Here at Tallgrass Freight Co., our agents focus on what they love most about being a broker. But the most successful freight agents don’t become successful overnight. Long-term success happens as a result of many short-term wins. One key building block of a thriving freight business is knowing how to manage your time and structure your days to grow your freight business. Creating and sticking to a plan is what separates success from failure.
Going into each day and month without a plan, you set yourself up for lackluster results. But once you establish a plan – and stick to it – your chances of success increase dramatically. Explore our expert strategies for time management and scheduling — and set the stage to take your freight business to new heights!
Know your work style to grow your freight business
Everyone has a unique working style, of course. And no plan is one-size-fits-all! Know yourself and how you thrive. Do you hit your stride early in the morning, coffee in hand — or does your best hustling happen once the coffee has kicked in?
It’s all about managing your energy, creativity and knowing what time of the day fits what task for you. Match your task list with your energy. When you feel at your best, tackle the work that calls for your most creativity, ingenuity and hustle.
Organize your day based on biggest wins
It makes sense to plan your day using strategies that deliver the most game-changing results. Over time, our expert freight agents have crunched the numbers and used data to build an ideal day for growing your freight business. Here’s how you can do it too.
1 | Keep your current clients top of mind
At the core of each day, start early with your existing customers. While this may seem like second nature, it’s easy to overlook. But the best way to grow your book of business is to take great care of your current clients.
Reaching out to current clients allows you to communicate changes and clarify any questions regarding shipments before those shipments head out. Plus, keeping consistent lines of communication with existing customers puts you in a good position to ensure repeat business.
2 | Reconnect with prospective clients on quotes
The next most important task in your day: reconnect with prospective clients whose freight you’ve already quoted. With their quote in hand, this is your next biggest win in your day, and you may land a great new client in a matter of minutes!
Reaching out again to those who are on the fence sets you apart from the competition, showcasing your proactive approach. And you’ve already put in the legwork — identifying the prospect, building a relationship, preparing a quote — so landing the client is your next biggest opportunity for success.
3 | Connect with your top lead customers
Your next group of clients to connect with in your day is your top leads. Over the course of running your business, you’ll have gained a good understanding of the kinds of clients you serve best. And staying in touch with them is key to thriving as an independent freight agent.
Connecting with these people on a regular basis ensures possibility for future business and helps potential clients understand why you think their business is important. To truly set yourself apart, go above and beyond phone calls and emails. A quick thank you note in the mail only takes a few minutes — but means a lot to your customers. Send lunch to your top customers’ offices to show how you care. Keep track of customer birthdays and reach out then too. Small touches all add up!
4 | Prospect for brand-new business
Your next biggest opportunity to build your business is prospecting. But there’s much more to prospecting than haphazard cold calls.
An ideal way to land new business is through referrals. In conversations with existing customers, listen for opportunities to ask for referrals. Then, take action. Contact referrals directly first (your best chance at a win!), and then shift into more traditional cold calling. If you’re discouraged from hearing “no,” remember: every no means you’re closer to your next yes.
Embrace micro-planning
Sometimes, charting out the full day feels impossible. Especially in the quickly-changing world of freight — when you need to be ready to respond to calls, active in your inbox and keeping tabs on shipments — building a full day’s agenda can feel tough sometimes. So embrace micro-planning.
Break your day into manageable sections that each have their own plan. Start with just two hours. No breaks, no distractions. Plan what you’ll accomplish in that short phase. Once you’ve made your plan, put your blinders on and see how much you can impact your business in only a portion of your day!
After that time frame is done, take a break. Then address your next two hours. You’ve got this!
Plan your next day
The most successful days start the day before! In order to start your day ready to hustle, conclude your day by planning tomorrow’s schedule and agenda. Block your day based on your biggest opportunities for success.
Instead of going into the day with unknown objectives, go into the day having identified specific calls to which specific customers you’re going to make. A key step to grow your freight business is consistency – make a concentrated effort to complete all five steps each day and you will be poised for growth.
Our independent freight agents can attest: structuring your day based on where you’ll be successful leads to measurable growth. Tallgrass Freight is where the best of the best come to thrive. If you’re interested in cultivating your future, learn more about joining our team today.
