“3PL Sales Success in 2019 – Crushing Your Sales Goal” was a webinar conducted in late January 2019 by Joe Lynch and Ann Holm. Below is a recording of the webinar along with an outline of the topics covered in the webinar.

3PL Sales Success in 2019 – Crushing Your Sales Goal

The Ultra-Competitive 3PL Market

  • Shippers Are Taking Charge of the Buying Process
  • Supply Chains are More Sophisticated and Complex
  • Competition is Global, not Local
  • New Business Models, New Technologies and New Investors

Differentiating Your Product

  • Your product includes service, people, messaging, information, branding, content, and specialization

Reducing Sales Cycle Time

  • Eliminate wasted time and effort
  • Standardize processes and sales materials
  • The buying process begins online
  • Potential customers are conducting research online which means you need to develop messaging that is consistent throughout the sales process
  • Develop content that positions you as an expert, thought leader, and a specialist in their problem
  • Digital first

Getting More Sales Leads

  • Dedicated lead generation
  • Many industry leaders are using sales development representatives (SDRs) to ensure a steady flow of good quality leads
  • Build an ongoing relationship with your market
  • By building a 3PL sales platform, savvy companies can communicate their expertise to their industry, customers and prospects
  • What is a 3PL Sales Platform?
  • A sales platform is a combination of strategies that includes web presence, content marketing, content distribution and lead capture / nurture
  • A sales platform enables 3PLs to build their credibility, get more leads, better leads and ultimately close more sales
  • Why a 3PL Sales Platform?
    • Visibility
    • Communication
    • Be seen as an expert
    • Build a tribe
    • Sell more
  • Content marketing builds credibility
    • “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action” – Content Marketing Institute
  • Share content via social media
    • The Big 4. When it comes to logistics and transportation, the 4 most important social media platforms in order are:
      • LinkedIn
      • Twitter
      • YouTube
      • Facebook

Developing 21st Century Sales Skills

  • Understanding sales strengths and blind spots
  • In a rapidly changing market, you must be self-aware and prepared for change
  • Willingness to adapt begins with self-awareness
  • Leverage personal branding
    • Understanding how others see you
    • First impressions are often made online (digital first)
  • Recognizing different temperaments and adjusting your communication
    • There are 4 different temperaments and you should try to adapt your communication style based on your prospect’s temperament
    • Traditionalists
    • Experiencers
    • Conceptualizers
    • Idealists
  • Become a recognized expert
    • When trying to solve a problem, people don’t Google “salesman”
    • People search the web looking for people who can solve their problem