Time to bust a myth. End of year is sometimes considered a lackluster freight season. But in reality, the last several weeks of the year can be an excellent opportunity for growing your business and prospecting! The holiday season is a good time for freight agents to show that they are willing to go above and beyond for their customers and have that cradle-to-grave mindset.
It’s a time rife with new business opportunities if you’re willing to dip your toes into seasonal freight. “That agent who really goes above and beyond for their customer stands out,” explains Jordan Brady, our Director of Agent Development. “It helps put them on the map if they’re new and it also helps strengthen that relationship going into the new year.”
To help our independent agents make the most of these final two months of 2024, Jordan is sharing her top prospecting tips for making the most of this season! Here are five tips from Jordan for prospecting successfully in November and December:
1. Increase Prospecting Volume
Regardless of the time of the year, freight agents hear a lot more “No” then “Yes” when they reach out to prospects. That’s the reality of many industries! But you have a unique opportunity to be exactly what a customer needs when you do connect with the right person who needs your help. In the words of Tallgrass agent Matt J., “You can’t sleep on the slow months. You have to take advantage of the opportunity.”
2. Anticipate the Holiday Market
The holidays may be a slower season for finding new freight customers, but it’s also a vital season for many customers and carriers due to higher volumes of orders in a lot of markets. Jordan emphasizes once again how important it is to capitalize on the unique freight market this time of year.
“Understand that you’re walking into a harder season,” she says. “But it can also pay off because you can come to the rescue much easier than in those middle months where we don’t see a lot of holiday interruption.” By pushing prospecting during the holidays, you could become a customer’s saving grace, particularly if they’re experiencing a crisis like a carrier falling off or a business being unfairly upcharged.
Although production is likely at an all-time high, you’ll also find a lot of potential customers vacationing, taking time away from family and even closing down their business for a week or more. Prospecting will take a lot of patience and dedication along with recognizing that you’re working not just for now, but for opportunities in the new year. Ultimately, Jordan recommends, it’s all about showing up with consistency and being there when opportunities arise.
3. Understand Customer Habits and Needs
Jordan encourages agents to learn how they can best help their current and prospective customers by being flexible and understanding exactly how the end of the year and the holidays may influence specific businesses. “You never know when people are going to close and how long they will close for,” she explains. “So getting a better understanding of that helps our agents to better be prepared to step in and help if needed.”
Before coming to Tallgrass, Jordan had a background in warehousing. She recalls that the last few months of the year tend to involve a lot of inventory counts, with customers shutting down production for a week at a time while these counts are made. These inventory counts are often immediately followed by an increase in volume. Agents who understand how a customer’s business model may change during this season and take the time to have those conversations can get ahead of the fluctuations and set a strong foundation into the new year.
4. Be a Gift to Those You Serve
Ultimately, the biggest gift freight agents can give to customers is exceptional service! Freight agents who serve their clients well will be remembered in the year ahead!
The end of the year is a time to show appreciation, schedule end-of-year reviews with existing customers and prioritize taking care of both your customers and your carriers. Showing gratitude to your existing customers will help keep that relationship healthy and strong in the new year. This can be as simple as a thank-you card or it can be a personalized, thoughtful gift depending on your relationship with a given customer and the current state of your business.
End-of-year reviews are a chance to look back on a customer’s freight throughout the year (or throughout the time they’ve partnered with you), highlight positives like the money you’ve helped them save and strategize for areas of improvement. Reviewing this data is also a useful top prospecting tip, as it gives you a portfolio boost of proven success to share with prospective customers.
5. Be Proactive and Play the Long Game
Set yourself up for future success by staying proactive now. Remember that the work you do now often will pay off a few months later, so coasting through the end of the year is not an option! Jordan shared an example of one freight agency at Tallgrass that, despite being hindered by a strict noncompete, has managed to grow a strong book of business from scratch and is looking to keep up the trend throughout November and December.
“Some agents may see a dip during this time of year,” said Jordan. “But they’ve really set themselves up to have a pipeline that’s going to be hot throughout the next two months.” Jordan won’t be surprised if this agency is still doubling its book through the end of the year!
Don’t Put Off Prospects: Bet on Yourself NOW!
Here at Tallgrass, our freight agents benefit from our coaching and professional development from day one! “Jordan always helped with the ins and outs of figuring out how to change my mindset from freight broker to business owner,” says agent Spencer W. about Jordan’s guidance. “She always took notes on everything I would say every week while touching base between meetings as well to see how everything was going.”
“Jordan is the best, and because of her, I’m looking forward to doing even more next year!” Spencer shares. If you’re considering a career in freight or are ready to take the leap to becoming an independent freight agent with Tallgrass, the time to do so is not next month. It’s not next year. It’s right now! Take advantage of this season to get your business set up, start prospecting and be ready to hit the ground running in 2025.
Ready to take the first step? Contact our recruiting team to learn more about a career at Tallgrass Freight.