Finally!
What's the real "S" word? Why, it's SALES of course!
This is for all of you who are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
If you're tired of getting the run-around from dishonest brokers... if you're tired of your costs going up while your load price goes down... if you're tired of working hard and still not succeeding... the answer might be marketing. That's right, good old-fashioned selling.
(GASP!) Yes, salesmanship. I know that salesman are perhaps the least respected among humanity's citizenry, but let's stop and think what sales is all about.
Sales is about getting business. I don't care whether you sell used cars or you transport them. Sales is about representing yourself to the market in such a way that you gain your unfair share of customers.
Let me repeat that last bit: Getting your UNFAIR share.
Here's the thing-- if you continue to do the same thing, is it reasonable to expect different results? The hard fact of life is that you can do everything you're "supposed to do"-- drive safely, give good customer service, maintain proper insurance, etc... and still not succeed.
You have to be a salesman... sort of. I'm not advocating you run out and buy a pair of white vinyl shoes and matching belt. You probably won't need a plaid suit or a Rolex wristwatch. You won't even have to get your hair "permed" or wear a gold chain.
If the idea of being a salesman makes you nervous, then think of it as just "telling a story"-- (and I haven't met a trucker yet who couldn't tell a story or two!)
You need to get comfortable telling the story of your business-- how you got to be a carhauler... who your first customer was... who your best customer is... why people like to use you. This will help you get in the mindset of finding more good customers... and then more... and then a few more. It's got to become a habit-- just like (maybe) NOT being a salesman is a habit.
I strongly urge you to go to this section of the Orange Fractal website and read each chapter in Marketing 101. (They're even in a handy PDF file format, so you can save them right to your computer or print them out on your printer!)
Each one of the sub-sections deals with the nuts and bolts of building your business through basic salesmanship. Go HERE.
And don't forget to pass this on to a friend, OK?