Coping with Rejection as a Freight Broker

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Rejection is a Part of Sales

Let’s face it, most Freight Brokers and Freight Agents deal with rejection on a daily basis. If you’re starting out as a Broker or Agent and you are dealing with a lot of rejection on the phones I’m here to be a little bit in your face and say SUCK IT UP. Sorry, but if you are here reading this there are probably thousands of brokers and agents who are doing better than you at the exact same job.

Rejection on 2 Fronts

Freight Brokers are usually dealing with rejection on two different fronts: First, you’re probably surprised at how few shippers have been welcoming your services with open arms, it’s normal to feel a little overwhelmed when you don’t have a book of business built up. Second, no carriers want to haul your freight at the prices that you are offering. The truth about running a freight brokerage is that you need to have freight that pays well in order to find carriers on a consistent basis.

Don’t be a Head-Case

In the following slides we will highlight some strategies for getting your head back into the game when it seems like you can’t find a yes to save your life as well as some tips about how you can avoid the rejection all together… most of the time.

Overcome Your Fear• First and foremost you can’t be scared of being rejected, especially

not in a sales position. • I’ve seen it happen time and time again, a new agent loses their

confidence in their own abilities after some jerk decides to take their bad day out on the agent. Then they don’t want to pick up the phone again because it feels like a game of Russian roulette, waiting for the next transportation manager or dispatcher to bite their head off.

• But it is such a silly thing to be scared of something that hasn’t even happened yet, especially when the other person can’t physically harm you over the phone so you are not in any immediate danger whatsoever. Stop being scared of people not liking you!

They Say Acceptance is the First Step

• Accept that some rejection is part of the process.• Get to know your sales ratio by picking up the phone and

calling prospective customers until one of them gets set up with you and adds you to their daily/weekly email list containing their available loads.

• If you can’t get that far, seriously consider a Freight Broker Training School.

• For the sake of learning, let’s say that it took you 20 phone calls before you got to a yes. The next step is to call 20 more people and get to another yes. Accept that it can take weeks to start seeing consistent available freight.

Know Why You’re Calling

• You should have a general idea of what you are going to say. With shippers you are obviously checking to see if they have any uncovered loads that they need help with.

• Keep a script on your desk if you need one. Once you have a load to work on, you’ll start the process of contacting carriers and telling them about your load.

• Just focus on the next step if you are getting nervous on the phone.

Develop a Routine

• Schedule a time each day to call potential clients

• Getting into a routine is a great way to stay motivated. Start by making driver-check calls the first thing you do when you step into the office. If your driver doesn’t answer it is wise to let them sleep – or you risk an earful right out of the gate!

Set long-term Goals

• And write them down!• Having a personal goal can help you reframe

your mindset when you are confronted with rejection. Perhaps you want to purchase a bigger home, put your kids through college, or spend a week with your significant other in the Bahamas.

• Keep moving forward, get over it if someone else is having a bad day.

Don’t Take it Personally

Many new independent brokers and agents take the rejection that they experience personally. Debra Condren, a business psychologist and small business coach in New York, advises people to avoid self-blame. "Every time you get rejected you learn something about yourself," she says. "Look at it more as a learning opportunity." Thank you for the great advice Debra. It might be a good idea for you to keep track of rejection, these may be great learning points for you as you better your sales skills a Supply Chain Management Professional.

The More the Merrier

Know your sales ratio, it’s a numbers game.

The more people you call and reach out to, the more people you are going to find who are

interested in YOU and your services!

Build Relationships

Just because one of your prospects rejects you, that doesn’t mean that they will never do business with you. Keep moving the conversation forward. Keep the door open and establish yourself as a credible source so that when they need a broker they’ll have the opportunity to come back. Don’t always take no as a final answer.

Talk about it

The more we get rejected, the more we tend to isolate and go into our hermit holes. That's when you need to pick up the phone to talk about business with some of your peers. When you reach out and talk to other entrepreneurs, it normalizes what you are going through.

Anyone who has experience brokering freight understands that rejection is part of the process. It is important to be able to deal with this rejection because otherwise people sometimes can’t even look at the phone without freezing up and feeling anxious. Fear of rejection is common among many new Freight Brokers and Freight Agents, especially those who are still learning how to sell themselves and their services. Stop being scared of people not liking you, it’s silly.

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I hope these strategies help you get your head back into the game when it seems like you can’t

find a yes to save your life. If you have any questions or if you want to read more great

articles you can visit our website LogisticsAcademy.org or

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