Running a successful moving company requires careful planning, efficient operations, and a constant focus on growth.
As your business expands, you'll likely reach a point where you start contemplating the need for additional resources to drive sales and revenue. One of the key positions to consider in this regard is a Business Development Representative (BDR).
What is a BDR?
A Business Development Representative (BDR) is a professional responsible for generating new business opportunities, typically through outbound prospecting and lead qualification. They bridge the gap between marketing and sales, focusing on identifying and nurturing potential clients who have shown interest in your services but have not yet made a commitment.
How do you know if you’re ready to make a hire or if you still have a few more years of bootstrapping to go?
There are a few signs that mean you might be ready.
1 | Your number of booked jobs is inconsistent
A classic challenge in the moving industry is the huge fluctuation in the number of booked jobs— it's all hands on deck in the summer and during weekends, but then there might be days or even weeks with hardly any bookings at all.
How can a BDR help with this?
- Create targeted marketing campaigns that bring in leads
- Build partnerships with local realtors, cleaning services, and more to create a network for referrals that isn’t seasonal
- Identify bottlenecks in your sales process and fix them
"A business development rep can be a valuable member of your moving company with the right structure and tools in place to optimize their ability to bring in new business." says Hunter Monroe, business development manager at MoveUp Consulting. "It can feel overwhelming to bring on another admin team member, especially if it's been a hard year and revenue has not been abundant. But, with the right tools & structure in place, a BDR can be a huge factor in increasing your revenue, maintaining a positive image in your community, and become a vital member of your moving company that you'll be grateful you took the chance on."
2 | Missing out on leads
If you’re frequently missing out on potential business opportunities because you can’t manage your leads properly, it's a glaring sign that you need a BDR. Losing a customer before they even use your service is not just a lost business opportunity; it's a dent in your company's reputation.
How can a BDR help with this?
- Build lead nurture strategies that follow up with leads regularly
- Implement software, like a CRM
- A CRM, like SmartMoving, holds information about your leads, including their preferences, previous interactions with your company, and their position in the sales funnel, organized in one place, accessible at any time.
- Leverage analytics and reporting to ensure your strategies are giving you the results you want
3| Lack of a Consistent Sales Approach
If you're witnessing a chaotic sales process in your moving company, where there's no set pattern or protocol for handling customer interactions and negotiations, it's a strong signal that you need to bring a BDR onboard.
How can a BDR help?
- Creating Sales Scripts: A BDR can help you develop sales scripts that help handle all types of customer questions, whether they’re about pricing, services offered, or what sets your business apart from all the other moving companies in your market. Build a Moving Company Sales Script
- Creating a customer onboarding process that follows a structured pattern, where all necessary information is gathered efficiently and effectively
Next Steps
Hiring a BDR
BDRs can help with strategic business decisions, as well as tactical marketing tasks, both of which free you up to get back to steering the ship of your moving business. Making a hire like this can be a game-changer in setting your business up for growth.
Before you start the hiring process, it's essential to define your specific needs. Consider the following questions:
- What are your growth objectives?
- What skills and experience are necessary for the role?
- Do you need a full-time or part-time BDR?
- What is your budget for this position?
Leverage your professional network, industry contacts, and online job boards to advertise the position. You may also consider using LinkedIn to find potential candidates who are already experienced in the field.
Once you've hired a BDR, offer comprehensive training and ongoing support to help them integrate into your team and understand your company's unique selling points.
Not ready to make a hire?
Moving software like SmartMoving can help fill the gap and give you tools for your sales process.
How SmartMoving can help:
- Lead Management Made Simple: Capture, nurture, and convert leads easily, without the hassle of managing multiple platforms.
- Accurate and Quick Estimates: Let SmartMoving do the math for you, providing accurate estimates in seconds to facilitate quicker decision-making and impress your customers with speedy responses.
- Streamlined Operations: Dispatch moves, manage crews, and monitor storage efficiently, all from a single, user-friendly platform.
- Paperless Inventory: Carry the power of on-site inventory in your tablet, creating a seamless and eco-friendly process that is bound to impress your customers.
Establishing yourself with a platform like SmartMoving will not only help get organized today but set you up for explosive growth when you do eventually hire a BDR.
Schedule a demo to learn more.
