By Conrad Winter, Content and Copy Writer for the Logistics Industry
“What could possibly be that loud?” I thought to myself. “And is it getting louder!!?”
As the marching band broke into the crowded courtyard, brass instruments and big base drums blazing, I wondered where they were going to go, how they were all going to fit – and what the heck I was supposed to do.
“Everyone we’re parading!”
Those words from TMSA Executive Director, Jennifer Karpus-Romain were the last I heard before being pulled into a riptide of tubas and TMSA’ers that spilled out through the hotel lobby and onto the street dancing and hooting all the way. When the cohort washed onto Bourbon Street, the music pulled everyone within reach into the current and within moments there were hundreds, maybe even thousands of people who had joined. Traffic stopped, everyone was there together, there was energy, connection, community…
…and then it stopped.
The beautiful trombones went silent, the crowd dissolved and everyone went their separate ways.
It’s been 8 weeks since TMSA’s 100-Year Anniversary conference in New Orleans. That feeling of parading may be gone, but here are 9 takeaways that have stayed with me even if it feels like a long time ago.
1 – Good Work Takes Time
One thing that makes the TMSA ELEVATE environment unusual is how people open up and share. It gives sales and marketing professionals an occasion to gain insights into how others are solving the very same problems they are having. People from their very same industry, opening up and sharing. Remarkable. Saw it quite a few times in New Orleans.
The Trailblazer Awards provide a peek at the actual work other colleagues produced. This is a chance to be inspired that’s unique in the industry.
This year’s conference went a step further in the “Secret innovator: Unveiling a Trailblazer’s breakthrough campaign” presentation. Saddle Creek’s Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Jill Jones and Senior Marketing Manager, Michelle Wade, deconstructed a single campaign that demonstrated solid, single-minded marketing. Why was I impressed? Clear goal: increase website engagement. Commitment to an approach: microsite and whitepaper. Discipline to stick with a 1-year development. Results: 20K page views, 20% engagement, and achievement of goals: Site engagement increased 75%.
My takeaway is long term planning and patience. Everything happens so fast now. We all want results immediately. But good work and achieving big goals can take time. Not always easy when your teammates are tapping their foot and asking when their microsite is going to be ready.
Are you feeling the rush to results on your projects? Remind them it took Saddle Creek a year to increase website traffic 75%.
2 – Be A Storyteller
Storytelling is a topic has been around forever, but that’s only because it’s so important. The keynote from Ty Bennett was fresh and thought-provoking. I love a process that provides a reframe…takes something familiar and forces you to improve the way you approach it. Here are a few nuggets from Ty’s presentation.
Perfect presentations don’t exist: it’s not about perfection, it’s about connection. Ty’s tips for connection were:
- Start with “you” questions. As a fresh-faced sales rep, Ty would ask prospects, “Are you afraid that I’m too young to manage your business?”
- Place them in the story to reinforce relatability. Here’s an example: “If you can imagine yourself, standing there, rain-soaked and no way to change before the biggest meeting of your life.”
- Follow the struggle-to-solution model. The challenge and the journey make listeners want to hear more and see things resolved.
Are you using the tools Ty taught? I’ve been working them into my conversations with people (feel sorry for my daughter) and my writing.
- Dialog (versus narration) For example, rather than stating, “She didn’t like it”, say something like, “And you know what she said…?”
- Details make stories interesting. Quantities, measurements, and insights paint the picture.
- Use metaphors and comparison to help listeners or readers “see” and understand.
3 – Career Growth and Leadership Require a Reframe
Dionne Noisette, Digital Strategy & Global Communications Leader at FedEx had some gems on career trajectory today. She spoke about “the death of the linear career” and described how it’s no longer about moving up. Today it’s about moving around and learning more about the business.”
Her advice was to be curious and willing to learn from others—from the janitor to the CEO. For that, humility is a job requirement.
Authenticity was another message I received from her presentation. Focus on getting good at something, not just instinctively scrambling to the top. She told an anecdote that resonated. After asking a boss early in her career for a leadership post, they said to her: “Show me someone who will follow you and I will give you someone to lead.”
How’s humility working for you so far this year? I’m trying to be more open in the interest of learning.
3 – Look Ahead Sideways
The economic panel was 100-year-anniversary-caliber all the way. TMSA Education Committee Co-Chairperson, Gary Cornelius emceed a powerhouse panel of experts from DAT, ATA and Bloomberg who spoke about what we can expect in the near future. Each had a different angle and together they provided a comprehensive view of the overall economy and freight economy.
On the demand side for freight, the economy is chugging along moving sideways from a freight perspective according to Dean Croke, Principal Analyst at DAT. He sees the soft market continuing throughout 2024, barring any events that could dramatically increase demand. He noted that this hurricane season could be a wildcard.
Lindsay Bur, Senior Economic Analyst at American Trucking Associations, concurred, saying that ultimately her team doesn’t think there will be a significant surge in demand that will right-size the market. The reasons being that they aren’t seeing a huge increase in consumer demand for goods, a huge explosion in the housing market, or a large rise in industrial production.
Lindsay thinks it will be a decrease in capacity that will eventually right-size the market. That will come about slowly, though. Anecdotally, she says she’s seeing banks delaying repos of trucks from carriers who can’t make their payments. The demand and resale value for used trucks has dropped so much that banks are just waiting, she says.
Overall, the economy is sending mixed signals. Lee Klascow, Senior Analyst at Bloomberg, added that while inflation is coming down, prices aren’t following. As talk of recession continues, Lee predicts that if there is one, it will be short and shallow.
Regarding opportunities, Lee points out that LTL outperformed railroads, express carriers, truckload and the S&P 500 over the past year. He also expects intermodal volume to increase in 2024 after two years of volume declines. As for risks, further disruption from the Red Sea crisis tops Lee’s list. Redirecting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Suez Canal already adds 10-12 days to transit.
Have you put your economic insights to use yet? I’ve lately found myself writing more about intermodal and LTL – two modes Lee said were going to be big this year.
4 – AI’s Good for Some Things, Not Everything
AI was definitely on the minds of conference goers. From my conversations with marketers, the consensus was that we’re all bracing for the explosion of content from AI and wondering if it will be good content. I was really wondering how marketers were leveraging AI. My takeaway from the coffee talk I facilitated at the conference was that some are dabbling and finding it useful for some things like initial research, outlines and summaries.
Michelle LeBlanc, Founder & CEO of Drop & Hook, went deep into the state of AI in our industry. She pointed out that no one in business, marketing or transportation and logistics feels they have enough hours in the day. And she asked a simple question: what can AI help with?
Michelle’s answer: Tasks relying on speed, pattern recognition and the ability to scale are ripe territory for AI. On the other hand, tasks that should belong to humans require strategic thinking, creative innovation and emotional intelligence.
The funniest moment in the conference came when Michelle confided that leading up to the conference, she had to overhaul her presentation numerous times – including a final revise just days before the conference – because everything related to AI changes weekly.
Have you found an ideal use for AI yet? I’ve found that using it for my initial research of a topic is a great time-saver.
5 – Sustainability. Prove it.
Sustainability is hot. Companies want to know how they can measure it, report it and just do it. Noelle Taylor of Taylor Logistics described it as delivering companies with a competitive advantage. Sustainability is now on every RFP. Logistics and transportation providers should expect a question on RFPs about their goals and promise. (It’s now often the second question, she says.)
Shippers need the reporting to support their own ESG reporting. Their customers want to buy from companies committed to sustainable practices.
Track emissions, recyclability and involve workers by sharing and educating them on why sustainability initiatives are important. Also companies should establish a supplier code of conduct to have impact upstream and downstream.
Noelle gave a presentation packed with practical tips: utilize Smart Way programs, take advantage of free apps out there for tracking recycling results, and leverage functionality on platforms that integrate sustainability monitoring and reporting.
What is your company doing to measure its emissions reduction measures? Has your company crafted its sustainability statement yet? (If you need help, let’s talk.)
6 – Merge Right
Mergers and acquisitions have been common in trucking in the post-pandemic years. The challenges of being a successful brand that’s been absorbed by a big brand are deep and often remain unresolved. Katie George Hooser, IMC Chief Marketing Officer, offered practical insights for welcoming new partner companies.
IMC integrated 7 regional companies in recent years. First and foremost is for parent companies to know what they stand firm on – a unified mission statement for example – and to know what the parent company is willing to compromise on in order to meet subsidiary companies’ leaders’ needs creatively. Cultural change works both ways.
Getting every division unified under the parent company’s brand identity is critical, but the old logos can be hard to replace in every instance simply because of the diaspora of materials in digital media. She started a “spot the old logo” program. Finders of outdated logos receive an IMC hat.
Is your company doing all it can to welcome the involvement of newly merged companies? Something to work on.
7 – Smile for the Video Camera
Presenter, and CEO of VideoRequest, Terry Nawrot, suggested potential video applications for every funnel phase: interest, purchase and customer success. The last one was especially enlightening. Testimonials are gold. We all know that. Most people we ask just never get back. Here was her tip: know when to ask (when your client is happy just after you delivered for them!) Importantly, don’t ask in person or on phone – it puts them on the spot. Instead she says to email the necessary info with a prompt and link.
She gave lots of occasions when video bests an email. Like a thank you for meeting. When it comes to recruiting, video thank you’s, touch-ins and advocacy are better in video. A key tip was to send a link to the video and not the actual file. (Big files often bounce or just look suspicious.)
I wrote a post not too long ago about the benefits of written blogs because of their searchability and study-ability. But this presentation gave me a new appreciation for video.
Have you considered video? If your emails aren’t being read, video can do what text (especially AI-written text) can’t: show your face and your personality and stand out.
8 – Please Don’t Ask Me What My Pain Points Are
The shipper panel is a TMSA tradition and huge crowd pleaser. Panelists deliver gold for logistics companies trying to break through. Their tips for 2024?
Don’t ask “What are your pain points?” Or “Are you the right person to talk to?”
Face-to-face meetings are preferred. Panelists advise going to industry events.
Regarding LinkedIn InMail, don’t do it. And don’t let AI write your emails. “I delete them,” Matthew Schiffer, VP of Transportation for PriceSmart, told the audience.
John Esborn, Senior Director and Head of International Logistics at Beyond, Inc., adds the advice that if you’re calling, do your homework, articulate what you do – and importantly – communicate your value-add. He says to provide insight and updates that helps shippers succeed. “If this guy is keeping me engaged and updated, why wouldn’t I give him my business?”
Regarding marketing, Matthew sees marketing as an important tool for promoting company values like sustainability. Companies like PriceSmart do research into companies to vet their company culture.
Do your sales enablement materials reflect your culture and company values? Maybe it’s time for a rewrite. I’m here if you need help.
9 – Regrets Are Part of the New Orleans Experience
I do have regrets, but not the kind you’d think. There were breakout sessions I missed which I’m sure were fantastic.
In particular the presentation from Lauren Bailey of Factor 8, Kara Brown of LeadCoverage’s presentation, and the Luminaries Consulting breakout led by Sara Black.
I wish I could have seen the actual presentations, but luckily TMSA has lots of resources online for members – including all of these presentations available in their entirety.
It’s just one more reason to join TMSA. Find out all the reasons today,
And don’t wait until ELEVATE 2025 to get involved, TMSA’s Executive Summit is in October. Learn about this one-of-a-kind event here.
