Suppose: you are cheaper, faster, and technically better.
And yet you lose the deal. Why?
Yesterday, during the Transport & Logistics Awards in the Nekkerhal, a journalist gave the answer:
In Belgium, 'knowing each other' still plays a major role. Also in companies.
He is right. The impact of it is greater than we think.
Leaving familiar territory feels like a risk.
Established players can sell above the asking price.
Not because they are better or cheaper, but because they are trusted.
Because customers know what they are getting.
Because the risk feels smaller.
But there is something else at play. Something that is rarely said out loud.
Change is scary. Not rationally, but humanly.
The current supplier knows the operation.
People know how he reacts to problems.
You know what you get — even if it is not perfect.
A new player, no matter how strong, is a leap into the unknown.
And in logistics, where continuity is everything, that leap feels particularly big.
👉 What customers really buy is certainty.
And certainty is not found in a quote. It lies in trust.
The decision is rarely made by whoever meets you first.
In mid-cap organizations, the first contact is rarely with the ultimate decision-maker.
You are speaking with an operations manager, logistics coordinator, or buyer.
People who appreciate your story, but have to sell it internally.
And that is where the problem lies.
Your message needs to convince twice:
- first the person opposite you
- then, through that person, the management that has never met you
But there is something deeper at play.
That contact person also has his own interests.
He doesn't just want to choose a good supplier.
He also wants to be on good terms with his superior.
And that makes him vulnerable.
Because if your solution turns out to be disappointing,
is he the one who stuck his neck out.
👉 He links his credibility to your name.
That is a huge risk. And he feels it.
So what does he need?
Not just information.
Not just a competitive price.
👉 He needs peace of mind.
The certainty that he makes a good decision,
for his company and for himself.
You shouldn't just arm him with arguments.
You have to make him feel that he can be proud of his choice.
That you do not abandon him.
Where space is created for challengers
So there really is a tipping point.
When customers really start comparing (technically, operationally, and financially)
then the playing field shifts.
This creates space for players who do not sell individual components,
but an integrated whole.
Think of a system in which trucks, automation, and energy supply are coordinated —
from ILS and AGV solutions to Stage V motors and lithium technology based on CATL LFP batteries —
supplemented with own attachment equipment.
One ecosystem.
One point of contact.
One responsibility.
👉 And that brings us back to what customers are looking for: certainty and continuity.
How we do it at Immer-Goed
For new players, this is simultaneously the greatest challenge and the greatest opportunity.
You won't get in with a low price.
You build confidence.
Step by step.
Conversation by conversation.
That also means helping your contact person make a difference internally.
Arm him or her with the right arguments.
So that your story reaches the boardroom — even without you being there.
That is how we do it at Immer-Goed.
With HELI solutions, we offer a competitive alternative.
But that is not what makes the difference.
The difference lies in:
- succession
- brainstorm
- and the certainty that we are there when needed
Our first major logistics clients are not files.
They are reference cases.
Built on trust, not on margin.
In Belgium, you grow into that.
And once you are there, you can really make a difference.
Thanks to Transportmedia for moments like these; they bring our sector together.
