Most likely if you’re reading this, you own a moving company. Then you know over 30 million people move each year making moving an 86 billion dollar industry. With so much money to be made, this isn’t just a business where you create and wait. No. You need to grab your venture by the horns and develop it into a muscle machine that can plow through your competition.
You may have just started a moving business and are researching ways to get it rolling. Or you’re already a seasoned mover but your business has hit a plateau and you’re itching to maximize profits. Either way, kudos to you for realizing the potential of your moving business and taking the initiative to turn your company into a leading moving service for your area.
Core Principle of Becoming a Leader in the Moving Industry
There are several ways for you to stand out and get ahead of your competitors. Surprisingly, most of it won’t cost you a dime. A lot of it is centered around core values:
- Treat others the way you want to be treated.
- Show respect and gratitude, even with the little things.
- Be honest and caring.
In short, make customer service a priority because even if you are the best at what you do, if you’re not liked, it won’t matter. However, even if things go awry-say you break something-, if you maintain your professionalism, kindness, and understanding, your customers will be more forgiving.
Additionally, don’t just say customer satisfaction is your top priority, show it. Especially in this day and age, there’s a lot of companies, not just in the moving industry, that claim they care about their customers but behave in a different way. Therefore, this has put a lot of people in doubt when companies say that. It doesn’t hold much value until you’re able to prove it. That’s important to know when it comes to serving your customers and marketing to potential customers.
8 Ways to Win Customers and Increase Profits in the Moving Industry
The components listed below stand the test of time with the exception of #7 because the .com era has only been around for nearly 30 years and who knows what the future holds. Although, we don’t see an end to websites or the Internet any time soon.
1. Build trust
The biggest way to build trust is through great website reviews. If other people are using your moving services and giving it a good rating, others are bound to trust their opinions. It’s called “the bandwagon effect” in psychology. Therefore, use your reviews in your marketing efforts at every opportunity where it makes sense.
Of course, you need to get people to trust you in the first place in order to start accumulating those reviews. You can still do this by getting social, which we’ll discuss more about at the end of this list. You can get social by participating in your community like holding an event, going door-to-door, sponsoring an event, etc.
Also, use your About Us Page and social platforms to build trust. Tell your company story. Include little tidbits about you and your family. Post pictures of yourself, your workplace, your family life, your employees hard at work, etc.
2. Be personable
Have a conversation with your customer. It doesn’t always have to be about business. Ask questions. Show empathy and interest. Find common ground. Being personable also builds trust. Your customers will be more willing to open up to you because they feel comfortable.
3. Give competitive rates
You’ll have to do some math here and research. You’ll first have to add up or estimate your expenses to figure out your profit margin. Then, you’ll have to conduct some research to find out what your competitors are pricing their services at. Hopefully, your expenses are low enough, which they probably are, for you to be in the range of your competitors. Let’s face it, price is a huge determining factor of who your customers choose when it comes to moving.
If you think dropping your prices to where your competitors rates are will hold you back from earning more profits, you’re wrong. It’s actually the opposite because you’ll be attracting more customers, as long as you’re providing great service.
4. Deliver on your promises
You must follow through on your promises. Whether it’s something on your business card, website, ad, etc. Your customers will hold you to your promises and guarantees. So, first be careful with your language and be clear on your offerings. Make sure your employees are educated in these policies and ensure your company is living up to them.
5. Provide value
Explain to your customers why they need your moving services. How is it going to make a difference in their life? Can you justify the price for them to make it worth it?
Go the extra mile of providing value for free too. It will be worth it in the long run. Periodically publish content to your website, social platforms, even guest blogs or publications that provide moving tips, moving statistics, moving trends, and more. Make it interesting and valuable to your readers. The last thing you want to do is waste their time.
6. Offer a unique moving service/unique selling point
Think outside of the box. Do some research here too. Check out what your competitors are offering. What are they doing that’s a little extra? It could be setting up utilities, assembling furniture, same-day service, etc. When you find your unique selling point, talk passionately about it through your marketing materials. Make them feel as though they’re getting a bonus service. Technically, they kind of are.
7. Have a stellar website
Most likely your customers first impression of you will be based on your moving company website. And people can be very judgemental about websites. From design, to speed, to navigation, everything has to be precise and well functionally in order to build a good reputation online. If your website is lacking information, frustrating to use, or slow you can say goodbye to business.
8. Get social
We’re talking about social media here and although social media is rather new, being social has always been about business. It’s just done differently now, where you can get social with customers without ever initially meeting them. It’s also referred to as “social selling”. The more social you are, the more you will create a name for yourself, you’ll be remembered, and recognized.
Use your social media platforms to inform people of industry news, trends, your services and discounts, but it’s also good to share things outside of your business every once in a while. This is how people will get to know and trust you. Spark conversations too! People like to talk and give their input on topics.