Tag: Sprint Couriers

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Instantly differentiate your business in the minds of your customers

‘Standing out is easier said than done. It’s about delivering a level of service that goes way beyond what your customers are expecting,’ says Sprint Couriers MD, Michelle Gebrial.

‘We work in a highly competitive industry, against internationally recognised brands and a host of new start-ups who emerge all the time,’ she begins.

The danger, in an environment like this, is falling into the commodity trap.

You may see your business as unique. And to you, it is. 

But if your customers do not perceive (or value) these points of difference, you can easily find yourself in a position where price becomes the only differentiator between you and the rest of the market.

You’ll become embroiled in:

  • Never-ending price wars
  • Constantly worrying about losing your most important clients.

Gebrial and her team have combatted this problem very effectively, allowing them to become the country’s largest privately-owned courier and logistics business in the process.

‘It’s essential that our customers get a level of service from us that they cannot find anywhere else,’ she emphasises.

‘It comes from a deep, three-dimensional understanding of their businesses. This applies especially to our corporate clients, who need a courier and logistics solution which is designed around their needs, goals and pain points.’

She expands.

‘Our job is to make your business run smoother and better. To add resilience to your operations in challenging times. To provide the logistical backbone that allows you to fully explore and execute the vision you have for your business.’

‘We work side-by-side with our clients in a way that improves their businesses as a whole. This is how we transcend the conventional relationship that many service providers have with their clients,’ concludes Gebrial.

Beating the commodity trap is essential for SMEs in Botswana today. 

To effectively differentiate your brand, show your clients that you are designing your company around their needs, even to the point of obsession. 

The pay-offs are immense: immediately positioning your brand as a leader, avoiding price wars, enjoying smoother sales, building loyal relationships – and growing sustainably.

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Built different: the power of belief in your small business

‘Belief is contagious,’ says Sprint Couriers MD, Michelle Gebrial. ‘When you have it, your customers will soon catch the bug.’

In channeling their belief, Gebrial and co-founder Pinkie Setlalekgosi found a secret weapon. 


‘We always had unshakable belief in ourselves,’ Gebrial says, recalling the early days, when the tiny new company was born.

Surrounded by well-funded, fiercely-competitive, long-established operators with internationally recognised brands, small courier outfits often struggle to compete in Botswana. Many have tried and failed. 

But in channeling their belief, Gebrial and co-founder Pinkie Setlalekgosi found a secret weapon. 

‘We knew exactly what a world-class, citizen-owned courier and logistics operation could – and should – look like. We also knew how to make that vision come to life.’ 

A small group of people acting with complete certainty of belief can have a transformative effect on the viability of a business.

‘Customers can sense when you are the real deal. Ours could tell that we were building something special and different. That we would never give up. That we would do whatever it takes.’ 

‘It was something about the way we carried ourselves. We had the right posture.’

Too many entrepreneurs go out into the world with the wrong mentality: hoping for success, instead of expecting it. Trying to convince, instead of demonstrating belief that inspires others into action.

‘Belief is contagious,’ she emphasises.  

‘When you believe in your vision, your skills, your team and your ability to solve problems, then you’ll find that customers often respond in a favourable way.’

‘This is something I keep reminding our team here at Sprint Couriers: first we must believe in ourselves. Then act accordingly.’

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Woman in business? Don’t overlook your superpowers

In entrepreneurship and corporate life, working women must play to their strengths according to Sprint Couriers MD, Michelle Gebrial.

‘A woman’s touch brings powerful advantages to the workplace,’ says Michelle Gebrial. 

‘The only problem is that women often discount and suppress these inherent strengths, believing they should adopt a more masculine approach in their dealings.’

‘This is a mistake. I encourage women to play to their strengths and reap the rewards,’ she emphasizes.

Let’s take a closer look at how these superpowers can be a source of additional value.

Collaboration over competition

Women have a more collaborative leadership style than men. When negotiating, the feminine touch brings parties together around shared interests, as opposed to pitting people against each other.

‘My experience is that women are more driven than men to achieve common goals. We place great emphasis on working together, which means that important strategic relationships are nurtured,’ says Gebrial. 

‘This applies to customers, suppliers and employees.’

Willingness to help and be helped

Supporting less experienced workmates fosters a culture of growth and learning. In this department, women are miles ahead.

‘I believe that women are more likely to ask for help when they need it. Opening up in this way is not a sign of weakness. It is key to accelerating your skills development and career growth,’ she explains.

‘As a result, women are also more willing to pass on that knowledge, instead of hoarding it to themselves. At Sprint Couriers, this is a central aspect of our culture and high-growth mindset.’ 

Adapting to change

In the face of rapid changes in the market and all-new customer expectations, being able to pivot, adapt and re-imagine your business is essential. Women excel in this area too.

Gebrial says: ‘I’ve observed that women are excellent problem solvers. It’s a skill that they bring from the home environment, where making a plan is often the order of the day.’ 

‘In the midst of this pandemic, being agile and creative in the face of the unexpected has enabled us to maintain our growth and solidify the business,’ Gebrial explains. 

‘From what I’ve observed here at Sprint Couriers, women are more flexible and open to change when times are tough.’

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Win customer loyalty by managing their expectations

‘Under-promise, over-deliver’: a case study in growth and retention from Sprint Couriers.

There is a line between a bold promise… and over-promising.

‘In 2022, customer expectations are higher than ever before,’ begins Sprint Couriers co-Founder, Michelle Gebrial.

‘In our industry, it seems like new competitors enter the market every day. For us, this underlines the importance of retaining every customer who comes our way,’ she continues. 

In 2006, Gebrial founded the business with close friend Pinkie Setlalekgosi and a core team of 16 employees. Today, they oversee a countrywide operation and over 350 full time staff, the country’s largest citizen-owned delivery and logistics provider. 

Read more about their growth story here. 

‘When it comes to long-term customer retention, we are open about sharing our strategy,’ she smiles.

‘We under-promise, and then we over-deliver.’ 

Gebrial proceeds to lay out a perfect example of how this works.

‘Our Budget service offers what we believe to be the best balance between speed and value. Anything the customer brings to us by 7pm will arrive at its destination before 5pm the next business day. We offer this service within a 500km radius of the drop-off point, and in any direction.’ 

‘The 5pm deadline is one we know we can meet comfortably, given the size of our fleet and the experience of our team,’ she explains.

‘Because we give ourselves a deadline that is within our capacity, we often wow the customer. They’re expecting a 5pm delivery, but often find their packages arriving in the morning, or just after lunch.’

This is what Gebrial calls ‘under-promising’.

Managing the customer’s expectations in this way then sets the stage to shine – and win lifetime customer loyalty.

‘If you hand out bold promises and then fall short, you will experience increased complaints, a reduction in repeat business and even social media fallout,’ she explains.

‘That is why we go the opposite way: we only make guarantees that we know we can sustainably keep. This is a key driver of our retention strategy and overall growth,’ concludes Gebrial.

There is a line between a bold promise… and over-promising.
Train your team not to cross that line.