If you are looking to improve your performance as a logistics account executive or get an idea of what it is like to be in the role, reviewing a list of best practices can be helpful. In this guide, we share our top 12 best practices that logistics account executives can use to sharpen their skills, improve customer satisfaction, and increase their earnings.
1. Conduct Cold Calls
Logistics account executives must conduct cold calls with persistence and ingenuity. It is best practice to conduct client research, discover needs, cultivate leads, and close logistics sales. Cold calls must be conducted to regularly attain new prospects and gain new business from existing clients.
2. Create and Deliver Compelling Sales Presentations
While it is common for quality companies to provide a book of business, logistics account executives can go the extra mile by establishing their own book of business. When prospecting leads, the best practice is to create and deliver sales propositions that are insightful, relevant, and persuasive. Conducting research is a critical part of this process and will transform a presentation from a boring pitch to a game-changing conversation.
3. Develop Strong Customer Relationships
For logistics account executives, relationships are everything. It is best practice to master the art of building and to maintain loyal, trusting customer relationships. Skills such as solid communication, effective negotiation, active listening, and multi-channel marketing can cultivate and sustain rapport.
4. Master the Art of Negotiation
Logistics account executives use negotiation skills to cultivate leads, arrange loads, and solve any challenges in daily business. Effective negotiation includes active listening, critical thinking, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, emotional control, and preparing appropriate alternatives to the proposition. Logistics account executives must be able to strategically maneuver between competing, accommodating, compromising, and collaborating as the situation warrants.
5. Smoothly Execute Delivery Appointments
Logistics account executives must organize dozens of pickup and delivery appointments in any given week, and the task involves more than just scheduling an event in the calendar. It is best practice for logistics account executives to communicate with shipping and receiving facilities, strive for full truckload shipments, confirm and reconfirm details, and promptly communicate status updates.
6. Provide Responsive Customer Service
Logistics account executives must provide ongoing, responsive, and effective customer support. It is best practice to work proactively with customers to develop trust and strong communication. Often, responsive customer service requires 24/7 availability or finding communication coverage if availability is limited.
7. Skillfully Manage Accounts
A primary responsibility that logistics account executives hold is to manage customer accounts. This requires building and maintaining professional relationships and overseeing all aspects of the accounts. Best practice is communicating thoroughly and respectfully with customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders. Logistics account managers work closely with clients to understand their needs and collaborate with other departments to ensure the client’s needs are met.
8. Prioritize and Multitask
Logistics account managers have active jobs with many different responsibilities. On any given day, logistics account managers must manage multiple accounts, prospect customers, coordinate projects, and collaborate with colleagues. It is best practice to know how to prioritize and distribute resources most effectively and efficiently.
9. Think Creatively
The ability to think creatively distinguishes average and exceptional logistics account managers. From prospecting clients, making cold calls, preparing and delivering sales pitches, and managing accounts, creativity and ingenuity can take success to the next level. It is best practice to approach goals and challenges with openness and imagination to achieve outstanding outcomes.
10. Stay On Top of Market Trends
To stay relevant and competitive in the freight logistics industry, it is crucial to stay on top of market trends. Freight logistics agents need to understand the current state of the market, the history of the market, and factors that will influence how the market changes in the future. Market trends impact many aspects of the business, including client rates and company profitability.
11. Improve Supply Chain Efficiency
Logistics account executives support logistics operations that span shipping, receiving, quality control, and supply chain management. It is important to stay on top of market trends to provide the highest level of service to shipping customers, and negotiate with customers and carriers to improve supply chain stability and efficiency.
12. Join the First Star Logistics Team!
A final best practice for logistics account executives is to be a part of a strong, supportive, experienced team.
About First Star Logistics
Here at First Star Logistics, we are a unique, asset-based global logistics provider with more than 60 years of experience. We empower our freight brokers to succeed by allowing them to create their own goals, cultivate their own networks, and make their own money. We have a dedicated management team that offers complete back-end support across multiple departments, allowing our freight brokers to focus on one thing – growing their freight brokerage business.
To become a logistics account executive with First Star Logistics, submit an application today!
