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Training Tuesday:Improving Your Sales Pitch

Posted 6 years ago

If you’ve done proper prospecting and initial calls, then you’ve finally reached the part of the selling process that means you get to really start selling. It can be exciting, but in addition to being your biggest opportunity for success, it can be your biggest opening for failure as well. If you don’t approach the sales pitch properly, then you risk losing sales and wasting your time. There are tons of tips out there on how to give “the best sales pitch ever” and many of them are great, but the important thing is to find out which tips make your selling process smoother and more successful.

Below are a few of our tips for improving your sales pitch:

  1. Focus your pitch. Before each major sales pitch, you should have had some contact with the prospect to gather details and information to personalize your pitch for the client in question. If you can take the information you discussed with the prospect during the information gathering stage and use it to focus your sales pitch, then you can ensure you discuss topics that are relevant to your prospect. For example, if most of the initial call was spent discussing one particular need, you would likely be most successful if you focused on that issue during your pitch.
  2. Sell solutions. Figure out what challenges or situations your client needs help with, and then find the services you offer that will provide them with a solution. Presenting them with the solution to their challenge will always be more appealing to them than just selling benefits or generic services. Don’t just focus on features, focus on how those features could be the solution to their biggest pain point.
  3. Always have the next step ready. Determine your goal for the pitch, if you want the sale, go for the close, but if not, make sure you are prepared with the next step the prospect will take with you. If it is another meeting, set it up at the end of the first meeting. If you’ve made the sale, set up the next steps for them becoming a full-on customer.
  4. Keep your pitch short and sweet. We all have busy schedules and short attention spans. It is important to keep your pitch short and make your point quickly. If you can make your point succinctly, it will not only be appreciated, but it will allow you to hold your prospect’s full attention throughout your presentation.

Some of these tips may be useful to you, some may not, but figuring out the best combination of these types of tips that will work for you is the key to being successful in sales.

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LTL 101: Restricted Commodities

Posted 6 years ago

Did you know that certain types of commodities cannot be shipped via LTL carriers due to governmental regulations and that LTL carriers can refuse to accept certain items as a matter of company policy? In many cases, the root issue is liability — certain items are too valuable and/or high target items for theft to make them worth the risk to handle and transport.
 
Items of Extraordinary Value:
Carriers have different policies regarding these items and they may be willing to accept certain items if they have the appropriate insurance coverage and specialize in the transport of valuable merchandise.
 
Restricted or Prohibited Items:
Another group of items that LTL carriers may refuse to transport are those excluded by government regulations or due to being extremely hazardous in nature. In addition, carriers that lack the proper storage and stowage equipment to maintain the proper temperature will refuse certain items, such as refrigerated items. Finally, certain items (such as canoes) may be prohibited by certain carriers because of their size, shape, difficulty to stow and difficulty to handle.  
 
Do your homework and research LTL Carriers Carefully!

Restricted Commodities are listed in the Rules Tariffs of each LTL Carrier. To give you an example of how complex some of these Restricted Commodities sections are, please visit FedEx’s “Prohibited and Restricted Articles” section of their rules tariff by clicking the link: http://www.fedex.com/us/freight/rulestariff/prohibited_articles.html

Make sure to address specific questions to the carrier you are considering. Within the world of LTL carriers there is a great deal of specialization. For instance, some carriers specialize in the transport of perishable items or hazardous materials. If you have items to transport that fall into both of these categories, you may be forced to hire two separate LTL carriers. 
 
Whatever company you choose to move your hard-to-handle item(s), make sure to do your homework. Make sure you select a freight company with a solid track record, solid liability coverage, and solid maintenance and quality control processes to ensure top performance.

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Training Tuesday:Consistency

Posted 6 years ago

There are a million sales tips and “tricks” out there designed to help you become a better salesperson, but you may find the biggest key to long term success is consistency. You must be consistent – create a routine of practicing your sales presentation, prospecting, maintaining relationships with existing clients, and pitching to potential customers. If you do not do these things regularly, you can’t guarantee that you will have reliable sales numbers.

If you can consistently practice your sales presentation, you can make the presentation itself more consistent based on what works in real sales situations and you can continue to fine tune it. If you don’t practice and instead rely on charisma and “winging it,” you cannot necessarily reproduce an effective sales pitch. Without a dependable sales presentation, the level of success you can expect from a prospect in a sales interaction varies widely.

Having a steady sales pipeline also relies on consistent prospecting and interactions with existing customers. If you don’t spend ample time each day or week prospecting, it doesn’t matter how stellar your sales presentation is, because you won’t have a potential customer to share it with. You must also maintain relationships with your existing customers, both to help prevent them from leaving for the competition and to increase your chances of successful referrals to their contacts who may need your services.

Consistency is key – that may be a cliché, but it certainly applies to sales. It is crucial that you put in reliable work and effort in order to create and maintain a steady rate of sales success.

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LTL 101:Unexpected Charges for LTL Loads

Posted 6 years ago

It is important to educate shippers and consignees so they know what to expect at the time of pick-up and delivery, but it is equally as important to remind them of potential unexpected charges and things to watch out for when shipping an LTL load.

Did you know that many customers get invoiced at a much higher rate due to their shipments being “hit” with Cubic Capacity, Exceeds Linear Feet, or Oversize Dims? All three of these things are different and very expensive so pay close attention to what your customer is shipping.

Cubic Capacity
This is when a shipment is greater than 750 cubic feet and an average density of 6 or less (some carriers are 4 or less).

  • Example of a Cubic Capacity load:
    • 6 Pallets at 2600 lbs., each pallet is 48x48x55, cubic feet is 768, and the density is only 5.91
  • This shipment would get “hit” with cubic capacity without a quote.

Linear Foot Rule
Each carrier has their own version of the linear foot rule. If your shipment equals more than the LTL linear foot rule for that carrier then it will get “hit” with the “exceeds linear feet” fee.

  • Example of Linear Foot load:
    • 5 pallets at 5000 lbs., each pallet is 49x49x50, and because the pallets cannot be placed side by side this shipment takes up a little more than 20’ of space

Oversize
Each carrier has an over dimension rule; most LTL carriers are 12′. The oversize accessorial should be applied to any shipment 12’ or more. You can find the “Linear Foot Rule” for most carriers by looking at their carrier tariff on their websites.

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Community Involvement:Proud Sponsor of the 2019 JWLF Forum

Posted 6 years ago

SunteckTTS was a proud sponsor of the 2019 Jacksonville Women’s Leadership Forum (JWLF) Forum. JWLF is an organization focused on empowering women in business and encouraging them in their professional lives, through annual forums and educational events.

Additionally, Dave Dallas, CMO and President of Brokerage, participated in a panel at the 2019 Jacksonville Women’s Leadership Forum. 

It was an excellent panel on “Turning Fear Into Fuel: A Conversation with Jacksonville’s Change Makers.” Dave was proud to participate in the panel as a way to introduce SunteckTTS to women business leaders in the Jacksonville community. 

About the Jacksonville Women’s Leadership Forum

The Jacksonville Women’s Leadership Forum is the premiere organization on the First Coast that empowers women to successfully navigate the unique terrain of the corporate workplace and nurture their personal development.  JWLF will help transform the way participants approach leadership, networking, career advancement and life balance.  Through annual Forums and Educational/Networking shops throughout the year, women have the opportunity to gain insights from other smart and successful women all focused on tackling the issues that challenge women working their way to the top.

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Training Tuesday:Problem Solving

Posted 6 years ago

Being able to solve problems for your customers is one of the most important skills you can have as a sales person. Solving problems will require time, thought, and individual attention, but once you have a set of skills in place, you can begin to handle problems quickly, easily, and consistently.

The first step should always be to actively listen to what they’re saying. If you don’t understand the question the customer is asking, how can you expect to provide a helpful solution or answer? You should make every effort to clarify their question, problem, or objection before you even start to formulate a solution. In the clarification process, hopefully your prospect or customer will give you additional details that can help you solve their problem.

After you have defined the problem, you can begin to brainstorm solutions and identify options. Once you have a list of options, you’re better equipped to determine what will actually work for a particular customer and situation.

After you’ve come up with a viable solution, you should answer the question head on, honestly, simply, and succinctly. Present the solution and then, if accepted, implement it efficiently.

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LTL 101:Educating Consignees

Posted 6 years ago

It is very important to educate your consignee BEFORE the freight is delivered about what the process will be like. Will they need a liftgate? Will the driver be helping unload the freight in any form or manner? By asking these questions in advance, and by making sure that the consignee and you are on the same page, you can minimize additional charges on your invoice.

On the delivery receipt/proof of delivery (POD), issues should be notated if you suspect that the value of the product has been compromised. Make sure to notate any damage to the packaging, and/or missing product. Having these notes on the POD makes it easier to file a freight claim with the carrier. Claims can take quite a long time so anything that you can do upfront saves time down the road.

Another tactic you can take is to refuse the shipment upon delivery if damage is present. Refusing a shipment means that the consignee does not accept the freight in the condition presented – meaning you will eventually file a damage claim. This will alert the carrier that something is wrong with the shipment and that they should get in touch with the appropriate party. Make sure you use this tactic responsibly, because if a shipment is not damaged the carrier can actually tack on a redelivery fee. Yikes!  

Five of the most common additional services on a POD include:

  1. Lift Gate – Hydraulic lift on the rear of a truck used to assist in the unloading of freight.
  2. Inside Delivery – The driver is only responsible for moving the freight off the truck. If the driver helps move the freight more than a few feet away from the truck, even if it’s not “inside,” then an Inside Delivery fee may apply. Be very careful with this one because the terminology can be misleading and it varies by carrier.
  3. Limited Access (Residential) – This is up to the carrier’s discretion, however, there are locations that will always be deemed limited access. If a business is run from a home, or is in a residential area, carriers may charge this fee.
  4. Sort/Segregate – Certain locations may require a carrier to sort and segregate a shipment. This is additional handling beyond the normal duties of a driver that will incur additional fee(s). This charge is especially prevalent in grocery stores or distribution centers.
  5. Detention – With most LTL carriers, the first 30 minutes from when the driver arrives are free. Any additional time is subject to an additional detention fee. Again, the length of this “free time” as well as the charge for it varies by carrier.

So the next time you sign a POD when receiving your shipment, be sure to review it and see if any additional services listed are being used. If a service is pre-printed on the POD, then the need for this service was most likely known in advance. However, if the driver marks that an additional service was performed, then there will be an additional charge. In some cases, it may be good practice to have your consignee obtain a copy of the POD themselves.

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Training Tuesday:Motivational Questions

Posted 6 years ago

It can be challenging to maintain momentum in sales without being thoughtful about maintaining your motivation.

There are some questions that can make you (and your team) more successful salespeople. These questions can help you create more productive thoughts, habits, and attitudes.

  • If I try, can I be successful?
  • If I am successful, will there be a payoff?
  • Is the payoff worth it to me?

Beyond those questions, here are some other questions to ask yourself to increase your success:

  • What is your purpose for selling?
    • Who are you targeting and why?
    • What are you going to tell them or ask them? Why?
  • Are you selling what your customer needs? How can you convince them that you are?
  • What goals do you have for each sales situation or visit? For more on goals, check out our earlier blog post of setting SMART goals.

Taking time to focus on what motivates you, and on how to increase that motivation, is important to improving your success overall as a salesperson.

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Training Tuesday:Setting SMART Goals

Posted 6 years ago

Setting goals for each sales call is a crucial part of the sales process. A goal helps you prepare for the sales visit and gives structure to your entire presentation, but it is important to set “S.M.A.R.T.” goals. In order for a goal to be a useful tool in preparing for a sales call, it should follow the “S.M.A.R.T.” method.

This means that a goal should be:

Specific: The goal should not be too broad, but rather, it should be focused in on something. In sales, for example, it should be “I want the prospect to agree to another meeting” or “I want the prospect to agree to use our services for 3 months” rather than just “I want to earn this client’s business.”

Measurable: Similar to a goal being specific, it must be able to be measured in some quantitative or concrete sense. This goes hand in hand with the next component, which is achievability of the goal.

Achievable: It is important to make sure that your goal is realistically achievable in the parameters you set for it. If you goal is to make a specific number of sales to this client (thus making it both specific and measurable) you should also make sure that it is a reasonable, achievable goal, and not something like 1000 sales in 2 weeks. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up to fail, and that can be very disheartening.

Relevant: A goal is relevant if it is worthwhile to a larger plan and to your own personal job duties and planning. Additionally, it should be something that makes sense for you to be working towards. If you are supposed to work in an accounting capacity, then a goal for a number of sales calls will be less relevant to you. You should also consider if the timing is good for this particular goal in your overall business plan as well as in the current economic, social, and business climates.

Time-Bound: If you do not have a set of parameters in which your goal should be completed, you don’t really have a planned goal. It is easy to say “I want to be a successful sales person one day” but unless you start adding timelines, like 6 months, or 1 year, or even 5 years, you won’t actually have any frame to work towards achieving that goal. The time component of a goal is essential to finding the proper motivation to achieve it and also to keeping it in line with the other components of smart goals.

Setting goals according to the “S.M.A.R.T.” method can help you to achieve more, make real progress towards success, and reduce stress.

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LTL 101:Reconsignment and Fees

Posted 6 years ago

Reconsignment – Here’s a shipping term that you might be familiar with if you’ve ever had a change of plans with your freight. A reconsignment happens when freight that is already in transit is re-directed from one delivery location to another. This charge can vary based on how far apart the delivery locations are. For instance, if the new location is just down the street, the charge will probably be minimal. However, if freight was heading to California and is being reconsigned to Florida, you will be in for a hefty reconsignment fee.

We get a lot of groans when we have to quote people for the cost of a reconsignment so we wanted to highlight the process so you can educate your customers as well:

  1. We have to send written authorization to make the change to the carrier. A Bill of Lading is a legal contract, so any changes made must be in writing. Authorization must be made by the shipper or paying party always.
  2. The carrier will enter the information into their online system and image your authorization.
  3. A rating analyst reviews the request, verifies that we have authorization to make the change, and completes the request.
  4. Notification is sent to the terminal who currently has, or if it is in transit, who will have the freight.
  5. New labels have to be generated and put on the freight.

Typically, your charges end up being broken down into the cost from origin to reconsignment point, and reconsignment point to new destination, and fees for marking and tagging of the freight. If your freight has to backtrack, you will pay for every mile it has traveled.

GREAT EXAMPLE: If it was originally to go from NY to CA, but then once it reached Chicago you turned it back around to PA, you are paying NY to Chicago and Chicago to PA, not just NY to PA.

Important points to note as well:

  • If you are not the shipper or paying party, you cannot use your authorization to make changes to the BOL.
  • If your name doesn’t appear anywhere on the BOL, see #1 above.
  • If the driver arrives and you say that it needs to go to a different address across town, this constitutes both reconsignment AND redelivery. And it can’t be done without authorization, as above.

This process actually represents a significant amount of labor time and fuel. Even a local reconsignment (change in address within a local terminal service area) requires these steps.

All carriers want to make money on this deal. Nothing is done at cost.

But time is money, and the cheapest option is to always do it right the first time.

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