The Importance of Maintaining Good Relationships with Brokers and Customers
In the modern transportation industry, brokers and customers have a plethora of options when it comes to choosing the company to partner with or use logistics services. With only the US Customs Brokerage Market valued at more than $4 billion, the brokerage industry worldwide now features thousands of dependable and professional brokers. Moreover, the number of formidable clients in the transportation industry is growing unbelievably fast, too. Given all that, it’s no wonder that the competitiveness among logistics companies has reached its peak.
Today, companies offering services in logistics are hunting to win customers’ hearts and partner with good brokers, which can easily be accomplished through holding smooth relationships with them. Alas, some top managers from transportation businesses are failing to comprehend the reason behind building prosperous relationships with brokers and clients.
Our article will throw some light on the importance of this rewarding practice.
Stay in Touch
Always try to maintain a connection with your clients and brokers, using the communication means to your liking or mixing them: if it’s a remote meeting, you can organize a video catch-up one day and phone your partner or client on another. Staying in touch is vital since, through retaining proper communication, you increase the chances of being chosen by your client and broker later in the future. With customers, build your communication so that they are updated about latest changes and news in the industry, discounts, and advantages available.
Make sure to maintain the same strategy with brokers: go creative with the communication soft tools and experiment with them freely; during meetings, show your respect for each individual broker and emphasize how much you value them. In addition to this fluff, remember to include some attention-grabbing tools in your communication: encourage your brokers to keep up their partnership with you by introducing them to the benefits they’ll receive from it.
Be Open
According to marketing studies and customer feedback, businesses that are open to clients and demonstrate high-level transparency, come as more attractive to clients than companies that appear as reserved. If you build an open and trusted relationship with clients and brokers, they will feel valued and respected, developing enhanced loyalty for you and your business.
Be a Reliable Source
As was mentioned earlier, it’s good to keep your partners and customers updated about the ins and outs of the logistics industry. And what’s better is to become a trusted source of information for your clients and brokers: share relevant information with your interlocutor, previously checking it for credibility. By providing practical information to your clients and partners, you develop the reputation of a trusted expert.
When delivering useful info to your clients and brokers, make sure you’re not overwhelming them – inform them reasonably and responsibly. For example, before passing any information to each individual client or partner, check if it matches the preferences and interests of your interlocutor.
Value Loyalty
Both clients and brokers like appraisal and rewards – ensure timely rewards for their loyalty! By rewarding your clients and partners, you encourage them to refer other people to you as a business. A thank you gift or a gift certificate to some luxurious spa salon is a good example of a reward. The special treatment your clients receive will retain them and increase their loyalty towards your business.
Be Transparent
We shed some light on the importance of brand transparency a few sections earlier, but this factor requires a whole new passage to dedicate to. Demonstrating transparency is one of the mainstays of a modern successful logistics company; by being transparent, you invite both clients and brokers to lurk into your business and ensure themselves that it’s fair and legit.
Many businesses, alas, fail to grasp the idea of the value behind brand transparency. Thus, they end up averting clients and brokers who are mostly used to the fairness and openness that a modern business displays.
To Wrap Up
In the modern business world, it’s not enough to offer a good product or service. The customer of today has become exceptionally picky and demanding and thus puts a business into brand-new conditions and requirements. In order to build a favorable image around your brand and retain reputability with your customers and brokers, you need to stay in touch with them on a regular basis.
To say more, simply upkeep regular communication is not sufficient. To keep customers and brokers coming back, you have to maintain engaging and smart communication. The tips and techniques for effective communication that we’ve provided in this article will help you remain the one and only logistics business for your customers and brokers.
