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Negotiating with Freight Brokers - Special Edition Book & CD Package.

First 1,000 Copies given away directly to Owner Operators and Drivers personally by Author in September to promote the book and soon to be released ebook.

Ads will continue to be printed in all copies sold September 15th to November 1st.   

Unique opportunity to reach your target audience, advertising pages will be on opposing pages only next to our most popular content. Ads will be placed on the Negotiating Strategies pages only. Advertisers will be limited by category. Ideal for all trucking and transportation industry advertisers.  Anyone who wants a captive audience of owner operators and drivers, you will have their attention.

This is a professionally printed, attractive high gloss cover paperback book, included in a 9.5"x7" Padfolio with note pad and pen.  This item will be used over and over for years and includes CD. 

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Distribution Date September 15th, 2012.

Please see our Media and Advertising page for more exciting details - Advertising - Media

COPYRIGHT 2012 © Michael Komadina

18 Wheels of Justice "The Book"©

negotiator@18WheelsofJustice.com

Strategy #2 from "Negotiating with Freight Brokers & 3PL's"

Welcome -  Strategy #2 out of 15 from "Negotiating with Freight Brokers & 3PL's"

 STRATEGY 2 – NEVER BRING UP PRICE; ALWAYS HAVE BROKER/3PL GIVE PRICE FIRST

    Let the Broker/3PL bring up price! Never give a rate first. You don’t know what the load pays! There are many times when you will be surprised that it is higher than you would have asked for. Let him throw his rate out there. Often, it will be in the context of “I usually move these for “X”.

If it is really low, then dismiss it as not for you and attempt to get off the phone.

    Remain polite and likeable, comments such as,” that’s a garbage load, I don’t haul cheap freight” are not appropriate. Remember C.L.A.S.S. Remember he is calling you, if he states he usually moves it for that price then politely advise him to call some of his regular carriers.

    More than likely he will ask you what you need. Again, never bring up a price. Be non-committal and ask him what he thinks the best rate is that he can do on the load. When he gives you his “best rate” this should become your “anchor” or starting point for negotiating.

    Typically, with sophisticated Brokers/3PL’s, his best rate is the maximum rate they want to pay while holding onto their minimum profit target for this particular load.

 Popular reading for both Brokers and Trucking Companies -

Negotiating with Freight Brokers

DVD,BOOK,CD or Package

Book$35.00 USD CD$20.00 USD BOOK/CD Set$49.00 USD DVD/BOOK/CD Set$125.00 USD

Please join our Discussion Groups on LinkedIN.  Both "Negotiating with Freight Brokers" and "90 Days to 75% Retention".

18 Wheels of Justice Series available at: http://www.18wheelsofjustice.com/

EMAIL - Negotiator@18wheelsofjustice.com

The Joy of Negotiating - Part 3 of 3...

Welcome

 Stage Three of the Process, the Art.
(For Stage Two, please see Saturday's Post)


1. Pre-Negotiation.  "Framing and Setting the Stage"

2. Deadlock, Stalemate and Arrested Development

         We are going to stay on Stage Two for a little bit and and discuss some more negotiation strategy before we conclude with Stage Three.  Honesty is key in negotiation, your word while you're negotiating is like your credit.  You are agreeing to do this load, never book a load without every intention of doing it, never give a load back to any broker unless there is no other reasonable option.  If you have to give it back, do it as quickly as you can, giving the broker as much chance as possible to cover with another carrier.  These are words to live by, this is someone you want to do business with again. 

There are 15 strategies in "Negotiating with Freight Brokers & 3PL's"  They are most effective if you follow the "rules of engagement" so to speak, which basically means treating a broker like you would your best customer.  So when we talk about introducing a third party into the negotiation,  I mean actually consult with a third party.  Feel free to introduce this third party at any time during the load booking process.  I find it most effective to introduce midway throughout the negotiation.  It's your call, in the beginning or middle, but I advise against doing it near the end.  If introduced early it can ease the tension with booking the load.  Use statements like, "my boss probably won't let me do it for that, but I will ask him" or "we pay these operators percentage and I don't think he will do it for that".  You want to create a camaraderie here between you and the broker.  You are working together to get this transaction done and convince this third party.  You are building a relationship.  Introducing the third party late in the negotiation can be seen as a cheap ploy.



Stage  - 3.  Acceptance and Settlement.  A Transaction is Born!


Once you read my book and employed these strategies, you will see your rates climb and climb.  It is very important to get your load confirmation while you are on the phone with the broker.  I always have them email the rate confirmation while we are on the phone.  We hold ourselves to high standards of honesty and we expect the same from the broker we are dealing with.  Most brokers in this industry are honest and have high standards, but there are pretenders.  Especially when faced with the fact that he or she is paying you more for this load than they have ever paid before.  This rate you have achieved by superior negotiating may be followed by a phone call from the brokers boss, trying to explain that the person made a mistake etc.  Do not waiver, the broker was authorized to negotiate this load with you, and that is that.  You have the rate confirmation, end of story.  Sometimes as soon as you hang up with the broker another carrier(who hasn't bought my book) will call and haul it for $100, $200 less than the rate you just negotiated for, and the temptation to rob you of your hard fought gain is too great.  Feel free to scoff at this comment, but those who employ these strategies know.  It has happened to me thousands of times.  You must back up this rate with the service or it is only a one time rate.  Give the broker his or her moneys worth.  Call him when your truck arrives at the shipper.  Call/email him when he is loaded, don't wait for the broker to call you.  Email him the next morning when the truck arrives to unload and again when he is empty.  This leaves a lasting impression and will build a solid relationship.  Don't ever gloat, you are getting paid a premium rate for you premium service.  You are getting paid for the service you offered and you walked the broker through the reasons while you were booking the load.


Why is negotiating and haggling such an unpopular concept and dreaded process in this great nation of ours? The term "haggling" alone brings to mind nefarious individuals in the back room of a used car lot. Why does it only exist in certain industries? It has almost disappeared altogether in the retail industry, is rapidly losing popularity on new and used car lots, one of the last bastions and havens of the skilled negotiator. "Boy, I say Boy", it is alive and well in our industry! Our profits are defined by it more and more everyday. How do you train your planners, dispatchers, brokers?


 Popular reading for both Brokers and Trucking Companies -

Negotiating with Freight Brokers

DVD,BOOK,CD or Package

Book$35.00 USD CD$20.00 USD BOOK/CD Set$49.00 USD DVD/BOOK/CD Set$125.00 USD

Please join our Discussion Groups on LinkedIN.  Both "Negotiating with Freight Brokers" and "90 Days to 75% Retention".

18 Wheels of Justice Series available at: http://www.18wheelsofjustice.com/

EMAIL - Negotiator@18wheelsofjustice.com

The Joy of Negotiating - Stage 2

Welcome

 Stage two of the Process, the Art.
(For Stage one, please see Friday's Post)


 The best negotiators tend to be the best listeners.  The person with the most to say usually has the least to offer, and typically attempts to hide this fact with banter and a hollow pitch.   
  The most important thing to remember is that all negotiations follow these stages in this order.

1. Pre-Negotiation.  "Framing and Setting the Stage"

2. Deadlock, Stalemate and Arrested Development

Now, it is fine to overlap these stages, to take a step back and fine tune the framing you did earlier.  There is much, much, more framing that can be done depending on each particular situation,  however, I would just like to give a general outline here.  The fun in negotiating is that everyone eventually develops their own style and approach that tends to mirror the individuals personalities.

One easy way to remember the stages is "FAT".  Framing. Arrested Development. Transaction.  This is a very interesting stage because it is necessary, a negotiation doesn't exist without it.  We must pause and realize this is happening.  Dead silence, a moan, a sigh... the longer the better!  Don't lose your nerve here, patience, patience,patience...Now,  I prefer the term  "Arrested Development" over stalemate and deadlock.  Stalemate and Deadlock sound unpleasant.  It sounds like an argument, a fight, a disagreement that has no solution.  Arrested Development to me, is more of a long, slow, speed bump to be smoothed over.  This is an issue that can and should be resolved like gentlemen!  Let's pull together, stay friends and find a solution together.  We've come this far.  Well, seems like we have an problem here, I wonder what, if anything we can do? 
Let me talk to... I need to discuss this with...  A Third Party...  This is one of many negotiating strategies to use during this stage, and popular for good reason. 

Now, if you have been following our LinkedIN group, I talked a little about my old boss, Ben.  I started to become fascinated with negotiating while watching Ben in action in my teenage years working part time for a small brokerage and trucking company.  He gave me this advice which has stuck with me and is still sound advice.  He said, "Boy"(with a foghorn leghornish flavor) "I say, Boy, there are three things you never, ever do alone, if you want to survive in this business.  You never drink alone, never talk to a banker alone, and never ever go BARG-nin(negotiating) alone."  I never bothered to ask him about the first two, but the last one about "BARG-nin" is gold.  Now this uncomfortable silence, this arrested development, seems impolite in most every social situation.  Not to a negotiator, this is where its your time to shine.  For brokers 100% of your profit lies in your negotiating skills, for most carriers it's 30%-50%.
During the Arrested Development stage, friendship is forged between you and the broker, if you have framed properly, politely and honestly, you are solving this situation with his load.  And this "situation", not having a reputable carrier on his customers load, is detoriating rapidly hour by hour.         

Why is negotiating and haggling such an unpopular concept and dreaded process in this great nation of ours?  The term "haggling" alone brings to mind nefarious individuals in the back room of a used car lot.  Why does it only exist in certain industries?  It has almost disappeared altogether in the retail industry, is rapidly losing popularity on new and used car lots, the last bastion and haven of the skilled negotiator.  "Boy, I say Boy", it is alive and well in our industry! Our profits are defined by it more and more everyday.  How do you train your planners, dispatchers, brokers?

Don't miss Sunday's Post - A true story on when, how and why negotiating, haggling and "barg-nin" started disappearing from our culture, along with...
Stage  - 3.  Acceptance and Settlement.  A Transaction is Born!

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18 Wheels of Justice     




 Popular reading for both Brokers and Trucking Companies -

Negotiating with Freight Brokers

DVD,BOOK,CD or Package

Book$35.00 USD CD$20.00 USD BOOK/CD Set$49.00 USD DVD/BOOK/CD Set$125.00 USD

Please join our Discussion Groups on LinkedIN.  Both "Negotiating with Freight Brokers" and "90 Days to 75% Retention".

18 Wheels of Justice Series available at: http://www.18wheelsofjustice.com/

EMAIL - Negotiator@18wheelsofjustice.com