. Think of the your personal relationships. They took time to develop. Some friends you’ve made along the way have stuck, some have not. Business relationships work much the same. It takes time for you to find customers who fit with your style and for customers to have faith in you.

You have to be focused and diligent during this time. As I wrote about yesterday, keep good records of correspondences. You must focus in on making as many calls as you can, to begin building up these relationships that are going to make your business successful. The sale itself takes patience. It takes about eight to nine touches for a customer to make a change – this includes phone calls, emails, rate quotes sent, cards, personal visit, etcetera. You have to be top of mind when they have a critical load.

Attitude is everything, but perseverance is a close second.

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach
www.justintimefreight.com

The Organized Freight Broker/Agent

A successful freight broker or agent is detail oriented and organized. I am not organized by nature so I have to work hard at sticking with my systems. A prospect will not feel confidant in giving you his business if they don’t think you can keep up with the details. After all they pay extra to a freight broker to handle details that others let slip. Be a detailed record keeper.

You must be able to keep good records, such as:

*Contact records from your calls
*Records of rate quotes and dates you sent out
*Dispatch records
*Motor carrier records, including their 1099 information,
Types of equipment, insurance certificates and safety records
*Shipper records and details
*Contracts with your carriers/customers/agents if you’re a
Broker
*Your filing systems should be set up so that your information
Is easily accessible at your fingertips

Most brokerage operations software programs that you can purchase have systems built in to make you more organized. They supply forms, dispatch records, etc that keep you organized and professional.

Learn your software so you can use it to the greatest advantage. Keep as much as you can on your computer and back it up. Papers are easily misplaced. I often write something on a piece of paper then type it into my to do list on my computer. I’ll more likely remember if I’ve written and typed the item.

So my tip for the day is to look at your desk, how can it be better organized with the things you use the most at your fingertips. Clutter makes you feel unorganized, reducing clutter helps you work with more efficiently.

Moving forward

Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com

Sales Intensive

We’ve been brainstorming on what intensive class would be most beneficial for students, graduates and others. The answer is a crash sales class. Obviously, if you don’t have sales, you don’t have a business.

So the Thursday of our Freight Broker Training Course will be opened up to all sales professionals who want to learn and be motivated by the Top Gun sales professionals Jeff Ashcraft , Lance White and me. We each approach sales with our own style, befitting our unique personalities and professional experience.

The one day Super Sales Day will be held on the Thursday of the class date of the basic course every Month. Our beautiful auditorium has a back seating area ideal for additional students on that one day. So if you are in sales and need a day of motivation, and sales tips from seasoned guys with an entertaining style join us. Freight Brokers will benefit greatly but the techniques are applicable to all sales fields.

I started my sales career selling door to door in my neighborhood as a kid. I just about always got the top sales award for selling whatever the school fund rasier was that year. I still use the same techniques, just honed a bit for my more sophisticated audience,

First Super Salesday will be Thursday, January 24, 2008 in Dallas. To sign up, view our schedule or for questions go to our website or call 214-206-1169.

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach

Positive Pump

I was thinking through the phrases that pump me up every day to do my best, one day at a time. Actions start with thinking. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions. So fill your brain with thoughts of success on all levels. The result will be positive actions. Even the junk that comes into our life can become a positive.

You are a consultant for both the shipper and the carrier.

You are a winner!

No happy takers – only happy givers

Attitude is everything

Perseverance is a close second

Focus on progress not perfection

Choose Faith over Fear

Faith enables

Fear disables

Set goals for every area of your life. Write them down

Spiritual, Financial, Relationship, Family, Career Goals.

Do one thing every day to reach those Goals.

If you want to have Friends – be Friendly

Choose to be a winner, stay true to your values.

People do business with people with of Character-not
Characters!!! Be yourself. That is the way God made you
And you are perfectly made!

Walk, Run, Run Faster – you are the only one that can use your God given abilities. You have the same right to success as everyone else. Never let anyone else determine your future.


Moving forward,

Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com

Advanced Training

By popular demand…and because I love doing it, BTTS is bringing back our advanced course. The advanced course is for any graduate of the basic course, either live or on line. I have been working in this business for decades and certainly can’t pass on all my knowledge in the regular course so I have developed an advanced course. The course is always the week following a basic course in Dallas. You can take the courses back to back or work a bit with the knowledge you learn in the basic course then schedule an advanced course. It's a four day course - strictly hands on with me working with me making calls - prospecting - rating - booking loads - No frills - all work.

Course details:

Monday through Thursday the week following the basic course (see website course schedule)

Instructor: Jeff Roach
Ratio: 4 to one.

Price: $3999.00 per person

You can only take this course if you have taken the basic course.

Come hang out with me and learn lots more through working the business. Call me with any questions 214-206-1169.

In addition to adding new locations in 2008 we will add new learning opportunities with our illustrious instructors, highlighting their uniques wealth of knowledge.

Moving forward


Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com

Where's the Beginning of a circle?

I found these quotes that gave me some great inspiration for the day. There are going to be things that gotta be done every day that you just don’t want to do. When you trudge ahead knowing the task will get you closer to your goal then you find satisfaction. It is an adjusted perspective that makes the difference.

“The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams!”
~ Og Mandino, author of The Greatest Salesman in the World ~

“A human being is happiest and most successful when dedicated to a cause outside his own individual, selfish satisfaction!”
~ Dr. Benjamin Spock ~

“The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning!”
~ Ivy Baker ~

Happy Friday.

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com

P.S. Check out our new locations. We’re expanding to better serve you.

Attention to Detail

It is easy and sometimes actually productive to get stuck in a routine. But you need to shake up your routine to see outside your box. Think through your routine for the day. Is everything you do beneficial for your bottom line or for the betterment of mankind? Try something new on a regular basis. Soon you’ll discover a small idea that grows into something great.

Look over your image. Does it fit with who you are and how you want your business to be perceived? Is your image professional or sloppy. High brow or casual. Friendly or snooty. Your image is seen in the way you dress, the look of your marketing materials and your business correspondences. As freight brokers our sense of urgency is critical to our shippers. They hire us because we can save their neck by making their shipment a high priority. Here are a few questions to consider:

Are your business forms are written clearly?

Do your web site, letterhead and cards match?

Remember time is worth more than money

Always consider ways to offer even more convenience

Stay open later

Always answer the phone

Take credit cards

If possible use toll free numbers

Join affiliations and associations

Think strategic alliances

Under promise and over deliver

Never apologize for price

Consider trade shows not in your Industry

The more you learn – the more you earn

I’m not asking you to try to be someone you’re not. God made you exactly the way He meant for you to be. Find success in who you are while looking for ways to better yourself. Although when I started, I was working out of my garage on a shoe string budget I had 1000s of professional business cards, letterhead and brochures printed. The expense was really an investment in my future. It showed my prospects I was serious about success. I wasn't a fly by night business. I wasn't trying to mask my garage office but rather project my commitment to my business.

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com

Powerful Words

The most worthless emotion................Self-pity
The most prized possession................Integrity
The most beautiful attire................ ...A SMILE!
The m ost powerful channel of communication..... ...Prayer
The most contagious spirit............ .....Enthusiasm
The most important thing in life....... ........GOD



Everyone needs this list to live by...pass it along!!!

Obliterate Objection

Found this great article on not only address objections but actually eliminating objections from business know how

Learn to overcome objections

by Janet Attard

One of the most difficult aspects of selling for most people is dealing with objections. Business owners who aren't used to sales situations assume the client's initial no means they aren't interested at all in the product or service. Experienced sales people think of the initial "No" as a first objection. Instead of giving up and going away, they probe to find out why the prospect said no and work to resolve any questions the customer has.

Typical of the unspoken objections are concerns about the risk of a purchase (risk to the buyer's business, career or budget if your product or service doesn't do what you claim), the difficulty in implementing the decision (will they have to make changes in the procedures they now use to accomplish some task), the true value of your product or service (will it really save or make the money you claim), your ability as a small business to deliver on time (or to deliver at all!), and your ability to provide service after the sale.

You will win more sales if you learn to probe for these underlying objections and develop strategies for dealing with them. Don't present your response to objections as a defense of your company or product. Structure your responses to show the benefits to the customer. Is the customer's real worry that your business is too small and he'll look bad to his boss if you don't deliver on time? Don't say your small size doesn't matter. Instead, assure him that you have extensive resources at your command and can pull together exactly the right team to get his project done on time and within budget. Or, remind him of the cost savings his company will enjoy because you can keep your overhead costs low. Is price the real concern? If so, go over what it is that the client expects you to deliver, ask what price point would get the sale? If they come back with a lower figure, work at negotiating a price you can both agree on.

Practice your responses in advance. Have a spouse or friend play the role of the client and throw objections your way until you can answer them with ease.

Go to the link above to read more.

Moving Forward,

Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com

New Class Locations

As 2007 winds down and 2008 revs up take to to reflect about the past, and dream about the future. I get jazzed by seeing new freight brokers find success after graduating from our course. So I’ve decided to expand our reach adding new class locations and an industry giant instructor. Join us in INDY or NY.

Indianapolis, Indiana Freight Broker Training
January 28 – February 1, 2008
Taught by industry leader Jeff Ashcraft (see Friday’s blog)

Entrepreneur Business Center
55 South State, f3rd Floor
Indianapolis, IN 46201

Close to all downtown hotels


Rochester, New York Freight Broker Training
February 25 – 29, 2008
Taught by Doug Dillon of G First Logistics

Monroe Community College
1000 East Henrietta Rd
Rochester, NY 14623

Closest hotel: Courtyard 585-292-1000

Register today online or call 214-206-1169 to reserve your space and for more information. We expect these new locations to book up fast!

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com