Last week I told you about being blessed with a big account. That keeps me busy because it is very labor intensive. But I don’t recommend ever putting all your eggs in one basket. Don’t depend solely on a big account or two. Someone may woo them away and then you are up a creek without a paddle. Find some smaller accounts to serve.
Smaller shippers need freight brokers. They may pay you a little more because the person who is your contact is usually doing five other jobs. A small carrier will come to depend on you to help out in many ways. Value their business by being there for that need. A freight broker agent is an extension of both the carriers’ office and the shippers’ office. You become a part of a team. I really enjoy doing business with the same people over the years. They get to know you and you get to know them on a level past that “first date” ackwardness.
The small shipper and the smaller carrier need you the most. Take care of them and they will take care of you. Remember " you can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want". Zig Ziglar. (my hero).
Do you want to learn my process for getting and keeping accounts? Then come to one of my courses. We have three constant live course locations We have our on-line course in over 2200 schools and universities. It is a great course. Brooke Transportation Training Solutions is a trade school, not a seminar. We are leaders in the on-line learning world and I believe my life course is the best in the business. Just look at my instructors. I believe you are only as good as the people around you so surround yourself with smart people, that is what I have done. In my case - all the people I work with are smarter than me. I am very fortunate.
We have our elearning center where you can take 5k other courses on-line in 13 different languages to our elearning center.
Remember the more you learn - the more you earn. No learning is wasted because it strengthens your brain muscle. This business is a great business if you enjoy building and maintaining life long relationships with people from all walks of life, from all nationalities and all parts of the country. Try to give more than you take and be humble in all things - you really can do anything you want with your life. Yesterday ended last night. Today is a brand new day.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
214-206-1169
817-897-0681 cell
Jroach@transportationtraining.com
Call me if you are serious and want to get in this business. I can help you but you will have to agree to work hard all day every day. This is not a get rich quick business but I know people that have gotten very wealthy. Give more and you will be more than okay.
Memorial Day
The United States federal holiday of Memorial Day was first celebrated May 30th 1868. It was called Decoration Day because that day was set aside to go to the graveyards and decorate graves of brave ones with flowers. U.S. men and women who died while in the military service deserve such remembrance. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to memorialize all American lives lost in war. (edited from Wikopedia)
Take time this memorial day to remember someone who died while serving our great nation. Thank a veteran of any war. And reflect on your own heart. Life is precious. What cause is great enough to sacrifice a life? Is there any cause or any person for which you sacrifice your life? Have I taught my children: greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for his brother?
As I was thinking towards the Memorial Day holiday I thought about different people in my life who have died and what their life displayed to the world. My mother in law recently died. Her life displayed love especially to children and unselfishness and generosity. My uncle in law recently died as well. He enjoyed life, enjoyed laughing and making others laugh and he was humble. He walked my wife down the aisle because her father had already left this earth for heaven.
I want my life to count for something. I don’t want to waste a day in selfishness although I know I do. When a soldier signs up he knows that his life may end. All our lives will end. We know that but we don’t know when. So this Memorial Day remember to live a purposeful life everyday.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com
www.justintimefreight.com
Take time this memorial day to remember someone who died while serving our great nation. Thank a veteran of any war. And reflect on your own heart. Life is precious. What cause is great enough to sacrifice a life? Is there any cause or any person for which you sacrifice your life? Have I taught my children: greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for his brother?
As I was thinking towards the Memorial Day holiday I thought about different people in my life who have died and what their life displayed to the world. My mother in law recently died. Her life displayed love especially to children and unselfishness and generosity. My uncle in law recently died as well. He enjoyed life, enjoyed laughing and making others laugh and he was humble. He walked my wife down the aisle because her father had already left this earth for heaven.
I want my life to count for something. I don’t want to waste a day in selfishness although I know I do. When a soldier signs up he knows that his life may end. All our lives will end. We know that but we don’t know when. So this Memorial Day remember to live a purposeful life everyday.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com
www.justintimefreight.com
Richest Guy in Town
Found this great article Tom Barlow on walletpop.com wrote after his latest book read. Thought I'd share his insights.
Some people dream of getting rich. Instead of dreaming, W. Randall Jones, author of The Richest Man In Town, set out to talk to the richest person in each of the 100 U.S. towns he visited for his study to see what commonalities he could find. From these interviews he found 12 attributes that ran rich within these mostly self-made magnates. Apparently, while God could get by with 10 commandments, the rich need a dozen; thus the subtitle, The Twelve Commandments of Wealth.
Let's get those 12 on the table first (I paraphrase)-
Don't seek money for money's sake
Find your perfect niche
Be your own boss
Get addicted to ambition
Be early
Execute or get executed
Fail so you can succeed
Location doesn't matter
Don't compromise your morals
Embrace selling
Learn from the best and the worst
Never retire
I have the last one nailed.
Book after book about wealth and entrepenuership seem to boil down to these same points, usually derived from the same inductive reasoning that seems to underlie this book; watch what rich people do, then figure out the principles behind their success. What is missing, imho is the study of failed businesspeople. I often wonder if, for every multimillionaire that followed these commandments, there might not be a hundred who followed them yet failed. Everyone talks to the winners, but until you study the losers, it's hard to know which commandments are the important ones.
Although the "secrets of the millionaires" genre is well mined, Jones does a particularly deft job of weaving the stories of a hundred people within the commandments structure. His many years of experience as a writer and founder of Wealth magazine are evident in the book's engaging storytelling and brisk pacing. Many writers of similar books have taken the easier person-by-person approach,
which gives the reader more of the personality of the people interviewed but obscures the insights that the readers seek. Kudos to Jones for taking the hard road.
He also manages to land some very colorful subjects to interview, such as Hartley Peavey of Meridian, Miss. who told him "I believe that life is a test to see how much BS you can take." Ron Rice of Daytona Beach was fired from six teaching jobs in eight years. Phil Ruffin of Wichita wants his tombstone to read, "This is his last real estate deal."
For readers who are curious about how the richest man (Jones is apologetic about the use of the word man, but sadly, the richest person in most towns is one) in town came by his fortune, this book may well be best in class. And these commandments leave you free to covet all you want.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com
www.justintimefreight.com
Some people dream of getting rich. Instead of dreaming, W. Randall Jones, author of The Richest Man In Town, set out to talk to the richest person in each of the 100 U.S. towns he visited for his study to see what commonalities he could find. From these interviews he found 12 attributes that ran rich within these mostly self-made magnates. Apparently, while God could get by with 10 commandments, the rich need a dozen; thus the subtitle, The Twelve Commandments of Wealth.
Let's get those 12 on the table first (I paraphrase)-
Don't seek money for money's sake
Find your perfect niche
Be your own boss
Get addicted to ambition
Be early
Execute or get executed
Fail so you can succeed
Location doesn't matter
Don't compromise your morals
Embrace selling
Learn from the best and the worst
Never retire
I have the last one nailed.
Book after book about wealth and entrepenuership seem to boil down to these same points, usually derived from the same inductive reasoning that seems to underlie this book; watch what rich people do, then figure out the principles behind their success. What is missing, imho is the study of failed businesspeople. I often wonder if, for every multimillionaire that followed these commandments, there might not be a hundred who followed them yet failed. Everyone talks to the winners, but until you study the losers, it's hard to know which commandments are the important ones.
Although the "secrets of the millionaires" genre is well mined, Jones does a particularly deft job of weaving the stories of a hundred people within the commandments structure. His many years of experience as a writer and founder of Wealth magazine are evident in the book's engaging storytelling and brisk pacing. Many writers of similar books have taken the easier person-by-person approach,
which gives the reader more of the personality of the people interviewed but obscures the insights that the readers seek. Kudos to Jones for taking the hard road.
He also manages to land some very colorful subjects to interview, such as Hartley Peavey of Meridian, Miss. who told him "I believe that life is a test to see how much BS you can take." Ron Rice of Daytona Beach was fired from six teaching jobs in eight years. Phil Ruffin of Wichita wants his tombstone to read, "This is his last real estate deal."
For readers who are curious about how the richest man (Jones is apologetic about the use of the word man, but sadly, the richest person in most towns is one) in town came by his fortune, this book may well be best in class. And these commandments leave you free to covet all you want.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com
www.justintimefreight.com
Freight Brokering to Large National Accounts
If you want the big guy accounts you gotta be ready to be able to service them with the white glove treatment. Large companies require the securing of multiple lanes and volume. You must understand, the shipper knows that their volume of freight should get them the best pricing and service. So when you get a chance to work with these companies - the national accounts, every lane must be covered, no exceptions. It is absolutely essential to know the precise cost of services with your carrier prior to submitting the quote to shipper.
Large shippers have layers of people with which to deal. It is critical for you to meet the guy or girl in charge of increasing sales and service while decreasing cost, i.e. value added services.
These professionals love value added services like free freight bill auditing, on-site warehouse management, all the way to total outsourcing if it meets their needs. The President is the hardest to get to and the easiest to sell if you have what they want.
If the top guy trusts you then you are golden. Never do anything to break that trust. Be trustworthy and you will receive trust. (that’s a great concept for life).
To land and service large accounts, you will have to do a lot of homework. Study back haul lanes and find carriers that need what you have to offer. You must treat the carrier right -pay them on time and fairly. The carrier must agree
on service requirements and communication, if not find a new carrier. These big national accounts have to constantly find ways to decrease fixed costs and variable costs. Transportation is one of those areas. You in turn will need to find ways to decrease fixed and variable costs without compromising service…if you want to keep the big account, that is.
The President of the company studies the report card, the p&l and the balance sheet. I can tell you for sure what is his or her goal: to put a plan together to increase profits and grow.
Fit in with that plan and you have a customer for life.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com
www.transportationtraining.com
www.justintimefreight.com
Large shippers have layers of people with which to deal. It is critical for you to meet the guy or girl in charge of increasing sales and service while decreasing cost, i.e. value added services.
These professionals love value added services like free freight bill auditing, on-site warehouse management, all the way to total outsourcing if it meets their needs. The President is the hardest to get to and the easiest to sell if you have what they want.
If the top guy trusts you then you are golden. Never do anything to break that trust. Be trustworthy and you will receive trust. (that’s a great concept for life).
To land and service large accounts, you will have to do a lot of homework. Study back haul lanes and find carriers that need what you have to offer. You must treat the carrier right -pay them on time and fairly. The carrier must agree
on service requirements and communication, if not find a new carrier. These big national accounts have to constantly find ways to decrease fixed costs and variable costs. Transportation is one of those areas. You in turn will need to find ways to decrease fixed and variable costs without compromising service…if you want to keep the big account, that is.
The President of the company studies the report card, the p&l and the balance sheet. I can tell you for sure what is his or her goal: to put a plan together to increase profits and grow.
Fit in with that plan and you have a customer for life.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com
www.transportationtraining.com
www.justintimefreight.com
My industry Perspective
Let me tell you what I think is going on in our industry.
I talk to a lot of owner operators, drivers leased on to companies, trucking executives, and people looking for an opportunity to wohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrk. I talk to a lot of people we train either or live. I travel to consult with large major trucking companies as well as large and small brokerages. I spend a ton of time on the phone coaching both our recent graduates and more established brokerages. I also talk to a lot of shippers both large and small.
Just as in every industry the transportation industry is tightening their belt but there is still plenty of work going on out there for those who work hard and earn trust. Shippers and everybody else don't care what you know until they know how much you care. You need to know what you’re doing, build a relationship
with the decision maker, solve their problems - help them reach their goals. You have to have a good shipper first then you go find a good carrier. Most drivers and carriers I know are hard working salt of the earth type folks. If you do things right and treat them with respect they will work with you.
Last week I recieved an order for around 65 truckloads of freight. (which is nice). I appreciate the big national accounts who trust me. I love the trust and
relationship we develop when they finally understand I am on their team.
I can't imagine doing anything else. I am very fortunate to know the top executives at the top firms. We introduce them to students at our school.
Now is a good time to step up. If you do not like where you are, no worries because you can change where you are and what you are by changing what goes into your brain.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com
www.transportationtraining.com
www.justintimefreight.com
I talk to a lot of owner operators, drivers leased on to companies, trucking executives, and people looking for an opportunity to wohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrk. I talk to a lot of people we train either or live. I travel to consult with large major trucking companies as well as large and small brokerages. I spend a ton of time on the phone coaching both our recent graduates and more established brokerages. I also talk to a lot of shippers both large and small.
Just as in every industry the transportation industry is tightening their belt but there is still plenty of work going on out there for those who work hard and earn trust. Shippers and everybody else don't care what you know until they know how much you care. You need to know what you’re doing, build a relationship
with the decision maker, solve their problems - help them reach their goals. You have to have a good shipper first then you go find a good carrier. Most drivers and carriers I know are hard working salt of the earth type folks. If you do things right and treat them with respect they will work with you.
Last week I recieved an order for around 65 truckloads of freight. (which is nice). I appreciate the big national accounts who trust me. I love the trust and
relationship we develop when they finally understand I am on their team.
I can't imagine doing anything else. I am very fortunate to know the top executives at the top firms. We introduce them to students at our school.
Now is a good time to step up. If you do not like where you are, no worries because you can change where you are and what you are by changing what goes into your brain.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com
www.transportationtraining.com
www.justintimefreight.com
What's Going On?
I am not a trucking executive. I am not an economist. I am a freight broker agent and a freight broker trainer. I thought I better get busy making some coin so I could keep my school number one in my brain. To keep my school number one I need to know how it really is working in this strange economic climate.
In other words I need to see how hard it really is out there. This is what I found out, well, you have to show up but it's not hard even in our current economy to be successful as a broker if you have a process. That is what I teach -- a process. Does my process work? Yes it does, I am happy to say. I have scores of graduates who are now doing well as freight brokers.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I needed to be convinced that this is a viable career before I could honestly be convincing to others. I had to convince myself that now was a good time to get into this business. I can honestly say YES.it is.
In this tight economy, shippers want to do business with people who know what they are doing and understand how to help them reach their goals. Shippers want companies that can help any size company save money, increase transit times, handle claims and cost savings projects. Most importantly, shippers want to be heard when they tell you what they want. NEVER assume you know. Always ASK and LISTEN.
Freight Brokering is a viable career with high earning potential for those who put in the time. You must have a process. We can teach you the process we have successfully used for over 2 decades. As technologies have changed we have adjusted our process. If you are already working the game I’d be glad to help you tighten your process with a little phone coaching or in person counseling. Just give me a call or contact me via my www.brooketraining.com or take our online course.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com
www.justintimefreight.com
www.transportationtraining.com
In other words I need to see how hard it really is out there. This is what I found out, well, you have to show up but it's not hard even in our current economy to be successful as a broker if you have a process. That is what I teach -- a process. Does my process work? Yes it does, I am happy to say. I have scores of graduates who are now doing well as freight brokers.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I needed to be convinced that this is a viable career before I could honestly be convincing to others. I had to convince myself that now was a good time to get into this business. I can honestly say YES.it is.
In this tight economy, shippers want to do business with people who know what they are doing and understand how to help them reach their goals. Shippers want companies that can help any size company save money, increase transit times, handle claims and cost savings projects. Most importantly, shippers want to be heard when they tell you what they want. NEVER assume you know. Always ASK and LISTEN.
Freight Brokering is a viable career with high earning potential for those who put in the time. You must have a process. We can teach you the process we have successfully used for over 2 decades. As technologies have changed we have adjusted our process. If you are already working the game I’d be glad to help you tighten your process with a little phone coaching or in person counseling. Just give me a call or contact me via my www.brooketraining.com or take our online course.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com
www.justintimefreight.com
www.transportationtraining.com
Sales Monologue
What’s so wrong with a phone sales script?
If you are a carrier or a broker/agent you are always looking for shippers. To get shippers you make calls. You need a sales script, right??? Anyone who knows me knows I go crazy when a student asks for a script when calling shippers for the first time.
Now imagine yourself after working hard all day and the phone rings …you’re hoping it is your fishing buddy. The black bass are hitting all over lake Travis, I'm thinking with a smile and then to my surprise it's a telemarketer.
We all hate to be bothered by these people who invade our space. How dare they? You see when you read a script you come across as a telemarketer. Then you start believing and acting like a telemarketer. Telemarketers are pests who are trying to sell us something we probably don’t want or need. A Freight Broker is offering a service the shipper vitally needs.
Be confidant knowing people buy from you because you have invested in education, you’re a giver, and you have a great attitude. Being new at the job can be a bonus. Tell the shipper you’re new and you want to help them solve their problems.
Get to the right person at the shipper firm and ask if it is an okay time to visit. If the say yes, ask them when's the last time you needed a truck and couldn't find one? Wait as long as possible. Silence is golden.
Listen to what the customer is telling you. Take notes and ask to go over the notes. Ask: What are the goals are of the shipper? Then purpose to help them reach those goals. Become part of the team.
It takes 7-9 touches before a customer makes a buying decision so do not quit after four. They say about 80% of sales people stop calling on a prospect after 4 times. Every sales book in America will tell you it takes 7-9 touches before a prospect will buy from you. What is a touch? A note in the mail, an email, a phone call...
I promise, once the traffic manager trusts you because you did what you said when you said you were going to do it, you will get business.
You will get customer for life.
The customer chooses everything including when to buy, how much, and how often. The vendor they trust the most will be the one who gets the lion share of business. Rates are often talked about but in reality most shippers will pay more for out of this world service. Read Customers for Life by Carl Lewis.
The investment in time will pay off. Your goal is to make a customer, not a sale. I don't claim to be an expert on sales but I know for sure that if you treat the shipper the way you want to be treated - you will be a superstar sales pro.
I used to work for a great guy who owned a large trucking company. He’d say,” You will get a Gold Star on your forehead when you close a big account.” Funny thing I closed some whoppers and he never gave me those stars...He did give me an education and for that I will be always be grateful. You can’t replace education.
The more you earn, the more you learn.
My girls say artists are the smartest.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
www.justintimefreight.com
www.transportationtraining.com
P.S. We have a live class in several locations in the next few weeks. Log on to www.transportationtraining.com to find our more... or give me a call 214-206-1169
If you are a carrier or a broker/agent you are always looking for shippers. To get shippers you make calls. You need a sales script, right??? Anyone who knows me knows I go crazy when a student asks for a script when calling shippers for the first time.
Now imagine yourself after working hard all day and the phone rings …you’re hoping it is your fishing buddy. The black bass are hitting all over lake Travis, I'm thinking with a smile and then to my surprise it's a telemarketer.
We all hate to be bothered by these people who invade our space. How dare they? You see when you read a script you come across as a telemarketer. Then you start believing and acting like a telemarketer. Telemarketers are pests who are trying to sell us something we probably don’t want or need. A Freight Broker is offering a service the shipper vitally needs.
Be confidant knowing people buy from you because you have invested in education, you’re a giver, and you have a great attitude. Being new at the job can be a bonus. Tell the shipper you’re new and you want to help them solve their problems.
Get to the right person at the shipper firm and ask if it is an okay time to visit. If the say yes, ask them when's the last time you needed a truck and couldn't find one? Wait as long as possible. Silence is golden.
Listen to what the customer is telling you. Take notes and ask to go over the notes. Ask: What are the goals are of the shipper? Then purpose to help them reach those goals. Become part of the team.
It takes 7-9 touches before a customer makes a buying decision so do not quit after four. They say about 80% of sales people stop calling on a prospect after 4 times. Every sales book in America will tell you it takes 7-9 touches before a prospect will buy from you. What is a touch? A note in the mail, an email, a phone call...
I promise, once the traffic manager trusts you because you did what you said when you said you were going to do it, you will get business.
You will get customer for life.
The customer chooses everything including when to buy, how much, and how often. The vendor they trust the most will be the one who gets the lion share of business. Rates are often talked about but in reality most shippers will pay more for out of this world service. Read Customers for Life by Carl Lewis.
The investment in time will pay off. Your goal is to make a customer, not a sale. I don't claim to be an expert on sales but I know for sure that if you treat the shipper the way you want to be treated - you will be a superstar sales pro.
I used to work for a great guy who owned a large trucking company. He’d say,” You will get a Gold Star on your forehead when you close a big account.” Funny thing I closed some whoppers and he never gave me those stars...He did give me an education and for that I will be always be grateful. You can’t replace education.
The more you earn, the more you learn.
My girls say artists are the smartest.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
www.justintimefreight.com
www.transportationtraining.com
P.S. We have a live class in several locations in the next few weeks. Log on to www.transportationtraining.com to find our more... or give me a call 214-206-1169
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