Freight Brokers deal with rejection on 2 different fronts, with carriers and with shippers. Here are some tips for overcoming any anxiety or fears that you have as a freight broker. Relax people!

1. Coping with Rejection as a
Freight Broker
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3. Rejection is a Part of Sales
Let’s face it, most Freight Brokers and Freight
Agents deal with rejection on a daily basis. If
you’re starting out as a Broker or Agent and you
are dealing with a lot of rejection on the phones
I’m here to be a little bit in your face and say
SUCK IT UP. Sorry, but if you are here reading
this there are probably thousands of brokers
and agents who are doing better than you at the
exact same job.

4. Rejection on 2 Fronts
Freight Brokers are usually dealing with rejection on
two different fronts: First, you’re probably surprised
at how few shippers have been welcoming your
services with open arms, it’s normal to feel a little
overwhelmed when you don’t have a book of
business built up. Second, no carriers want to haul
your freight at the prices that you are offering. The
truth about running a freight brokerage is that you
need to have freight that pays well in order to find
carriers on a consistent basis.

5. Don’t be a Head-Case
In the following slides we will highlight some
strategies for getting your head back into the
game when it seems like you can’t find a yes to
save your life as well as some tips about how
you can avoid the rejection all together… most
of the time.

6. Overcome Your Fear
• First and foremost you can’t be scared of being rejected,
especially not in a sales position.
• I’ve seen it happen time and time again, a new agent loses
their confidence in their own abilities after some jerk
decides to take their bad day out on the agent. Then they
don’t want to pick up the phone again because it feels like a
game of Russian roulette, waiting for the next
transportation manager or dispatcher to bite their head off.
• But it is such a silly thing to be scared of something that
hasn’t even happened yet, especially when the other
person can’t physically harm you over the phone so you are
not in any immediate danger whatsoever. Stop being
scared of people not liking you!

7. They Say Acceptance is the First Step
• Accept that some rejection is part of the process.
• Get to know your sales ratio by picking up the phone
and calling prospective customers until one of them
gets set up with you and adds you to their daily/weekly
email list containing their available loads.
• If you can’t get that far, seriously consider a Freight
Broker Training School.
• For the sake of learning, let’s say that it took you 20
phone calls before you got to a yes. The next step is to
call 20 more people and get to another yes. Accept
that it can take weeks to start seeing consistent
available freight.

8. Know Why You’re Calling
• You should have a general idea of what you are
going to say. With shippers you are obviously
checking to see if they have any uncovered loads
that they need help with.
• Keep a script on your desk if you need one. Once
you have a load to work on, you’ll start the
process of contacting carriers and telling them
about your load.
• Just focus on the next step if you are getting
nervous on the phone.

9. Develop a Routine
• Schedule a time each day to call potential
clients
• Getting into a routine is a great way to stay
motivated. Start by making driver-check calls
the first thing you do when you step into the
office. If your driver doesn’t answer it is wise
to let them sleep – or you risk an earful right
out of the gate!

10. Set long-term Goals
• And write them down!
• Having a personal goal can help you reframe
your mindset when you are confronted with
rejection. Perhaps you want to purchase a
bigger home, put your kids through college, or
spend a week with your significant other in
the Bahamas.
• Keep moving forward, get over it if someone
else is having a bad day.

11. Don’t Take it Personally
Many new independent brokers and agents take the
rejection that they experience personally. Debra Condren,
a business psychologist and small business coach in New
York, advises people to avoid self-blame. "Every time you
get rejected you learn something about yourself," she
says. "Look at it more as a learning opportunity."
Thank you for the great advice Debra. It might be a good
idea for you to keep track of rejection, these may be great
learning points for you as you better your sales skills a
Supply Chain Management Professional.

12. The More the Merrier
Know your sales ratio, it’s a numbers game.
The more people you call and reach out to, the
more people you are going to find who are
interested in YOU and your services!

13. Build Relationships
Just because one of your prospects rejects you,
that doesn’t mean that they will never do
business with you. Keep moving the
conversation forward.
Keep the door open and establish yourself as a
credible source so that when they need a broker
they’ll have the opportunity to come back.
Don’t always take no as a final answer.

14. Talk about it
The more we get rejected, the more we tend to
isolate and go into our hermit holes. That's
when you need to pick up the phone to talk
about business with some of your peers. When
you reach out and talk to other entrepreneurs, it
normalizes what you are going through.

15. Anyone who has experience brokering freight
understands that rejection is part of the process.
It is important to be able to deal with this
rejection because otherwise people sometimes
can’t even look at the phone without freezing up
and feeling anxious. Fear of rejection is common
among many new Freight Brokers and Freight
Agents, especially those who are still learning
how to sell themselves and their services. Stop
being scared of people not liking you, it’s silly.

16. LogisticsAcademy.org
I hope these strategies help you get your head
back into the game when it seems like you can’t
find a yes to save your life. If you have any
questions or if you want to read more great
articles you can visit our website
LogisticsAcademy.org or Connect with us on
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