Here at Tallgrass Freight Co., our vision is to build the best freight brokerage in the country. We’re committed to empowering our agents to succeed. Ready to take your freight agency to new heights? Here are five mistakes fright agents make that you may not know you’re making — and our expert strategies to uplevel.
1 | Inconsistent communication with customers
The top reason customers leave their freight agents is lack of communication. When agents are hesitant to communicate with their customers, frustration can arise where trust ought to be. Ultimately, humans crave connection and want to be in the loop.
Customers understand that there will be issues that arise during the course of a shipment. Communicating in a timely manner is the best strategy to keep your customers and, furthermore, impress them.
2 | Putting all your eggs in one basket
Landing a big client is a huge boost to your agency and your professional self-esteem! But one big client won’t build a diverse book of business. Too often, agents coast with a false sense of confidence when they should keep hustling. Be wary of spending all your time on one client and overlooking your others. Once you’ve landed that client, don’t forget to continue diversifying your book of business and building up your client base.
Plus, building a solid foundation of clients can help you brace for unforseen circumstances. Clients come and go, sometimes due to market conditions or other influences beyond your control. If that big client you landed moves on to a competitor or goes out of business, you’ll stay afloat with a diverse customer base.
3 | Ignoring market trends
In the day-to-day management of a freight agency, it can be easy to lose sight of the overall landscape. The freight industry can change daily. Multiple factors can determine pricing, rates, fuel costs, capacity and more. When your clients look to you as the expert, you don’t want to be caught off-guard or unaware.
Keep yourself accountable for staying informed by researching or bookmarking helpful websites and resources, then make it a point to check these resources frequently. Most importantly, staying aware of market conditions positions you to serve your clients with excellence.
4 | Slipping into complacency
Growing your business takes time and energy. But once you reach a certain point of success, it can be tempting to accept the status quo and fall into a routine of complacency, forgetting all the steps you took to lead you to success in the beginning.
You consistently have to work on your business to maintain your level of success. It’s like maintaining your yard: mowing once doesn’t mean you’ll never mow it again. If you’re not growing in the freight industry, you’re falling back. Don’t let yourself fall back. When things are going well for your business, don’t pump the brakes.
5 | Overlooking opportunities to grow
There’s plenty of joy in being your own boss. But running your own business doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. Stay connected to others in your industry and use these connections to learn and grow.
Your colleagues and fellow agents have experience and advice to offer you. Find mentors who can help encourage and coach you. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions to thrive.
The most successful agents know that it’s important to have meaningful conversations with others in the industry. At Tallgrass Freight, we put you in a position to have these conversations. Agents find both the freedom and the support they need to thrive.
Looking to grow as an agent? Be sure to check out five things successful agents do each day.
Cultivate your future. Grow along with us. Join our team today by visiting our website.
