One of the biggest challenges for any logistics organization is scaling your business and finding reliable long-term clients. Implementing an efficient sales strategy and following the best logistics sales tips are the best way to ensure you have a consistent pipeline of clients and expand to new markets.
It’s not enough just to offer great service - with so many 3PLs on the market today, you’ll need to stand out from the crowd. Through the sales process, you’ll need to prove that your team has the professionalism and technical know-how to handle your clients’ supply chains. Here are five logistics sales tips to help you win clients and secure more shipments.
When a potential customer requests a quote, chances are you’re not the only company they’re talking to. One of the best logistics sales tips is to create and send a quote as quickly as possible to help you get ahead of the competition and keep the conversation moving forward. It also shows prospects that you care about their business and are committed to efficiency and communication.
To speed up the quoting process further, consider implementing technology to do the heavy lifting for you. It is recommended that you use a tool that allows you to create a quote with multiple services (FTL, LTL, Intermodal, FCL, LCL, Air, Warehousing) simultaneously to speed up the quote generation process. This is so customers can get one quote for their entire logistics needs in the fastest way possible.
If you don’t have the budget to invest in technology, you’ll need to develop a standard quoting process that you can work through every single time at least. Although each client will have unique warehousing and shipping requirements, working from the same template each time will help you standardize the process. Another tip is to follow up with a call or email directly from your logistics sales team to add a personal touch and close the deal.
In addition to providing a quote quickly, a logistics sales tip to stand out from your competitors is to make your quotes detailed and professional. First impressions are everything; a professional quote will immediately set the tone for future interactions. And by addressing key questions about your services in your detailed quote, you’ll minimize back-and-forth with potential clients so you can close the deal faster.
Your quotes should feature a full breakdown of lane details, so customers understand what to expect from your services. For example, your quoting tool should break down cargo details like commodity type, weight, packaging type, and more. You should also add route details, accessorial services, and charge details. Any special warehousing or inventory needs should also be addressed in the quote. Providing this information up front in your quote is a great logistics sales tip to help your organization stand out in a competitive field.
Leveraging data is another logistics sales tip to make your quotes stand out in a crowded 3PL field. Ideally, your quoting tool should have a built-in feature allowing users to browse market and historical data while creating quotes. Using data maximizes your chances of winning profitable quotes and having data at your fingertips allows you to create quotes faster.
Market data reflect real-time market shipping rates, which change every day. Staying on top of rapidly changing market conditions is important to create the most winnable quotes possible. Historical data gives you access to all the quotes you’ve provided for customers. From there, you can determine the best possible margins to secure loads.
Multiple sales touches are necessary to close the deal with your logistics customers. However, if you have a high volume of potential clients in the pipeline, managing your sales touches can be very difficult. Often, salespeople will miss out on sending emails or calling your leads.
However, a logistics sales tip you can follow is to use technology to automate some of your sales touches. SCRM is a 3PL tool we recommend to help your salespeople keep their leads conveniently organized in one place. It uses automation to remind you when to send emails or call leads and keep the conversation flowing.
Even large companies want a personal touch when it comes to their 3PL providers. Another logistics sales tip we can provide is to go above and beyond to cater to each of your client’s unique needs. This will help increase your conversions and create loyal clients that will stay with you for years to come. Take the time to get to know potential clients and address their concerns early on to set the foundation for a strong relationship.
To do this efficiently, you’ll need to leverage technology and data to identify client-specific patterns. This information will allow you to provide personalized services, helping you continuously secure business and build brand loyalty. Today’s clients are busier than ever, so the more you can do for them, the more valuable your services will be.
Implementing these logistics sales tips into your sales process will significantly help your business scale. It will not only help secure more shipments, it’ll also allow you to better personalize your services and create long-term relationships with clients. To efficiently perform the logistics sales tips above, we recommend using this CRM + quoting tool for 3PLs.
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