CALLING ALL CARRIERS – CREATE A DEMAND FOR YOURSELF
We all spend a lot of time trying to find business, but how much time do you spend making sure businesses can find you? Creating a demand for your services, and making yourself known, is just as important (if not more, some would argue) as going after business opportunities. Directory and profile listings, like on LinkedIn, are important for networking and posting your services for hire on places like BulkLoadsNow can be the start of creating a demand for yourself.
Here are a few tips for marketing yourself on BulkLoadsNow.
- POST YOUR TRUCK. It’s the single best way for companies to contact you. It only takes seconds to do and you can post your truck for days in advance to have companies contact you. We hear from a lot of shippers and brokers that they would rather see trucks available than anything else. If you don’t have time, let us do it for you.
- Keep your profile current and specific. For example if you only run in 3-4 states select those and not all 48. This saves the time of shippers contacting you with loads you would never be interested in. Update your equipment as well. If you run a high-sided hopper, note it in your profile so shippers needing to move product such as wheat midds or soy hulls can find you.
- Use Classifieds to promote your company. List how many trucks you operate and where you are looking for work, along with the best way to contact yourself.
- Interact on our Forum. This is a great way to get your name in front of a lot of people, but keep your messages positive and proactive.
- We have a directory of all of our Broker and Shipper members located in the CARRIER/SHIPPER FINDER. Look up contacts in your area and send them an email introducing yourself and your willingness to do business together.
I heard arguments from some saying, “I’m busy right now and not looking” or “I don’t want people contacting me if I can’t help them.” My response is simple. I’d rather be turning down business than not getting any calls at all; and you never know what one phone call or email from a shipper may lead to. I personally would rather have 30 phone calls a day with available loads to move and allow myself to pick and choose. Let people know you are serious and you value their business and relationship.
Shippers are most likely to work with carriers who promote their business in an up-front, proactive way and that leads to good relationships, and repeat, reliable business.