 |
| Would you like a blueberry muffin with your coffee ? Does your competition offer blueberry muffins ? Is your customer in the mood for a coffee and a blueberry muffin ? |
When making initial contact with a potential customer, it’s important to be prepared prior to your call or visit. When selling yourself and your business services you will need to have a solid understanding on what set’s you apart from your competition.
While speaking over the telephone or sitting in front of a potential customer, remember that if you are successful in getting this piece of business, most likely you’ve taken it away from somebody else. If you are lucky, maybe this shipper really needs a carrier at the time you call however this is rare.
During your meeting, you’ll want to discuss exactly what you can do and what value you bring to the table. Ask about their shipping needs and discuss how you may be of service to them. Most importantly, you’ll want to have a well thought out strategy on how you’ll set yourself apart from the competition. The potential customer wants to know why they should use your company vs somebody else.
Most people find it easy to just sell their services on “price” however there are many ways to differentiate your service from competitors. An example of differentiation can be found in the coffee industry. All you need to do is look at “Starbucks” and how they changed the coffee business. Prior to Starbucks, coffee simply sold on price alone and there was very little differentiation among the major players in the industry. This business savvy company concentrated on the “quality” of its coffee and the “experience” around its product. Just think about the many available choices/selections when you enter a Starbucks coffee shop, the strong aroma, friendly service, comfortable atmosphere and the quality of that delicious cup of coffee.
In the transportation industry, it’s easy to have duplication from one carrier to another. This leads to selling our services on price alone. There are numerous ways to sell yourself on service. From a business stand point, you need to come up with your own unique ideas which make you as a carrier valuable to the customer. You need to feel it from the heart. You can’t convince a potential customer if you don’t believe in it yourself. I encourage you to dig way down deep and find your own original ideas to increase the value of your service.
Being prepared, knowing your strengths and selling on your value will go a long way towards turning a potential customer into a long term client. Good luck!