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Sales and marketing make resurgence across haulage
Page 49
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SALES AND MARKETING may be enjoying fresh attention in transport as operators are fighting hard to keep volumes up. Operators have told CM that not only are customers much more receptive to sales calls, but they are employing techniques they would not have countenanced in the past.
Trevor Edden, managing director of TWE Haulage, says: "For the first time, most companies are open to talking to you. In the past, they were quick to say they had a transport supplier but now feel they have a duty to the company to re-examine everything in order to save money." Edden is also noticing a difference in transport purchasing patterns. "We have won two new customers, who both have good existing suppliers but have decided to give half the work to us to insure against their transport operator failing. They have no reason to suspect their suppliers may fail, but are shrewdly hedging their bets anyway" Many operators are also taking on the more direct sales approach, which the pallet networks so effectively introduced to the industry. Stiller Group now uses telesales across the business. MD Paul Stiller says: "I'm getting plenty of appointments, as are the sales team."