3 Ways for a Delivery Service to Rise Above the Competition

Many delivery service companies struggle to set themselves apart from the competition - particularly those that are trying to carve a niche in a highly competitive and differentiated market. These three strategic pieces of advice may help guide you in making the crucial business decisions to set you on the road to success.

A Solid Business Plan

When working on your business plan, you need to consider what other delivery service companies are offering to their customers, and which of those have worked. This may pose a challenge, but it offers some unique opportunities for success if you do it right. You can base your own proposed services on what other, successful operators are offering - but provide an improved or value-added proposition. You may also be able to identify gaps in their services; perhaps there are areas where their presence is weak, and you may be able to target them.

Once you've created a business plan, all your marketing efforts should be an implementation of its core statements. Apple, for example, operates on the core principle of 'We think differently'. Consequently, all their products are manifestations of that simple single line, from the first Macintosh to the latest iPhone.

Use Both Digital and Real-world Marketing Campaigns

While others may use social media almost exclusively in their marketing campaigns, it is important to realise that not all your potential customers are on Facebook or Twitter - especially the older generation. Of course, as a modern and forward-thinking delivery service company, you must establish a strong presence online, however: create a website and a platform on all the popular social media sites, then assign a point person to maintain these accounts. Moreover, your website should not only serve as your digital face, but also a sales point: it should be able to accept orders, reach customers and allow them to track or monitor their goods or package.

On the other hand, you must keep your real-world marketing campaign running, too: remember that printed materials are always handy in those unexpected situations when you run into a potential customer. Brochures and flyers are also immensely helpful when advertising your services in detail with businesses or residents in your own area.

Craft an Offer Based on Your Business Plan

The main objective here is to differentiate yourself from countless other delivery service companies operating throughout the country. That's why it's crucial to craft a business plan that identifies your unique strengths as a company, as well as the opportunities that you may seize during the course of your operations. Needless to say, the products or services that you offer should carefully reflect what your business plan outlines. For example, you can plan both for the short and long terms. Typical short-term approaches would be to offer special deals for the first 200 customers, or perhaps customer number 200 is free. Long-term offers that build brand loyalty could come in the form of loyalty cards that expire in a year or a couple of years, which entitle the bearer continued discounted services or earn them points for every transaction.

In the end, there's no substitute for a good, well-crafted business plan and old-fashioned hard work. Use the above tips as a starting point and work towards standing out from the crowd in every aspect of your business.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day delivery service in the express freight exchange industry. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.