For years, logistics companies have followed a predictable sales model: respond to RFQs, compete on price, promise fast and reliable delivery, and hope for repeat business. While this transactional approach might have worked in the past, the logistics landscape has changed—and companies that fail to evolve will find themselves stuck in a never-ending price war.
Today’s logistics buyers are looking for more than just a transport provider. They want a strategic partner who understands their supply chain, offers tailored solutions, and proactively helps them navigate risks and inefficiencies. The question is: Are you positioning yourself as a long-term partner or just another commodity service?
If your sales approach is purely transactional, you’re leaving money on the table—and putting your business at risk. In the article below, we will share advice on how to escape the trap of transactional sales.
The Myth of Transactional Sales in Logistics
Many logistics companies still believe in three myths that keep them stuck in the transactional sales world:
❌ Myth #1: “Customers only care about the lowest price.”
✅ Reality: While cost matters, customers are willing to pay more for reliability, flexibility, risk management, and superior service.
📌 Case Study: How a Freight Forwarder Won by Selling Expertise, Not Price. A mid-sized European freight forwarder consistently lost deals to larger competitors offering cheaper rates. Instead of slashing prices, they repositioned their sales strategy, highlighting personalized service, access to decision-makers, and tailored multimodal solutions. The result? They won long-term contracts with manufacturers who valued expertise over the lowest price.
❌ Myth #2: “Once you secure a deal, loyalty follows.”
✅ Reality: A single transaction does not build customer loyalty. Without continuous engagement, clients will always explore new offers.
📌 Case Study: The LTL Carrier That Increased Customer Retention A regional LTL carrier was losing repeat business because it assumed customers would automatically return. Instead, it implemented a post-sale follow-up strategy: providing delivery performance reports, checking in on operational challenges, and offering value-added services. This simple change led to a 32% increase in repeat business.
❌ Myth #3: “Logistics is a commodity.”
✅ Reality: The most successful logistics companies differentiate themselves through expertise, customer service, strategic partnerships and value-added services
📌 Case Study: The Air Freight Provider That Stood Out An air freight provider competing against global giants found it challenging to win new business. Instead of trying to match big players on price, they positioned themselves as experts in time-critical pharmaceutical shipments. By training their sales team in compliance, cold chain logistics, and risk mitigation, they sold specialized knowledge rather than freight services, leading to new contracts with high-value pharmaceutical companies.
What It Means to Move from Transactions to Relationships
You’re at risk if you’re still selling logistics like a commodity. The logistics market is crowded, and big players are getting bigger. Competing with them on price is worthless. The future belongs to companies that move from transactional sales to strategic partnerships.
The table below explains the difference between transactional and Relationship (or value)- based sales models.
Transactional vs. Relationship-Based Sales
Transforming the Sales Process: From Transactional to Strategic Selling
To succeed in today’s competitive logistics market, sales teams must rethink their customer discovery approach. Instead of focusing solely on transactional questions like “How much freight do you ship?” the conversation should shift toward understanding more profound business challenges. Asking questions such as “What are your biggest supply chain challenges?”, “Where do you face delays or bottlenecks?” and “What’s your long-term growth strategy?” allow for a more meaningful dialogue and position your company as a strategic partner rather than just a service provider.
Beyond better discovery, consultative selling must become a core part of the sales process. Training your sales team to diagnose customer pain points and offer tailored solutions rather than generic services will create stronger relationships and higher-value deals.
Finally, the customer relationship shouldn’t end once a deal is closed. Ongoing engagement is crucial—regular follow-ups with market insights, performance reviews, and tailored recommendations ensure your company remains a trusted partner, fostering long-term loyalty and repeat business.
Common Pitfalls
One of the biggest mistakes in logistics sales is relying on cold calling with generic sales pitches. Instead of broad, impersonal outreach, sales teams should focus on personalized communication that includes industry-specific insights, demonstrating a clear understanding of the customer’s challenges and needs.
Another common pitfall is passively waiting for RFQs rather than proactively engaging potential customers. Sales teams should take the initiative to present tailored solutions, showing customers how their logistics services can optimize operations, reduce risks, and enhance efficiency.
Focusing solely on price and speed is another major misstep. While these factors are essential, they shouldn’t be the only selling points. The real value lies in the broader business impact—helping customers reduce costs, manage risks, and improve operational efficiency should be the center of every sales conversation.
Finally, one of the most damaging pitfalls is the lack of post-sale follow-up. Successful sales don’t end with a signed contract; they require ongoing engagement. Consistently checking in with customers, providing performance reviews, and delivering added value over time strengthens relationships and increases long-term retention.
📌 Case Study: The Freight Brokerage That Restructured Its Sales Process A freight brokerage struggling with customer retention revamped its sales strategy. Instead of providing instant rate quotes, their sales reps conducted deep discovery calls and provided customized service offerings instead of instant quotes. This shift led to a 100% increase in new business generation.
Conclusion: Winning Beyond Price Wars
In a market where logistics companies often compete on price and speed, the real winners are those who build lasting customer relationships. By shifting from transactional selling to a relationship-building approach, logistics providers can position themselves as indispensable partners rather than just service vendors. Understanding customers’ long-term goals, proactively addressing their challenges, and maintaining regular follow-ups lead to higher retention, increased customer lifetime value, and sustainable business growth.
About the Author:
Thomas Ananjevas is a seasoned supply chain professional with 15 years of experience in purchasing and selling logistics services and building supply chains from the ground up. He founded a consulting, training, and marketing services company dedicated to the logistics industry. Thomas specializes in helping logistics companies implement necessary changes to ensure business growth and continuity.
If you want to speed up new business development, stand out from the competition, and implement the latest sales and marketing strategies and technologies to support them, click here to schedule a discovery call with Thomas.
