If you're in the moving industry, then you know that having a super efficient sales team is crucial to success. A leading moving company salesperson brings more to the company than just surveying, estimating, and booking moves. A mover’s goal should be to maximize their sales’ ability to close moves, and encourage sales reps to develop lead sources and accounts.
Top moving companies start by hiring sales people with confidence, drive, experience, and compassion. Movers then equip these super stars with moving company software, moving company sales training, virtual surveys, marketing and other tools. This list of 13 tools and software for movers will supercharge your sales team’s revenue and training.
Moving Lead & Customer Management
In 2022, it’s more critical than ever for movers to respond to customers quickly, and communicate in the way they prefer. These moving company software and tools will allow sales to quickly and efficiently speak to customers, increasing both closing rates and customer satisfaction.
1. Chatbots
Did you know that 63% of people prefer messaging with a chatbot over talking to a human when communicating with a business (Mindshare)? When customers visit your website in search of a quote, chatbots are a great way to capture leads and prevent prospects from clicking away. Companies are designing chatbot journeys and using artificial intelligence to answer simple customer service questions and provide off-hours coverage.
Common chatbot software includes ChatBot, LiveChat, and Drift. However, some marketing software packages, including HubSpot, now include chatbot functions.
2. Texting
Moving company salespeople are using business texting to set survey appointments, follow up on estimates, and quickly ask customer service questions. Texting allows business to get in touch quickly, at a time that’s convenient for the customer. According to EZTexting, nearly 100% of people read all their text messages - that’s a much higher rate than email!
These days, customers are very receptive to receiving relevant text messages from movers. In fact, 58% of people say texting is the ideal way for businesses to reach them (ZipWhip). Setting up a two-way business texting platform allows sales teams to track conversations, assign communications to different reps, use templates, and protect your team’s personal cell phone numbers.
Common business texting platforms are SimpleTexting, MessageDesk, and HeyMarket. Moving virtual survey software Yembo includes two-way texting as an included feature of their platform.
3. Callback Automation
The easiest thing a moving company sales team can do to increase their conversion rate is respond quickly to leads. According to LeadSimple, responding to a lead after 30 minutes is 21x less effective. If your sales team isn’t responding to website forms quickly enough, you can use callback automation to make your sales line ring the moment a prospect fills out an online form.
Software like Callingly, CallPage, and Upcall, will automatically connect your salesperson to the website lead when your rep picks up the phone. You can customize your call routing, hours, and connect the results to your CRM.
4. Moving Company Software For Move Management
No doubt, robust move management software is essential to run a moving company. Moving company software tracks moves at every stage, from lead to estimate to booking to service. A mover’s software keeps a record of conversations, documentation, and service plans. The best moving company software should be guiding both the mover and customer through a customized move process with automated workflows and touch points.
Yembo’s integrated moving company software uses advanced artificial intelligence, moving virtual surveys, and includes solutions for sales, customer service, operations, drivers, and every stage of the move.
Move Surveys & Closing
The move survey is the most important part of a moving company salesperson’s process. It is not just a means to collect an inventory. It’s an opportunity to understand the customer’s needs and demonstrate your company’s strengths. However, it is also the most time consuming part of a mover’s sales role. The moving company software and virtual survey tools optimize the survey and increase closing rates.
5. AI-Powered Virtual Surveys
These days, every mover should be providing an option for pre-move virtual surveys. Survey software and apps allow moving sales representatives to build the inventory and estimate remotely, without the time to drive to the customer’s home to meet them on site.
However, not all moving survey software is created equal. AI-powered virtual surveys automatically identify furniture and predict packing needs from a video to create the inventory. These capabilities improve inventory accuracy, create a video and photo record of the belongings and condition, and provide a seamless and memorable survey experience for the customer.
AI-powered virtual surveys increase sales efficiency 3-5x, and Yembo is the industry leader. The AI company offers options for self-service, virtual guided, and onsite moving surveys. Test drive the difference of an AI-powered virtual survey yourself.
6. 2-in-1 Laptop Tablet
Moving company sales teams often work beyond the office, especially as remote work is more common. Movers are equipping sales teams with laptops to easily work on the go between survey appointments, or at home.
2-in-1 laptop tablets are ideal for moving company sales reps because they can be used as a tablet for surveys, and a laptop for other work. Popular 2-in-1 laptop tablets on the market include the Microsoft Surface, Chromebook Flex, and Lenovo Idea Pad.
7. Automated Email Sequences
Automated email and marketing touchpoints save sales teams’ time and maintain the consistency in your communications’ messaging and follow up. Examples of messages moving companies can automate include survey appointment confirmations, booking confirmations, and post-move satisfaction surveys.
A good moving company software will include email automation features. Yembo’s integrated software includes email and text automation for the critical points of the move.
Mover Business Development & Marketing
A good moving company salesperson does not just service moving leads - they create them. Mover sales teams should be equipped to develop lead sources with corporate accounts, RMCs, Realtors, and more. Moving companies are responsible for providing sales with tools to enable and track their marketing and business development efforts.
8. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is one of the best sales prospecting tools. These features turn LinkedIn into a powerful business development tool. It allows sales reps to do targeted research on prospects and message them. Sales Navigator provides access to more user profiles and information, even if the prospect is not one of your connections.
9. Marketing CRM Software
Just like you use moving company software to manage moves, a marketing CRM will do the same for your lead sources.
You can use a marketing CRM to create email campaigns, automate workflows, schedule social media posts, track business development, and more. These activities will keep your moving company top of mind, and nurture referral and account relationships. The software will also connect and track the efforts of your sales and marketing teams to synergize their efforts.
Popular marketing CRMs include HubSpot, Keap, ZoHo, and MailChimp.
10. Website
Every moving company has a website, but is it designed to be an effective sales tool? Your website should be driving leads for your sales team, and create a great brand impression that assists in closing moves.
The quality of your website matters. According to Gomez, customers who have a bad experience with a website are 88% less likely to return. Your moving company website should be SEO-optimized to bring in traffic. It should also have intuitive forms and next steps that convert website visitors into leads. Yembo movers use virtual surveys on their website to entice potential customers to take the next step and get an estimate.
11. Marketing Materials
Sales teams need support in making a memorable and positive impression on potential customers. Create marketing materials that will help your team stand out when they sell. They should be armed with digital and physical brochures, moving resources, and sharply branded apparel - all designed to convey professionalism and pride in their moving company.
Moving Company Sales Training & Education
Moving companies need to continually invest in their sales team and sharpen their skills. Here are two resources to improve your moving company sales’ training.
12. Moving Company Sales Training
Your sales representatives need to improve the skills and processes that are specific to your company. Give them the opportunity by setting aside specific time for training. Have your sales representatives audit each others’ survey and selling approaches to identify areas of improvement. Occasionally send sales out to the trucks to work a move and better understand the crews’ and customers’ needs. Set up work sessions to teach them how to use their software tools to the fullest extent.
For more ideas, read our article on “Best-in-Class Practices For Moving Company Sales Training & Management.”
13. Sales Books
There is no shortage of thought leadership about sales. Provide your sales team with books, online courses, and podcasts to learn new tactics. Here are a few ideas for sales books you could provide:
- To Sell Is Human By Daniel H. Pink
- Conversations That Sell By Nancy Bleeke
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Reach the Top 1% By Cynthia Barnes
- Stop Selling & Start Leading by James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner, Deb Calvert
Ready to Invest in Software & Tools For Your Moving Sales Team?
It’s up to the moving company to give their sales teams the resources to stay ahead of the competition. Skills are important, but in 2022 technology is also necessary for success. If you’re ready to invest in moving company software to supercharge your sales team, book a demo with Yembo.