The Logistics of Logistics Podcast

The Logistics of Logistics podcast is dedicated to exploring how things get places. Join our host, Joe Lynch, for conversations with the people who get them there. Joe talks with logistics and transportation industry leaders about innovation, technology, trends, and the future of freight.

5 Keys to Direct to Consumer (DTC) Success with AJ Khanijow 08/05/2020

5 Keys to Direct to Consumer (DTC) Success with AJ Khanijow 5 Keys to Direct to Consumer (DTC) Success with AJ Khanijow and discuss the 5 keys to direct to consumer success. As the founder of an e-commerce fulfillment company, AJ works closely with direct to consumer companies and he has helped his clients avoid the many pitfalls. About AJ Khanijow is the founder of , a warehousing and fulfillment company based in Huntsville, Alabama. AJ and his team at Fulfyld specialize in e-commerce fulfillment. Prior to founding Fulfyld, AJ held business development and leadership positions in the manufacturing, technology, packaging, and consulting industries. AJ earned an industrial engineering degree from Auburn University. About Fulfyld is an e-commerce fulfillment and warehousing company based in Huntsville, Alabama. Fulfyld’s unique service offering includes the technology and customer service required by direct to consumer brands along with deep expertise in value-added services, product sourcing, and packaging that enables them to become an extension of their customer's supply chain. Customers range from local to global companies, each with unique e-commerce fulfillment needs. Fulfyld integrates directly with e-commerce marketplaces and shopping carts to simplify your shipping process. Fulfyld ships same-day, every day, for one flat-rate. Key Takeaways: 5 Keys to Direct to Consumer (DTC) Success Direct to Consumer (DTC) Success Background Most DTC brands included above have a few things in common: They sell mainly physical goods as opposed to services like home cleaning or music streaming. They are mostly vertical brands, meaning they produce and distribute their own physical goods, rather than acting as marketplaces that sell many brands. Many DTC firms have backed by venture capital at some stage(s). They have smaller product catalogs than traditional retailers. They avoid mainstream manufacturing. They appeal to younger generations by evidencing their ethical supply chains and using their brand’s story to connect with their audience. The DTC e-commerce revolution is still pretty new, with e-commerce still only representing about 10% of retail sales in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. During the pandemic, e-commerce sales surged, and it may result in permanently higher sales for the e-commerce sector. The ten top DTC advertisers: SmileDirectClub, DoorDash, 23andMe, Poshmark, UNTUCKit, Touch of Modern, Hims, Casper Sleep, Stitch Fix, ThirdLove, AJ Khanijow’s 5 keys to Direct to Consumer (DTC) Success Develop a Great Brand. A company’s brand is it’s promise to their customers. The brand tells them what they can expect from the company’s products and services, and it differentiates the company from its competitors'. While some DTC companies skimp on branding in the start-up phase, the best DTC companies develop strong brands. Create a Memorable Customer Experience. Whether they are buying online or retail, customers increasingly expect a great experience. The best DTC businesses have learned to create a great consumer experience. DTC brands can most effectively build relationships with consistent yet personalized communications, delivered throughout the customer’s lifecycle. Data, data, data. Every DTC firm recognizes the value of customer and marketing data. In AJ’s experience, many DTC firms struggle to develop good supply chain analytics. As a result, some DTC brands struggle with sales forecasting and product shortages. Prepare to Sell on Every Channel. Many of the successful direct to consumer businesses have begun selling in traditional retail stores. While this may seem counter-intuitive, the businesses are responding to the needs of the consumer. Conversely, older brands (pre-DTC) are beginning to adopt DTC offerings. The bottom line, companies need to offer their products on the channels where consumers want to buy. Select the right fulfillment partner. Hiring the right e-commerce fulfillment company is key because that fulfillment partner could be the difference between success and failure. The fulfillment partner can greatly impact customer satisfaction because they own the order fulfillment process (order processing, pick and pack, shipping, documentation, delivery, and if necessary, returns). Fulfillment is just the starting point. DTC brands often need expertise and service beyond warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution. The right fulfillment partner should be capable of providing whatever value-added service is needed for the brand to succeed and grow. Look for a company that can assist with the following services: procurement, sourcing, manufacturing, and fabrication, assembly, and packaging. Learn More About the 5 Keys to Direct to Consumer (DTC) Success The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/15493643

LTL Basics with Doug Sartain 07/29/2020

Dynamic Pricing is Transforming Logistics with Zeke Ziliak 07/25/2020

Dynamic Pricing is Transforming Logistics with Zeke Ziliak Dynamic Pricing is Transforming Logistics with Zeke Ziliak and discuss how dynamic pricing is transforming logistics. As Global Vice President, Transportation & Logistics Industries at PROS, Zeke and his team help transportation and logistics companies align supply, demand, and pricing decisions to realize additional revenue and profit. About Zeke Ziliak is the Global Vice President, Transportation & Logistics Industries at PROS. At PROS, Zeke and his team provide science-based pricing strategies to transportation and logistics companies. Since Joining PROS 15 years ago, Zeke has held various positions of increasing responsibility. Positions include Senior Product Manager, Director of Business Development, and Executive Account Manager. Prior to joining PROS, Zeke was a music promoter and talent manager. Zeke began his career in corporate risk mitigation for an energy company. Zeke earned a Bachelor of Science, Biology/Chemistry from the University of Houston. Zeke attended UH as a National Merit Scholar on a full academic scholarship. About PROS (NYSE: PRO) provides AI-based solutions that power commerce in the digital economy. Using artificial intelligence, PROS accelerates customers' ability to embrace digital selling and eCommerce channels. With predictive and prescriptive guidance, companies are enabled to dynamically price, configure and sell their products and services across all channels with speed, precision, and consistency. PROS customers, who are leaders in their markets, benefit from decades of data science expertise infused into our industry solutions. Key Takeaways - Dynamic Pricing is Transforming Logistics Dynamic Pricing Basics Dynamic pricing, also referred to as surge pricing, demand pricing, or time-based pricing is a pricing strategy in which businesses set flexible prices for products or services based on current market demands. Businesses are able to change prices based on algorithms that take into account competitor pricing, supply and demand, and other external factors in the market. PROS was founded in 1985 and became a pioneer in revenue management within the airline industry, PROS expanded into price management and price optimization by combining pricing science with software automation designed to help businesses increase revenue and profitability through improved pricing practices. Industries that PROS currently serve include airlines, automotive, consumer goods, distribution, energy & chemicals, food & beverage, manufacturing, medical devices & healthcare, services, technology, and transportation & logistics. Transportation and logistics was a natural fit for PROS because the industry depends on origin and destination data just like PROS original customers, the airlines. PROS B2B commerce platform is powered by and a highly secured cloud infrastructure. PROS focuses on industry-specific pricing and selling challenges based on that industry’s economy. Dynamic Pricing in the Transportation and Logistics Industry is crucial to a company's success in the transportation and logistics business. Pricing people in the industry, armed with increasingly better data, have developed very sophisticated pricing models. Even though the pricing people have gotten much better, there are still some challenges including: Data that is lacking, old, or not available. Pricing knowledge is inconsistent and usually in the head of a few smart, experienced indiviudals, not in systems that can be deployed across the organization. The lack of data and pricing systems causes inconsistent results. Even the best pricing people can not match the speed, accurracy, and insights provided by a dynamic pricing system powered by artificial intelligence. PROS dynamic pricing is the secret weapon that many industry leaders use to gain a competitive edge in pricing. Companies using PROS Dynamic Pricing Management Software gain the following advantages: Top line revenue increases of 2-5% and margin increases of 10%. Pricing based on real-time data, using proven scientific pricing models. More accurrate quotes, developed much faster, with less effort. Win rate optimal pricing that ensures that more of your quotes are accepted. Learn More About Dynamic Pricing is Transforming Logistics The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/15348605

Freight Moves on Relationships (and Trucks) with Nicole Glenn 07/21/2020

Freight Moves on Relationships (and Trucks) with Nicole Glenn Freight Moves on Relationships (and Trucks) with Nicole Glenn and Joe Lynch discuss the topic, freight moves on relationships and trucks. As the founder and president of a transportation company that specializes in time-sensitive, high-touch shipments, Nicole believes that communication and good relationships drives positive business results. About Nicole Glenn , Owner and President of Candor Expedite, a critical expedite service provider as well as a white-glove B2B company. Prior to opening and operating Candor, Nicole worked hand in hand with company owners to develop their companies and grow their customer following and elevate their sales and operations teams. From building asset-based fleets to successful brokerages that specialized in expedite and standard truckload Nicole would also focus her efforts on her teams to enhance and lift the individuals that help move the companies forward. Nicole obtained a degree in Business Management and Marketing from Northwood University. About Candor Expedite Candor is a woman-owned and operated hotshot ground and white-glove service provider with offices in Illinois and Texas. Candor specializes in hotshot ground, time-sensitive, and white glove delivery services. Because Candor manages so many high-touch, time-sensitive shipments, they have developed a culture of customer service, precision, special handling, and open communication – after all, Candor is the company name. Because shipment and truck visibility is so important on critical shipments, Candor utilizes Trucker Tools to track shipments and provide real-time updates. While no two clients or urgent shipments are the same, Candor has significant experience with customers in manufacturing, trade shows, hotels and hospitality, air-freight, and facility services. Key Takeaways: Freight Moves on Relationships (and Trucks) Shippers who do not have good relationships with their 3PLs and carriers often suffer with the following problems. Poor service including, but not limited to late shipments, damage, billing problems, paying too much for transportation (measurable stuff) Bad communication, poor attitudes, lack of respect, lack of visibility, lack of transparency, lack of integrity, (stuff that is not measurable) Some typical advantages that shipper realize when they have good relationships with their 3PLs and carriers. Superior service Good communication Freebies (expedites or cost reductions when there is a problem) Account familiarity A partner (carrier or 3PL) that invests in the relationship. The investment may take many forms including, visits, quarterly business reviews, improvement initiatives, specialized technology or assigning an account manager. To foster solid business relationships with 3PLs and carriers, shippers should do the following: Have regularly scheduled meetings where you review performance, problems, continuous improvement initiatives. Invite senior management to the kick-off meetings to set the tone and show their support. Ideally, the meeting can be aligned with the senior manager's objectives. Informal phone calls outside Have fun events like happy hours, barbeques, parties, dinners, where casual conversations can flourish. Learn More About Freight Moves on Relationships (and Trucks) The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/15300875

Frictionless Logistics: It's the Collaboration, Stupid with Ketan Karkanis 07/17/2020

Frictionless Logistics: It's the Collaboration, Stupid with Ketan Karkanis Frictionless Logistics: It’s the Collaboration, Stupid with Ketan Karkhanis and discuss logistics collaboration and the friction that limits productivity for shippers, 3PLs, brokers, and trucking companies. About Ketan Karkhanis is the Chief Product Officer at Turvo, the first real-time collaborative logistics platform that uses artificial intelligence to perfect the science of movement. Prior to joining Turvo, Ketan worked at Salesforce for ten years where he held a series of senior management positions. While at Salesforce, Ketan led the development and launch of analytics and cloud products. Before joining Salesforce, Ketan spent nine years at Cisco in various roles including IT, product management, and consulting. Ketan holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Pune Institute of Computer Technology (India) and an MBA from Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. About Turvo Turvo is the world’s first multi-enterprise collaborative platform specifically designed for the global supply chain. The Turvo platform connects people and organizations across the supply chain, allowing shippers, logistics providers, and carriers to digitally transform their workflows with cloud-based software and mobile applications. The technology unifies all systems, internal and external, providing one end-to-end system of record set for all operations and analytics while eliminating redundant manual tasks and automating business processes. Turvo is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices in Dallas, Texas, and Hyderabad, India. Key Takeaways - Frictionless Logistics: It’s the Collaboration, Stupid Ketan and the Turvo team have taken a fresh look at the way freight moves and the people involved in each shipment. Some observations: Logistics is a team sport and the team can't function at a high level without collaboration. Many existing TMS are built with a system view, not a customer view. The system view created and the need for time-consuming, costly system integrations. Technology stacks, legacy systems and a focus on individual silos result in a poor customer experience The goal of collaboration should be connecting people and systems to move things effectively and efficiently. Turvo has designed their platform to enable shippers, carriers, 3PL, and any other stakeholders to collaborate around one true record. Turvo's goal is to create one seamless experience that includes visibility, collaboration, and execution all in one place. The experience is elegant, intuitive, and in-context to the work that needs to be done. Frictionless logistics means doing the basics incredibly well. To reduce the friction and hassle, Turvo puts the visibility, collaboration, and execution all in one place Turvo's goal is to create an elevated customer experience that includes these key functions in one place: System of records (one truth of the transaction) Systems of engagement (communication and collaboration) System of intelligence (AI, analytics, etc.) Learn More The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/15246029

REPOST: Buying and Selling Transportation/Logistics Companies with Peter Stefanovich 07/12/2020

REPOST: Buying and Selling Transportation/Logistics Companies with Peter Stefanovich Buying and Selling Transportation/Logistics Companies with Peter Stefanovich and and discuss buying and selling transportation/logistics companies. Peter is a co-founder of Left Lane Associates, a Canadian mergers and acquisitions firm focused exclusively on the North American supply chain industry. About Peter Stefanovich is the Managing Partner at Left Lane Associates, a mergers and acquisition firm representing buyers and sellers in the transportation, logistics, and supply chain industries in North America. Prior to co-founding Left Lane Associates, Peter worked at Radiant Global Logistics (formerly Wheels Group) as a Senior Business Development Manager. Peter’s clients included Sobeys, BestBuy, Steris, and many others. Peter earned a dual major in Business Finance and Political Science at Western University. About Left Lane Associates is a Canadian mergers and acquisitions advisory firm focused exclusively on the North American supply chain industry. Left Lane helps maximizes enterprise value for shareholders looking to sell their businesses. For companies looking to buy, Left Lane provides strategic thinking and thought leadership that helps their clients find the perfect cultural, geographical, and sector fit. Key Takeaways - About Buying and Selling Transportation/Logistics Companies Peter shares the insights that he has gained from working with both buyers and sellers in the logistics industry. He tells us such things as why now the best time is to sell a logistics company, things to do when preparing to sell, how long the selling process takes, and why sellers choose to use a broker. Owners of transportation and logistics companies hire Left Lane to sell their business because: Owners in this industry have likely never sold a company before, so they want to trust the process with someone more experienced in the process. You only get one chance to sell your business - once it’s done, you can’t go back Brokers specialize which lets owners focus on their business while preparing to sell. Owners have many reasons for wanting to sell – personal, economy, retirement, industry, change of pace, etc. Owners of transportation and logistics companies often sell because of the four dreaded Ds: divorce, death, delinquent partner, and disease. To receive top dollar for their companies, owners must prepare by taking care of the following: Legal issues must be resolved – internal and external Get authorizations and certifications in order Get rid of underutilized assets Release underperforming employees Lean out the organization Maximize EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) Develop a specialization Technology (CRM, TMS, website, and social media) What people perceive about your company is often based on your web presence. Any dollar you save could be worth 3x-4x more when you sell Learn More About Buying and Selling Transportation/Logistics Companies The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/15175004

REPOST: Why Chattanooga is the Silicon Valley of Trucking with Craig Fuller 07/12/2020

REPOST: Why Chattanooga is the Silicon Valley of Trucking with Craig Fuller Why Chattanooga is the Silicon Valley of Trucking with Craig Fuller and discuss why Chattanooga is the Silicon Valley of trucking. Craig and his company, FreightWaves is one of the reasons, Chattanooga is called the Silicon Valley of Trucking. About Craig Fuller is CEO and Founder of FreightWaves, the only freight-focused organization that delivers a complete and comprehensive view of the freight and logistics market. FreightWaves’ news, content, market data, insights, analytics, innovative engagement, and risk management tools are unprecedented and unmatched in the industry. Prior to founding FreightWaves, Fuller was the founder and CEO of TransCard, a fleet payment processor that was sold to US Bank. He also is a trucking industry veteran, having founded and managed the Xpress Direct division of US Xpress Enterprises, the largest provider of on-demand trucking services in North America. Craig earned a Bachelor of Business Administration/Entrepreneurship from Baylor University. About FreightWaves is the leading freight intelligence provider, offering current digital intelligence and context to the freight community on a central platform. FreightWaves’ SaaS product, SONAR, is the leading freight market analytics tool and dashboard, aggregating billions of data points from hundreds of sources to provide the fastest data in the transportation and logistics sector. FreightWaves.com, the company’s news site, is the leading provider of news and commentary for the transportation and logistics space. FreightWaves also hosts conferences under Transparency and MarketWaves branding and is a co-developer of the first futures contracts dedicated to trucking spot rates. Interview [01:04] Tell us a little bit about you and your company. I am Craig Fuller, founder and CEO of FreightWaves, which is based in Chattanooga, TN. I grew up in a trucking family and worked in my dad’s company. FreightWaves is the leading Freight Intel provider, offering current digital intelligence and context to the freight community on a central platform. [03:50] Your content at FreightWaves is so insightful. I’ve noticed that to write about logistics, you have to know logistics. We tried to get the traditional trucking press to write about what we were doing, but it was apparent that they didn’t understand the content. Out of frustration, we decided to write our own content. Our writer was on vacation, so I once wrote about a hurricane under his name. That’s when the site exploded. We actually do hire a lot of great writers that don’t have experience in the space and combine them with market experts. [08:54] Why and when did you start FreightWaves? The business started in 2016, but we didn’t get our first venture funding until 2017. I didn’t want to go back to work in the family business. I wanted to do something on my own. My brother is the CEO of that business now, but my father is still active in it. I’m sure that my brother faces difficulties because the vision was created for him. We have to report to our board, but they’re very supportive which gives us room to do things how we want. [15:05] Steve Case has a venture fund and tour called The Rise of the Rest. Tell us about it and why he named Chattanooga the Silicon Valley of trucking. His theory was that he could go find startups in smaller cities to pitch to touring venture capitalists. FreightWaves won the tour’s stop in Chattanooga. This city has more people connected to logistics per capita than any other city in America, so it was only natural that Chattanooga become the Silicon Valley of Trucking Steve wrote a book called The Third Wave which deals with a deep understanding of how industries work. At FreightWaves, we’ve combined our tribal knowledge with influencers who are connected throughout the industry. Creating credibility has been the key to our success. [21:27] We’re educating kids to leave our cities to go be successful in Silicon Valley. A lot of venture capitalists promote staying in your own city now. Money goes a lot further in places like Chattanooga rather than Silicon Valley. I think the next generation of venture capital will be in places like Detroit, Des Moines, Houston, Cleveland, etc. Investors are shocked that we pay our employees about the same as companies in Silicon Valley. It helps us attract and retain talent. We don’t have to worry as much about an employee leaving us in a few months to work for another company down the road. [27:48] For many generations, kids have gone to school in places like Chattanooga and then left to work elsewhere. Now, they don’t have to. 45 out of our 130 employees in Chattanooga have moved here from other cities. It’s great to have a combination of homegrown employees and ones that were willing to relocate. [30:00] You mentioned tribal knowledge, so expand on how it helped make Chattanooga the Silicon Valley of trucking. The machine that produces carpet was invented in Chattanooga and Dalton, Georgia (just south of here), and that carpet needed to be hauled. Those businesses created a lot of organic knowledge in Chattanooga, but they didn’t recycle capital. In the early 2000s, a guy at C.H. Robinson decided to build a brokerage business inside a brick business owned by the father of his frat brother. They founded Access America, and it grew to about $600 million in revenue in 2014. It merged with Coyote, and Coyote was acquired by UPS. A lot of the talent ended up leaving, but they were young. They started tech businesses and made investments. This created a lot of trucking companies. [35:41] Are there companies that are moving to Chattanooga because that’s where the logistics community is? FreightWaves started in Fort Worth, Texas, but we moved here. Others include WorkHound, Reliance Insurance, and Bellhops. There’s a ton of industry energy around the space that’s being guided by people who have a deep understanding of how the market works. [36:58] Is Tennessee a business-friendly state? It is. There’s no state income tax and the capital gains tax is being phased out. There are very low real estate taxes. I pay about one sixth of what I paid in Texas. The more money you can get into your employees’ hands, the better quality of life they’ll have. [38:44] In Michigan, we used to look down on The South because so many people moved away from it to work in Detroit. During the 1930s, people didn’t have electricity and plumbing until FDR created a new deal. That spurred the initial stages of economic development. The South and Canada have a lot in common; effectively the same population and economic size. That’s pretty astounding. [41:21] This has been great. Why don’t you give us a little summary? I love talking about these trends. Not because I think Chattanooga is the best city in the world, but there are things that have made us successful that can be applied in other places. We’ve got FreightWaves Live in Chicago in November. It will be a vibrant event with lots of really good speakers. We’re launching FreightWaves TV soon. Our spirit at FreightWaves is that if we do something, we do it well. [45:09] Tell us a little bit about your SONAR project. People call it the Bloomberg of freight. It is the leading freight market dashboard, aggregating billions of data points from hundreds of sources to provide the fastest data in the transportation and logistics sector. [47:10] Let’s say I’m a little trucking company or freight broker. What problem do you solve for me? If you’re a freight broker, it’s about price and capacity discovery. Also, identifying volatile markets. Most of the data that has been available to freight brokers is weeks old. We’re speeding that up. For trucking companies, it can let you know which markets to move trucks to. It’s bad to make decisions with data that is so old, and we fix that problem. Learn More About Why Chattanooga is the Silicon Valley of Trucking The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/15174980

REPOST: Selecting an E-commerce Fulfillment Partner with AJ Khanijow 07/12/2020

REPOST: Selecting an E-commerce Fulfillment Partner with AJ Khanijow Selecting an E-commerce Fulfillment Partner with AJ Khanijow and discuss selecting an e-commerce fulfillment partner. For e-commerce companies the difference between success and failure is fulfillment. As the founder of an fulfillment company that specializing in e-commerce, AJ knows what companies should look for in an e-commerce fulfillment partner. About AJ Khanijow is the founder of Fulfyld, a warehousing and fulfillment company based in Huntsville, Alabama. AJ and his team at Fulfyld specialize in e-commerce fulfillment. Prior to founding Fulfyld, AJ held business development and leadership positions in the manufacturing, technology, packaging and consulting industries. AJ earned an industrial engineering degree from Auburn University. About Fulfyld Based in Huntsville, Alabama, Fulfyld has offered e-commerce fulfillment services for every step of the supply chain since 2016. Our customers range from local to global companies, each with unique e-commerce fulfillment needs. Fulfyld integrates directly with e-commerce marketplaces and shopping carts to simplify your shipping process. We ship same-day, every day, for one flat-rate. Key Takeaways - Selecting an E-commerce Fulfillment Partner First e-commerce companies should conduct a thorough internal assessment of their company to determine what they want from an e-commerce fulfillment partner. Companies should understand all the moving parts internally and what exactly your partner is going to be doing vs what will be managed in-house. Next, determine suitable locations for e-commerce fulfillment. Fulfillment locations should be close to carrier transportation hubs, ports, customers, and suppliers. Decide if you would like to fulfill externally or internally. Figure out how your ERP and e-commerce platform will integrate with your e-commerce fulfillment partner. Cultural Fit: How does your business fit within the culture of your fulfillment partner? I always look to see if I can hang out with potential partners, that way you knows if it will be a good fit. Range of Services: Ensure they offer all the services necessary for your supply chain to succeed. If your partner makes a critical mistake, it could be detrimental to your business. Third-Party Logistics: Will they be able to accommodate all of your SKUs? Technology Integration: Many traditional 3PLs specialize in TL and LTL shipping so their systems may not be suitable for managing small parcel shipments. Booking a dozen TL shipments is very different from processing thousands of small parcel shipments. To manage that volume of customer orders, you must have the right systems (technology) for the job. Location: Your partner needs to be in close proximity to the carrier terminals. For instance, Huntsville is great for us because it is close to three of the biggest hubs (terminals) for small parcel carriers: Louisville, Memphis, and Atlanta. Make sure you are in a state that is low cost and good for business. The labor rate in L.A. is almost double what it is in Alabama. Dedicated Customer Service: The ability to pick up the phone and talk to someone who is dedicated to your account is something I highly recommend. Essentially, your e-commerce fulfillment partner is running your supply chain so communication is critical. Problems must be identified and solved quickly, which means you can't be directed to a call center - you need an account manager who knows your business. E-commerce Experience: Having experience in the e-commerce business is a requirement. E-commerce companies are usually young companies, so they need to select an e-commerce fulfillment partner who is experienced in e-commerce fulfillment, small parcel and B2C shipping. There are large, established 3PLs who have great capabilities but know very little about e-commerce fulfillment. Operational Excellence: To be successful, your fulfillment partner must have great operations. Ask questions about how they manage orders. Do they have defined processes? Does their technology and order management system allow you to view things in real time? Do they have relationships with the small parcel carriers? Reputation and References: Ask your prospective partner for references and talk to some of their current customers. Check out their LinkedIn company page and look at LinkedIn profiles for some of their employees. LinkedIn can tell you quite a bit about the size and capability of a company. Contract: Review their contract and determine if it is fair. Is the contract biased and filled with unnecessary legal jargon? Are you being charged ridiculous fees? If you are picking a strategic partner, the contract shouldn't be transactional. Make sure the contract is transparent and your interests are aligned. Engage the Cross-functional Team: Perhaps the most important thing you can do when selecting an e-commerce fulfillment partner is to engage the cross-functional team (accounting, sales, engineering, operations, etc..) in the process. An e-commerce fulfillment partner is an extension of your company and it touches virtually every function, so get input from each functional area. Your e-commerce fulfillment partner is the beating heart of the business because they are ones who convert an order into delivery and hopefully a satisfied customer. Learn more About Selecting an E-commerce Fulfillment Partner The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/15174953

What Does FreightWaves Do with Dooner 07/06/2020

What Does FreightWaves Do with Dooner What Does FreightWaves Do with Dooner and discuss the topic, What does FreightWaves do. FreightWaves is a freight industry leader in data and analytics, logistics industry news and commentary. As one of FreightWaves’ leading voices, Dooner shares his interesting and spirited insights on FreightWaves, podcasting, careers and content marketing. About Dooner is the Director of Audio and an On-Air Host at FreightWaves. Dooner is currently creating new podcast, radio, video, and multimedia content for FreightWaves. Dooner is a 15-year supply chain industry veteran who has held leadership positions in operations, sales, consulting, and marketing. Having worked with FedEx, Reebok, Adidas, L.L. Bean, Hasbro, Louis Vuitton, and many more high-level clients across the full spectrum of the field. You can watch and listen to him on WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, Put That Coffee Down, FreightWaves Morning Minute, FreightWaves Insiders podcasts, and FreightWaves Radio on SiriusXM's Roaddog Trucking. About FreightWaves is the leading freight intelligence provider, offering current digital intelligence and context to the freight community on a central platform. FreightWaves' SaaS product, SONAR, is the leading freight market analytics tool and dashboard, aggregating billions of data points from hundreds of sources to provide the fastest data in the transportation and logistics sector. FreightWaves.com, the company's news site, is the leading provider of news and commentary for the transportation and logistics space. FreightWaves also hosts conferences under Transparency and MarketWaves branding and is a co-developer of the first futures contracts dedicated to trucking spot rates. Key Takeaways – What Does FreightWaves Do FreightWaves provides current digital intelligence and context to the freight community on a central platform. FreightWaves is made up of three interconnected pillars: FreightWaves' SaaS product, , is the leading freight market analytics tool and dashboard, aggregating billions of data points from hundreds of sources to provide the fastest data in the transportation and logistics sector. The platform is mode agnostic and has time-series and geo-based data from all modes of freight, including truck, rail, ocean, air, and warehouse. , the company's news site, is the leading provider of news and commentary for the space, serving up over 2.5M pageviews a month and over 1.5B monthly impressions. FreightWaves also hosts conferences under Transparency and MarketWaves branding and is a co-developer of the first futures contracts dedicated to trucking spot rates. and provide up-to-the-minute freight industry news provided by hosts who understand the freight business. FreightWaves TV and podcasts are informed by FreightWaves' freight data analytics and presented in interesting and engaging shows. Learn More: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/15107684

Building a Foundation for Sales Growth with Mike Temple 06/20/2020

Building a Foundation for Sales Growth with Mike Temple Building a Foundation for Sales Growth with Mike Temple and discuss building a foundation for sales growth. Logistics company owners often engage with Mike to help them build a foundation that will jumpstart growth and position the company for long-term success. About Mike Temple is the founder of Temple Executive Coaching. Mike has worked with small to medium-size business owners in the logistics and franchise industries for 10+ years. As a past business owner himself, he has honed a unique skill in the art of helping business leaders craft their true vision. With this background, deep industry knowledge, and vast experience, Mike works with business owners and CEOs as a leadership and strategy adviser. About Temple Executive Coaching works with business owners, CEOs, and executive leaders on leadership, strategy, and culture. After the engagement is complete, clients typically benefit in the following ways 1) Being grounded in and focused on what matters most 2) Having a leadership model where the entire organization is aligned and accountable 3) Resolving issues of personal conflict with the organization's values, vision, and priorities 4) Knowing what the most important things are for success and customer satisfaction. Prior to founding Temple Executive Coaching, Mike held leadership positions in the logistics, financial, and franchise industries. Mike earned a BA in Business Administration from Utah State University. Key Takeaways - Building a Foundation for Sales Growth In the interview, Mike describes a typical lifecycle for a logistics company. During the startup phase, the founder(s) and their team experience a wild ride where everything is new, sales is king and there are few rules or processes. For a small team, communication and management are easy. As the company grows, problems arise because the company lacks a solid foundation for growth. Typical challenges include a lack of financial controls, HR issues, recruiting & training problems, and leadership gaps. These growing pains frustrate and exhaust the owner because the strategies that worked well in the beginning, aren’t working anymore. Founders and their leadership teams often engage with coaches like Mike to help them build a foundation that will jumpstart growth and position the company for long-term success. The building blocks of the foundation include the following: Vision and mission Roles and responsibilities (organization charts with job descriptions) Executive leadership to head up sales and marketing, operations, and finance. To be successful, each area needs a point person who will be fully accountable for the department. Culture Processes and systems Learn More About Building A Foundation for Sales Growth The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14897090

New School Supply Chain Basics with the Supply Chain Queen, Sheri Hinish 06/19/2020

New School Supply Chain Basics with the Supply Chain Queen, Sheri Hinish New School Supply Chain Basics with the Supply Chain Queen, Sheri Hinish and Joe Lynch discuss new school supply chain basics. As a supply chain thought leader and change agent, Sheri is leading the way toward sustainable supply chains, new paradigms, strategy, and leadership. About Sheri Hinish is The Supply Chain Queen and she is on a mission to change the world through sustainable supply chains, evangelizing , and building technology grounded in the principles of sustainable development. She helps executives and their teams explore new school supply chain, digital readiness, sustainability, innovation, design thinking, and connected value networks. Sheri earned a BS (Maryland) and an MS (Rutgers) in Supply Chain Management. Sheri is currently a Master of Arts Candidate, Sustainability at Harvard. The Supply Chain Queen In her work as the , Sheri has made a career simplifying the complex, rethinking supply chain strategy and customer experience, the way we design, connect, and influence each other. Sheri helps executives and their teams reimagine their approach by 1) leveraging new ways of thinking about supply chain, sustainable development, and corporate sustainability in the world we share. 2) helping leaders design, guide, & inspire organizations through complex transformations, bridging workforce generations. 3) using next-generation leading practice to develop the right technology, supply chain, and solution strategy for ecosystem orchestration and stewardship. Key Takeaways – New School Supply Chain Basics The new school supply chain basics (below) that Sheri described on the podcast also appear on the website. New School Supply Chain. The “we’ve always done it this way” operating model is over. Supply chain has never had a bigger seat at the table. Advances in supply chain technology, data science, corporate social responsibility create opportunities like no other decade in our existence to building a new global economy that is circular. This requires a “new school” shift that puts the customer experience, supply chains with purpose, and leadership front and center. Corporate Sustainability. Corporate Sustainability isn't philanthropy. We help companies understand supply chains are a conduit for social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and the win-win of ' doing well and doing good" to transform the world we share. Circular Economy & Circular Thinking. We are leaving value on the table and take-make-waste, or linear economy is costing our planet and our supply chains billions in value leakage annually. The Supply Chain Revolution embraces circularity, making fiscal sense of shifting toward regenerative, restorative processes and designing for zero waste in end-to-end supply chain orchestration. Sustainable Development & the SDGs. This is the decade of action. Propelled by purpose, new school leaders understand the inter-connectivity of industrial, technological, environmental, and human systems. Sustainable Development and Supply Chains are a conduit to realizing many of the SDGs by 2030. Diversity & Inclusion. The way we lead, hire, think, design, connect, share in communities of practice is shifting. New diversity includes challenging paradigms for inclusion by transforming culture, developing multi-disciplinary teams, and encouraging diversity, divergence, and radical collaboration. Leading & Influencing Change. The ability to lead in Supply Chain 5.0, digitalization, the future of work, and transition toward sustainable, circular models requires new-school leadership. Themes include headspace, modus operandi, stewardship, and understanding new impacts in transformation and beyond. Learn More About New School Supply Chain Basics The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14888315

5 Challenges to Expanding into Latin America with Demo Perez 06/17/2020

5 Challenges to Expanding into Latin America with Demo Perez 5 Challenges to Expanding into Latin America with Demo Perez and discuss 5 Challenges to Expanding into Latin America (LATAM). The LATAM region is huge and growing fast so many North American, European, and Asian companies are anxious to enter the market. LATAM is a golden opportunity, however, there many problems unique to the region. Demo has been helping global companies expand into Latin America for over two decades and he shares some of his valuable insights. About Demo Perez is the Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of the IPL Group, based in Panama. Demo and the IPL team specialize in Latin American warehousing and distribution. Demo has proven expertise in warehousing, distribution, logistics, value-added services, logistics technology, government affairs, and international trade. Prior to founding IPL Group, Demo held leadership positions at Logistics Services Panama. Demo is the President of CSCMP, Panama Roundtable, and the Vice-Chair of the Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee (Chamber of Commerce). Demo has worked with a number of Panamian government and trade groups and advised Georgia Tech on logistics innovation. Demo earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Panama. About IPL Group IPL Group helps global firms expand their business into the Latin American market. IPL Group is based in Panama, which is the go-to country for companies that want to expand into the huge, fast-growing Latin American market. IPL Group specializes in Latin American warehousing and distribution. IPL offers a wide array of value-added services that help customers comply with the rules and regulations of the different countries in the LATAM region as well as special needs from distributors, retailers, and individual customers. IPL Group is also a full-service freight brokerage and freight forwarder. Key Takeaways – 5 Challenges to Expanding into Latin America LATAM region is comprised of over 30 countries and each has its own unique culture, customs, dialects, federal regulations, currency, tariffs, and consumer tastes. When expanding into the region, companies must recognize the difficulty and complexity of entering into each individual country. Many business people used to large homogeneous markets like the USA will need to change their attitudes to be successful in LATAM. Managing inventory is a major concern for companies expanding into LATAM. Developing accurate sales forecasts is often a problem for companies new to the region. If a product doesn't sell, moving excess inventory is challenging. Companies are better off, keeping their inventory at a regional distribution center rather than committing to local inventory. The regional DC should be in Panama because of the strategic location. Panama also has the logistics expertise, infrastructure, and experience required to manage a LATAM regional distribution center. To minimize investment when entering LATAM, companies often find distributors who work in the region. Distributors can offer some advantages, however, they are separate entities that can't be easily controlled. Distributors may work with your competition and they may not fully commit to selling your product. The costs added by distributors may make your product unattractive to the LATAM markets. In many cases, companies new to the market will be better served by a regional 3rd party logistics provider (3PL). To successfully expand into the LATAM region, companies must partner with the right 3PL. Hiring a 3PL that can manage warehousing, value-added services, logistics, and distribution will enable your team to focus on growing the revenues in the region. Learn More About 5 Challenges to Expanding into Latin America Related Topics: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14866730

Emotional Intelligence in Sales with Ann Holm 06/07/2020

Emotional Intelligence in Sales with Ann Holm Emotional Intelligence in Sales with Ann Holm and discuss emotional intelligence in sales. Ann reviews the basics of emotional intelligence and how to apply it to sales. About Ann Holm , is a Professional Certified Coach specializing in executive, career, and sales coaching. In addition to being a certified Master practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, she offers the Type Coach online assessment, with a focus on personality as it relates to the process of generating leads, closing and maintaining sales accounts. She also has 25 years of experience in applied brain science, using her hands-on experiences to help her coaching clients understand how to stay focused, be engaged, and energized given the demands of the 21st century workplace. Ann has both a BA and an MS from the University of Michigan with focuses in psychology, brain science, and language. About Ann Holm’s Coaching Practice Ann helps individuals position themselves for success by increasing their self-awareness, which is a must-have skill in the 21st century. Through coaching and proven assessment tools, Ann helps people become aware of their personality, emotional intelligence, and how they manage their brain energy. She also helps her client to better understand their value proposition or personal brand. Areas of expertise include: personal self-awareness, sales coaching for logistics professionals, emotional intelligence, communication and influence, team building, MBTI Master Practitioner, extensive experience with the MBTI Step III, 360 Reach/Personal Branding, and applied brain science. Key Takeaways - Emotional Intelligence in Sales Self Awareness - Know your strengths and weaknesses. Social Awareness - Understanding the cultural environment of your customer so you can behave properly (when in Rome). Self Management - Build self-management skills so you can adjust your behavior to the situation. Relationship Management - Do the things that foster the relationship between you and your customer. Learn More About Emotional Intelligence in Sales Related Topics: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14726543

Accelerating Time to Value for 3PLs with John Golob 06/05/2020

Accelerating Time to Value for 3PLs with John Golob Accelerating Time to Value for 3PLs with John Golob and discuss accelerating time to value for 3PLs implementing and onboarding new accounts. 3PLs, freight forwarders, and carriers are increasingly concerned with the timely implementation of new customers. A poorly managed or late implementation can be very costly for both the LSP and the shipper. Additionally, the damage to the business relationship could last for years and cost the LSP an opportunity to win additional business from the shipper. About John Golob is the founder and CMO of Winmore, a San Francisco based software firm that has developed the Customer Success Platform (CSP) for Logistics Companies which helps commercial teams win more RFPs, minimize scope creep, and build customer relationships at scale. Winmore is John’s sixth start-up since graduating from USC in 1991. Previous early-stage ventures include Scopus Technology (acquired by Siebel for $500 million), Octane Software (acquired by E.piphany for $1.3 billion), Digital Impact (acquired by Axciom for $190 million) and Xobni (acquired by Yahoo for $90 million) and Good Technology (acquired by Motorola for $500 million). John earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. About Winmore Winmore brings years of industry expertise and a passion for redefining logistics through innovation and digitization. Winmore's business is helping logistics service providers become more successful. Winmore provides three solutions: 1.) RFP & Tender Collaboration software streamlines the bid qualification process, increases the efficiency of your bid desk, and improves overall win rates by as much as 25%. 2.) Customer Solution On-Boarding software manages the onboarding of complex customer implementations, accelerates time-to-value, minimizes scope-creep, ensures compliance, and delights customers. 3.) Business Process Design Studio is a drag-and-drop business process modeling tool for developing and publishing multi-stage, collaborative workflows that accelerate and streamline your business processes. Key Takeaways – Accelerating Time to Value for 3PLs The Consequences and Causes of Mismanaged and Delayed Customer Implementations When logistics services providers (LSPs) are awarded a large account by a shipper, the expectation is that the implementation will run smoothly. Unfortunately, that is seldom the case, especially for larger implementations. The consequences for a poorly managed implementation are: customer dissatisfaction, lost business in the event the customer doesn’t renew, extra cost for manpower to remedy the situation, lost business, lawsuits, frayed relationships, lost savings for the shipper, and lost revenue for the LSP. Large LSP-shipper implementations are hard. The onboarding, integration, and communication are very difficult to manage. Data sharing and hand-offs between the 3PL and shipper are problematic, especially as the project moves through the RFP process. The RFP process includes the following process steps: 1.) RFP, 2.) Response from 3PL, 3.) Evaluation, 4.) Contract, 5.) Implementation, and 6.) Continuous improvement. In each process step, there are new people involved, actions undertaken, and decisions required. Accelerating Time to Value for 3PLs To properly manage a shipper implementation and integration, 3PLs need to utilize a stable, effective process, that ideally enabled by a system. Winmore has specifically developed its to help LSPs onboard new customers. Winmore’s comprehensive, but easy-to-use software solves the three most critical pain points that impact customer solution delivery. Process control - manages and monitors the end-to-end solution delivery process, providing feedback and alerts to identify and solve bottlenecks quickly. Internal compliance - clearly communicates requirements, status, success criteria, and results to all stakeholders, helping ensure adherence to your internal processes. Continuous improvement - Six Sigma black belts and continuous improvement people love Winmore’s Process Studio, Kanban boards, and stage/gates, helping them remove waste from their operations. Learn More: Related Topics: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14716640

5 Challenges to Expanding into Europe with Joe Paris 06/04/2020

5 Challenges to Expanding into Europe with Joe Paris 5 Challenges to Expanding into Europe with Joe Paris and discuss 5 challenges to expanding into Europe. As an American entrepreneur and recognized expert in operational excellence living in Germany, Joe Paris has unique, first-hand insights into the challenges facing American companies expanding into Europe. About Joe Paris is the founder and CEO of the XONITEK group of companies. Joe has devoted his entire career of over 30 years to helping companies become high-performance organizations. As an international entrepreneur and a sought-after strategist, consultant, mentor, and speaker with engagements around the world – and through the considerable experiences Joe has had, the research he has conducted, and the articles he has written. Joe is a world-recognized thought leader on the subject of operational excellence. About XONITEK XONITEK is a boutique consulting firm dedicated to helping companies in their pursuit of achieving operational excellence. XONITEK mostly works with publicly listed firms with international operations or value-chains. Clients typically have a mature continuous improvement program. They aspire to press further to become high-performance organizations with a clear vision, unmistakably communicated, and vigorously pursued. XONITEK consultants are highly capable subject matter experts who are eager to engage, highly communicative, and can help you move quickly from assessment to action. Key Takeaways – 5 Challenges to Expanding into Europe In Joe’s experience the biggest problems American’s companies struggle when expanding into Europe, for the following reasons: Taxation is a major concern when expanding into Europe because you will most likely be doing business in multiple countries, with very different tax codes. American businesspeople who are used to the large US market underestimate the accounting and tax expertise required to do business in the European market. Human resources are very different in Europe. In the USA, most employees are usually “at will” which means they can be released with a minimum of hassle. In Europe, employees are protected by government regulations and employment contracts. As a result, employing people in Europe is more rigid and expensive. Investment capital in Europe tends to be risk-averse and less plentiful compared to the USA. Companies expanding into Europe will need to pay extra attention to how their expansion will be financed. Lack of flexibility is a challenge for US businesspeople who are used to developing plans for the US market. In Joe’s experience, companies expanding into Europe should avoid big investments in real estate, people, and operations until they fully understand the market. Companies are better off entering the market slowly, partnering, and outsourcing to avoid a big investment. Postpone investment until you have a better understanding of the customer, risks, and opportunities. Environmental regulations in Europe are very different and often more stringent than in the USA. For businesspeople interested in European expansion, understanding the environmental impact and country-specific regulations is very important. Bonus challenge! Understanding customs and cultures is sometimes a struggle for companies expanding into Europe. Each country has its own unique culture and customs, which is very different from the US market, which is mostly homogenous. In general, Europeans have more national holidays, vacation days, and sick days. They also value their time off and create boundaries between work and play, which contrasts greatly to the culture of most American businesspeople. Learn More: Related Topics: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14702678

Avoiding Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt in Sales with Steve Elwell 05/31/2020

Avoiding Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt in Sales with Steve Elwell Avoiding Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt in Sales with Steve Elwell and discuss why avoiding fear, uncertainty, and doubt in the sales process will help you close more deals. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt in a buyer’s mind almost always kill the sale. About Steve Elwell brings a strategic and practical approach to the challenges of leadership and business profitability. He is expert in the growth and turnaround of small and medium manufacturing, logistics, and technology businesses. He led the turnaround of 5 troubled companies and started 2 new businesses. He successfully recruited and led 6 sales forces, introduced dozens of new products, and entered 10 new markets. As a retained executive search consultant, he built C-suite leadership teams for clients in a variety of industries. Steve earned a BA in Economics and Management and a MBA. He lives with his family in suburban Detroit. About Steve Elwell’s Work helps business owners with challenged businesses increase liquidity, improve sales, leadership, efficiency, and growth. Business situations include turnaround, sales stagnation, customer-market concentration, and rapid growth. Key Takeaways – Avoiding Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt in Sales Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt – Definitions and Causes Fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) is the game behind the game. FUD emotions will not be openly discussed, but they may kill your sale. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. Uncertainty is the state of being uncertain. Also, unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness, chanciness, precariousness, unsureness. Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction – uncertainty. Also, lack of certainty, unsureness, indecision, hesitation, hesitancy, apprehension, suspicion, confusion, insecurity, inhibition, uneasiness. Typically, FUD is caused by the mistakes made by the salesperson. Inconsistences in the sales process like miscommunication, unanswered emails, bad grammar or language, poor presentation, inappropriate dress, late to meetings, outdated websites, lack of social proof online like no LinkedIn profile. Unforced errors cause FUD. Anything that might make the prospect uncomfortable, potentially causes FUD. FUD is hard to overcome once it has been introduced, so it must be avoided. To Avoid Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD) in Sales, Demonstrate the 5 C’s Character – display integrity and high morals in business and personal life. Competence – show your clients and prospects that you can do your job effectively and efficiently. Become the expert professional that they want to work with. Care – pay attention to the project, show your customer that their project is important to you. Communication – Have your written and verbal correspondence on-point and on-time. Connection – build a relationship, a bond with your prospective client. Get on their wavelength and empathize with your prospect. Learn More: Related Topics: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14635100

Reducing Cost and Improving Transit Time for eCommerce Shipments from China with Brian Miller 05/30/2020

Reducing Cost and Improving Transit Time for eCommerce Shipments from China with Brian Miller Reducing Cost and Improving Transit Time for eCommerce Shipments from China with Brian Miller and discuss eCommerce shipments from China, which can be challenging for small to mid-size eCommerce companies. Brian and his company, have a unique approach that can reduce the cost and transit time for shipping from China to the USA. About Brian Miller is the founder and CEO of Easy China Warehouse (ECW) based in Shenzhen, China. Prior to founding ECW, Brian co-founded a blue tooth speaker eCommerce company so he understands the unique challenges faced by eCommerce companies shipping from China. Earlier in his career, Brian held leadership positions with Chinese manufacturing companies. Brian earned a BS in Business Administration from The University of Connecticut. Brian speaks fluent Mandarin and lives in Shenzhen. About Easy China Warehouse Easy China Warehouse, based in Shenzhen, specializes in warehouse and transportation solutions for eCommerce and Amazon FBA sellers. With its proximity to Hong Kong, Easy China Warehouse (ECW) can provide customers with the fastest and most economical shipping lanes in the world. ECW ships to all Amazon FBA warehouses globally and can drop ship from its Chinese warehouse directly to customers anywhere in the world. In addition, they provide value-added services such as product kitting, bundling, simple assembly, and package, and insert manufacturing. ECW provides the most flexible and cost-effective global fulfillment solution for eCommerce sellers manufacturing in China. Key Takeaways – Reducing Cost and Improving Transit Time for eCommerce Shipments from China Typical Problems for eCommerce Shipments from China (particularly LCL) For many eCommerce companies, their product is manufactured in China and then shipped to the USA. Smaller eCommerce companies, especially start-ups, do not always have enough product (sales) to fill a shipping container so they are forced to use Less Than Container Load (LCL) services. Less Than Container Load (LCL) is a shipment that will not fill a container. With an LCL shipment, you pay for your load to be shipped in a container with one or more loads from other customers of the freight transport provider. While LCL is a good option for many, it is more expensive than buying a full container and the consolidation and coordination often increases the transit time. Reducing Cost and Improving Transit Time for eCommerce Shipments from China On the podcast, Brian Miller explained another approach to ocean shipping for eCommerce companies that typically would use LCL. Brian’s company, Easy China Warehouse, and other companies like his use this approach. Rather than ship your product to a freight forwarder in China for LCL consolidation and eventually shipping to the USA, the product is shipped to a China warehouse that labels the product with shipping instructions (UPS, FedEx) and consolidates it with other companies product. While it is similar to the LCL consolidation, the process is faster and saves days or even a week in transit time. Since the product is labeled in China, the breakdown and shipping coordination in the USA is greatly reduced saving more time and money. Since Brian’s company, Easy China Warehouse specializes in eCommerce shipments, they understand the unique challenges faced by eCommerce companies. Learn More About eCommerce Shipments from China Related Topics: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast can be heard on the following players: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14627921

Stop Toiling in Obscurity with Ann Holm 05/29/2020

Stop Toiling in Obscurity with Ann Holm Stop Toiling in Obscurity with Ann Holm and discuss why you should stop toiling in obscurity. To build a successful career in the 21st century where most people will have dozens of different jobs, you must work smart and become known within your industry. Toiling in obscurity hoping to be noticed and rewarded for all your labor is not a healthy or smart approach for managing your career. About Ann Holm , is a Professional Certified Coach specializing in executive, career, and sales coaching. In addition to being a certified Master practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, she offers the Type Coach online assessment, with a focus on personality as it relates to the process of generating leads, closing, and maintaining sales accounts. She also has 25 years of experience in applied brain science, using her hands-on experiences to help her coaching clients understand how to stay focused, be engaged, and energized given the demands of the 21st-century workplace. Ann has both a BA and an MS from the University of Michigan with focuses in psychology, brain science, and language. About Ann Holm’s Coaching Practice Ann helps individuals position themselves for success by increasing their self-awareness, which is a must-have skill in the 21st century. Through coaching and proven assessment tools, Ann helps people become aware of their personality, emotional intelligence, and how they manage their brain energy. She also helps her client to better understand their value proposition or personal brand. Areas of expertise include: personal self-awareness, sales coaching for logistics professionals, emotional intelligence, communication and influence, team building, MBTI Master Practitioner, extensive experience with the MBTI Step III, 360 Reach/Personal Branding, and applied brain science. Key Takeaways – Stop Toiling in Obscurity The Problem with Toiling in Obscurity The definition of toil is to work extremely hard, incessant labor, grinding without rest or peace. The definition of obscurity is the state of being unknown, inconspicuous, or unimportant. Obviously, no one wants to toil in obscurity, but if you are not proactive, you can find yourself being a doer and not a leader. Toiling in obscurity means you lack leadership, influence, and you are not recognized for your contributions. Some problems associated with toiling in obscurity: People sometimes struggle to step out of obscurity because moving into the light requires them to leave their comfort zone. Toilers often are not familiar or native to the social media tools that are useful for getting found. Many people in their 50’s and 60s’ did not grow up with social media so they do not use them. People living in obscurity sometimes do not fully understand their value proposition. Not realizing their value to the deal, they are hesitant to share their expertise. Many people who are flat out experts have a distorted view of themselves. They undervalue their expertise and experience in a field, which makes them hesitant to Sometimes individuals hold on to outdated thinking about their role. They perceive themselves as doers rather than as a leader or influencer. This behavior will not help you be discovered. You must choose yourself. Put Yourself Out There - Join the Conversation When you become more active with the logistics community via social media, content creation, and networking, you can become a thought leader with more influence and a network of trusted contacts. When you put yourself out there, you get the following benefits: Gain legitimacy Grow your network Recognize your value proposition Leave your comfort zone Increase your confidence How to Become Part of the Conversation – Put Yourself Out There Create a professional, high-quality LinkedIn profile with a nice headshot, headline, and list of accomplishments. Develop a network on LinkedIn and get to know the people your connected to. Participate in discussions, join some LinkedIn groups, share an article, podcast, or video, and include your comments. Volunteer to represent your company at a networking event, speak at an event, Create content like an article, podcast, or video. Learn More About Toiling in Obscurity The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14618954

The 5 Billion Dollar Overcharge with Steve Ferreira 05/22/2020

The 5 Billion Dollar Overcharge with Steve Ferreira The 5 Billion Dollar Overcharge with Steve Ferreira and discuss the 5 billion dollar overcharge which refers to the amount that ocean shippers are overcharged every year. Steve is well recognized expert in ocean freight auditing and in the interview, he describes the problem of ocean freight overcharges and ways to recapture the difference. About Steve Ferreira Steve Ferreira is the founder and CEO of Ocean Audit. Steve has spent his entire career in global container shipping. He established Ocean Audit in 1994 when he realized general freight audit practices reverse no more than 50% of overcharges occurring in ocean transportation. Today, Steve’s process is leading edge and utilizes machine learning to identify and validate ocean freight invoice errors. Initial recovery validation can be accomplished with only a very basic requested client-side report. Steve Ferreira is often featured in leading business publications like USA Today, Journal of Commerce, and as a guest commentator on CNBC. About Ocean Audit is the leader in ocean freight invoice auditing. Ocean freight billing is very complex, and few shippers fully understand all the charges. As a result of this complexity, ocean freight shippers are commonly overcharged. Ocean Audit and Steve Ferreira specialize in ocean freight auditing. Ocean Audit uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify invoice inaccuracies and overcharges. Ocean Audit utilizes its expertise on a contingency only basis, which means Steve only gets paid if he discovers a saving. Key Takeaways - 5 Billion Dollar Overcharge The Problem with Ocean Freight Invoices In Steve’s experience, ocean freight invoices are usually inaccurate. The average high-volume ocean freight shipper is overcharged by 1-2% with some shippers getting overcharged by much more. Ocean freight invoices are very complex and there are few supply chain people who have the time and or expertise required to audit the invoices. Auditing of the ocean freight invoices frequently falls in a gap somewhere between accounting and the supply chain group. Ocean freight invoicing is often very antiquated and technology improvements implemented are far behind the truckload and LTL modes. The top five reasons ocean freight invoices are inaccurate: Double billing (the ocean freight provider may double bill when they discover a surcharge not added to the freight bill). Date cusp issues Fuel surcharges Not checking container numbers Contract complexity Ocean Freight Auditing – Recapturing the 5 Billion Dollar Overcharge Shippers can conduct their own ocean freight auditing; however, they would need to hire an internal resource that would have a deep understanding of ocean freight auditing. This specialized knowledge is not easily found. Shippers can also hire a pre-auditing firm, which is a 3rd party company that audits the freight bills prior to the shipper paying the invoice. Since most pre-auditing firms specialize in over the road trucking freight audit, they may lack the knowledge required to conduct an effective ocean freight audit. For many ocean freight shippers, the right audit solution is a company that specializes in ocean freight auditing. Ocean freight auditing is too complex to hire a firm that just dabbles in the space – hire a specialist. Ocean freight shippers hire Steve Ferreira because he has over 40,000 hours of expertise in all areas of ocean freight invoicing and dispute management. Steve is the world’s leading expert in recovery auditing for the container shipping industry. Ocean Audit is the only international company specializing in all aspects of ocean freight recovery. Learn More: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14525906

The Niches Have Riches with Kevin Hill 05/22/2020

The Niches Have Riches with Kevin Hill The Niches Have Riches with Kevin Hill and discuss why the niches have riches, which refers to the advantage of specializing and owning a niche. In the logistics and transportation business, competition is intense and increasingly the best 3PLs are developing market segments, so they can customize their services to a specific niche (market segment). About Kevin Hill is the Director of Editorial and Research at FreightWaves, which publishes proprietary research on all things transport and logistics. Kevin is also the co-host of the popular freight sales podcast, . Additionally, Kevin is the founder of , which is the only carrier database that provides a comprehensive profile of carriers that go beyond what is available in public records. Earlier in his career, Kevin held leadership positions in both the financial and logistics industries. Kevin earned an MBA from the University of Oklahoma. About FreightWaves is the leading freight intelligence provider, offering current digital intelligence and context to the freight community on a central platform. FreightWaves' SaaS product, SONAR, is the leading freight market analytics tool and dashboard, aggregating billions of data points from hundreds of sources to provide the fastest data in the transportation and logistics sector. FreightWaves.com, the company's news site, is the leading provider of news and commentary for the transportation and logistics space. FreightWaves also hosts conferences under Transparency and MarketWaves branding and is a co-developer of the first futures contracts dedicated to trucking spot rates. Key Takeaways – The Niches Have Riches The Problem with One Size Fits All The competition is fierce in the transportation and logistics business and without a niche, you and your company will struggle to stand out from the crowd. The “we are everything to everyone” messaging is a sure loser Shippers look to 3PLs for answers to their transportation and logistics problems. Shippers are increasingly looking for industry-specific expertise and if you do not have it, they will work with your competition. Content marketing begins with market segmentation (niches). If you want to gain favorable attention with a food shipper, you better be able to create content that appeals to them. Food shippers are obviously different than hazmat shippers, and vice versa. With a one size fits all strategy, your marketing and messaging is going to be a “mile wide and an inch deep” which won’t for shippers who want to work with experts in their business. The Niches Have Riches Approach When logistics providers develop their own niche, they have a better chance of winning business with shippers in that niche. To develop the selected niche, learn about the biggest problems facing the niche industry - that your company can solve. Once understood, incorporate the problems along with your solutions into your marketing and sales messaging. With industry knowledge, your chances for a sale increase. Since your company is focused on a niche, the confidence of the sales team will be much higher. Logistics market segments include: Automotive Chemical and Plastics Industrial and Manufacturing Gov & Defense Energy and Petrochemicals Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Furniture Food and Beverage Appliances Electronics Health, Pharma, Life Sciences Industry leaders like CH Robinson are using market segmentation and thought leadership to grow their business: Learn More: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14525885

Securing the First, Middle and Last Mile with Andrew Kelley 05/21/2020

Securing the First, Middle and Last Mile with Andrew Kelley Securing the First, Middle and Last Mile with Andrew Kelley and discuss securing the first, middle and last mile. As supply chains evolve, the need for secure asset transfer increases for both consumers and business to business applications. About Andrew Kelley Andrew Kelley is the Chief Commercial Officer at BoxLock. Andrew is an experienced technology executive and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in supply chain, logistics, SaaS, software, and technology-enabled services businesses. Prior to joining BoxLock, Andrew held leadership positions at Bell Creek Partners, Haulme, Omnitracs, and Dell. Andrew has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Masters in Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science from North Carolina State University. About BoxLock is the industry leader in secure, unattended delivery technology. The company’s inventory, access, and security solutions integrate into existing systems to help businesses make their supply chain more efficient, accountable, and reliable in the first and final mile. BoxLock’s unique combination of barcode scanner and connectivity allows an unprecedented level of secure integrations without the need for complicated and unreliable mobile software or key fobs. Key Takeaways - Securing the First, Middle and Last Mile The Problem with Unsecured Shipments With the rise of e-commerce, supply chain logistics has evolved into more small package deliveries to both consumers and businesses. Many of the deliveries are to locations where there is nobody available to receive the package. This is true for both home and business deliveries. One option is to deliver the package to the porch or dock and hope that it does not get stolen or discovered by insects or rodents in the case of food deliveries. When a driver leaves a package unattended on a porch or dock, the proof of delivery can potentially be disputed. A second option is for the delivery company to keep the package and attempt to deliver when the receiver is available. Re-delivery results in inconvenience, delayed deliveries, and added costs. Clearly, after-hour and unattended location deliveries are the weakest links in the supply chain. There is a high risk of theft, loss, time delays, privacy concerns, and additional costs associated with these types of deliveries. Securing the First, Middle and Last Mile Both businesspeople and consumers want the convenience of a shipment direct to their home or business whether they are there or not– and those shipments must be safe and secure. Shippers and the logistics companies they work with also want the option of delivering to a location even when there is no one available to receive the shipment. Of course, shippers and 3PLs, do not like the lack of security of leaving a package unattended on a porch or dock – it puts them at risk. BoxLock has developed a unique padlock with a scanner that enables supply chain visibility and security at the point of asset transfer. BoxLock is easy for delivery drivers to recognize and use. Once the package barcode is scanned by the padlock scanner, the container opens, and the package can be put in the secure container and locked. The scan feature enables real-time visibility and proof of delivery notification. The smart padlock works with a broad range of hasped storage containers, sheds, gates, and doors, for maximum compatibility and security. Note: a hasp is the metal hinge mechanism that enables a container or door to be locked. Learn More: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14520221

Upgrading to One Integrated Suite for all Logistics Operations with Naval Sabharwal 05/17/2020

Upgrading to One Integrated Suite for all Logistics Operations with Naval Sabharwal Upgrading to One Integrated Suite for all Logistics Operations with Naval Sabharwal Naval Sabharwal and Joe Lynch discuss why using one integrated suite for all logistics operations is the best approach for driving logistics and supply chain efficiency and effectiveness. Utilizing fragmented systems limits logistics companies from fully leveraging the data in their systems. Data equals dollars and the 3PLs that best harvest the data (dollars) in their systems will be the most profitable. About Naval Sabharwal Naval is Global Head of Supply Chain and Logistics at Ramco Systems, where he leads a team that is building a logistics software platform that meets the end to end needs of transportation and logistics providers. Prior to joining Ramco, Naval held leadership positions at a variety of companies including Safexpress, Reliance Logistics, Reliance Retail, Unipart Logistics and Hexaware Technologies. Naval has a Postgraduate in Material Management from the National Defense Academy. He served the Logistics stream of the Indian Air Force for 20 years before taking pre-mature retirement in September 2004 as a Wing Commander. About Ramco Ramco’s Logistics Software is a unified cloud-based software covering the end to end needs of third-party logistics, freight forwarders, and parcel/courier service providers who are seeking a high-performance logistics software. Ramco Logistics Software will not only help you manage your business with ease but also swiftly respond to evolving imperatives of business, regulatory changes, market conditions, etc. without having to go through the pains of integration again and again. Noteworthy Questions [7:45] Logistics companies don’t necessarily have the talent in-house to manage information systems. [20:10] Trying to integrate systems from different suppliers is where the problems begin. [28:30] Why do we need an integrated solution for all of our logistics operations? Key Takeaways - Integrated Suite for all Logistics Operations The Problem with the Fragmented Approach to Software Most transportation and logistics companies have purchased stand-alone, single-function software like TMS, WMS, CRM, HR, tracking, and fleet management to better manage their business. The problem with this hodge-podge approach to software is that each system is disconnected, and the data created is not easy to share between software systems. Some companies integrate their disparate software, which is time-consuming and costly – and with uncertain results. Fragmentation of software systems and data causes a lack of visibility and data that is too old to act on. Real-time data enables real-time decision making. As logistics companies push for additional efficiencies, business intelligence, and real-time insights, the fragmented systems can not deliver. The Advantages of One Integrated Suite for All Logistics Operations Customer (shippers) expectations are rising, they need a fully integrated suite for all logistics operations. The platform seamlessly connects every function from the CRM through freight claims. The integrated suite eliminates silos, enables continuous innovation, and provides real-time data and insights that can help improve service and lower costs. An integrated suite for all logistics operations (like Ramco’s solution) is a platform that is completely configurable by operations people – no IT people required. By utilizing a completely integrated platform, logistics companies can take advantage of artificial intelligence/machine learning, which will take their business to the next level Pick a Strategic Partner for Your Logistics Company Software Needs Most 3PLs do not have the internal expertise required to compete with the best 3PL software development teams. To stay competitive, 3PL should consider partnering with a 3PL software company that can build and support a comprehensive, end-to-end software suite that includes CRM, freight rating, billing, operations, WMS, cross-docking, profitability, claims, finance, and HR. When selecting a 3PL software partner, logistics companies should look for three things: 1. Design capabilities, 2. Flexibility and 3. Investment capabilities. Technology is advancing quickly and companies need to invest to stay ahead of the curve. 3PLs must look to the future and make lasting technological and digital partnerships that will ensure their competitive advantage. Learn More: The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14452400

A Better Way to Reach Your Target Market with Tom Augenthaler 05/02/2020

A Better Way to Reach Your Target Market with Tom Augenthaler A Better Way to Reach Your Target Market with Tom Augenthaler and discuss what it takes to reach your target market more effectively and more efficiently. Tom is an influencer marketing expert and he shares how influencer marketing can be used to boost your company’s growth and form better relationships with your customers. About Tom Augenthaler Tom grew up in Long Island and studied finance at Gettysburg College. Finding himself unfulfilled by the world of finance, Tom went on to study American English Language at Harvard before entering the PR industry. Tom worked with HP for years which is where he discovered how to utilize influencer marketing during the economic crash of 2008. About 551 Media and The Influence Marketer The Influence Marketer is the place to go for any company looking to start or improve their use of influencer marketing. Tom offers full team training on the many different aspects of the process, one on one mentoring, or strategy calls. He consults digitally and in-person to help B2B businesses build a marketing strategy that is right for them. Reach Your Target Market Using Influencer Marketing Individuals are more likely to be trusted over brands. Think of when your friend recommends a movie or T.V show to you; you are much more likely to watch than if it were recommended by an anonymous entity. Finding bloggers who already have an audience in the same demographic you are looking to target makes it easy to effectively convey your message and increases its relevancy. Utilizing influencer marketing effectively will enable your business and brand to grow, resulting in your own brand becoming an influencer in the B2B industry. Why Use Influencer Marketing in the B2B industry? The landscape of traditional marketing has evolved to trend more towards digital. While businesses do still have to run advertising campaigns to maintain a presence, influencer collaborations are often a cost-effective way to increase your audience, especially in the B2B industry. B2B is a harder market to corner in some respects because you often can’t give bloggers a physical product to review. Often, influencers in the B2B industry will be a more inexpensive choice to collaborate with as their audiences are smaller and more focused. Tom has also found it will usually be a quid pro quo situation. Digital Vs. Influencer Marketing Digital marketing includes things like articles, SEO optimization, and social media. This can be costly and hard to see an ROI on. There is no right or wrong answer. Track what works for you and see which offers the best return. The consumer and market changes quickly. In terms of B2B the sales process is a longer one than other industries. Influencer marketing is a way of keeping up with your target audience in a more immediate fashion than using a digital strategy to launch over a longer period of time. Noteworthy Questions [3:29] What are some of the problems people are experiencing in trying to reach their target market? [18:22] How does content creation and SEO compare to influencer marketing? [22:15] How can companies get started using influencer marketing? Key Takeaways - A Better Way to Reach Your Target Market Know your objectives - are you looking for more brand awareness and consideration or are you looking for more sales leads? Don’t work with too many influencers at once - be selective about who you work with and develop a relationship with them for a lasting partnership. Choose a strategic over transactional relationship; it will offer more benefits in the long run. Leverage your relationship with current collaborators to find new people to work with. Learn More The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14249450

Understanding Your Sales Personality with Ryan Schreiber and Ann Holm 05/01/2020

Understanding Your Sales Personality with Ryan Schreiber and Ann Holm Understanding Your Sales Personality with Ryan Schreiber and Ann Holm is joined by and to discuss sales personality type. When you understand your sales personality type it enables you to play to your strengths and account for your blind spots. Knowing your individual sales personality type leads to greater self-awareness, a starting point for self-improvement activities, and better sales results. About Ryan Schreiber Ryan is the Director of Engagement at CarrierDirect in Chicago. Ryan was born and raised in Tampa Florida. Ryan earned a degree in History from the University of South Florida and then a Law degree from Michigan State University. Prior to joining CarrierDirect, Ryan worked at a variety of logistics companies and even started and exited a few tech-enabled freight brokerage start-ups. Ryan is a skilled technologist and strategist who has helped transform many leading transportation and logistics companies. In Ryan’s experience great technology is important but finding and keeping the right people is the key to success in the 3PL business. About Carrier Direct Since 2011 carriers, 3PLs, shippers, and logistics technology vendors have looked to to deliver the efficiency, strategy, go-to-market plans, and technology that will elevate their business above their competition. CarrierDirect builds organizations and relationships, providing strategy and technology designed to maximize efficiency, reduce cost, and make your business stand out. CarrierDirect advises clients on the elements of their business most vital to success: strategy, organizational structure, compensation, technology, training, recruiting, workflows, processes, and more. CarrierDirect clients include Werner, J.B. Hunt, Covenant, CRST, and FedEx. Finding Your Sales Personality The process to discover your personality type is a simple one. Ann provides a link to an online assessment. The assessment is easy and fun and takes about 20 minutes to complete. After you receive your customized report, you schedule time with your coach (Ann). In your coaching session, you review and discuss your sales personality type report with Ann. Ann explains the nuances of the report. Utilizing this approach helps salespeople identify strengths and blind spots, which leads to greater self-awareness, improved capability and ultimately more sales. points. Finding your personality type can help you to apply what you learn to your role at work and what aspects you can leverage for the best results. Ryan’s Impression of the Process It has a two-fold value: 1) Taking the assessment allowed him to highlight aspects of his personality he was not aware of previously and 2) Having a professional come in and add depth to the things that originally didn’t mesh with him. Initially, Ryan found the assessment to be about 80% true and about 20% not quite accurate. During his consultation with Ann, Ryan was able to help clarify these traits and allowed Ryan to crystallize the interpretation in his own mind. Ryan's Sales Personality Ryan was assessed as an ENFP. The results are evaluated by which way you learn more, rather than a binary result. No one is purely one thing; we are all comprised of different personality traits and combinations. The definition is split into 4 different groups: Extroversion vs. Introversion, Sensing vs. Intuition, Values vs, Logic, and Routine vs. Spontaneity. Ryan tells us how this fits with him in various different ways, such as how he remembers things related to concepts rather than details. He also has always seen himself as more of an introvert but after consulting with Ann realized that he does form relationships easily and has a natural ability to connect with people. Contextualizing Personality with Sales Ryan and Ann discuss how he is an ‘ideas generator’, a typical aspect of ENFP personalities and how the assessment revealed his problems with handing off ideas. This identifies areas of strength and areas to be improved for Ryan in regard to teamwork. He is able to generate excitement within his team very easily but has issues finding that balance of sharing with his team. It is typically a trait of Ryan’s to have unrealistic expectations about what is possible. He has found he struggles with realistic timelines and needs to open up to others definition of realistic. The benefits of finding out your personality type is the ability to work on becoming a more well-rounded individual. Organization is a typical stumbling block for ENFP's like Ryan. Ryan feels like he is organized, but his approach is different than most people. When it comes to opening and closing sales, ENFPs are natural openers and Ryan agrees. He has much more trouble in closing sales as he gets bogged down in details. Ann recommended that Ryan partner with someone who is very good with details to enable Ryan to close more deals. Becoming aware of his blind spots will also enable Ryan to be more aware when he is dealing with a difficult area. Noteworthy Questions [3:56] Ryan, what are some of your impressions on going through the process of finding your sales personality? [17:12] What does the collaborative environment look like in your work? [23:44] Let’s talk about opening versus closing in the sales process. Key Takeaways Knowing your personality type allows you to set goals within a situational framework to improve your performance at work. It allows for the ability to open up with your team regarding strengths and weaknesses allowing for better cooperation. It provides the ability to see things from different perspectives, and why other people think differently will allow for more cohesive teams. Learn More The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14241959

Building a High Growth, Customer-Focused 3PL with Betsy Westhafer 05/01/2020

Building a High Growth, Customer-Focused 3PL with Betsy Westhafer Building a High Growth, Customer-Focused 3PL with Betsy Westhafer and discuss building a high growth, customer-focused 3PL. In Betsy's experience, the difference between a high growth company and a low growth company is customer focus. The companies that build their entire business around the customer and customer engagement become market leaders. Betsy is the CEO of The Congruity Group and has years of experience in helping other companies improve their customer focus. Today, she’ll outline the strategies your company needs to adopt for success today. About Betsy Westhafer Betsy is the founder and CEO of The Congruity Group. The Congruity Group works with CEOs and private equity firms to increase the value of their companies by accelerating recurring revenue, customer retention, and account expansion. Betsy is passionate about helping companies establish strategies to facilitate deeper connections with customers. Betsy attended Western Kentucky University where she studied Journalism, Public Relations, and Business Administration. About The Congruity Group Congruity means alignment, and The Congruity Group was formed to help organizations reach this alignment. They use strategic conversations that will give a greater insight into customer needs and facilitate a deeper relationship with client bases. The Congruity Group offers in-person and digital customer advisory boards tailored to your company to help you achieve your goals. The Have-Nots (Not Experiencing High Growth) The have-nots are not seeing growth, because they lack customer focus and alignment despite their belief that they know what their client base wants and needs. They only know their customers on a superficial level. The market changes and evolves quickly. What worked a few years ago may not be working for them now, but they have yet to see the need to update their strategies. This leads to unimaginative marketing strategies. Lack of communication with the day-to-day staff causes a disconnect between them and the senior management. This leads to ineffective sales teams because they are trying to sell something that customers don’t necessarily want or needs. The Haves (Experiencing High Growth) The haves (customer-focused 3PLs) understand their customers on a deeper level, so they can build breakthrough value propositions and superior products. They understand the need for deeper relationships with their customer base and use them to create new insights and innovations that fulfill their needs. The haves show alignment with their customers by demonstrating marketing, values, onboarding, and sales in sync with the customer. Noteworthy Questions - Building a High Growth, Customer-Focused 3PL [5:14] In your experience, what’s the difference between the companies that are winning and the companies that are not winning? [16:15] The haves understand their customers and align with them so talk about that. [19:37] Talk to us about a process that helps us get these deeper insights. Key Takeaways - Building a High Growth, Customer-Focused 3PL Senior management should commit to a process for understanding the customer. Recognize that it takes time and effort to develop a strategy for better understanding the customer. Consider a neutral third party to offer advice. It is often hard to see what needs to change when you have been making decisions in a bubble for so long. Ask questions of the customer and accept feedback. Take their feedback and use it to implement change. Maintain strong lines of communication with the customer. Keeping them updated builds trust and deepens the relationship. Leverage your relationships with existing customers to create a base that will advocate for you when trying to expand. Learn More About Building a High Growth, Customer-Focused 3PL The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/14236487

The Right Talent - Recruiting Training and Retaining with Ryan Schreiber 04/12/2020

The Right Talent - Recruiting Training and Retaining with Ryan Schreiber The Right Talent – Recruiting, Training, and Retaining with Ryan Schreiber and discuss what it takes to recruit the right talent in the transportation and logistics industry. While Ryan is very much a techie, he believes that people are the ultimate competitive advantage. In the interview, Ryan shares his perspective on recruiting, training and retaining the right talent. About Ryan Schreiber Ryan is the Director of Engagement at CarrierDirect in Chicago. Ryan was born and raised in Tampa Florida. Ryan earned a degree in History from the University of South Florida and then a Law degree from Michigan State University. Prior to joining CarrierDirect, Ryan worked at a variety of logistics companies and even started and exited a few tech-enabled freight brokerage start-ups. Ryan is a skilled technologist and strategist who has helped transform many leading transportation and logistics companies. In Ryan’s experience great technology is important but finding and keeping the right people is the key to success in the 3PL business. About CarrierDirect Since 2011 carriers, 3PLs, shippers, and logistics technology vendors have looked to to deliver the efficiency, strategy, go-to-market plans, and technology that will elevate their business above their competition. CarrierDirect builds organizations and relationships, providing strategy and technology designed to maximize efficiency, reduce cost and make your business stand out. CarrierDirect advises clients on the elements of their business most vital to success: strategy, organizational structure, compensation, technology, training, recruiting, workflows, processes, and more. CarrierDirect clients include Werner, J.B. Hunt, Covenant, CRST, and FedEx. The Right Talent The right talent is the talent that will succeed in your organization, not just look good on a resume. To recruit the right talent, recruiters must understand the organization, industry, job responsibilities, and company culture. Turnover is very high in the transportation and logistics industry, which indicates that the people that get recruited to the company are not the people who ultimately succeed at the company. High turnover is demoralizing, upsetting to customers, costly, and negatively impacts company culture. Recruiting the Right Talent Many companies in the logistics and transportation business are “winging it” when it comes to recruiting and it shows. This is particularly true with start-ups where the founders and early hires do most of the work. The informal recruiting process works well when the company is new, and the founders hire their contacts and friends, but the informal process breaks down as the company grows. Just as the company is scaling, they realize that their recruiting process isn’t working anymore. Ryan compares the recruiting process to the sales process and believes the right candidate can be hired by following a sales process: Lean generation: Target and attract the right talent. Make sure your recruiters really have their finger on the pulse of the organization and the industry. They should also do their homework so they know exactly the type of person they would like to interview and eventually hire. Qualifying: Standardize the interviewing process and develop interview guidelines so there is consistency. In order to develop the guidelines, you must understand what type of people succeed in the organization. Closing: Recruitment is the precursor to the experience a candidate will have with your organization. Provide the candidate the best experience possible so that when you find the right talent, you get them. Design a recruiting process much as you would design a customer’s experience. Consider each step in the process to ensure the candidate is treated properly. Communication throughout the process is crucial. Don’t oversell, keep your commitments and treat the candidate like you would treat your best customer. Training the Right Talent Ryan believes that many logistics companies do a poor job of training and development. The nature of the industry makes it difficult to pull employees away from day-to-day operations. While this may be true, the lack of training becomes evident in the business. Untrained and under-trained employees are not performing at their highest levels and they may never completely understand the job they were hired to do. Training is not just for new hires, everyone in the organization should be trained, coached and developed to ensure that everyone is getting better at their job. The right training will have a good return on investment, improve customer satisfaction, and deepen the ties to the employees who get trained. Companies should have the following training: 1. New hire training and development. 2. Ongoing training to reinforce learning while incorporating new software features, new processes, and lessons learned. 3. Developmental training for employees who are promoted into leadership positions and or lateral moves to expand their knowledge. People in leadership positions should be coaching their people on a regular basis. To ensure that the coaching is constructive and positive, leaders should be training in effective coaching techniques. Training should include supply chain topics, so employees learn about the whole supply chain, from end to end and not just their small piece of the process. Key Takeaways Even in the technology-obsessed logistics industry, people matter. The talent war is real. To succeed companies, need to: recruit, train, and retain the right talent. Invest in the right talent and build a culture that attracts the right people to your company. Learn More (please subscribe on Youtube) Understanding Your Sales Personality with Ryan Schreiber and Ann Holm (podcast interview coming soon) The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/13958921

The New Reality of Logistics Sales and Marketing with Brian Everett 04/12/2020

The New Reality of Logistics Sales and Marketing with Brian Everett The New Reality of Logistics Sales and Marketing with Brian Everett and discuss the new reality of logistics sales and marketing. Since Brian is the CEO of TMSA he has a great perspective on what’s working in transportation and logistics sales. Brian shares his thoughtful insights, which are based on TMSA research and his direct involvement with TMSA members. About Brian Everett Brian is on a mission to help sales, marketing, and communications professionals in transportation and logistics to be more successful in their careers. Brian uses his 25 plus years of experience in marketing, sales, association management in transportation, logistics and supply chain to do accomplish his mission. He is committed to bringing together a community of successful marketing and sales professionals in freight transportation and logistics as the CEO of the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA). About the Transportation Marketing and Sales Association (TMSA) TMSA is the one and only association serving marketing, sales, and communications professionals in transportation and logistics. TMSA’s mission is to enable sales and marketing professionals to learn and give back to the transportation and logistics industry through education, connections, and resources, ultimately strengthening their individual development, their businesses, and the industry-at-large. Part of TMSA's mission is to help marketing and sales professionals be armed with knowledge on such issues as sales and marketing integration, blockchain technologies, lead generation, CRM and marketing automation platforms, and content marketing. Noteworthy Questions [10:23] Please tell us the first new reality of marketing and selling logistics services? [19:53] What’s the second new reality of logistics marketing and sales? [23:31] What’s the third new reality of marketing and selling logistics services? Key Takeaways Logistics sales is becoming increasingly sophisticated. In the podcast, Brian shared the three (3) new realities of logistics sales and marketing. New Reality One: Leveraging technology is one of the keys to success in sales and marketing. The logistics industry leaders are making big investments in technologies like websites, digital marketing, SEO, social media, email marketing, marketing automation, . New Reality Two: Customer experience (CX) can be described as the cumulative impact of multiple touchpoints over the course of a customer's interaction with an organization. CX has been used extensively and successfully in the B2C market but is only now being used by B2B marketers. Top logistics companies, especially the tech-centric players are using CX to increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and win more business. To improve the , map the process noting every interaction with the customer, from the first marketing impression through the sales process, onboarding, training, and day-to-day servicing of the account. Capture and fix any gaps or issues in the process. New Reality Three: Sales and marketing integration is a new reality that grows in importance daily. Traditionally, sales and marketing departments had quite different cultures, personalities, and objectives. As the buying and selling process moves online, more and more companies are integrating the two functions. Ideally, the integration will remove silos, communication barriers, and gaps between marketing and sales. Marketing and sales integration ideally will lead to greater customer satisfaction and a more efficient and effective sales process. Learn More The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/13958768

Building Strategic Partnerships with 3PLs and Carriers with Don Dovgin 03/06/2020

Building Strategic Partnerships with 3PLs and Carriers with Don Dovgin Building Strategic Partnerships with 3PLs and Carriers with Don Dovgin and discuss the advantages of building strategic partnerships with 3PLs and carriers. Shippers who develop strategic partnerships with 3PLs and carriers get better service and lower costs than shippers that switch from one carrier to another based on the lowest cost. About Don Dovgin is the Director of Engagements at Maine Pointe. Don was born and raised in the Chicago metropolitan area. Don started his career working as a mechanic at American Airlines. Don rapidly moved up the org chart at AA and eventually landed in the freight and cargo division where he learned first-hand about air freight, distribution, trucking, and supply chain management. Don earned both his undergrad in business and his masters degree at night school. Prior to joining Maine Pointe, Don held a series of positions with increasing responsibility at Accenture, Ryder, Transportation Management Group, and Roadnet/Omnitracs. About Maine Pointe is an implementation focused consulting company that specializes in procurement, logistics, and operations. Their goal is to accelerate measurable improvements in EBITDA, cash and growth across the plan-buy-make-move-fulfill supply chain to deliver the greatest value to customers and stakeholders at the lowest cost to business. The Consequences of Not Building Strategic Partnerships with 3PLs and Carriers Service failures including shipments that are late, lost or damaged. No customization because neither the shipper nor the provider has invested in the relationship. Capacity and availability may become a problem in tight markets. 3PLs and carriers are always looking for business, but when capacity is tight, they will take care of strategic customers before servicing transactional customers. Cannot fully leverage technology and technology integration which leads to problems. If a shipper decides to use multiple 3PLs, rather than develop a strategic relationship with one, they may not be able to gain the full benefit of system integration. Shippers may find themselves using several different systems and processes. They may not be able to view and track all their shipments in one place. Additionally, KPIs and business intelligence must be managed internally because no one carrier or 3PL has all the data. The data harnessed and then harvested from transportation management systems is extremely valuable for insights and future carrier negotiations – trading these insights for a one-time lower price is short-sighted. Lack of account familiarity is a problem when a shipper uses a lot of different 3PLs and carriers. The 3PL/carrier never fully understands the shipper’s business requirements. The Process for Building Strategic Partnerships with 3PLs and Carriers Select the right partner for your transportation and logistics business. Involve all internal stakeholders in the selection process to ensure the carriers and 3PLs ultimately selected can provide a world-class solution. Establish trust and mutual respect with your 3PL and carriers. Don’t wear out the welcome mat. As a shipper, become a shipper of choice. Expedites and special requests are a necessary part of logistics, however, shippers who plan and communicate better make better partners. Be patient and expect ramp-up issues at launch. The shipper, 3PL, and carriers should develop a launch plan that includes onboarding, training, system integration along with a regularly scheduled launch meeting. Even with careful planning, there will be issues. Encourage the 3PL/carriers to share the problems and solutions. Constructive feedback should be readily given and received. Make sure the partnership is win-win. Spend the time required to build the relationship. For the shipper, learn about the problems that your carriers and 3PLs have. Ask what you can do to improve your interactions and touchpoints. Become a shipper of choice. For 3PLs and carriers, learn about your customer's industry and their biggest problems. Focus on continuous improvement and customer experience. The Benefits of Building Strategic Partnerships with 3PLs and Carriers Improved service performance and cost reductions as the shipper, 3PL, and carrier network analyze and optimize the logistics and transportation function. Customized solutions that make shipping faster, easier, and less expensive. When a shipper develops a strategic relationship with a provider, it enables the provider to invest in developing a customized solution for a shipper. For shippers who don’t develop strategic relationships with 3PLs and carriers, they will not a customized solution or the results that come with it. Additional capacity and availability even in tight markets. Shippers who have strategic relationships with 3PLs and carriers typically do a better job forecasting demand, which makes it easier for carriers to support your business. Fully leverage technology and technology integration which streamlines the shipping process and provides invaluable insights, KPIs and business intelligence. Those insights will lead to service improvement, reduced costs and enhanced forecasting. Account familiarity which builds relationships, improves communication, speeds problem resolution, and a better understanding of your business requirements. Key Takeaways For shippers, build strategic relationships with 3PLs and carriers to ensure that your company gets world-class performance from your 3PL and carriers. For carriers and 3PLs, develop your people, service offering and technology so your company can become the type of service provider that top shippers want to partner with. Learn More The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: , , , , , , , , , /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/13443257

Why Logistics Companies are Upgrading to Mobile Payments with Robin Gregg 12/09/2019

Why Logistics Companies are Upgrading to Mobile Payments with Robin Gregg [00:49] Please tell us about you and your company. I’m Robin Gregg, CEO of RoadSync. We are a payments company located in Atlanta, Georgia. Our goal is to make payments faster and simpler for the logistics industry. I grew up in West Virginia and went to Washington and Lee University. After, I got my MBA from Harvard Business School. My career started at Capital One and have worked with several fintech startups. I had been advising a company in Atlanta that was focused on helping warehouses invoice and accept payments from truck drivers. I saw the product and was struck by how paper-based the process used to be. There was a huge opportunity, so I rebranded the company and we’ve been growing ever since. [04:27] Tell us a little bit more about fintech (financial technology) in Atlanta. All the big payments processing giants are in Atlanta. 80% of payments processing is here. It’s a fantastic place to be in this business. The talent pool is excellent and there are lots of tax advantages. [07:45] While we were prepping for this interview, I said that I thought everyone was using some sort of technology or automation for payments, but you explained that is not the case. So, what’s so wrong about using a paper process? It’s a slower workflow because, for example, you might have to hand write things. It’s slow to process, and drivers can get stuck. There are more opportunities for errors. More opportunity and instances of employee theft/fraud. The extra work and disorganized process can cause cash flow problems Using paper can hurt your company’s perception because the industry is undergoing a technology makeover. Many carriers, 3PLs, and digital freight brokers have upgraded to faster, easier payments through technology. The technology products in the logistics industry have gotten a lot better over the last few years. The experience is much more user friendly, but that’s a relatively new innovation. [12:20] Why isn’t everybody just upgrading right now? There are so many challenges that companies in this industry are grappling with. Automating some of their business processes can’t always be the top priority because owners are focused on their main objective. [15:19] What is the process a warehouse or food distribution center needs to go through to get set up with RoadSync? We typically get them to see a short demo. This helps them internalize how they can use it and how it fits into their business process. We also configure the rate schedule based on how they charge for things, as well as setting up the desired payment methods. The system can be up and running in about thirty minutes. There is no crazy upfront charge; just a monthly fee and then a percentage of each payment. It’s easy to see a return on investment. We have clients who were previously losing 4-10% due to negligence. [19:59] I really like that you specialize in transportation and logistics. We think it’s important to customize our service offering towards logistics. This industry operates uniquely, and we think it’s important that the products which serve the industry understand that. Learn More: Robin Gregg LinkedIn profile: RoadSync: RoadSync on Twitter: /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/12339791

4 Pillars to Future-Proofing Your Supply Chain with Yatish Desai 12/07/2019

4 Pillars to Future-Proofing Your Supply Chain with Yatish Desai [00:41] Tell us a little bit about where you’re from and what you do. I’m Yatish Desai, managing director with KPMG. I’ve been with them for ten years. I’m also the US leader for their transportation, logistics, and distribution service offering. Our customers typically fall into one of four categories: industrial manufacturing companies, consumer and retail companies, pharmaceutical companies, and oil and gas/chemical companies. [01:56] What are the 4 pillars to future-proofing your supply chain? The 4 pillars to future-proofing your supply chain are visibility, managing the data, predictive analytics, and establishing and developing curated partner ecosystems. [02:54] Why don’t you get into visibility? It’s not about just looking from a functional perspective. We look at it end-to-end on the supply chain, not just “where are my trucks?” With a wide range of internal and external parties involved in the supply chain, a lot of managers have to constantly monitor every activity to ensure consistency. This calls for high levels of collaboration. It’s all about integrating cross-functional visibility across the enterprise. [05:04] What is the next pillar for future-proofing the supply chain? It’s managing the data. We live in a world where data is cash. Our clients struggle because they are collecting data but often not able to bring it all together to provide business opportunities. Collecting the data is one thing, but using it is another. It’s important to determine a few notable KPIs instead of getting caught up in analyzing as much data as possible. [09:58] The third pillar to future-proofing your supply chain is predictive analytics, so tell us more about that. This is becoming more and more important to a lot of clients. Traditionally, supply chains have been managed by people. In the future, a growing number of decisions will be automated. This will increase operational speed and free up supply chain professionals to focus on more complex decision making. This translates to a future where supply chains will be able to reduce waste, line shutdowns, etc. Control towers today are built around helping clients mine data, look at it, and recognize gaps. It’s a reactive system. Machine learning will provide you with real-time business insights to make better decisions proactively. [17:29] Let’s get into the fourth pillar. Successful businesses are moving away from traditional, asset-based supply chains to a managed services model. Capital-intensive capabilities, such as warehousing, are outsourced to partners. In the future, it won’t only be physical processes that are outsourced. As supply chain management depends more on cutting edge analytics, there will be a skill gap that is unable to be filled quickly enough. A curated partner ecosystem means you’ll have to tailor it to what fits your purpose; using just any partner will not work. You’ll build up a network of specialized partners who are within your supply chain and providing service to you. The specialized partners will be relied on to bring more innovation into the fold. [26:28] Tell us a little bit more about what you guys are doing at KPMG. We are helping clients in three different facets: clients that are hurting from their business being stagnant, clients that are growing and need help future-proofing, and clients who need transformational change to become a leader in their space. Our clients expect us to be thought-provoking for their business. They can’t afford to be stuck in the status quo. Learn More: Yatish Desai LinkedIn Profile: KPMG Advisory: /episode/index/show/thelolpodcast/id/12314168

The Logistics of Logistics Podcast

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