8 Sales Tips Movers Cannot Ignore Today

From a former moving industry sales executive 

Ryan Marsh, a former NY-based moving company sales executive, shares his 8 best-kept sales secrets that allowed him to be successful in his 12-year long career in moving sales. He now spends his time bringing the moving industry partners together through technology and education at Supermove.

Watch this 2-minute video from Ryan summarizing his tips. For a deeper dive, read this article and book a chat with Ryan to implement these tactics into your moving business.

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Why move alone when you can grow together: Collaborate with local businesses to create partnerships that can refer customers to your moving services. 

As a moving company, forming partnerships with local businesses can be an effective strategy for increasing revenue and expanding your customer base. Collaborating with other businesses to offer bundled services can provide a convenient and value-packed experience for customers while driving revenue growth. 

Here are some local business partnership opportunities that moving companies should consider:

• Real Estate Agencies: Real estate agencies are in constant contact with individuals and families who are either selling or purchasing homes. Real estate agents can refer their clients to the moving company, providing a trusted recommendation that carries weight and credibility. 

• Property Managers: Property managers oversee residential and commercial properties, and they often handle tenant turnovers and relocation. Property managers can refer tenants or assist with coordinating moves, ensuring a seamless transition for their tenants. 

• Storage Facilities: Moving often involves temporary storage of personal belongings, making storage facilities a natural fit for moving companies. By partnering with storage facilities, moving companies can offer bundled services and added convenience to clients, providing a seamless relocation experience.

• Cleaning Services: Partnering with a cleaning service can offer one-stop convenience for customers. Additionally, moving companies can refer clients to cleaning services after their move, further enhancing customer satisfaction.

• Home Improvement Stores: Home improvement stores offer appliances, flooring, and other home renovation products that can be beneficial for customers preparing to move. Partnering with home improvement stores to offer discounts or bundled services can provide added value and enhance market share.

• Interior Designers: As moving often involves the relocation of furniture and home decor, partnering with interior designers can offer a convenient and valuable experience for customers. 

• Local Chamber of Commerce: Joining your local chamber can be a strategic move to expand your network locally and enhance your brand visibility. Chambers of Commerce are organizations that bring together local businesses and provide a range of valuable resources and opportunities for growth.

Data can turn into your biggest trade secret. Utilize data to understand customer behavior, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to improve your sales and marketing strategies.

As a moving company, you collect a wealth of data from your customers through your moving company software CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system and marketing efforts. All you need to do is start analyzing the data and put it to use.

Here's are a few ways you can use your data strategically:

• Look for patterns and demographics such as age, location, and preferences in your CRM data. Use this to identify your target market. For example, if you notice a significant percentage of your customers are young professionals relocating for job opportunities, you can tailor your marketing messages to appeal to that demographic.

• CRM data enables you to determine the lifetime value of your customers. For instance, if you realize that your existing customers provide a higher lifetime value compared to new customers, you can prioritize customer loyalty programs over acquisition campaigns.

• Track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. Monitor the lead-to-move booking conversion rate, measure which channel generates the most revenue, and track customer feedback. For example, if you find that social media advertisements yield more conversions compared to print ads, you can allocate more resources to social media marketing.

• CRM data allows you to personalize customer interactions. For example, if your CRM shows that a customer frequently requests packing services, you can proactively offer them packing options for their next move, increasing the likelihood of upselling.

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We’ve all heard of don’t put your eggs in one basket. Relying solely on one type of client can be risky for movers in today's competitive environment. Diversification can help you  ensure longevity and sustained growth, especially during times of unpredictability. 

In fact, in the State of Moving & Storage, 42% of movers indicated their 2023 goal is to grow profit, while 34% said their goal is to grow revenue. Expanding via new offerings, diversification of move type, and reducing costs will dominate as the top growth strategies in 2023.

There are two ways to look at how you can diversify your business:

1. The types of moves you can do: This can range from residential, commercial and military all the way to long-distance and international.
2. The types of additional services you can provide clients: This includes but is not limited to storage, FF&E / OS&E, packing and final mile runs.

Movers who diversify can dominate local markets since they offer additional services that their competition might not have. It also increases the amount each customer will spend with you due to service expansion.

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The next generation cares. Moving companies, with their significant carbon footprint, have a unique opportunity to implement sustainable practices and make a positive impact on the environment. 

In recent years, sustainability has become an important factor for consumers. Consider implementing eco-friendly practices and sharing your business’ efforts to build a commitment to sustainability.

Here are some key steps to take to embrace sustainability in your operations:

• To reduce emissions, consider optimizing routes to minimize mileage and fuel consumption. Utilize GPS technology and efficient scheduling to better plan and coordinate moves. Additionally, invest in fuel-efficient vehicles or consider using alternative fuels like electric or hybrid vehicles.

• Implement waste reduction strategies such as encouraging customers to use eco-friendly packing materials, offering recycling services for discarded items, and partnering with local donation centers to give unwanted items a second life.

• Digitize paperwork and implement electronic systems to reduce paper consumption. Use electronic invoices, contracts, and receipts whenever possible. 

• Encourage the use of sustainable packing materials such as biodegradable or reusable alternatives. Provide customers with eco-friendly options, such as recycled boxes or packing materials made from recycled materials. 

• Implement energy-saving practices in your offices and warehouses. Use energy-efficient lighting, appliances, and equipment to reduce energy consumption. Incorporate timers and motion sensors to ensure lights are only on when necessary. Invest in renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, to power your facilities.

Bonus: Join Move for Hunger to reduce waste and fight hunger in your community.

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Word of mouth is your best revenue generator. It’s not uncommon for movers’ recurring jobs to come from repeat customers. These customers are probably your least tapped sales channel. 

Create a referral program that rewards customers who refer new business through their friends and family to your company. 

Here’s how you can create an effective referral program for your moving company:

• Outline the specific outcomes you hope to achieve and set measurable targets to track your progress. This could be X referrals per month or Y referrals per year. 

• Define what rewards will be compelling enough to encourage customers to refer you. Common incentives include discounts on future moves, gift cards, cash rewards, or even exclusive access to special services. 

• To encourage referrals, make the process as simple as possible for your customers. This can be done through email invitations, personalized referral links, or a dedicated page on your website. Provide clear instructions and make sure the referral process is seamless and hassle-free.

• Implement a tracking mechanism to keep tabs on the referrals. This can be as simple as asking customers how they heard about your company or including a referrer name in your referral program page. This helps you identify your most influential customers.

• Actively market your program to your existing customer base through all your marketing channels, and link it in your follow up emails after every move. Also, train your crew to mention the referral program during customer interactions to generate awareness and interest.

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Social media marketing today is table stakes. This was clear in the results from the State of Moving & Storage that revealed almost every moving business is on social media today. However, not everyone is as successful due to lack of regular content, and their effort in truly building a community with their followers.

Maintaining an active social media strategy to engage with potential customers is no easy feat, so here’s what we recommend to get movers going:

• Pick a Channel to Dominate: You want to start by picking at least one channel where you will primarily build your audience, and make a lot of noise doing so. It’s difficult to do this across multiple channels, so by focusing on one, you can put your effort in one place, whether that be on Facebook or TikTok. 

• Target Local Communities: Since moving services are location-based, focus on connecting with local communities. Join local Facebook groups, engage with local businesses and residents, and participate in relevant community events. 

• Share Content Often: Share informative and helpful content related to moving on your social media. Provide tips for a smooth and stress-free move, share packing and organizing hacks, or offer advice on selecting the right moving company.

• Utilize Visual Content: Moving can be a visually appealing process, so make use of visual content to capture customer attention. Share photos and videos of your team in action, highlight specialized moving equipment, or showcase before-and-after images of successfully completed moves. 

• Engage with Your Followers: It should be a two-way communication channel. Respond promptly to customer inquiries, comments, and reviews. Show appreciation for positive feedback and address any concerns or complaints professionally and promptly. 

Check out this blog post that shows you examples of moving companies you should follow to draw inspiration for your social media strategy.

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Your reputation matters, especially online. With customers relying heavily on online reviews and ratings, managing your online reputation can make or break your moving company's success. 

Here are some key tips to help you manage your online reputation and build a positive collection of reviews across Google, Yelp and Facebook:

• Regularly track mentions of your moving company across various online platforms. Setting up Google Alerts is the easiest way to do this.

• Encourage positive reviews on your website, in email communications, on social media, and after every great move. Train your crews to add to their closing talk track.

• Respond to all your reviews in a professional manner, whether it’s positive or negative. Show that you value customer feedback and are committed to resolving any problems.

• Maintain an active presence on social media by responding to inquiries, comments, and messages promptly. This will influence how well you get rated on your listings.

• Highlight your best reviews on your website and on social media so that customers can see it even if they don’t go to a listing.

• Monitor online directories and listings to ensure that your business information, such as address, phone number, and website, is accurate and consistent across various online directories and listings. 

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If your customers can’t find you on Google, how else would they? Optimizing your listing is a must-do for moving companies today. You want to be among the first to appear in local search results when people search for moving services in your area.

These are the following steps to take to ensure your business is optimized for search:

• Start by claiming your business listings on popular platforms such as Google My Business, Yelp, and Bing Places for Business. Ensure that all the information, including your company name, address, phone number, and website, is accurate and consistent across all platforms. Regularly update your listings with any changes or additions to ensure accurate and up-to-date information.

• Incorporate relevant keywords in your business description and other areas of your listings. Think about the words or phrases potential customers may use when searching for moving and other services you offer in your area. Examples are "professional movers," "reliable moving services," or specific location-based keywords.

• Include high-quality images and/or videos of your moving trucks, team members, and completed moves. Showcasing your work through images can help potential customers visualize your services and build trust in your brand.

• Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your listings. Respond promptly and professionally to all reviews, whether positive or negative, to demonstrate excellent customer service and engage with your audience.

• Provide detailed descriptions of your moving services, including any specialty services or additional offerings such as packing, storage, or furniture assembly. This helps customers know exactly what they can expect from your company.

• Encourage customers to take the desired action, such as contacting you for a quote, requesting a free consultation, or scheduling a move. Make it easy for potential customers to take the next step in their moving process.

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Schedule a call with Ryan.

Ryan Marsh is a former NY-based moving company sales executive. He now spends his time bringing the moving industry partners together through technology and education at Supermove.

If these are tips that you can see improve sales in your moving business, book a chat with Ryan to learn how he's done it and found success.

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