Sales concerns in freight forwarding: CFOs, philosophies, and operations staff

Why Some Logistics Sales People Struggle Even After Years in the Game? 🫤 If you have been working in sales logistics for a while but still have no solid numbers, few clients, and keep feeling nervous every time there is a team meeting because you might get called out, then it is time to take a closer look at yourself. After more than 5 years in management, I have seen clear patterns among sales people who fail to grow in this field: 1️⃣ Mindset Problems Many people enjoy the freedom that comes with sales but dislike being held accountable. They want independence without results. That mindset is what keeps them from moving forward. 2️⃣ Lack of Trust If you do not truly believe in your company’s vision and mission, how can you make your clients believe in it? A sailor who does not trust the captain will never reach the destination. 3️⃣ No Discipline No goals, no clear plan, and no consistency. Being late, distracted, or working without focus will slowly destroy your performance. Discipline is what separates talkers from achievers. 4️⃣ Blaming and Comparing “I cannot sell because the price is too high.” I have heard that line countless times. Price matters, but trust, service, and relationships are what actually close the deal. The best sales people look for solutions, not excuses. 5️⃣ Weak Personal Branding There are thousands of logistics sales reps out there. What makes you stand out? Build a name that people remember for your reliability, energy, and attitude. 6️⃣ Lack of Teamwork Even the best sales person cannot win alone. If the support team such as operations, customer service, accounting, or pricing does not work well, you will struggle. Success in logistics sales is built on teamwork, not solo effort. 👉Fix your mindset, believe in your mission, stay disciplined, and build your name while working closely with your team. That is how you survive and grow in this industry. #LogisticsReality #SalesInLogistics #SupplyChainLife #LeadershipInLogistics #LogisticsPeople #OperationsTruth #FreightForwardingLife #WorkplaceReality #TeamworkInAction #ProfessionalGrowth #BehindTheScenes

Why Some Logistics Sales People Struggle Even After Years in the Game? 🫤 If you have been working in sales logistics for a while but still have no solid numbers, few clients, and keep feeling nervous every time there is a team meeting because you might get called out, then it is time to take a closer look at yourself. After years in logistics , I have seen clear patterns among sales people who fail to grow in this field: 1️⃣ Mindset Problems Many people enjoy the freedom that comes with sales but dislike being held accountable. They want independence without results. That mindset is what keeps them from moving forward. 2️⃣ Lack of Trust If you do not truly believe in your company’s vision and mission, how can you make your clients believe in it? A sailor who does not trust the captain will never reach the destination. 3️⃣ No Discipline No goals, no clear plan, and no consistency. Being late, distracted, or working without focus will slowly destroy your performance. Discipline is what separates talkers from achievers. 4️⃣ Blaming and Comparing “I cannot sell because the price is too high.” I have heard that line countless times. Price matters, but trust, service, and relationships are what actually close the deal. The best sales people look for solutions, not excuses. 5️⃣ Weak Personal Branding There are thousands of logistics sales reps out there. What makes you stand out? Build a name that people remember for your reliability, energy, and attitude. 6️⃣ Lack of Teamwork Even the best sales person cannot win alone. If the support team such as operations, customer service, accounting, or pricing does not work well, you will struggle. Success in logistics sales is built on teamwork, not solo effort. 👉Fix your mindset, believe in your mission, stay disciplined, and build your name while working closely with your team. That is how you survive and grow in this industry. #LogisticsReality #SalesInLogistics #SupplyChainLife #LeadershipInLogistics #LogisticsPeople #OperationsTruth #FreightForwardingLife #WorkplaceReality #TeamworkInAction #ProfessionalGrowth #BehindTheScenes

If you work in Sales, this will hurt. If you don’t, this will open your eyes. 🔥 These days corporate culture has become so toxic that no matter who makes the mistake… the pressure ALWAYS falls on Sales. HR: “Increment is not in our hands.” Marketing: “The budget is not in our hands.” Finance: “PBDIT is not in our hands.” IT: “Downtime is not in our hands.” Logistics: “Truck availability is not in our hands.” Admin: “Power backup is not in our hands.” Service: “Warranty is not in our hands.” But the moment something goes wrong 👇 ❌ Late delivery ❌ No stock ❌ Production overload ❌ Wrong dispatch ❌ Customer complaint ➡️ The first department blamed is ALWAYS Sales. And the biggest irony? 💼 When the company needs business “Sales is our backbone.” ⚠️ When something goes wrong “Sales is responsible for everything.” 👉 Here’s the truth: Sales NEVER says “This is not in my hands.” Sales just delivers. With support or without it. Every department knows how to escape accountability. Except Sales the only team expected to fix 100 problems that aren’t even theirs. And one random day, without reason, they hear: “Your requirement is over.” That’s why I am writing this. Because the most unfair treatment inside any organization still happens with the people working in Sales #SalesLife #CorporateReality #RespectSales #SalesProblems #BusinessTruth #CorporateCulture #SalesCommunity #WorkLife #LinkedInPost #SalesLeadership

What’s the hardest role to fill in Freight Forwarding? After 25 years in recruitment, my answer hasn’t changed, it's new business sales. Whenever I’m asked how I’ve come to that conclusion, the answer comes from years of feedback from both candidates and clients. Here’s what I hear most often: Burnout is real. Sales can be demanding with high expectations, constant client interaction, and regular rejection all taking their toll. Breaking in is tough. Without prior freight sales experience, it’s difficult to make that first move into a sales role. Employers want instant results. Many look for people who can “hit the ground running” with a ready-made pipeline of clients to bring across. The role has evolved. Many experienced sales professionals once enjoyed a mix of sales and account management. Today, most roles are focused purely on new business. Starting over hurts. Changing employers often means losing your existing commission base and rebuilding from scratch, a process that can take up to 12 months. Despite these challenges, sales remains one of the most rewarding paths in freight forwarding for those who thrive on building relationships, solving problems, and creating growth. What do you think? Is sales still the hardest role to fill, or has another one taken its place?

"Your bidding it wrong!" Operations comments to the sales team. "Your price is too high!" Sales team can't close the deal because operations is too expensive. Heard that before? Setting reasonable expectations is the key to long-term relationships. That means selling what operations can deliver at the price it can be delivered at. Understanding of scope and expectations should be set before the sale is completed. Not getting this right is frustrating for everyone--the customer, the salesperson, and the operator. Everyone needs to use the same side of the ruler--to sell and measure performance. When you get it right, magic happens and you become a market leader.

Many companies believe their main pillars are Administration and Sales — but that’s a big misconception. After years of working deep inside operations, I’ve learned a powerful truth — the real backbone of any company is its Warehouse and Logistics team. You can have great sales, fancy presentations, and top-level strategies… but without a strong warehouse and logistics system, you can’t move forward. No matter how good the sales team is, if the warehouse and logistics fail, the company stands still. These teams don’t work in comfort; they work on the ground — physically, tirelessly — ensuring materials move, orders reach on time, and customers stay satisfied. They don’t just get their hands dirty — they burn their energy, spill their sweat, and often sacrifice their appearance because of the tough nature of their job. Every department is important, but Warehouse and Logistics deserve an extra plus point — because their hard work directly keeps the system alive and running. They are not just employees — they are the strength that drives every business toward growth and success. Respect and value your warehouse and logistics team — because they are the true engine of growth and success.

Should a CFO be there in Sales Calls ? A CFO is a Strategic Thinker. He/She is to know the Pains (And Gains) of all the Functions. Unless he understands (And Feels) the Pains of all the Revenue Generators on the Fields, how can he Design the Solution for them ! Sales is not a mere Number. It's a Strategy in broad. Starting from Geographical Expansion, New Product Development, Ideal Product Mix, Schemes to Run, Balancing the Inventory, Procurement, Production with Sales Forecast, every where a CFO is to contribute. Hence, he/she is to understand all of these to a great extent. A CFO also needs to understand the expectation of Customers as well as the demand of the Suppliers. In my own life, I had liquidated piled up Inventories by framing Schemes, designed the Product Mix, had to frame Analysis for New Geographical Expansion or Shutting Down Stores to save more bleeding....! Once I learned from one of my Chairman, less Revenue is fine if the Bottom Line is higher. If a CFO is not doing (And Understanding) all these things, he is just a higher version of a Finance Controller

Sales vs. Operations Sales: “Why can’t you deliver what we’re selling?” Operations: “Why are you selling what we can’t deliver?” Sounds familiar? 😄 This friendly friction exists in almost every organization — Sales pushes for growth, while Operations ensures delivery and quality. But when both teams work in silos, it leads to misalignment, delays, and customer dissatisfaction. The real success comes when both sides collaborate: 🤝 Sales understands operational limits and timelines. ⚙️ Operations adapts to meet evolving customer and market needs. When Sales and Operations align, growth becomes sustainable, delivery becomes reliable, and customers get exactly what they were promised. Because in the end — it’s not Sales vs. Operations, it’s Sales + Operations = Success.

Should CFOs Join #Sales Calls? A Case for Strategic Involvement! The CFO’s role today goes much beyond controllership or key corporate finance projects. Being part of sales and marketing strategy discussions is essential to ensure that growth plans are in sync with the company’s financial goals and metrics. It’s not just about driving revenue, but making sure every sales or pricing decision strengthens profitability and long-term value. Whether a CFO should join customer calls really depends on the situation. In many cases, a quick discussion with the customer on pricing, payment terms, or risk can make all the difference - helping close deals faster while keeping financial discipline intact. It also builds mutual respect and stronger collaboration between finance and sales teams. Engaging with key customers gives the CFO a ground-level understanding of #market realities, #competition, and $customer expectations. These insights often help in shaping the company’s focus areas - be it investing in R&D, improving quality, or optimizing supply chains to stay competitive. A CFO, therefore, doesn’t just enable sales, they help steer it strategically towards sustainable growth.

Should a CFO be there in Sales Calls ? A CFO is a Strategic Thinker. He/She is to know the Pains (And Gains) of all the Functions. Unless he understands (And Feels) the Pains of all the Revenue Generators on the Fields, how can he Design the Solution for them ! Sales is not a mere Number. It's a Strategy in broad. Starting from Geographical Expansion, New Product Development, Ideal Product Mix, Schemes to Run, Balancing the Inventory, Procurement, Production with Sales Forecast, every where a CFO is to contribute. Hence, he/she is to understand all of these to a great extent. A CFO also needs to understand the expectation of Customers as well as the demand of the Suppliers. In my own life, I had liquidated piled up Inventories by framing Schemes, designed the Product Mix, had to frame Analysis for New Geographical Expansion or Shutting Down Stores to save more bleeding....! Once I learned from one of my Chairman, less Revenue is fine if the Bottom Line is higher. If a CFO is not doing (And Understanding) all these things, he is just a higher version of a Finance Controller.