A1 Freight Training on Freight Brokering
Freight Brokers Set your Goals
Freight Brokers We all know that nothing runs without a plan, and a plan cannot run without having its objectives set. Setting objectives and milestones is of crucial importance for business success, the old saying is if you fail to plain you plain to fail.
Knowing how to set objectives is not exactly rocket science in terms of complexity, but any strategist should know the basic rules of how to formulate and propose objectives. We will see in this article why objectives play such a major role within a company's planning and strategic activities, how they influence all business processes, and we will review some guidelines of setting objectives.
The Importance of Setting Objectives One might wonder why we need to establish objectives in the first place; why not let the company run into the future and see where it gets. That would be the case only if we really do not care whether our freight broker business will be successful or not.
a popular saying, "if something deserves to be performed, then it deserves to be performed well". In other words, if we don't care for the results, we should not proceed with the action at all.
Setting objectives before taking any action is the only right thing to do, for several reasons:
- It gives a target to aim to, therefore all actions and efforts will be focused on attaining the objective instead of being inefficiently used;
- gives participants a sense of direction, a glimpse of where they're going to;
- motivates the leaders, since it is quite the custom of establishing some sort of reward once the goal is successfully completed a project;
- Provides for direction in evaluating the success of a project.
The 5 Rules of Setting Objectives: Be SMART!
I am sure most leaders know what SMART stands for, well, at least when it comes of establishing objectives. However, I have seen some of them who cannot fully explain the five characteristics of a good-established objective - things are somehow blurry and confused in their minds. Since they can't explain in details what SMART objectives really are, it is highly doubtful that they will always be able to formulate such objectives.
It is still unclear from where the confusion comes: perhaps there are too many sources of information, each of them with a slightly different approach upon what a SMART objective really is; or perhaps most people only briefly "heard" about it and they never get to reach the substance behind the packaging.
Either way, let us try to uncover the meaning of the SMART acronym and see how we can formulate efficient objectives.
SMART illustrates the 5 characteristics of an efficient objective; it stands for
Specific - Measurable - Attainable -Relevant - Timely.
1. Be SPECIFIC!
When it comes of business planning, "specific" illustrates a situation that is easily identified and understood. It is usually linked to some mathematical determinant that imprints a specific character to a given action: most common determinants are numbers, ratios and fractions, percentages, frequencies. In this case, being "specific" means being "precise".
Example: when you tell your team "I need this report in several copies", you did not provide the team with a specific instruction. It is unclear what the determinant "several" means: for some it can be three, for some can be a hundred. A much better instruction would sound like "I need this report in 5 copies" - your team will know exactly what you expect and will have less chances to fail in delivering the desired result.
2. Be MEASURABLE!
When we say that an objective, a goal, must be measurable, we mean there is a stringent need to have the possibility to measure, to track the action(s) associated with the given objective.
We must set up a distinct system or establish clear procedures of how the actions will be monitored, measured and recorded. If an objective and the actions pertaining to it cannot be quantified, it is most likely that the objective is wrongly formulated and we should reconsider it.
Example: "our business must grow" is an obscure, non-measurable objective. What exactly should we measure in order to find out if the objective was met? But if we change it to "our business must grow in sales volume with 20%", we've got one measurable objective: the measure being the percentage sales rise from present moment to the given moment in the future. We can calculate this very easy, based on the recorded sales figures.
3. Be ATTAINABLE!
Some use the term "achievable" instead of "attainable", which you will see it is merely a synonym and we should not get stuck in analyzing which one is correct. Both are.
It is understood that each leader will want his company / unit to give outstanding performances; this is the spirit of competition and such thinking is much needed. However, when setting objectives, one should deeply analyze first the factors determining the success or failure of these objectives. Think of your team, of your capacities, of motivation: are they sufficient in order for the objectives to be met? Do you have the means and capabilities to achieve them?
Think it through and be honest and realistic to yourself: are you really capable of attaining the goals you've set or are you most likely headed to disappointment? Always set objectives that have a fair chance to be met: of course, they don't need to be "easily" attained, you're entitled to set difficult ones as long as they're realistic and not futile.
Example: you own a newborn movers company and you set the objective of "becoming no. 1 movers within the state". The problem is you only have 3 trucks available, while all your competitors have 10 and up. Your goal is not attainable; try instead a more realistic one, such as "reaching the Top 5 fastest growing movers company in the state".
4. Be RELEVANT!
This notion is a little more difficult to be perceived in its full meaning; therefore we will start explaining it by using an example in the first place.
Imagine yourself going to the IT department and telling them they need to increase the profit to revenue ratio by 5%. They will probably look at you in astonishment and mumble something undistinguished about managers and the way they mess up with people's minds.
Can you tell what is wrong with the objective above? Of course! The IT department has no idea what you were talking about and there's nothing they can do about it - their job is to develop and maintain your computerized infrastructure, not to understand your economic speech. What you can do it setting an objective that the IT department can have an impact upon, and which will eventually lead to the increase you wanted in the first place. What about asking them to reduce expenditures for hardware and software by 10% monthly and be more cautious with the consumables within their department by not exceeding the allocated budget? They will surely understand what they need to do because the objective is relevant for their group.
Therefore, the quality of an objective to be "relevant" refers to setting appropriate objectives for a given individual or team: you need to think if they can truly do something about it or is it irrelevant for the job they perform.
5. Be TIMELY!
No much to discuss about this aspect, since it is probably the easiest to be understood and applied.
Any usable and performable objective must have a clear timeframe of when it should start and/or when it should end. Without having a timeframe specified, it is practically impossible to say if the objective is met or not
For example, if you just say "we need to raise profit by 500000 units", you will never be able to tell if the objective was achieved or not, one can always say "well, we'll do it next year". Instead, if you say "we need to raise profit by 500000 units within 6 months from now", anyone can see in 6 months if the goal was attained or not. Without a clear, distinct timeframe, no objective is any good.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
Knowing how to set objectives is not exactly rocket science in terms of complexity, but any strategist should know the basic rules of how to formulate and propose objectives. We will see in this article why objectives play such a major role within a company's planning and strategic activities, how they influence all business processes, and we will review some guidelines of setting objectives.
The Importance of Setting Objectives One might wonder why we need to establish objectives in the first place; why not let the company run into the future and see where it gets. That would be the case only if we really do not care whether our freight broker business will be successful or not.
a popular saying, "if something deserves to be performed, then it deserves to be performed well". In other words, if we don't care for the results, we should not proceed with the action at all.
Setting objectives before taking any action is the only right thing to do, for several reasons:
- It gives a target to aim to, therefore all actions and efforts will be focused on attaining the objective instead of being inefficiently used;
- gives participants a sense of direction, a glimpse of where they're going to;
- motivates the leaders, since it is quite the custom of establishing some sort of reward once the goal is successfully completed a project;
- Provides for direction in evaluating the success of a project.
The 5 Rules of Setting Objectives: Be SMART!
I am sure most leaders know what SMART stands for, well, at least when it comes of establishing objectives. However, I have seen some of them who cannot fully explain the five characteristics of a good-established objective - things are somehow blurry and confused in their minds. Since they can't explain in details what SMART objectives really are, it is highly doubtful that they will always be able to formulate such objectives.
It is still unclear from where the confusion comes: perhaps there are too many sources of information, each of them with a slightly different approach upon what a SMART objective really is; or perhaps most people only briefly "heard" about it and they never get to reach the substance behind the packaging.
Either way, let us try to uncover the meaning of the SMART acronym and see how we can formulate efficient objectives.
SMART illustrates the 5 characteristics of an efficient objective; it stands for
Specific - Measurable - Attainable -Relevant - Timely.
1. Be SPECIFIC!
When it comes of business planning, "specific" illustrates a situation that is easily identified and understood. It is usually linked to some mathematical determinant that imprints a specific character to a given action: most common determinants are numbers, ratios and fractions, percentages, frequencies. In this case, being "specific" means being "precise".
Example: when you tell your team "I need this report in several copies", you did not provide the team with a specific instruction. It is unclear what the determinant "several" means: for some it can be three, for some can be a hundred. A much better instruction would sound like "I need this report in 5 copies" - your team will know exactly what you expect and will have less chances to fail in delivering the desired result.
2. Be MEASURABLE!
When we say that an objective, a goal, must be measurable, we mean there is a stringent need to have the possibility to measure, to track the action(s) associated with the given objective.
We must set up a distinct system or establish clear procedures of how the actions will be monitored, measured and recorded. If an objective and the actions pertaining to it cannot be quantified, it is most likely that the objective is wrongly formulated and we should reconsider it.
Example: "our business must grow" is an obscure, non-measurable objective. What exactly should we measure in order to find out if the objective was met? But if we change it to "our business must grow in sales volume with 20%", we've got one measurable objective: the measure being the percentage sales rise from present moment to the given moment in the future. We can calculate this very easy, based on the recorded sales figures.
3. Be ATTAINABLE!
Some use the term "achievable" instead of "attainable", which you will see it is merely a synonym and we should not get stuck in analyzing which one is correct. Both are.
It is understood that each leader will want his company / unit to give outstanding performances; this is the spirit of competition and such thinking is much needed. However, when setting objectives, one should deeply analyze first the factors determining the success or failure of these objectives. Think of your team, of your capacities, of motivation: are they sufficient in order for the objectives to be met? Do you have the means and capabilities to achieve them?
Think it through and be honest and realistic to yourself: are you really capable of attaining the goals you've set or are you most likely headed to disappointment? Always set objectives that have a fair chance to be met: of course, they don't need to be "easily" attained, you're entitled to set difficult ones as long as they're realistic and not futile.
Example: you own a newborn movers company and you set the objective of "becoming no. 1 movers within the state". The problem is you only have 3 trucks available, while all your competitors have 10 and up. Your goal is not attainable; try instead a more realistic one, such as "reaching the Top 5 fastest growing movers company in the state".
4. Be RELEVANT!
This notion is a little more difficult to be perceived in its full meaning; therefore we will start explaining it by using an example in the first place.
Imagine yourself going to the IT department and telling them they need to increase the profit to revenue ratio by 5%. They will probably look at you in astonishment and mumble something undistinguished about managers and the way they mess up with people's minds.
Can you tell what is wrong with the objective above? Of course! The IT department has no idea what you were talking about and there's nothing they can do about it - their job is to develop and maintain your computerized infrastructure, not to understand your economic speech. What you can do it setting an objective that the IT department can have an impact upon, and which will eventually lead to the increase you wanted in the first place. What about asking them to reduce expenditures for hardware and software by 10% monthly and be more cautious with the consumables within their department by not exceeding the allocated budget? They will surely understand what they need to do because the objective is relevant for their group.
Therefore, the quality of an objective to be "relevant" refers to setting appropriate objectives for a given individual or team: you need to think if they can truly do something about it or is it irrelevant for the job they perform.
5. Be TIMELY!
No much to discuss about this aspect, since it is probably the easiest to be understood and applied.
Any usable and performable objective must have a clear timeframe of when it should start and/or when it should end. Without having a timeframe specified, it is practically impossible to say if the objective is met or not
For example, if you just say "we need to raise profit by 500000 units", you will never be able to tell if the objective was achieved or not, one can always say "well, we'll do it next year". Instead, if you say "we need to raise profit by 500000 units within 6 months from now", anyone can see in 6 months if the goal was attained or not. Without a clear, distinct timeframe, no objective is any good.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
Freight Brokers Dealing with customers is not easy
Freight Brokers Dealing with customers is not easy
Dealing with customers is not easy - each one brings to the transaction their own history, experiences and current state of mind. Some may, consciously or not, be seeking to let off steam, and you may be a convenient outlet!
Having acknowledged that customer service is a tough job to do well, it is surprising that many freight brokers act as though they don't care. At times we will have ruff situations, and run the risk of customers being upset ideally, the best possible way we can approach customer service is to use each and every encounter with a customer to enhance our company's reputation. We live in an imperfect world where there will mistakes and inevitably sometimes things go wrong. In my experience, when something has gone wrong and the customer complains, you have a wonderful opportunity to create a much stronger loyalty to your company than if everything always goes right!
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
Dealing with customers is not easy - each one brings to the transaction their own history, experiences and current state of mind. Some may, consciously or not, be seeking to let off steam, and you may be a convenient outlet!
Having acknowledged that customer service is a tough job to do well, it is surprising that many freight brokers act as though they don't care. At times we will have ruff situations, and run the risk of customers being upset ideally, the best possible way we can approach customer service is to use each and every encounter with a customer to enhance our company's reputation. We live in an imperfect world where there will mistakes and inevitably sometimes things go wrong. In my experience, when something has gone wrong and the customer complains, you have a wonderful opportunity to create a much stronger loyalty to your company than if everything always goes right!
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
Freight Brokers what do you hear when you hear the word NO!
The Power Of The Word "No"
For some odd reason in Western cultures there seems to be a social stigma associated with saying the word "no" to someone - even when we're in the middle of a sales negotiation. If you want to be successful, you're going to have to learn to get over this hang up.
Getting a "no" what exactly Is In “No” when you hear it: is It because they are currently happy with the current Freight Broker that they are using or Maybe they only accept bids once a year. Are you actual listening and over time can the No today be the yes, of tomorrow? The simple word "no" can be the one word that allows you to get what you want over time, learn to listen carefully during your next sales negotiation.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
For some odd reason in Western cultures there seems to be a social stigma associated with saying the word "no" to someone - even when we're in the middle of a sales negotiation. If you want to be successful, you're going to have to learn to get over this hang up.
Getting a "no" what exactly Is In “No” when you hear it: is It because they are currently happy with the current Freight Broker that they are using or Maybe they only accept bids once a year. Are you actual listening and over time can the No today be the yes, of tomorrow? The simple word "no" can be the one word that allows you to get what you want over time, learn to listen carefully during your next sales negotiation.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
Freight Brokers finding qualified sales leads
Freight Brokers finding qualified sales leads is a difficult task, it is vital to find qualified leads to succeed, leads that will be valuable to you freight brokerage business.
It's important to confirm what truly is a qualified-lead so I will try to break it down
Step 1: Know the characteristics of a qualified sales lead
General questions that need to be answered in order to determine if a lead is qualified include the following:
• Does the prospect have a need for your service?
• What is the prospect's role in the decision-making process?
• Can they use you now?
• What is the volume of the prospect's weekly loads?
However, additional or more detailed criteria may be needed to define qualified leads at some companies. This starts with a company contact, who admits to a business problem (either latently or directly) that could be solved by the service you are selling.
Step 2: Create a sales lead CRM Customer Relation program
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a broadly recognized, widely-implemented strategy for managing and nurturing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing, customer service, and technical support. The overall goals are to find, attract, and win new clients,
Step 3: Drive sales opportunities with a social networking,
A social network service focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. A social network service essentially consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web based and provide means for users to interact over the internet, such as
Although online community services are sometimes considered as a social network service in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered service whereas services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.
The main types of social networking services are those which contain category places (such as former school-year or classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages) and a recommendation system linked to trust. Popular methods now combine many of these, with Facebook, Bebo and Twitter widely used worldwide; LinkedIn.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
It's important to confirm what truly is a qualified-lead so I will try to break it down
Step 1: Know the characteristics of a qualified sales lead
General questions that need to be answered in order to determine if a lead is qualified include the following:
• Does the prospect have a need for your service?
• What is the prospect's role in the decision-making process?
• Can they use you now?
• What is the volume of the prospect's weekly loads?
However, additional or more detailed criteria may be needed to define qualified leads at some companies. This starts with a company contact, who admits to a business problem (either latently or directly) that could be solved by the service you are selling.
Step 2: Create a sales lead CRM Customer Relation program
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a broadly recognized, widely-implemented strategy for managing and nurturing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing, customer service, and technical support. The overall goals are to find, attract, and win new clients,
Step 3: Drive sales opportunities with a social networking,
A social network service focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. A social network service essentially consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web based and provide means for users to interact over the internet, such as
Although online community services are sometimes considered as a social network service in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered service whereas services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.
The main types of social networking services are those which contain category places (such as former school-year or classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages) and a recommendation system linked to trust. Popular methods now combine many of these, with Facebook, Bebo and Twitter widely used worldwide; LinkedIn.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
Freight Brokers the only way to succeed in this industry is to cold call.
Freight Brokers the only way to succeed in this industry is to cold call. Being able to cold call confidently, professionally and effectively will not only open up more potential business for you it will also allow you to feel more in control of your own destiny and much more empowered. Here are my top 10 tips for cold calling success…
1. Know Your Opening Statement.
The individuals I train the more important I know this is. I have made and listened to tens of thousands of calls. The biggest problem by far is lack of client engagement. This can be down to several factors but by far the most significant is a failure to plan and prepare a decent opening statement.
An opening statement needs an introduction, a hook (what’s in it for client) and a bridge to your questions or your close. Without these it’s impotent. Make sure that the benefits you offer are a) really benefits and b) relevant to the person you are speaking to and not just you! +
2. GET INTO THE RIGHT STATE OF MIND AND EXPECT SUCCESS.
Unmotivated people do not make good salespeople. Let’s face it, who would buy off someone who didn’t appear to believe it themselves.
Attitude and mindset are infectious. Clients know within seconds whether you are congruent with your message or not. I once did a verbal survey with my clients asking them why they bought from me in the first place. The overwhelming (and surprise at the time) answer was, " It felt like the right thing to do! "
Expecting success is a crucial part of your success.
3. KNOW WHY YOU NEED TO DO THIS.
On a day to day basis, most of us forget WHY we are doing certain things. We find ourselves cold calling because we have to or because we are told to. If you want to make change in your cold calling habits then it is going to require some commitment, some focus and some persistence. The best way of leveraging these attributes from your self is to ask yourself, “Why is cold calling important to me? What does it do for me? How does it link to my goals and my dreams? "
When coaching individual sales people on teams I can usually tell who will act and who will not and it’s usually down to whether the individual has a need or a want or not. Holding yourself to a higher standard is hard if you have no reason to so spend some time and work our why cold calling is important to you right now.
4. PRACTICE DELIVERY.
When I listen to sales calls, I am frequently shocked by the message within the message. On the phone, the personal element is missing and this means that the message consists only of the words and how you say them. While the words are vitally important the way you say them will be directly linked to your success or ultimate failure.
Having listened to thousands of calls, I can honestly say that the message behind the message for most calls is … “I’m bored, tired and putting in the numbers and you’re probably going to say no anyway!” Would you buy from someone was saying this to you?
Get someone you trust to listen to your calls and give you feedback on pace, pitch and tone. What message are you sending out?
5. PLAN RELEVANT QUESTIONS.
Questions and client interaction are paramount for selling. Most salespeople think that they are good at questioning. Most are wrong. Planning and preparing good questions is something that all salespeople should do regularly.
Example would be.
“Have you ever had any difficulties…? " or " How do you currently…? "
6. HAVE YOUR SUPPORT TOOLS READY.
Part of being professional is being prepared. When you get on the phone you need your diary, notes, paper and pens to hand.
Expect success, work out what support tools you need to be successful, and make sure that they are at hand.
7. STAY FOCUSED.
A recent survey studying work habits suggested that the average worker actually works for less than 3 hours in an average working day. This seems quite high to me! Most people seem to find so many extraneous and irrelevant tasks to do that it’s a wonder they ever get anything done. To be a sales superstar you need to work out what activities bring you success and then set aside time to do them.
Work out your ratios and then work out how many calls you need to make to achieve your personal goals. Once you’ve done that get on and do it. Most salespeople actually spend too much time “on the phone " … the problem is that they’re not focused enough when they are on the phone. Try turning off your mobile, diverting all calls and asking not to be disturbed. Get yourself energized and prepared and then make 60 minutes worth of top quality, proactive calls. You’ll be amazed by how much you can achieve in an hour!
8. SET CLEAR OBJECTIVE GOALS.
Many salespeople make calls without any objectives or goals. This is a complete waste of time. You need to plan and prepare for all proactive sales sessions. Pre-decide on your activities and how you are going to measure them. Set realistic objectives and targets and stick to them. Only this way will you be able to improve and grow.
9. DON’T PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN.
Whether cold or warm calling, it’s important that you keep the energy flowing when you are making proactive calls. It’s too easy to get distracted, start doing something else or take ever increasing breaks between each call.
One very effective way of achieving shorter break time and therefore more proactive energy is to not put the telephone down between calls. Not only does this work but you also save on the psychological energy of having to pick the phone up again every call!! I also recommend that wearing a headset increases the work rate of nearly all telephone sales people.
10. MASTER YOUR PHYSIOLOGY.
Your physiology is the way you use your body… your posture, movement, facial expressions and breathing. Changing your physiology changes your state. If you were to walk into a room full of salespeople on the phone you would instantly know if they were " up for it " or not by the way they were sitting, moving, talking and so on.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
1. Know Your Opening Statement.
The individuals I train the more important I know this is. I have made and listened to tens of thousands of calls. The biggest problem by far is lack of client engagement. This can be down to several factors but by far the most significant is a failure to plan and prepare a decent opening statement.
An opening statement needs an introduction, a hook (what’s in it for client) and a bridge to your questions or your close. Without these it’s impotent. Make sure that the benefits you offer are a) really benefits and b) relevant to the person you are speaking to and not just you! +
2. GET INTO THE RIGHT STATE OF MIND AND EXPECT SUCCESS.
Unmotivated people do not make good salespeople. Let’s face it, who would buy off someone who didn’t appear to believe it themselves.
Attitude and mindset are infectious. Clients know within seconds whether you are congruent with your message or not. I once did a verbal survey with my clients asking them why they bought from me in the first place. The overwhelming (and surprise at the time) answer was, " It felt like the right thing to do! "
Expecting success is a crucial part of your success.
3. KNOW WHY YOU NEED TO DO THIS.
On a day to day basis, most of us forget WHY we are doing certain things. We find ourselves cold calling because we have to or because we are told to. If you want to make change in your cold calling habits then it is going to require some commitment, some focus and some persistence. The best way of leveraging these attributes from your self is to ask yourself, “Why is cold calling important to me? What does it do for me? How does it link to my goals and my dreams? "
When coaching individual sales people on teams I can usually tell who will act and who will not and it’s usually down to whether the individual has a need or a want or not. Holding yourself to a higher standard is hard if you have no reason to so spend some time and work our why cold calling is important to you right now.
4. PRACTICE DELIVERY.
When I listen to sales calls, I am frequently shocked by the message within the message. On the phone, the personal element is missing and this means that the message consists only of the words and how you say them. While the words are vitally important the way you say them will be directly linked to your success or ultimate failure.
Having listened to thousands of calls, I can honestly say that the message behind the message for most calls is … “I’m bored, tired and putting in the numbers and you’re probably going to say no anyway!” Would you buy from someone was saying this to you?
Get someone you trust to listen to your calls and give you feedback on pace, pitch and tone. What message are you sending out?
5. PLAN RELEVANT QUESTIONS.
Questions and client interaction are paramount for selling. Most salespeople think that they are good at questioning. Most are wrong. Planning and preparing good questions is something that all salespeople should do regularly.
Example would be.
“Have you ever had any difficulties…? " or " How do you currently…? "
6. HAVE YOUR SUPPORT TOOLS READY.
Part of being professional is being prepared. When you get on the phone you need your diary, notes, paper and pens to hand.
Expect success, work out what support tools you need to be successful, and make sure that they are at hand.
7. STAY FOCUSED.
A recent survey studying work habits suggested that the average worker actually works for less than 3 hours in an average working day. This seems quite high to me! Most people seem to find so many extraneous and irrelevant tasks to do that it’s a wonder they ever get anything done. To be a sales superstar you need to work out what activities bring you success and then set aside time to do them.
Work out your ratios and then work out how many calls you need to make to achieve your personal goals. Once you’ve done that get on and do it. Most salespeople actually spend too much time “on the phone " … the problem is that they’re not focused enough when they are on the phone. Try turning off your mobile, diverting all calls and asking not to be disturbed. Get yourself energized and prepared and then make 60 minutes worth of top quality, proactive calls. You’ll be amazed by how much you can achieve in an hour!
8. SET CLEAR OBJECTIVE GOALS.
Many salespeople make calls without any objectives or goals. This is a complete waste of time. You need to plan and prepare for all proactive sales sessions. Pre-decide on your activities and how you are going to measure them. Set realistic objectives and targets and stick to them. Only this way will you be able to improve and grow.
9. DON’T PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN.
Whether cold or warm calling, it’s important that you keep the energy flowing when you are making proactive calls. It’s too easy to get distracted, start doing something else or take ever increasing breaks between each call.
One very effective way of achieving shorter break time and therefore more proactive energy is to not put the telephone down between calls. Not only does this work but you also save on the psychological energy of having to pick the phone up again every call!! I also recommend that wearing a headset increases the work rate of nearly all telephone sales people.
10. MASTER YOUR PHYSIOLOGY.
Your physiology is the way you use your body… your posture, movement, facial expressions and breathing. Changing your physiology changes your state. If you were to walk into a room full of salespeople on the phone you would instantly know if they were " up for it " or not by the way they were sitting, moving, talking and so on.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
The Freight Broker & The Economy
In the present economic situation how will you survive with a long sales cycle? I believe it is time for all of us to get “back to basics.” we must Open our vision and widen our horizons. We must look beyond immediate gratification. We will have to find new solutions to old problems, and focus more on service. What would such mean to your business?
Here are a few things that will help build your freight broker business.
Credibility:
has to do with the words we speak and the perception of our “domain expertise.” Are you a credible resource for the service at hand?
Reliability:
on the other hand has to do with do we deliver on the promises we make. Do you deliver the service when you say you will? Every time?
Intimacy:
refers more to the relationship that you have with the other person. Do you make sure to understand the context in which they work? Do you go out of your way to make sure you support them and never embarrass them?
Self-orientation:
is the outlook or attitude of the person involved. In other words, is that person’s (you, the seller for example) more interested in achieving their own goals or do they have the other person (the client) best interest at heart – authentically, and not just to get an order or reach some other goal.As you can see from the formula for trust, if you are perceived to have a high self-orientation, then you will diminish trust. Even if you have a reasonable “rating” on the other parameters, you will likely undo any trust if you are perceived as being “in it for himself or herself.”
Green also provides a guideline for building trust
Engage:
understand what your customer values; be well-prepared to discuss one of those issues
Listen:
to the issues that are important and real to the customer
Frame: the true root issue or opportunity statement in terms both of you agree to
Envision: jointly, an alternative end state of how things will look when resolved
Commit:
action; offer specific actionable steps that are agree upon by both parties
The point of all this is that we must recognize the conundrum here. We must authentically have our customer’s best interests at heart. We must have faith that by doing so, we will gain more business. Yet, we cannot be authentically customer-oriented if our goal is to gain more business for ourselves! We will be seen as manipulative if we feign “other-orientation” when we really are dealing with our own best interests at heart. There will be no trust.
So if we want to grow you freight brokerage business and be prepared for this economy, then we must accept that there will a lower level of consumerism and a higher level of savings. This will affect all of us right through the whole supply chain. We should be prepared for a longer and more competitive sales process. We should train our sales people to always work on (relationship and trust-based selling) and insure that our major customers and products are being presented in the trust-based selling space. As business owners and leaders, we must change the way we remunerate our sales team so that their goals are more aligned with the customer’s needs (not taking orders of the desk to meet quota). We have to move away from the short-term gains at the expense of long-term trusting relationships. All of this will require focus, commitment and a drastic change in most corporate cultures.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
Here are a few things that will help build your freight broker business.
Credibility:
has to do with the words we speak and the perception of our “domain expertise.” Are you a credible resource for the service at hand?
Reliability:
on the other hand has to do with do we deliver on the promises we make. Do you deliver the service when you say you will? Every time?
Intimacy:
refers more to the relationship that you have with the other person. Do you make sure to understand the context in which they work? Do you go out of your way to make sure you support them and never embarrass them?
Self-orientation:
is the outlook or attitude of the person involved. In other words, is that person’s (you, the seller for example) more interested in achieving their own goals or do they have the other person (the client) best interest at heart – authentically, and not just to get an order or reach some other goal.As you can see from the formula for trust, if you are perceived to have a high self-orientation, then you will diminish trust. Even if you have a reasonable “rating” on the other parameters, you will likely undo any trust if you are perceived as being “in it for himself or herself.”
Green also provides a guideline for building trust
Engage:
understand what your customer values; be well-prepared to discuss one of those issues
Listen:
to the issues that are important and real to the customer
Frame: the true root issue or opportunity statement in terms both of you agree to
Envision: jointly, an alternative end state of how things will look when resolved
Commit:
action; offer specific actionable steps that are agree upon by both parties
The point of all this is that we must recognize the conundrum here. We must authentically have our customer’s best interests at heart. We must have faith that by doing so, we will gain more business. Yet, we cannot be authentically customer-oriented if our goal is to gain more business for ourselves! We will be seen as manipulative if we feign “other-orientation” when we really are dealing with our own best interests at heart. There will be no trust.
So if we want to grow you freight brokerage business and be prepared for this economy, then we must accept that there will a lower level of consumerism and a higher level of savings. This will affect all of us right through the whole supply chain. We should be prepared for a longer and more competitive sales process. We should train our sales people to always work on (relationship and trust-based selling) and insure that our major customers and products are being presented in the trust-based selling space. As business owners and leaders, we must change the way we remunerate our sales team so that their goals are more aligned with the customer’s needs (not taking orders of the desk to meet quota). We have to move away from the short-term gains at the expense of long-term trusting relationships. All of this will require focus, commitment and a drastic change in most corporate cultures.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
New Freight Brokers and Cold Calling
As many new Freight Brokers of Agent start out I have noticed they all rush to get ha first customer this is an ineffective technique they do little to convince the prospective why they should listen to them. So here is a short list of pitfalls they should avoid if they want to get the prospects attention.
1. Spending too much time with someone that can help them. Far too often when I do phone training with a new freight broke/agent they want to tell everyone what they are calling for this is a big mistake the receptionist cannot help you, I am not saying to be rude or brush them of but you must get to the right person and the first person you talk with in most cases is not the right one
2. Not listening. If you listen to the potential customer they will give you the answer you need slow down and listen.
3. Knowing nothing the business you are calling on. If go to the trouble of calling the prospect to tell about your service it would help to know what their business is. After all, they have spent a lot of time putting that information on my website. So if someone calls and has to ask about their business, and it is clear they haven't done any preparation.
This list can go on, that is why at A1 freight broker training we provide cold call coaching. If a new freight broker or agent needs this aspect to help them become successful.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We
are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
1. Spending too much time with someone that can help them. Far too often when I do phone training with a new freight broke/agent they want to tell everyone what they are calling for this is a big mistake the receptionist cannot help you, I am not saying to be rude or brush them of but you must get to the right person and the first person you talk with in most cases is not the right one
2. Not listening. If you listen to the potential customer they will give you the answer you need slow down and listen.
3. Knowing nothing the business you are calling on. If go to the trouble of calling the prospect to tell about your service it would help to know what their business is. After all, they have spent a lot of time putting that information on my website. So if someone calls and has to ask about their business, and it is clear they haven't done any preparation.
This list can go on, that is why at A1 freight broker training we provide cold call coaching. If a new freight broker or agent needs this aspect to help them become successful.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We
are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
The History of Transportation and Freight Brokers
Transportation and freight brokers have been moving goods since 1852 when Wells, Fargo & Company opened its doors in California, at that time anyone with a wagon and team of horses could open an express company. Before 1900, most freight transported over land was carried by trains using railroads. Trains were highly efficient at moving large amounts of freight, but could only deliver that freight to centralized urban centers for distribution by horse-drawn transport.
The few trucks that existed at the time were mostly novelties, appreciated more for their advertising space than for their utility. The use of range-limited electric engines, lack of paved rural roads, and small load capacities limited trucks to mostly short-haul urban routes. As time moved on transportation began to gain popularity and new technology made trucks more capable of carrying goods safely, efficiently, and economically. This added to the rapidly growing infrastructure of highways and interstates, truck travel by road was the natural answer to many logistical and transportation challenges.
Starting in 1910, the development of a number of technologies gave rise to the modern trucking industry. With the advent of the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine, improvements in transmissions, the move away from chain drives to gear drives, and the development of the tractor/semi-trailer combination, shipping by truck gained in popularity. Today nearly every good you buy at a store or have around your home or office was transported one time or another by a truck, often multiple times. The amount of freight moved by truck every year in the United States adds up to a value of over $670 billion dollars, Ever since goods have been produced and needed transport over longer distance, freight brokers have been used. Freight brokers leverage extensive knowledge of the transportation industry and a wide list of contacts to match up companies that need to have product shipped with carriers looking for freight to move.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
The few trucks that existed at the time were mostly novelties, appreciated more for their advertising space than for their utility. The use of range-limited electric engines, lack of paved rural roads, and small load capacities limited trucks to mostly short-haul urban routes. As time moved on transportation began to gain popularity and new technology made trucks more capable of carrying goods safely, efficiently, and economically. This added to the rapidly growing infrastructure of highways and interstates, truck travel by road was the natural answer to many logistical and transportation challenges.
Starting in 1910, the development of a number of technologies gave rise to the modern trucking industry. With the advent of the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine, improvements in transmissions, the move away from chain drives to gear drives, and the development of the tractor/semi-trailer combination, shipping by truck gained in popularity. Today nearly every good you buy at a store or have around your home or office was transported one time or another by a truck, often multiple times. The amount of freight moved by truck every year in the United States adds up to a value of over $670 billion dollars, Ever since goods have been produced and needed transport over longer distance, freight brokers have been used. Freight brokers leverage extensive knowledge of the transportation industry and a wide list of contacts to match up companies that need to have product shipped with carriers looking for freight to move.
Check Out the services we offer and Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
Freight Brokers, Freight Rates And Trucking Industry
Freight Brokers understand that freight rates have depressed drastically. This is because of descended current freight capacity. It is unfortunate, though, that the declining freight capacity has also led to many jobs being lost.
Companies have had to downsize, or go bankrupt, because of the declining trucking freight rates. Fuel accounts for up to 60% of the trucking freight rates bottom line cost of freight hauling.
A few details that a freight broker ,must understand is the value of shipping, contract pricing, which is directly integral to trucking, the numerous accessorial charges, available trucking service level and available value-added services that affect freight rates.
Freight Brokers know the costs associated with the trucking rates and therefore, can be a stringent advocate to the consumer and the carrier’s trucking rates, the bottom line is that trucking rates are determined by everything from beginning to end of the shipment.
Freight Brokers understand that the global economy relies on the trucking industry and, therefore, the freight rates of those involved. When demand for products increase, the freight rates will increase
Check Out the services we offer
At A1 Truck Services
Watch The Video About A1 Trucking Services
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
Companies have had to downsize, or go bankrupt, because of the declining trucking freight rates. Fuel accounts for up to 60% of the trucking freight rates bottom line cost of freight hauling.
A few details that a freight broker ,must understand is the value of shipping, contract pricing, which is directly integral to trucking, the numerous accessorial charges, available trucking service level and available value-added services that affect freight rates.
Freight Brokers know the costs associated with the trucking rates and therefore, can be a stringent advocate to the consumer and the carrier’s trucking rates, the bottom line is that trucking rates are determined by everything from beginning to end of the shipment.
Freight Brokers understand that the global economy relies on the trucking industry and, therefore, the freight rates of those involved. When demand for products increase, the freight rates will increase
Check Out the services we offer
At A1 Truck Services
Watch The Video About A1 Trucking Services
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00.
The Freight Broker and Voice Mail
I am not a big fan of leaving a voicemail with a prospect and waiting for their response. In a cold calling scenario, count on them not returning your call. Instead, leave them a brief message name and a simple statement requesting a return call, you need to stay in control of the process.
Having said that, there are a few things you can do to increase the possibility that your prospect will surprise you and return your call.
1. Know Why You Are Calling.
Your prospect is thinking the same thing. They want to know how important it is for them to hear you out. Before you call, Most of us, when we call a prospect, have no idea where to take the conversation after we finally get them to say, "You got my attention. You've got 2 minutes. What do you want?" So we revert back to announcing our wonderful services and how great you are going to make their world you have just become like the other thousands of freight brokers that call waiting their business.
Before you place the call, know why you are calling them and the desired outcome.
What's playing in their mind is: "So what? What's in it for me? What am I getting out of this?"
2. Your Name Is Not an Attention Getter in a Cold Call.
Your prospects are preoccupied with other things they need to do. Your job is to say something that is going to cut through all of their mental distractions and get their attention. Your name, company and phone number just won't do the job. Create a compelling reason for them to do business with you be there to be of service.
3. Reference Someone They Know to Get Their Attention
In sales, we often talk about the power of referrals and how much easier it is to make a connection when you have them. Referencing a person that your prospect knows or respects is a fast way to get their attention, but before you use the referral, make sure that the person you are referencing is in good standing. The last thing you want is to reference someone who has had a disruptive influence in your prospect's business. It leaves them with a bad first impression of you.
4. Remove References how great you are going to make life for them
As exciting as it may be to you, your prospect doesn't care about you. They recognize that most of these are claims made by biased fight brokers they have heard it all. Don't promise your prospect what you can do for them. Instead, let them know what you've done for similar clients in the past and state that similar results may be possible for them.
Remember, no one cares about your specialized system or service. What they care about are the business results that you can help them achieve, and you can't really address that topic until you know the specifics about their situation.
5. Leave Them a Compliment.
If you've been monitoring Google News, have Google alerts set up, or if you are following a company on LinkedIn, then you will know when people get promoted, when people leave the company, when people transition to different positions, spectacular end of the quarter results, new business acquisitions, etc. Don't be afraid to mention these changes or acknowledge accomplishments and tie them in to the reason for your call. It shows that you have taken a genuine interest in their company and their issues as opposed to someone looking to make a hit-and-run sale.
6. Use a Little Dramatic Flair.
There are plenty of ways to get attention.
“Make a statement like” Mr. Smith I understand that you are the person I need to talk with I have a question I need to ask and I understand only you can answer this so please call me back.
In a world where your competition is clamoring for your prospects' attention, you need to do something that is going to raise your message above the ever-present noise. Sometimes, using drama to emphasize your point is exactly what you need to stand out in the crowd and get your prospect's attention. Remember, however, that using dramatic flair isn't for everyone. It won't work in all situations, and it can very easily to go over the top, blowing your credibility.
As I mentioned, I'm not a big advocate of giving up control of the communications process. Keep it simple and to the point.
Check Out the services we offer
At A1 Truck Services
Watch The Video About A1 Trucking Services
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00
Having said that, there are a few things you can do to increase the possibility that your prospect will surprise you and return your call.
1. Know Why You Are Calling.
Your prospect is thinking the same thing. They want to know how important it is for them to hear you out. Before you call, Most of us, when we call a prospect, have no idea where to take the conversation after we finally get them to say, "You got my attention. You've got 2 minutes. What do you want?" So we revert back to announcing our wonderful services and how great you are going to make their world you have just become like the other thousands of freight brokers that call waiting their business.
Before you place the call, know why you are calling them and the desired outcome.
What's playing in their mind is: "So what? What's in it for me? What am I getting out of this?"
2. Your Name Is Not an Attention Getter in a Cold Call.
Your prospects are preoccupied with other things they need to do. Your job is to say something that is going to cut through all of their mental distractions and get their attention. Your name, company and phone number just won't do the job. Create a compelling reason for them to do business with you be there to be of service.
3. Reference Someone They Know to Get Their Attention
In sales, we often talk about the power of referrals and how much easier it is to make a connection when you have them. Referencing a person that your prospect knows or respects is a fast way to get their attention, but before you use the referral, make sure that the person you are referencing is in good standing. The last thing you want is to reference someone who has had a disruptive influence in your prospect's business. It leaves them with a bad first impression of you.
4. Remove References how great you are going to make life for them
As exciting as it may be to you, your prospect doesn't care about you. They recognize that most of these are claims made by biased fight brokers they have heard it all. Don't promise your prospect what you can do for them. Instead, let them know what you've done for similar clients in the past and state that similar results may be possible for them.
Remember, no one cares about your specialized system or service. What they care about are the business results that you can help them achieve, and you can't really address that topic until you know the specifics about their situation.
5. Leave Them a Compliment.
If you've been monitoring Google News, have Google alerts set up, or if you are following a company on LinkedIn, then you will know when people get promoted, when people leave the company, when people transition to different positions, spectacular end of the quarter results, new business acquisitions, etc. Don't be afraid to mention these changes or acknowledge accomplishments and tie them in to the reason for your call. It shows that you have taken a genuine interest in their company and their issues as opposed to someone looking to make a hit-and-run sale.
6. Use a Little Dramatic Flair.
There are plenty of ways to get attention.
“Make a statement like” Mr. Smith I understand that you are the person I need to talk with I have a question I need to ask and I understand only you can answer this so please call me back.
In a world where your competition is clamoring for your prospects' attention, you need to do something that is going to raise your message above the ever-present noise. Sometimes, using drama to emphasize your point is exactly what you need to stand out in the crowd and get your prospect's attention. Remember, however, that using dramatic flair isn't for everyone. It won't work in all situations, and it can very easily to go over the top, blowing your credibility.
As I mentioned, I'm not a big advocate of giving up control of the communications process. Keep it simple and to the point.
Check Out the services we offer
At A1 Truck Services
Watch The Video About A1 Trucking Services
A1 Freight Broker Training And Logistics Consulting We are here To Be of Service
Watch Videos From A1 Freight Broker Training
Start Today Call (706) 451-9371
Freight Broker Business Training $750.00
Freight Agent Training $500.00 with placement assistance
Freight Broker Material and 2 Hours online Training $199.00
