A key element in being a freight broker star is your sales ability. Being "in sales" scares many professionals when in actuality sales is a part of just about any job out there.
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 rasing was that year. I still use the same techniques, just honed a bit for my more sophisticated audience.
I love to sell. I don't love to try to talk people into buying something they don't want or need. Selling, in my definition, is finding out what someone needs and helping them with that need. So if you enjoy helping people get what they want, then sales is a great job for you.
As a freight broker I work with professionals who produce things that are sold all over the country. Company executives need to be involved in the production of their product, the marketing of that product and in managing of the people they employ. They do not need to get bogged down in the delivery of the products. That is where a freight broker comes in. I work out a deal to move their product where they need, in a timely manner at a price on which we agree.
Prior to working out that deal with the manufacturer, I need to have a good idea of a carrier that can move the product where needed at a negotiated price and when needed. So when I get the deal to move some freight I can get it done.
After the deal has been sealed, the freight broker must follow the shipment from pick up to delivery to avoid problems. Weather, traffic and drivers needs all can sabatoge the delivery. A great broker will work to avoid or work around any delay that may occur. I advise brokers to keep the manufacturer abreast of any issues that arise. When a broker admits when things are not going as planned, he will gain a reputation as an honest broker who works hard to keep his customer informed of important issues. That is the kind of broker that will have plenty of work. That is the best way to close more sales.
We have a day dedicated to the sales aspect of freight brokering in our basic freight broker training course. Interested? To sign up, view our schedule or for questions go to our website or call 214-206-1169.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
www.transportationtraining.com
1 comment:
I like your definition of sales - in that it's not about talking someone into buying, but rather figuring out what an individual's need is and helping them fulfill it. Great philosophy.
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