The Growth Trap: Why Your Best Sales People Can’t Save You
As an owner of a Freight Forwarding business, you have one clear goal: Growth.
You hire aggressive Business Development Managers (BDMs). You give them good commissions. They go out and hunt. They bring in new accounts.
But at the end of the year, you look at the P&L (Profit & Loss), and the numbers are flat. You gained 10 new clients, but you lost 10 old ones.
We call this "The Leaky Bucket."
At Tetrus Recruiting, we see this pattern constantly in 2025. Companies invest heavily in Sales (getting the customer), but they under-invest in Operations (keeping the customer).
The Dangerous Disconnect
Here is the scenario we see in many logistics firms:
The Promise: Your Sales person sits with a client and promises "VIP Service, 24/7 updates, and zero errors." The client signs.
The Handover: The account is passed to an overworked Operations Coordinator who is managing 150 files at once.
The Reality: The first shipment is delayed. No one communicates with the client because the operator is too busy.
The Exit: The client feels lied to. They leave.
Your expensive Sales person did their job. But your business didn't grow.
Operations is Not a "Cost Center"
Many decision-makers view Operations staff as a cost. You want to pay them as little as possible to maximize margins.
This is a strategic mistake.
In Freight Forwarding, Operations is your Retention Strategy.
A great operator spots a documentation error before the cargo leaves.
A great operator negotiates a better rate with the carrier to save your margin.
A great operator proactively calls the client when there is a problem, saving the relationship.
The "Key Account" Operator
The Freight Forwarders that are winning in this market are doing something different. They are hiring "Commercial Operators."
These are not just data-entry staff. These are high-level logistics professionals who understand the commercial value of the client. They cost a bit more, but they protect your revenue.
The Verdict
You cannot scale your business on Sales alone. If you pour water into a leaking bucket, you are just wasting water.
Before you hire another Sales Hunter, ask yourself: Is my Operations team strong enough to keep what we catch?
Let’s build an Operations team that protects your profit.