Earlier this week, DriverReach joined more than 1,200 trucking professionals for the 2020 Truckload Carriers Association’s Annual Convention in Orlando, the industry’s premier networking and education event. Our very own Founder and CEO, Jeremy Reymer, and Director of Recruiting Services, Wendy Bartz, led a Trucking in the Rounds breakout session, “Recruiting is Sales: Hire More Drivers By Training Recruiters in Sales” where they shared how to build relationships and establish trust with driver applicants, navigate and lead conversations by knowing “Exactly What to Say”.
As we reflect on the 2020 TCA Convention, we walked away with 3 major takeaways:
- Driver feedback is the best way to manage your carrier’s reputation
As Max Farrell, CEO of Workhound, shared in his presentation, driver feedback is the best way to manage your carrier’s reputation. No matter how high your company’s driver turnover rates are, even a small improvement can dramatically (and positively) impact your bottom line. Gathering feedback directly from drivers is a foundational step for companies looking to improve their retention rate, but all too often it’s an afterthought. By seeking out unscripted driver feedback, your carrier can reverse the trend and intervene before your drivers move on.
- Recruiters who understand that a sales approach will help them hire more drivers will thrive
Much of the responsibility of attracting, hiring, and retaining drivers rests on the shoulders of CDL driver recruiters. Understanding the parallel between recruiting and sales is a critical step. With drivers considered as ‘leads’ in a ‘sales funnel’, recruiters can nurture these contacts, create lasting relationships, and be successful in today’s challenging environment. The ability to build relationships and establish trust with driver applicants, navigate and lead conversations by knowing “Exactly What to Say”, is an important ingredient – but one few recruiters take seriously.
- Perseverance: attitude, passion, and consistency can help us win
Cal Ripken, TCA’s keynote speaker, is a well-known former baseball player and someone who knows how to persevere in the midst of difficult times. In his presentation, “8 Keys to Perseverance”, Cal shared how attitude, passion, and a love for competition have helped him over the years – and how those qualities, along with 5 others, are crucial characteristics for any carrier who wants to succeed in this challenging driver shortage environment. While all 8 of Cal’s takeaways were insightful, we especially enjoyed hearing about how Cal’s love for competition was formative in his career. In this hyper-competitive trucking industry, we need to work on our weaknesses – not just externally, but also internally. We must be competitive not just against other companies, but against ourselves. This form of “internal team” is what allowed Cal to keep his edge and ultimately play longer.
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