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12 Ways Freight Brokers Can Find More Shipper Leads

12 Ways Freight Brokers Can Find More Shipper Leads

For brokers, time always means money. As a broker, you have to find that golden mine where you have more loads with less driving time, all the while managing the driver shortage, looking for new business opportunities, and handling other tasks.

And of course, all this hassle significantly cuts your time for finding more shipper leads. Every broker wants to find a shipper for the long run ‒ it's only a logical thing to do. So, how can you as a broker facilitate this process? Experts from Fleet Care have a few tweaks to connect shippers with brokers.

Twelve ways to find more shipper leads

The freight business is highly competitive, and you most certainly will experience difficulties with beating your competitors over the best companies you can move freight for. But if you try really hard and even get a little creative with this task, it will definitely pay off in the long run.

Discover all shipping locations

Perhaps, you're already successfully working with a reliable shipper. You can ask them whether they have other storage facilities or subdivisions you can work with ‒ it's the easiest way to find new opportunities. Additionally, you will already be familiar with the business, its product, and all the nuances.

If not asking directly, you can do your research online and look for other facilities. You can also do it prior to contacting the shipper ‒ this way, you'll already have enough insight to ask them directly about a certain opportunity. As a result, you might get a good recommendation or even a meeting with the new customer.

Cold calls still work!

Yes, it's never fun to promptly call someone, do the whole introduction thing, and then try to negotiate a deal. But you can use cold calls not only toward manager contacts but also toward the key people of different companies. You can find their contacts on LinkedIn and even Facebook ‒ basically, everywhere you can see whether a certain person is affiliated with a certain company.

Also, here's a good tip on how to do it better: research the person you're about to talk to and, what is more important, research their business. By having the main understanding of these businesses' opportunities and needs, you will have a higher chance to get the shipper invested in accepting your offer.

Warm ones do, too

It's even better to use the aforementioned method when you already have a recommendation, a referral, or a great insight into the business. This way, you have a strong background to get your chances of success higher. Way better than a cold call.

Asking for referrals

We mentioned referrals in the previous paragraph. Don't hesitate to ask the shippers you know if they know any colleagues looking for freight brokers. The industry might be big, but everyone in it eventually knows each other.

Analyze your competitors

If you ship a specific type of freight, this can be very effective. Once more, Google is here to help. You can quickly create a list of potential clients for your outreach efforts by searching online by industry or freight type.

When trying to generate leads, you can differentiate yourself from other brokers by highlighting your experience handling the types of freight you ship.

shipper logistics

Get on the reserve list

One of the most frequently heard responses when you do get in touch with shipper leads is that they already work with a certain broker. They already work with someone since they are actively shipping freight ‒ it's only logical.

If the current broker is unable to meet their needs, ask if you can send them your contact information so you can be added to their backup list.

To see if you can outbid their current rates, you can also offer a free audit. This can give you insight into what your rivals are doing, even if you don't win their business.

Reach out to the customers of your customers

Another way is to contact the customers of your customers. For instance, if you ship raw materials from one business to another, it's likely that the recipient will turn those materials into finished goods or parts and ship them elsewhere. You may have the chance to locate loads in areas where you already have established shipping chains and connections with carriers.

Think of a loyalty program

Loyalty programs can significantly affect the amount of money you get. Nearly 70% of consumers say loyalty programs heavily influence their purchase decisions. The same strategy can work for you.

You can effectively retain or expand your current business by establishing a loyalty program with your existing customers. This strategy can be applied to attract new clients. You could give new customers a first-order bonus, a discount, or even a cash bonus for referring them to your business.

Mail directly

Using direct mail, you can connect with shippers looking for freight brokers. Simply buy shipper mailing lists and select the ones you want to target from there.

Nowadays, email is used for so many transactions that a regular letter or postcard can help you stand out from the crowd. To keep your message fresh, consider sending a variety of offers or mailings on a monthly basis and then calling in the days after.

Look through shipper lists

Industry directories can be used to find more specific information about businesses that need freight moved. You can discover the kinds of goods they produce and what they require for shipping by filtering the data.

Look for competitors of big industry names

Every company you do business with has rivals in its industry. The businesses you don't work with yet also have them. Using online research, you can find competitors in different industries.

Make use of a load board

Use a top-notch load board for freight brokers as another way to get more opportunities and useful contacts. With the load board, you'll be more efficient in navigating the best loads ‒ this is a good lead for your new shipper.

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