Graham Eastwood’s Post

Cold calling is one if the hardest parts of starting off in the broker business. Even I took a few days to even love it. 😉 But just like the best athletes in the world, they didn't get good without practice. Here's some free tips from the ATG team! #coldcalling #freightsales #atg #frieghtsensei

🔍 A great salesman is a scarce resource within logistics, true or false? Recently, I had a great conversation with a seasoned sales leader with extensive logistics sales experience for top companies. During our call, he shared, "You know, I've been in the business for many years, and I've seen only a handful of truly great salesmen; just 3 out of 500 are the brilliant ones." 🌟 "This got me thinking: Is this really the case? If so, why might that be? I thought of one potential reason from my personal experience, but there may be and are more of them. When I started in the freight forwarding business 16 years ago, I wouldn't have called myself a good salesman. I generated decent results, but this was because market conditions were much easier back then. My only strategy back then was trying to get the low-hanging fruit. No one has thought about how to get the upper fruits, just because, at that time, everyone thought the salesman needed to understand this by himself. I clearly remember my first day at the freight forwarding company. Upon arriving at the office, the CEO quickly showed me around, introduced me to various types of equipment, pointed to my desk, and instructed me to "dial "and smile. And that I did ☎ 😊 . This type of experience might suit the lone wolf types. Still, for most, especially for the younger generation, it's demoralizing because you're wondering what to expect, who your ideal customer is, how to handle objections, how to improve, what to say during sales calls, and many other things. Many, after such experiences, give up. I almost did, too, thinking sales wasn't for me, and shifted to operational roles and logistics management. But somehow, sales stayed with me; I devoured every book I could find on the subject and used learned sales techniques at all of my previous positions because even if you aren't in sales, you need to sell your ideas, projects, and other things to your colleagues as well. Moreover, I quickly started to analyze which of those strategies could work within logistics services sales, which don't, and which work better for experienced sales reps and which for those who are just starting, And you know what? After so many years, I'm now thinking, why have I spent so many years in operational positions, and what could I have accomplished If I started selling myself earlier :) This transition would have happened faster if I had a coach or someone who would help me around from the first days when selling freight. In my opinion, if company owners/leaders invested in creating a structured sales process and actively coached and trained their sales personnel, the prevalence of great salespeople in logistics would surely rise. Network, what do you think about this topic? Do you agree that only 3 out of 500 are exceptional? What could be taken to improve this situation? Let's go ahead and share your personal opinions. #Sales #LogisticsServicesSales

TO BE OR NOT TO BE 😀 Navigating the sales process in freight brokerage can be challenging, especially when trying to determine whether a prospect is genuinely got business or simply playing hard to get. Here are some tips to help you assess and prioritize your efforts: 1. Ask Direct Questions: Start by asking about their current logistics needs or if they’re already working with another provider. Their responses can offer valuable insights. 2. Monitor Responsiveness: Pay attention to how quickly they reply and the clarity of their answers. Delayed or vague responses might signal disinterest. 3. Identify Buying Signals: Look for signs of genuine interest, such as detailed inquiries about your services, pricing discussions, or timeline concerns. 4. Test Their Engagement: Offer something of value, like a complimentary consultation or a tailored quote, to gauge their level of interest. 5. Research Their Business: Investigate their company’s recent activities or growth trends. This can help you determine if they have the potential for new business or are simply cautious. 6. Set Clear Deadlines: Establish a timeframe for decision-making. This can help differentiate between those who are genuinely interested and those who may not be ready to commit. By applying these strategies, you can better prioritize your sales efforts and focus on prospects who are more likely to convert into valuable clients.

January can be a quieter month in the logistics industry, making it the perfect time to focus on prospecting new clients before the hustle and bustle of produce season begins. Ready to kickstart the new year by expanding your client base? Our comprehensive cold-calling guide provides invaluable insights to help you navigate the unique challenges and opportunities within transportation and supply chain sales. Whether you're a seasoned sales professional or just starting your career, this blog is a must-read. Benefit from the experiences and wisdom of our logistics experts, who have achieved outstanding results in the sales landscape. Start enhancing your sales skills and elevate your success rate today. Don't miss out on this valuable resource! Learn how to up your sales game like never before: https://lnkd.in/gbz6Pn_x #ArmstrongTransport #ATG #Logistics #Sales #ColdCalling #LogisticsServices #FreightBrokerage #FreightBrokerTraining #Transportation #SupplyChain #Prospecting

LOGISTICS SALES- Read & Learn & Like What Makes a Good Sales Call Script? Dress well your looks is the first ice breaker .The value should always be higher than the clients’ investment. A sales call’s goal is to sell. But, if you approach the conversation with this mentality, you’re almost guaranteed it will stop here. Ask yourself: Why would someone answer an unexpected call and spend their precious time listening to a sales pitch? What’s in it for them? Your prospects don’t owe you anything and likely won’t listen to you if they can feel that your only goal is to sell freight .In fact, you owe it to them to make their time and money worthwhile. A good cold call script is always personalized and highlights the value for the prospect. Your job is to make the prospect feel good (you’re not there to trick them out of their LSP), empathize with whatever challenging situation they’re in, and prove that the value you offer them is higher than the cost of the services you’re selling.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE 😀 Navigating the sales process in freight brokerage can be challenging, especially when trying to determine whether a prospect is genuinely got business or simply playing hard to get. Here are some tips to help you assess and prioritize your efforts: 1. Ask Direct Questions: Start by asking about their current logistics needs or if they’re already working with another provider. Their responses can offer valuable insights. 2. Monitor Responsiveness: Pay attention to how quickly they reply and the clarity of their answers. Delayed or vague responses might signal disinterest. 3. Identify Buying Signals: Look for signs of genuine interest, such as detailed inquiries about your services, pricing discussions, or timeline concerns. 4. Test Their Engagement: Offer something of value, like a complimentary consultation or a tailored quote, to gauge their level of interest. 5. Research Their Business: Investigate their company’s recent activities or growth trends. This can help you determine if they have the potential for new business or are simply cautious. 6. Set Clear Deadlines: Establish a timeframe for decision-making. This can help differentiate between those who are genuinely interested and those who may not be ready to commit. By applying these strategies, you can better prioritize your sales efforts and focus on prospects who are more likely to convert into valuable clients.

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭, 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐧. Transactional sales approaches within the logistics services sales community remain popular. As I interact with sales reps and review social media posts, I see and hear phrases like: "Need a quote? We offer competitive prices!" or "Do you have any shipments for me today?" or "If you give me the shipment, I'll name my firstborn after you (just kidding 😊)." Anyways, all such phrases suggest that many believe getting business is related to the lowest freight rate or getting shippers at the right time. 🚫💼 However, these kinds of tactics are becoming less effective due to several megatrends, including: 📢 Big logistics players are becoming bigger (a.k.a. consolidation). Competing with price and service depth and width is hard or even impossible with those mega companies.📈 📢 Although we've seen logistics companies go bankrupt recently, the entry barriers to the market are still low, especially for services like freight forwarding/brokerage, leading to an ever-increasing number of market participants in the future (a.k.a. rising competition). 🚀 📢 Changes are happening so fast that shippers are looking for logistics service providers who can help them navigate these turbulent times more easily (a.k.a. they seek advisors, not just ordinary providers). 🌐 To sum up, shippers now see timely, quality, flexible, and dedicated logistics services as a competitive advantage; additionally, they seek professional service providers. This needs to be incorporated into the value proposition of every company serious about competing in today's highly competitive and fast-changing environments. Relying solely on price or equipment availability will not lead to sustainable growth, as there will always be players who can offer cheaper rates or have more assets. Moreover, if your bigger bunch of revenues comes from transactional relationships, they can leave for competition that can provide more than freight. Therefore, the key to long-term success for logistics companies will be to move away from a transactional sales approach toward a consultative approach and look for or create unique value propositions. #sales #logistics #ConsultativeLogisticsServicesApproach 🚛🌟

Monday Logistics Sales Thoughts: As logistics salespeople, we need to have a broader sales strategy than simply cold calling, if we want to generate significant new revenue quickly. Let’s say you’d like to add 10 new logos in the next year to your business. Assuming the following: 3% of the market is actively shopping/comparing vendors. 10% of cold calls connect to a decision maker 25% of that 3% that you connect with, will close. To add just 10 new logos based on the above assumptions, it will require 61 dials per day, every day for the next year. Want to add 20 new logos? 122 calls per day.

If you are going to be successful in sales you need to do these 4 things: 1. Identify the most successful people at your company and learn what separates them from everyone else. 2. Learn to be persistent without being annoying. In order to be successful yiur follow up needs to be excellent. 3. Learn how to identify your prospect’s problems and offer them a solution to those problems. 4. Don’t let anyone outwork you. Yes, there will come a time where you can shift to working “smarter” but on your way to becoming successful working the hardest will lead you to success much faster. #sales #logisitcs #freight #success

The Core Traits Every Sales Professional Needs to Thrive ✌️🎯 The worst thing that can happen to a sales professional is losing confidence, courage, and belief in themselves. If you’re in sales and lack these qualities, it might be a sign that you’re in the wrong profession. Sales is: • Working 24/7 • Constantly calling and emailing • Taking responsibility • Growing intentionally or by identifying your mistakes • Always being hungry for more (think Oliver Twist) • Maintaining a competitive approach • Going above and beyond expectations • Being self-motivated And if you’re a freight broker, add to the list: • Navigating complex logistics with precision • Building relationships with carriers and shippers • Problem-solving on the fly • Understanding the nuances of cross-border operations • Mastering the art of negotiation Sales and freight brokering are not just jobs, they’re a mindset. Stay driven, stay committed, and success will follow. #sales #freight #brokering #broker #queencity