When Donald Trump announced in June 2015 that he was going to stand as the Republican candidate for the Presidential elections in November last year many thought it was a PR stunt. A billionaire property tycoon with no previous experience of politics and a somewhat chequered past, how could he win? Once he got the Republican ticket, he alienated many with his out-spoken manner in a quest to win the popular vote. Against all odds, he won.

So, what’s this got to do with freight forwarding? Trump won because he “smashed out of the ball park” (as he might say) one of the Golden Rules of Business; get people to know you, like you and trust you.

– He was already known by everyone in the U.S,

– He was liked by many and worked relentlessly to grow his fan base,

– He was trusted more than Clinton was to do the best for America,

This is a vital lesson for small to medium sized forwarders like Espace who operate in an ultra- competitive market place where new business is predominantly won on price. Get known, be the company people are speaking about. Be liked by your customers and prospects.  Build a relationship with them on the phone, by post and email or on social media. However, no matter how much prospects or customers know and like you, to get them to trust you, they have to believe that you are committed to them. The minute they realise that your commitment to your own interests is greater than it is to theirs, the trust is gone and so is the relationship.

In the U.S elections and in freight forwarding….it all boils down to TRUST.

 

 

Share
%d bloggers like this: