Let’s talk about how to be a freight broker who has carriers and shippers alike beating down their door for business.
It’s an unfortunate truth of our industry that quality can vary widely from one freight broker to the next. It’s not uncommon to hear complaints, from clients and carriers both, that one broker or another hasn’t turned out the way they expected.
And honestly, if you read some of the comments online about brokers, that’s putting it nicely.
Obviously, reality is different from what you find online — that’s where the loud, angry people go to voice their complaints, after all.
And here’s the reality: There are plenty of amazing freight brokers who work hard every day to deliver to clients, to treat their carriers with dignity and respect, and to keep delivering top quality service while also turning a profit.
The secret to their success? It’s probably not going to blow your mind.
Wondering how to be a freight broker who creates a successful, sustainable business? Here’s the secret — do the same things you’d do to make any business successful
I hope you didn’t come here looking for an incredible insider secret — I don’t have one for you.
The truth is, being a freight broker is much like being a professional in any industry. If you provide excellent customer service, always act like a professional, invest in modern technology, do your best to market your business, and keep up to date with the latest trends, you’re bound to succeed.
These are simple formulas to success for any business, but there’s one I didn’t mention:
Differentiate yourself from the competition.
Look at the competition, look closely at what they’re doing, and ask yourself how you can stand out from the crowd.
This is a truism for all forms of business — the one who’s different stands out, the one who stands out gets more business.
That being said, being a freight broker is a lot different from being a lawyer or owning a restaurant. Let’s talk about a few differences.
Keep in mind the size of the industry — your actions, large and small, matter
Unlike some industries, in this industry, everybody knows everybody.
Don’t let this scare you — this is actually a huge opportunity.
If you can make an impact quickly, you can build a reputation (and your business) fast. If you can continually provide excellent customer service, pick the best carriers and make their lives as easy as possible, cut off bad carriers and bad shippers quickly (while still providing excellent customer service and making their lives easy), and if you can act like a professional the entire time, you’ll get noticed.
I always hope that, in any industry, it goes without saying that you should be a professional. Another unfortunate truth about our world these days is that professionals stand out more and more —there are just fewer professionals around.
If you can act like a professional, you set yourself apart from a large portion of the competition. That’s not a knock against our industry — that’s life in general.
That’s how to be a freight broker who kicks butt and takes names.
Follow good business practices, and you’re sure to succeed
Here are a few final tips:
- Market yourself heavily and make sales a centerpiece of your business strategy
- Specialize in a particular segment of the industry
- Stay up to date on technology and trends
- Always be looking for new business
If you do all this, you can’t help but succeed. Sometimes, it might be rough. You might have some lean times, and you might have to take a hit or two financially. But, if you do the right thing, put your nose to the grindstone, and keep plugging away, you can become a freight broker to be reckoned with.
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