A Sales Playbook is the Secret to Predictable Revenue

Want to increase your booking rate? Curious how to win over prospects on the first call?

Always remember that people buy from people, and their experience matters, especially in a service-first industry. So how do you ensure your sales team nails every sales call with confidence? The answer lies in using well-crafted playbooks that you can repeat every time.

When you follow your playbook, your booking rate should skyrocket.

Handle every sales call with battle-tested scripts, navigate conversations smoothly, build rapport, and guide your prospects to a resounding yes!

Determine Your Benchmarks

First, track your sales team’s closing ratios today. Use the average to stack rank yourself against as you implement a playbook and want to track its success.

Identify who your top sales performers are and understand why they excel. Analyze why they perform better than your other reps. It’s most likely because your highest-performing reps ask the right questions on calls, follow up better, and are great at building rapport effectively with customers.

Conduct Competitive Research and Feedback

Understanding your competitors is a good practice. Call local moving companies to see what questions they ask and whether they have a playbook. Would you book a move with them? What questions should they have asked?

Have friends and family call your company to evaluate how your sales reps handle calls. Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement for your team.

This will help you craft your first call template. It should include specific questions designed to understand the customer’s needs so you can suggest services that are catered to those needs.

Sample Questions to Ask on the First Call

Here are three essential questions your sales reps should ask on the first call to create a fantastic customer experience, close more deals, and build trust:

1. "Are you excited to move?"
   • This question provides insights into the customer’s temperament and stress levels. If they’re excited, lead with excitement. Tell them about your moving process and other beneficial services and highlight their value.  If they’re nervous, respond with empathy and compassion. Understanding their emotional state helps tailor your approach to their needs.
     
     
2. "Have you moved professionally before?"
   • If yes, ask about their experience and any pain points. Use this information to build trust and even offer up additional services. If not, guide them through your company’s moving process, setting clear expectations for them and your company. You can lead with what moving looks like professionally with your company.
     
     
3. "How would you prefer to be contacted?"
   • Whether by email, text, or phone, knowing their preferred method of communication ensures you reach them effectively, improve response rates and shows respect for their time.

For a sample first call template, check out this one for residential movers.

Structuring Your Sales Team

A big part of your playbook is structuring your sales team effectively. Here are some strategies:

• Recruit Sales Employees from Your Crew: Sometimes, the best sales reps are former movers who understand the intricacies of the job. Promote your top-performing crew members into a sales role.
• Company History and Values: Ensure your team knows the company’s history, mission, and values. Make the learning process engaging by offering incentives for remembering core values. This will align your team with the company’s aspirations.
• Training: Train your reps on every service your business offers, the benefits and value of each service, and how to use the CRM system. Define the scope of their roles and ensure they follow the process.
• Share Best Practices: Observe and share the tactics of your top performers. Are they better at follow-ups? Do they have more talk time? How quickly do they respond to leads? These insights can help other reps improve.

Continuous Quality Assurance and Improvement

• Weekly Sales Meetings: Regular meetings to update the team on the latest wins and lessons.
• Monthly Town Hall Meetings: Involve management, dispatch, operations, and movers to ensure everyone is on the same page. A 15-minute huddle during peak season can connect all departments effectively.
• Shadowing and Feedback: Have new reps shadow experienced salespeople. Don’t micromanage; let them take the wheel once trained. Listen to recorded calls for constructive feedback.

Use Playbook and Tools

Create a comprehensive playbook with guidelines for the entire sales process.

Download the The Modern Sales Playbook, the end-to-end sales manual with 20+ sales plays and tactics every moving company can use.
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Conclusion

These strategies can save owners and managers a lot of time and align the team on the right path. Implementing these practices can help your moving business thrive by building stronger customer connections and booking more jobs.  

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