6 tips to help your freight brokerage diversify its customers

When it comes to your customers, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Learn more about diversifying the types of customers your freight brokerage works with.

August 25, 2022 • min read

The Importance of Diversifying Your Freight Customers

Sometimes it only takes one unforeseen hiccup to turn your best customer into a former one. Plus, getting underbid and losing a lucrative business opportunity to a competitor is very common. These instances, along with many more, could cripple your operation if you don’t have a robust customer base.

That’s why now is the time to diversify.

With a strategic plan, you can ensure your brokerage weathers any turbulence and comes out stronger and ready to scale in both good times and bad.

How to Diversify Your Customers as a Freight Brokerage

To help you get started, here are six effective strategies you can use to gain a wider audience and reduce business risk.

1. Zero In on an Industry You are Passionate About

Be it pharmaceuticals, construction, or FMCG, most brokers have an industry that they know inside out. What better way to expand your business than by leveraging this specialized knowledge to grow your freight brokerage?

Call up your industry contacts, get referrals from them, or start an email campaign targeting your favorite niche. Your expertise, experience, and enthusiasm will make a difference, elevate your pitch, and set yourself above your competition.

2. Expand Your Service Offerings

Many freight brokers often fail to recognize just how much headroom there is to be gained by simply broadening the list of services they provide.

How about adding additional lanes by building a larger carrier base, and then targeting shippers running freight in those lanes? For example, grab a piece of the multi-billion dollar seasonal shipping market by opening up an intra-Midwest corridor to move agricultural products and equipment.

3. Network, Network, Network

It’s vital to ramp up your networking efforts when the times are tough. From making calls, sending emails, attending conferences, hosting local events, and promoting on social networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook, make it a priority to reach out to new prospects regularly and keep building your contact list.

To start, set specific weekly or monthly goals for the number of new contacts you get in touch with, and steadily follow up on those leads. Remember, a healthy sales pipeline starts with a consistent process of identifying and connecting with potential customers in order to support your business development.

4. Highlight Your Advantages

In an ultra-competitive market, every advantage counts in your favor, no matter how small. Keep highlighting your strengths to set yourself apart and enlarge your client base.

Check out our plans for freight brokers and stand out from the crowd with the most advanced, all-in-one platform in the industry.

5. Strengthen Your Business Relationships

The foundation of any freight broker’s business is based on relationships with their carriers and shippers.

Therefore, it’s vital to maintain the highest level of service for your customers - by learning their particular business processes and tailoring your solutions to meet their needs.

6. Have a Contingency Plan

The pandemic has taught all of us that anything can and will happen, especially in the often turbulent shipping industry. And it’s up to each freight broker to assess their risks and prepare a contingency plan to ensure their business will continue to function in such emergencies.

All Freight Brokerage Businesses Must Work on Diversifying Their Customer Base

The old adage of not putting all your eggs in one basket has once again proven to be sage advice in these trying times. Whether you are just starting a freight brokerage, or are a seasoned firm looking to scale, it pays to take concrete steps right now to diversify and mitigate your risk by applying some tips outlined above.