Will freight brokerage pricing evolve toward a discounted, transparent fee model like stock brokerage pricing? To answer that question, let’s examine some of the similarities between the two industries. The Evolution from Full-Service to Discount Stock Brokers Back in the 70’s and 80’s full-service stock brokerages dominated the industry. The industry leaders, like Merrill Lynch, [...]

The friend zone is a situation in which one member of a friendship wants to enter a romantic relationship, while the other does not. The person who wants the romantic relationship, but can’t have it is said to be in the friend zone. In our personal lives, we see the friend zone for what [...]

Everybody knows Steve Jobs, the iconic innovator, who transformed five different industries: computers, phones, music, digital publishing and movies (Pixar). He even left his mark in brick and mortar with the Apple Stores, which have been wildly successful. But what if Steve Jobs had unleased his crazed intensity and business mastery on the 3PL [...]

To meet his sales numbers, a young 3PL salesman calls 100 prospects per day and asks for the sale. He has been taught that if he makes enough calls, he will win over a shipper or two. The wise old boss reminds his newbie salesman that “it’s a numbers game.” After a long week of [...]

Admiral E. J. King famously said “I don't know what the hell this "logistics" is that Marshall is always talking about, but I want some of it.” Since he was an admiral, I am pretty sure somebody got Mr. King some logistics. Admiral King was no doubt surrounded by logistics activities and logisticians. He just didn’t [...]

The Cold Chain is Booming Between now and 2020, the cold chain is predicted to grow 15% CAGR according to industry analysts. It is growing much faster than the world’s economy and the rest of the logistics sector. So what exactly is the cold chain and why is it growing so fast? Cold Chain – [...]

If you sell 3PL services, it will be a bit tougher to reach your 2016 sales goals. Below are 5 reasons you might not reach your sales goals in 2016: 1. Rise of the Tech Titans There is some interesting new competition in the transportation business. The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos and the [...]

Are you an expert or a salesman? If I was to ask any of the transportation guys I work with this question, I think most of them would answer “both.” They consider themselves expert in the services they sell. Now consider this question: Do the prospects you engage with consider you an expert or [...]

One of the keys to being successful in transportation sales is finding the right kind of customers. The ideal customer will like your company’s service offering and believe in your business philosophy. In other words, these guys get it. My friend and former boss Craig Winn called these prospects “Right Thinking Guys” or RTGs. As a salesman, [...]

Have you ever found just the perfect prospect? The type of company that your service was custom designed to serve? After your first contact, you start fantasizing about the great service you will provide, the new ideas you will bring and all the savings you can deliver. Of course, you will begin calculating your commission [...]

There are a lot of transportation salesmen (and women) who have become invisible. These people are not really invisible, but they blend in with their competition so they seem invisible to prospective customers. We are all exposed to an enormous amount of stimulus everyday – our brains ignore the boring and mundane. On the other [...]