Why would you pick one of these cups overe the others?
This post is a follow up from a previous blog regarding “Making Contact With A Potential Customer.”
While speaking over the telephone or sitting at the office in front of a potential customer, remember that if you’re successful at getting this piece of business, most likely you’ve taken it away from somebody else. At best…maybe this shipper really needs a carrier at the time you call on them. However, this is rare.
During your meeting, you’ll want to discuss exactly what you can do for this particular customer. Ask about their shipping needs and discuss how you may be of service to them. Most importantly, you’ll want to be prepared ahead of time and have a well thought out strategy on how you’ll set yourself apart from the competition. The potential customer wants to know “why should they use you as a carrier 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 the competition. 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 as 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, 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.
