The Need to Experience Growth in the Transport Industry

 

MM

“The Growth of our transport and logistics companies lies in the ability to implement historically proven approaches alongside modern strategies.”

Unlike many of our youths in Cameroon who suffer from unemployment after graduating from universities, I moved to Dubai for greener pastures. I was opportune to get a job within forty-three days of search as a saleslady though I studied transport and logistics. It was not easy to get a job in the logistics sector due to the number of experiences required which I did not have. In my mind it was not a bad idea to accept the sales job because I believed without gaining leads for a company, the supply chain will not be complete. It was another form of career experience for me. I needed to learn how to meet customers and convince them to buy my company’s products.

While waiting for the company to finish up with the opening of a new show room where I had to work, my employer assigned a task in which I had to make researches on the most exported products in my country Cameroon, their prices and International Commercial Terms. I must say it was almost an unreachable task. 

For companies with emails attached as well as phone numbers either the emails were inactive or were active but could not reply, or the phone numbers were not functional. Some companies had WhatsApp numbers which was the easiest way to communicate but to my greatest surprise, they did not have goods available but instead connected me to European companies with branches in Cameroon. Many at times I fell on either European companies or Indian companies which gave quick responses and proposals. My question is how does our import and export companies as we claim to have function? 

Do we use the old business method and rely solely on longpersonal relationships to connect with potential customers or we go for modern ways of generating leads (looking for potential customers)?

Before any explanation, permit me to say we have all it takes to deliver our goods and services. We have the raw materials and material handling equipment but our delivery strategy is lagging. But recently, not many transport and logisticsbusinesses are dedicating the necessary time and resources to sales and marketing. how will your business experience growth when your means of communication or contact details are unreachable? We therefore, need to implement modern strategies for example making uses of technologies such as Marketing Automation System and latest advances in Customer Relationship Management System. 

Employing sales agents to bridge the gap between the company and potential customers and giving them basictraining about the logistics sector will instead help in getting new strategies to attract potential customers and speed up growth. Or better still including commercial strategies as general course in our transport and logistics schools so that we grow as technology grows.

​BY LENJO AUDRY N.