Sales Challenges in the Logistics Industry

The art of sales is something that every industry and business must develop to know how to offer their product or service to their potential customers. Sales teams must be trained to have skills in offering the product or service in an efficient and convenient manner.? According to the Anderson Trucking Service website, “plenty of good products fly from store shelves following release, and great service providers can become an irreplaceable extension of their client’s world. But still, at some point, a salesperson had to entice their prospective customer into taking that first step toward dipping their toe into an investment that — at the time — could’ve gone either way.”?

We spoke with experts in our company, and this is what they had to say:?

Andrew Gulovsen, Hubtek’s CMO, stated, “Logistics sales is a finicky process, and maintaining consistency in results is very difficult. However, the goal is to have a process that you can not only repeat when successful, but one you're willing and able to adjust and pivot to align to changes in the market; and there are times when a transactional mindset serves the company need, but it's only a temporary approach that will not serve in every market situation.”?

It's important to understand your solutions, particularly as a way to meet the needs expressed by your customers and prospects, but your solutions are unimportant and irrelevant if they don't solve a problem or meet the need of your customer. “It's not about you, and it's not about your need to sell; it's about your customer and the problem that they're trying to solve. Now, there are a lot of methodologies in the sales approach you need to learn, adapt, and incorporate, but most importantly, you need to listen to what your customer wants, what your customer needs, and what they share with you.”?

Alejandro Mu?oz, GrowthMaster at Hubtek, believes that the logistics industry in the US faces several challenges when it comes to sales. “One of the biggest challenges is the increasing competition from new players in the market, particularly those that are leveraging the latest technology and digital platforms. These new players are disrupting the industry with innovative business models and pricing strategies, which can make it difficult for established logistics companies to compete.”?

An additional challenge facing the industry is trying to keep up with changing customer demands and expectations. “Customers today are looking for faster, more reliable, and more cost-effective delivery services, and logistics companies that cannot meet these demands risk losing business to their competitors.? Logistics companies must also contend with the complexities of supply chain management, making it difficult to accurately forecast demand and plan for the future. This is particularly true in industries with highly seasonal or cyclical demand patterns.”?

“Another key challenge is the need to adapt to automation and other disruptive technologies. As automation and robotics become more prevalent in logistics operations, companies that fail to adopt these technologies risk falling behind their competitors in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This requires a significant investment in technology and the upskilling of existing employees to operate and maintain these automated systems.”?

Finally, he emphasized that regulatory changes also play a role in sales challenges faced by logistics companies in the US. “Changes to trade policies and tariffs can significantly impact the industry, particularly for companies that rely heavily on international trade.? To overcome these challenges, logistics companies must develop more efficient and flexible supply chain models, invest in the latest technology and digital platforms, and build strong customer relationships based on trust and reliability. They must also stay informed of regulatory changes and be prepared to adapt quickly to changes in the market. By doing so, they can position themselves for success in an increasingly competitive industry.”?