Why Would Somebody Choose to Hire Your Company?
There are plenty of removal firms out there, why should yours succeed where others have failed? What is going to make you stand out from the crowd?
Finding a niche market or offering a service that nobody else does may be the edge you need to attract customers.
These days more and more people rate outstanding Customer Service as the number one consideration when purchasing or hiring.
How will you differ from every other removal company out there?
Don’t think that low prices will be the be-all and end-all.
Yes, the price is a consideration for most people, but you will be handling every possession they own in the world.
They want to know you have the skills to complete the job safely with no damage to their goods (more about this later).
Have multiple lines of communication such as email, mobile, and landline. This shows you are accessible and gives the customer a sense of confidence.
The removal industry is steeped in tradition and not all companies are that quick to keep up with the latest technology.
This is where you can have an edge.
An online presence is essential, so you must have a smart website and be on social media.
Identify your customers and see what medium they use to communicate, then tailor your online campaign to meet those customers’ needs.
What Equipment Do You Need to Start a Removal Company?
That depends on the services you intend to offer, but the initial outlay is not big and you can always easily rent the moving equipment from hire stores.
A labour-only service means you will need:
- Protective workwear such as gloves and steel toe-capped footwear
- A furniture dolly, sack truck, or lifting straps for moving heavy furniture
- Furniture blankets
If you offer a packing service you will need:
- An assortment of quality moving boxes
- Packing tape
- Packing tape dispenser gun
- Packing paper
- Bubble wrap
- Marker pens
Offer a full removal service and you will need a van, which will be your biggest outlay.
It is crucial to get the right van though. Ideally, it will need to be 3.5t or above.
It must be reliable and presentable after all this will be a form of advertising for you, which brings us to the point of logo and name.
Ensure your van prominently displays your logo and contact details.
Keep it smart and easily readable, there is no point in having reams of information on the side of your van, but you want enough to entice any potential customers to your website or to call you.
It is worth mentioning that you should also register your business legally and ensure you have all the relevant insurances in place, including public liability insurance.
Another piece of vital equipment will be a good quality, van-specific Sat Nav.
A car GPS will not warn you of low bridges or narrow lanes for example, whereas a lorry-specific Sat Nav will.
Training, Certification & Membership
As mentioned earlier, your customers will want to be confident you can handle their possessions safely, and that you are a professional removal company.
Consider attending a formal training course specifically for the removal industry.
Often courses will cover every aspect of home moves including manual handling, packing skills, piano moving, and vehicle loading.
It will impress and reassure your customers when you present your training certificates when you are quoting for your jobs.
Numerous companies provide training such as:
You will have limited opportunity to convince your customers that you are the right people to hire for their home move.
Belonging to a removal industry association will reinforce to your customers your professionalism and ability to provide a quality home move.
There are two main removal industry associations in the UK, the British Association of Removers (BAR) and the National Guild of Removers and Storers.
Which? Trusted Trader Scheme and Trading Standards Buy With Confidence are also worth joining.
You may also like to read: Removal Industry Trade Associations. In this guide, we explain all the different trade associations that removal companies can belong to.
Managing Your Online Reputation
As we mentioned earlier, outstanding customer service is essential. And a key element of your customer service should be to manage your online reputation.
The majority of people use reviews to help them when deciding what to purchase.
The reviews of your services will sway the decision of most people looking to move home so they must be managed well.
You will not get every move perfect, that is a fact of life, and no matter what you do you cannot please everyone all the time.
But it is crucial that you not only direct your customers to leave you reviews, preferably on a reputable removal review website, but that you respond to each and every review that is left for your business.
This demonstrates to customers that you value their custom, learn from their feedback, and are willing to correct any mistakes you may have made.
Crucially, it also gives you the ability to defend yourself from unfair reviews.
Just always be polite and factual in your responses, ensuring you personalise each response.
To register your business on a reputable removal review website for free just click here.
You should pay particular attention to your logo and company name when starting a new business, ensuring that you do not infringe anybody else’s copyright.
Take into consideration how people will search for your removal company online.
Create a company name that is not only recognisable but is associated easily with being in the home removal industry.
It should also take into consideration how easily people will find you when they do an online search.
People will search for antique removal specialists or professional home packing services in Slough, for example, so your company name should reflect exactly what you do.
Also, ensure you register with Google so that you come up on local business searches.
You may also like to read: Removal Company Owners. How to Improve Your Online Reputation. In this guide, we explain how to effectively manage your online reputation.
Growing Your Business By Getting Leads
So you are now a legitimate business, with a shiny van sat outside with your company logo emblazoned upon it, your website is up and running and you are ready to get to work.
It will take time to build a good reputation and for people to start contacting you directly.
So how do you get off to a flying start?
Buying qualified leads from a reputable lead provider is an easy way to get the work rolling in.
You should select a lead provider who is well-established and with a proven history of providing quality leads.
And being able to control the number of leads you buy that fit your business model is crucial.
Visit this website to see such an example of a quality lead provider and how easy it can be to start getting leads.
And having successfully helped those customers move home, be sure to provide them with the link to your review profile so that they can leave you a great review.
If you have little or no sales experience the tips here will be invaluable to you and will help you sell your services from the quotes you give.
We send the leads to you in real time, which means the customer is next to the phone or keyboard. The quicker you contact the customer, the more likely they will be to hire your services.
Usually, a customer will book the 1st company to call them, make sure that is you!
#2 Get the lead via your mobile
Not always in your office? Have the leads sent to your email address so that you can access them on your smartphone instantly.
#3 Text that customer
Why not use texts to get the quote or make first contact with the customer as well? The conversation is instant and is often more convenient for people.
#3 Nobody works weekends right?
Other removal companies may not have a sales team working on weekends or holidays, so use that to your advantage.
Sign up that customer over the weekend so that by the time the other sales teams call on Monday, that customer has already hired you.
Not only that but as other salespeople catch up with the weekend leads, which are already cold, you are busy selling Monday’s fresh leads.
#4 Tips on how to convert ‘bad leads’
It is inevitable that some leads will be bad. That’s a fact of life.
But some leads that others may deem as bad, you CAN convert to sales. And if the other companies have ignored the lead because they think it’s bad, that leaves you with every chance of getting the sale. Here’s how……
“I am looking for a truck rental” – ‘That’s understandable, most people moving home are looking for the cheapest option. But as many of our customers have found out, by the time you take into consideration truck rental, fuel, insurance, moving equipment hire, and the stress of moving home yourself, they soon realise what great value for money a full-service mover can be. Why not get a free quote from me now and then you can compare the costs against doing a move yourself?’
“Already found a removal company” – Like we said, snooze you lose. But why not offer a discount or some incentive for the customer to at least give you a chance to quote them?
You already know where the person is moving to so…… ‘you have a mover? that’s a shame, I have another job in that town later that day, I could do you a great deal on your moving costs ……’
“Invalid number/email address” – Even though we have software that checks that the telephone number and email address are real, there is the possibility that the number is real, but is a petrol station for example.
A quick search online of the person’s name, or email address, may bring up their real telephone number.
You can also search for people on Facebook using their email addresses, so then you can message them directly.
“Unable to contact ” – Probably because the customer works the same hours as your sales team. Why not shift your sales team’s work hours a couple of hours on either side of the normal working day?
Don’t forget after the first failed telephone attempt to send a text and email to the customer asking what would be a convenient time to contact them.
#5 Sell yourself
Well not literally yourself, but sell the benefits of using your company.
When you send a customer an email, make it personal but professional.
Having links to your company website and your great reviews, ensuring that your company number and VAT numbers are clearly visible, and having a happy photo of the salesperson, with a direct telephone number, and their direct email address will really help.
You know where the pick-up and delivery points are, so why not link to positive reviews from past customers that have moved the same route, within your email?
If you are registered on www.removalreviews.com don’t forget to include the Registered Company Badge on all your emails, it shows you are a trusted mover.
Not yet registered? Use this link today to register your company.
You will also find a wealth of information about moving home in our home moving blog which you may find useful.
We would love to hear your success stories, and if you have any more advice or tips for people looking to start their own removal firm, why not leave a comment below?
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