Getting paid for the courier work you have done
Posted by Tim Gilbert in Courier Operations Manual on Feb 14th, 2011 | 0 comments
You should expect to be paid weekly, and at worst monthly, by your courier company. If you’re being asked to wait longer than that, you probably should look elsewhere for work, as it suggests that your money is at risk. If the courier company goes bust, the longer you’re waiting for your money, the more money you’ll lose.
It’s also worth making a few discreet enquiries with the other couriers about whether there’s ever been any problem with payments.
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Invoicing for courier work
Posted by Tim Gilbert in Courier Operations Manual, Courier Owner Driver, Courier Software on Feb 14th, 2011 | 0 comments
Unless the company you do courier work for operates ”self-billing” (ie they produce your invoice for you and send it to you with your money) you’ll need a simple way of invoicing for the work you do.
You can start with a simple invoice book from a stationer, or just use MS Word or Excel (Google for invoice templates to use), or use a simple online invoicing system as provided by websites like www.mtvan.com. [Note: Tony’s Guide is mtvan’s sister website, so we’re bound to reccommend it!].
When choosing an invoicing system, the simpler the better. What you want is something...
Doing courier work for more than one courier company
Posted by Tim Gilbert in Courier Operations Manual, Courier prices on Feb 14th, 2011 | 0 comments
Your next step could be to work for more than one courier company. The benefits of doing this, are that you are more free to set your own prices, your times of work and availability, and your payment terms.
The difference is, that instead of being one of the regular daily couriers used by a courier company, you offer yourself as being available as and when they need you. This helps the courier company cover their busy times. In return, the courier company accepts that occasionally you may not be available, as someone else may have booked you.
Experience shows that although it’s worth speaking to...
Following up with a sales phone call
Posted by Tim Gilbert in Sales technique for couriers on Feb 14th, 2011 | 0 comments
People never respond to the mailshot letter itself, but they may remember getting the letter or postcard when you call soon afterwards.
People who say “I’ve sent out loads of letters and heard nothing” just need to get on the phone and do the proper follow-up.
If you simply can’t bring yourself to make the calls, try asking someone else to do it for you. Offer a small amount of money for each appointment made. Some people just have the knack.
It is often possible to find out contact names by phone, to send the letters to. If you call a company and ask politely for the person in charge of...
Marketing for courier businesses
Posted by Tim Gilbert in Courier prices, Marketing for couriers on Feb 14th, 2011 | 0 comments
Marketing is sometimes described as “the whole idea of your business”. What your service is, at what price, when it’s available, the people it’s aimed at, how those people should actually buy from it, what colours it uses, the name, the pricing, its location and coverage, and so on.
As the person in charge of marketing your courier company, it’s your job to match the features, advantages and benefits (“FAB”) of your service with the wants and needs of your customers. Once you’ve worked out the FAB of your marketing, you need to communicate it to the people you’re aiming...
