A freight forwarder is offered as a service seller in charge of managing and coordinating all the logistic transport operations of the companies that hire him, being the intermediary between the company and all the services required for the goods to reach their destination correctly.
In this type of market, it is necessary to focus a department, section in your company, or simply organize yourself to devote great attention to customer service and the sales process.
Separating logistics from sales management means giving the deserved importance to each of these two processes. It is often believed that having a software for transportation management and other tasks of a forwarder is enough to guarantee the services and the sales profitability. But it becomes very complex and inefficient work when a negotiation involves 40 emails with the customer and the parties involved in the service to be provided, plus another 30 calls and contacts, the time invested and the difficulty for reaching agreements with many customers at once, each with their specific requests and needs.
Organizing sales as a dedicated section of your company is of vital importance, as well as dedicating the necessary tools for its management. It is also essential to have a well-defined sales strategy and to use the necessary technology to optimize routine activities. A customer relationship management (CRM) system for salespeople can make the difference between a successful team and a team that is always adrift.
In a CRM system, sales data and customer-related information is centrally stored and presented in an easy-to-follow format, allowing you to monitor sales processes, staff performance and, as a result, optimize sales.
For a freight forwarder, a CRM allows you to forecast sales. Knowing how many products or services will be sold in the coming months is a valuable information. After all, this affects the process of production, transportation, shipping, advertising and dozens of other decisions based on the demand for the services offered.
This is very useful to make smarter investments and prepare for an increase (or decrease) in the number of orders, which helps to do elastic logistics and counteract unstable demand; mapping new strategies in warehouse management and procurement.
It facilitates data-driven strategic decision making by providing up-to-date and synchronized information from all departments of your company in a single interface (Silva, 2021).
A sales CRM helps to monitor and compare the results with the objectives established in the sale of services, and to find out if you are on track to achieve them. It allows you to track individual and collective activities of the team, as well as identify gaps in the sales pipeline that did not allow the consolidation of a deal or sale with a customer.
Freight forwarders work with several third-party partners as intermediaries for shipments of goods. The early detection of third-party failures or mishaps during the transportation and cargo handling process allows action to be taken to solve these problems. From the perspective of service sales and business sustainability, sales monitoring provides the necessary assessment to narrow down the various assets that will be involved in future business, and ensure the best customer service, as well as the effectiveness of the service.
In Zeus4 we can support you in selecting and adapting a CRM system that fits your business needs, as well as in making integrations with other systems. For more information, please visit our website zeus4.com.
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