Sales Agent Facts
- More than 25 years of experience in the transportation and logistics industry.
- Built a book of business worth more than $70,000 USD a month.
Challenges
- Not enough services to offer customers.
- Lack of technology tools.
- No solid contracts with carriers.
- Not enough resources to hire back and front office support.
- Lack of time to submit and follow up claims.
Results
This sales agent grew his revenue by 200% YoY after partnering with an experienced 3PL to assist in providing new shipping solutions and full customer service to his entire book of business.
FULL STORY
This is the story of a former employee who decided to start his own business in the transportation and logistics industry. This person had been part of the industry for more than 25 years and had already acquired the experience needed to close more deals.
When contemplating this endeavor, the new business owner thought through all the benefits and disadvantages of working for himself. Among the benefits, he listed the possibility of being his own boss, having control over his calendar and time, organizing his business processes the way he wants, earning more revenue for himself, and fulfilling his life-long dream of being an entrepreneur. The last benefit was the driving force behind his decision to leave his comfort zone and venture out on his own.
The challenge was simple. He needed a partner he could rely on to keep offering the services he was already providing to his customers before going out on his own. He also needed to offer competitive prices, which meant he needed to have the clout to negotiate with carriers and to leverage affordable operative support in assisting and following up with claims promptly. At the same time, his business needed to be profitable, which meant he had to spend a lot of time finding new customers to feed his sales lead pipeline. For all these reasons, he knew his energy and resources shouldn’t be spent on time-consuming administrative tasks but on the art of selling solutions and finding opportunities in this dynamic market. He needed backup so he can spend his time on business priorities but not abandon those other important tasks. He decided to look for an external partner so he could leave those functions in expert hands and focus on growing his business without worry.
The new business owner decided to partner up with a 3PL. He wanted to deliver the best customer service in the industry, and he knew his customers expected that same level of service. He knew he could count on these experts to adapt their services to his specific needs.
To offer the best solutions, the 3PL performed a complete business diagnostic on the new business and then helped the new owner set up a prioritized functional strategy that supported his operations and allowed him to focus his energy and efforts on attracting more prospects to his book of business. During this exploration journey, these experts identified several processes that would help the new business experience a successful journey.
1. TMS to Keep Track of his Business: To implement efficient customer service, he needed to have customer information, orders, invoices, a credit line, and many other pieces of important data on one platform. With this solution, he will have access to a dashboard, insights into sales performance, and a database adaptable to his administrative needs. Also, his customers will have access to a connected and branded portal and will be able to quote, dispatch, and receive support quickly
2. A Wide Network of Carriers (Regional and Nationwide): He will have full access to solid contracts with more than 1,000 carriers that allowed him to provide competitive prices to his clients and help him better serve their needs. These contracts are with strong and reliable carriers that are already screened.
3. An Operative Team Backing Him Up: One of the most attractive features for him in partnering up with a 3PL was the possibility of having a dedicated team to service his accounts. This kind of dedication offered an outstanding level of service and optimized communication between the owner and his customer. This team offered technical and operational support, back and front office support, freight bill auditing, POD, W&I, document retrieval, carrier payments, and all the support he needed to build a successful company.
4. A Specialized Team to File and Follow up Claims: This benefit was crucial for the owner because he wanted to deliver excellent customer support to his customers. The opportunity for extra experts backing him up throughout the entire process helped him to excel in his business performance and bring high-quality customer service to his book of business.
5. An Attractive Portfolio of Services: He was able to meet his customers’ demands because the 3PL provided comprehensive transportation and logistics solutions, including LTL, FTL, Heavy Hauling, Container Drayage, Temperature-Control, Expedited, Guaranteed, Intermodal, Cargo Insurance, Packaging, Crating, Warehousing, and Distribution.
“By working as an agent, I was able to make my dreams come true. I’m happy to have a responsive and nice team by my side, and I plan to keep growing with a reputable company supporting my business”
Summary
In the execution process, this new business owner was able to deliver outstanding customer service to his customers. By partnering with GLT Logistics, he was able to keep searching for new business opportunities. In one year, his revenue grew by 200% proving his belief that a strategic alliance would help him to grow his business
.