How to Choose the Best Freight Broker Software for Boosting Sales

Benefits of Using Freight Broker Software for Sales

Freight broker software for sales offers your business a wide range of benefits compared to generic sales software. Especially in the logistics industry, companies need software designed to meet their unique needs. If not, it can create blind spots or inefficiencies in your sales operations. Here are some benefits of using sales software specifically for freight brokers.

1. Secure More Shipments

Freight brokerage is a competitive industry, and winning business is important. Freight broker software can help you secure more shipments by providing a range of tools that go beyond basic customer relationship management. These tools can help you better understand your sales operations through logistics sales reports and industry-specific dashboard.

With freight broker software, you can access real-time market data and historical lane rates. This specialized software has a built-in quoting tool designed for the logistics industry. With this tool, you can generate professional and accurate quotes within 5 minutes or less. The faster you can send a quote to a customer, the better your chances of winning their business.

2. Complete Visibility of Your Customer Picture

Freight broker sales software will give your business a holistic picture of your leads and customers. You can view customer data in real time, track communications between your team and clients, send and view quotes, track essential logistics KPIs, and so much more.

With sales software made specifically for freight brokers, it can serve as your single source of truth for all customer details. Generic sales software like Hubspot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce will require you to use other applications to keep track of specialized logistics data or customize their CRMs to be logistics business-compatible. Both are unadvisable since it requires a significant amount of time and resources to customize while having multiple separate applications brings many inefficiencies.

3. Access to Real-Time Logistics Data

Since logistics cover a niche industry, generic sales software typically does not integrate with critical logistics applications like BlueGrace, TomTom, PCMiler, LoadPlus, or DAT. The lack of such integrations can create data blind spots or inefficiencies due to using separate applications to access critical logistics data.

With freight broker software for sales, you benefit from integrating your core platform with a wide range of industry-specific applications. By pooling data from your mission-critical solutions, you can gain more business insights and engage in accurate data-driven decision-making. This helps you capitalize on sales opportunities better.

To learn more about the benefits of software specifically made for logistics, click here.

Key Features To Consider When Choosing Freight Broker Software for Sales

When selecting a freight broker software for sales, evaluating the key features and functionalities that can significantly boost your sales is important. Here are some essential features to consider:

1. Logistics Dashboard

A logistics-specific dashboard is one of the most important tools in freight broker software because it gives a snapshot of your company’s performance. It should allow you to monitor important logistics KPIs, such as shipment count, awarded lanes, shipment frequency, and typical sales KPIs like revenues, profits, margins, etc.

2. Centralized Communications Management

A feature that is a must for freight broker sales software is allowing you to collect all your communications with customers and leads in one place. Your team can log calls, emails, meetings, and other activities directly in this software, which promotes transparency, teamwork, and helps your entire sales team work more productively.

3. Intelligent Logistics Quoting Tool

A smart quoting system designed specifically for logistics will save you time and help you win clients. Look for a feature that allows you to reference both historical customer quote data and current market data to help you provide high-converting quotes.

4. Sales Pipeline Management

Another feature to look for in freight broker software is a sales pipeline that can give you a full view of your entire sales funnel. This ensures that none of your leads are neglected and helps your team stay organized as they’re juggling many sales prospects simultaneously.

5. Logistics Sales Reports

Generic software will have sales reports but are not tuned to the logistics industry. Software for freight brokers will measure data, such as lanes won, profit margin per lane type, lanes win ratio, and more, and allow it to create sales reports specific to logistics.

6. Integrations with Logistics Applications

Your freight broker software must integrate with critical logistics applications like DAT, BlueGrace, TomTom, PC Miler, LOADPlus, and more. This is so you can leverage the data coming from these applications into your workflow.

Understanding Your Business Needs and Goals

Before diving into the sea of freight broker software options, it’s essential to understand your business needs and goals. Take the time to evaluate your current sales processes and identify pain points or areas for improvement. Consider the specific challenges you face and the goals you want to achieve with the help of software. To learn some of the major challenges that freight brokers face, click here.

To gain a deeper understanding, involve your sales team in this process. They are on the front lines and can provide valuable insights into the specific features and functionalities required to perform their job effectively. By involving them in the decision-making process, you can increase their willingness to use the software and ensure a smooth transition.

Once you have a clear understanding of your needs and goals, create a list of must-have and nice-to-have features. This will guide you throughout the selection process and help you focus on what truly matters for your business.

Researching and Evaluating Different Freight Broker Sales Software Options

With your business needs and goals in mind, it’s time to research and evaluate the different freight broker sales software options. Start by conducting an online search and compiling a list of potential solutions. We also compiled our top 5 sales CRMs for freight brokers here.

Look for software providers with a solid reputation, positive customer reviews, and a track record of delivering quality products and excellent customer service.

Next, narrow down your list by considering factors such as compatibility with your existing systems, scalability, and the level of support the software company provides. Reach out to the shortlisted providers and request product demonstrations or free trials to get a hands-on experience with the software.

Pay close attention to the user interface and overall user experience during the evaluation process. The software should be intuitive and user-friendly, as this will ensure smooth adoption and minimize the learning curve for your team. Consider involving your sales team in the evaluation process to gather their feedback and ensure the software meets their needs and preferences.

Comparing Pricing and Support Options

As you evaluate different freight broker sales software options, it’s crucial to consider the pricing and support options. While cost should not be the sole deciding factor, ensuring that the software fits within your budget and offers a good return on investment is essential.

When comparing pricing options, look for transparency and flexibility. Some providers offer a subscription-based pricing model, while others may charge based on the number of users or the volume of transactions. Consider your business size and growth projections to choose a pricing plan that aligns with your budget and scalability needs.

TIP: If the company does not disclose their price online, it is almost guaranteed to be very expensive.

Equally important is the level of support provided by the software provider. Look for providers that offer comprehensive onboarding and training programs to help your team get up to speed quickly. Also, consider the availability and responsiveness of their customer support team. Ideally, you want a provider that offers 24/7 support and has a reputation for resolving issues promptly and efficiently.

Reading Customer Reviews and Testimonials

To better understand the software’s performance and reliability, read customer reviews and testimonials. Review platforms can be tricky to trust as they recommend companies paying the most to their company. Try to find actual user reviews on social media, Reddit, or case study videos to better understand a software’s capability.

You can also look for reviews on trusted blogs, industry forums, and social media channels. Pay attention to both positive and negative reviews to get a balanced perspective.

Customer reviews can provide insights into the software’s ease of use, reliability, customer support, and overall satisfaction. Look for patterns in the reviews and prioritize software that consistently receives positive feedback from customers in your industry.

Additionally, consider contacting other businesses in your industry using the software you are considering. They can provide firsthand insights into their experience and help you make an informed decision.

Making the Final Decision and Implementing The Chosen Software

After thorough research, evaluation, and consideration of pricing, support options, and customer reviews, it’s time to decide and implement the chosen freight broker software.

Before proceeding, ensure that you have a clear implementation plan in place. Communicate with your team about the upcoming changes, provide training sessions to familiarize them with the software, and set specific milestones and goals for the implementation process.

During the implementation phase, it’s essential to closely monitor the progress and address any issues or challenges. Regularly communicate with the software provider and provide feedback to ensure a smooth transition. Consider assigning a dedicated point person or team to oversee the implementation process and act as a liaison between your business and the software provider.

Training and Onboarding Your Team on the New Software

Once the software is implemented, you must provide training and onboarding to your team. This will ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to use the software effectively.

Develop a comprehensive training plan covering all software aspects, including basic functionalities, advanced features, and best practices. Consider providing in-person and online training sessions to accommodate different learning styles and schedules.

Additionally, create user guides and documentation that are easily accessible to your team. These resources will serve as a reference point and help them navigate the software independently.

Encourage feedback from your team during the training and onboarding process. Their input can help identify areas for improvement and ensure that the software is being utilized to its full potential.

Conclusion

Choosing the best freight broker software for sales is a critical decision that can significantly impact your sales operations. By considering key factors such as features, integration capabilities, user-friendliness, and pricing options, you can make an informed choice that aligns with your unique needs and goals.

Remember, it’s important to understand your business requirements, involve your sales team in the decision-making process, and thoroughly research and evaluate different software options. By doing so, you can ensure a smooth implementation and maximize the benefits of the chosen software.

If you’d like to see a demo of our freight broker software made to help you secure more shipments, you can schedule a free custom demo here.

Thank you for reading our article. For more educational content, you can explore all our blogs here. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook for supply chain industry trends and efficiency tips. If you have other inquiries or suggestions, do not hesitate to contact us through this link.