Empower Your Shipping Business with Customer Prospecting for Shipping

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00:00:00:00 - 00:00:23:01 Nate Cross For freight brokers, locating new shippers can be tough and using the wrong methods to find leads might set you back. We've discussed detailed prospecting techniques and some of our other content, but here's a quick look at three ways that you can prospect with a purpose and help grow your brokerage. 00:00:23:03 - 00:00:48:17 Nate Cross Thanks for checking out the freight 360 YouTube channel. I'm Nate Cross. And today we're going to talk about prospecting. Please take a moment to like subscribe and hit the bell icon so YouTube can get us in front of more people just like you. And please check out our sponsors in the description box to support this channel. Now, if you'd like to learn more about Freight 360 and our training, check out the Freight Broker Basics course using the link below. 00:00:48:19 - 00:01:12:22 Nate Cross It's a self-paced program taught by us that covers everything, including how to start your own brokerage land. New customers grow the business and even hire the right employees. First up, finding a niche. We all have certain things that were truly passionate about, and then there are things that simply just don't click with us. This comes into play a specialty when deciding which businesses to approach as a freight broker. 00:01:12:24 - 00:01:38:05 Nate Cross By channeling our efforts into a freight commodity that genuinely interests us, our work becomes not just a task, but a venture filled with actual excitement. For example, if you're a car enthusiast looking into the auto hauling segment, could be an exciting venture for you. Similarly, if you have a liking for farming or the broader agricultural landscape, the produce sector could offer rewarding opportunities for you. 00:01:38:07 - 00:01:57:22 Nate Cross It's always more productive and enjoyable to surround yourself in areas that you're genuinely interested in, rather than forcing yourself into the ones that don't excite you at all. Take, for example, someone who isn't that much into DIY or home renovations. They might find the lumber and building materials industry less appealing by thinking through the industries that interest you. 00:01:58:03 - 00:02:18:21 Nate Cross You can start your lead generation on a positive note, leading to a better list of companies that fit your interests. Making prospecting calls a much better experience. Next is going to be prospecting similar companies together. Have you ever found yourself caught in the repetitive cycle while prospecting You dive deep into one company, gather their information, and then you make a phone call. 00:02:19:02 - 00:02:45:16 Nate Cross Once that's done, you move on to the next company and repeat the process over and over. This approach, while it's thorough, it's not the most time efficient. It can drastically reduce the amount of calls you can make and limit your potential prospecting volumes. Consider a more efficient strategy grouping similar companies. For instance, if you're zeroing in on steel, manufacturers don't dive into exhaustive research for each company individually. 00:02:45:18 - 00:03:11:08 Nate Cross Instead, start by getting a full understanding of the current trends and challenges in the steel industry. With this broader perspective, you can systematically call these companies in succession. Each phone call will not only expand your understanding of what's going on, but will also improve your pitch for the next phone call and the next and the next. This method doesn't just save you time, it leverages snowballing knowledge. 00:03:11:10 - 00:03:38:03 Nate Cross It's a tactic that seasoned brokers swear by enabling them to make efficiently somewhere between 80 and 100 calls every single day. Maximizing their outreach and potential growth. Finally, some common mistakes to avoid. There are many common mistakes in prospecting, so here are three major ones that new freight brokers might make. First is a lack of activity. The importance of making calls and following up cannot be overstated. 00:03:38:05 - 00:04:01:23 Nate Cross To put it bluntly, if you're not consistently engaging with potential shippers, especially during the early stages or while trying to expand your business, you're likely missing out on significant opportunities. The tips that we just mentioned can provide a roadmap helping you better plan and accurately execute your prospecting efforts. Once you establish your routine, making between 200 calls each day can become second nature. 00:04:02:00 - 00:04:29:01 Nate Cross And this isn't just for the newbies. Even veteran brokers recognize the value of dedicated prospecting days. And while it's important to make that first call, it's equally important to follow up. Sometimes building a successful relationship or closing a new customer could take 10 to 15 different interactions with this prospect. So be the broker who who's remembered for their consistency, not the one who gives up after that first single phone call. 00:04:29:04 - 00:04:50:07 Nate Cross Next is the wrong approach. It's not only about making calls or meeting in person. You should use a mix of different methods to reach out to potential clients. Always try to communicate in the way that they're most comfortable with Some customers might like texts, others prefer phone calls, and if you're nearby, face to face meetings can be extremely effective. 00:04:50:10 - 00:05:15:01 Nate Cross Don't stick to just one approach. Vary your methods. Lastly, don't be a know it all. No one has all the answers. For freight brokers, it's crucial for us to connect with other brokers in the industry. You can learn from them and they can learn from your experiences too. This give and take doesn't have to be formal. It can be over a casual round of golf, a social event, virtual meet up on Zoom or FaceTime even. 00:05:15:06 - 00:05:44:00 Nate Cross The key is to keep communication lines open with those who understand and do your job. If you're working solo, consider joining broker social media groups. We've even started our own on Facebook that you can check out, sharing your wins and losses with coworkers or online Communities like this helps everyone grow. If you can observe or just understand how someone else does their prospecting, you can take some things that they do and use them yourself and simply just ignore the things that maybe you don't like so much. 00:05:44:02 - 00:06:05:04 Nate Cross Either way, there's a ton of value in learning from others. So there's your three tips on how to prospect with a purpose. Thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next video.