Shipping horse crap?

Yeah I know that’s our company strapline but today it’s also the title of this blog post.

I was reading Chris Brogan’s blog post – Ship Vs Shit and musing how delivery terminology has now entered the mainstream online world thanks to Seth Godin. I had been meaning to write a post about why “shipping it” means something different to couriers, and now my opportunity has arrived in a different guise.

As couriers we know when you are shipping shit.

It’s quite simple really, you ring up and you say “how much to move a box of whatevers to the other end of the country”. You know zip all about us, how reliable we are or anything else and the first words out of your mouth is “how much?”. When you ask that (I will be blunt) you are shipping shit.

A customer who calls us who values their goods / freight / product asks a different set of questions.

They ask:

• Are you insured and for how much?
• Is my item insured?
• How will my item be delivered?
• Who signs for my item and where will you leave it if someone isn’t in?
• What size vehicle do I need?

Fancy going on a delivery?

their sat nav, not their dog.

Duh!

It’s coming to that time of year that being based closed to Tilbury docks is a boon to our business. As soon as the sun starts to shine brightly other same day couriers start to behave crazily. The drivers start taking their clothes off, and the owner drivers start to take their dogs on their job as their companion when delivering. Yes, really.

Port rules state that dogs are not allowed along with children, so many an ad hoc courier is caught out. We are ideally situated to pic up the last-minute-last-minute work. All because other drivers think their best friend should go to work with them.

We do too. Think they should take their best friend, and any other animal they want. It’s not us who will be slowly roasting as we are turned away. Our best friend is the Tom Tom sat nav. It doesn’t restrict our entry to ports and it does make us aware of where we are meant to be going. There is something strangely reassuring about have it firmly ensconced on the dashboard.

Of course it works sunny and cloudy days unlike the dog who thinks rainy days are for hiding behind the sofa.

Knowing our industry inside and out means we can get the job done right the first time. No faffing about, freight straight on board.

The difference is in the delivery

Sarah

Alan Sugar is only interested in sales. No matter what the background of his apprentices, they all have to sell. The professionals with no selling skills are often the first to leave. It will be interesting to see what happens now the prize has changed, that first prize if money invested in a business idea. I wonder if those that don’t like to sell will do better in this series?

As a teenager loosed upon the working world, I had a firm goal in mind for what I didn’t want to do in business.

I didn’t want to sell. I don’t like selling.

As I worked in London City Airport on quiet shifts, starting at 5am I got to know the chefs there.  They quickly gave me an education; everyone in every job ever, sells. They sell the food, they describe it in ways that make it sound appetising; that’s selling. They present the food perfectly on a plate; that’s selling. People buy with their eyes and we were all sales staff.

When I served the food on the table, retrieved salt and pepper and handed out napkins I was selling, I was selling the experience of eating at London City Airport.

My career then took me into pub management and again, it was selling. Selling the beer, selling the concept of a relaxing afternoon in the beer garden with the family and selling my pub as the place to do it….

Everybody sells, in the Apprentice everyone has to do their share and sell the goods. Making sales is what business is about.

So how come people start a business and think they don’t have to sell?

Go Team

Our drivers know that if there is not enough sales, not enough customers then there isn’t any work for them. They understand that we are a business and not a charity. If there is no money coming in, they don’t have a job. They understand that when they deliver, they are selling our business and what it stands for.

They may “just” drive, but they are also selling, they are selling safe delivery. They understand that if they wheel spin away from a job that I will hear about it from the customer, that they the driver has stopped selling “safe and reliable delivery” and sold “couldn’t give a toss about your goods“. Everyone in our same day courier company understands they are selling the business and they understand their role in the business.

Part of our interview process is to explain that “sales” is part of all of our jobs and if they thought that as van drivers  they did not have to sell, then now was the time to leave. A few of the older candidates have got up and left. I can respect that as in six months down the road it would have been me having their final disciplinary meeting.

I still come across people today who like to push me into the “sales” role as it’s something they don’t want to do. That annoys the hell out of me, it’s their business if they can’t sell it it’s not my problem.

I train all of my team and even manage upwards that “everyone sells”. Not Alan Sugar style of course, I do it using the “Sarah Arrow Business Model” .

Where does selling stop and start in your business?

Sarah