Trying to grow your moving and storage business? Instead of struggling to survive you can be rolling in more moving customers than ever before – if you have the right strategy and you take action. Here are some of the fastest and most cost-effective ways you can start attracting more customers. So, let’s get moving!

Your Customer’s New Address

Years ago a moving company could do pretty well with a giant ad in the Yellow Pages and a team of aggressive sales people to rope the callers in.  In New York City a lot of moving companies thrived by hooking suckers with an impressive ad featuring super-low prices. They’d have a few sales sharks promise the client the moon with a dirt cheap price and do the old bait and switch. “You didn’t tell us you had stairs … you didn’t tell us you had more than one piece of furniture … so we’re gonna double the price and hold onto your furniture as ransom until you pay.” And it worked.

Sure, there are still a number of these crooks in the moving business but there days are numbered. Why? The internet!

Customers are online and before they do any sizable business with you – they want to check you out on Google. What are people saying about you on Yelp, Yahoo, Bing and Angie’s List? It used to be only the most determined and careful shoppers checked your references and now everybody is doing it.

How do you market your moving business now? Don’t try to avoid it – the trend is your friend. It’s time you mastered online marketing. For 10 amazing free tools that will get you more sales for your moving company (both residential and commercial moving) be sure to download a free copy of More Clients Now.

Success Plan for Selling More Moving Jobs

Step One: Be in the right place at the right time. You need to have your website at the top of the search results for maximum growth. One easy way to do that is with a custom installed blog platform which allows you to create LOTS of pages that will show up all over the web. For example, if you run a moving company that services the 5 boroughs of New York City, install a custom blog and create a page a day about moving and a neighborhood name. Write a 250 to 500 word article about “Moving Company in Marine Park, Brooklyn” on Monday and “Best Forest Hills Moving Companies” on Tuesday. Why? Because the big national moving companies that dominate Google for words like “Moving Companies” (which is a very competitive search phrase) do not have the resources to compete with you for these longer keyword phrases.

Step Two: Capture the Lead. Website visitors are worthless to you – unless you transform them into sales leads. That’s why when we build a custom blogging platform we always include a lead capture form on every single page. Notice this page? See how my offer to give you a free copy of “More Clients Now” is really obvious? You can’t miss it.

But a lead form is not all you need. You need to motivate people to opt-in to your list too. Going back to my own example, “More Clients Now” offers 10 powerful, FREE breakthrough tools  that you can use to start getting more clients. You want the report … you need the report … so you put your email in the box.

That is exactly what you have to do too. Offer people who are moving an irresistible offer! “Get 10 Free Moving Boxes” or “Free Moving Checklist” or “Free iPad App Makes Moving a Snap!” (Yes, I create apps as giveaways and they work great).

Do you see how your potential clients will be happy to give you there email address for that freebie?

Step Three: Build Trust and Credibility.  After you sign up for “More Clients Now” I don’t send spam! I don’t try to sell! I just keep sending really useful advice on how to sell more. Why? Because I know that over time my readers will get to the point where they need someone to help them with their online marketing. And I will be the first guy they think of! They already know, like and trust me. I don’t have to “sell” a thing!

As a sales manager for a moving company, how would you like to attract customers who are ready to do business? They don’t want to shop around – in fact they’re willing to pay a bit more because they like you!  How? Just follow my lead. After you send that prospect your free guide (we can write them for you) have a system that automatically sends out follow up emails that educate the buyer. Day one, they get your free report or the coupon for the free boxes. Day two, they get an email warning them about moving scams on Craigslist. Day three, they get advice on how to safely run a garage sale for the items they don’t want to move. Day four, you offer them a time limited coupon. And so on.

Over the course of two weeks your system will send out about 10 emails automatically spaced out day by day. Once you set it up it nurtures the leads and when they’re ready to do business they’ll be calling you!

Marketing for Movers

Now, there is much more to successfully marketing your moving and storage business on the internet and I will be sharing some more amazing pearls of wisdom with my email subscribers. Isn’t it time you grabbed your copy of “More Clients Now” so I can help you get all the business you want?

You get what you pay for … and sometimes a little bit more.

What do you tell price shoppers when they tell you they can hire somebody cheaper? Here’s what I’d show them if I were a DJ ( and they had a sense of humor).

While you’re here be sure to download a free copy of  “More Clients Now” by putting your email in the box to the right.

If you really want to build a successful business you just have to one thing.

It’s not building a fancier website or getting on page one of Google. It’s not pimping out your logo. It’s not giving out key chains and pens.

It’s not cold-calling or getting really good at handling objections.

The big secret to creating demand and getting clients to line up to do business with is … being remarkable.

Be the business that creates raving fans. The kind of fans who don’t just join your Facebook fan page, they start one for you.

On the face of it – it seems obvious.

But if it’s so obvious, why aren’t you doing it?

It’s because it’s hard to do … and besides, clients don’t demand it.

So we focus on “customer satisfaction” instead of creating amazing experiences that make customers want to tell the whole world about you.

Do you really think good enough is good enough?

Do you really expect to build a thriving business built on mediocrity?

Mediocre businesses always struggle to find clients. Remarkable ones struggle to keep up with demand.

• A remarkable party DJ gives a client a show that’s worth $2,000 but only charges $800.
• A remarkable caterer helps a bride pick out flowers, even if he doesn’t sell flowers.
• A remarkable event photographer pulls some strings and gets her friend at the New York Times to cover her client’s grand-opening.
• A remarkable A/V company helps the event producer find a keynote speaker at the last minute.
• A remarkable banquet manager picks up the guest of honor’s lost luggage at the airport.

If you consistently “wow” your customers by going above and beyond the call of duty you will have customers for life.

Constantly ask yourself, “How can I amaze my clients today?”

I challenge you to do something jaw-droppingly astounding for 10 of your best customers this week.

To expand your event business, first expand your thinking. To grow your company, grow your value.

Social Failures

The typical social event professional (from wedding planners to caterers and photographers to DJ’s) struggles to find new clients because they never leverage the power of relationships.

They assume that their customers are not likely to become repeat clients – and after the party’s over they fail to keep in touch.

The unsuccessful event pro says, “Why should I waste my time following up with a bride after the wedding is over? It’s not like she’s going to hire me again any time soon.”

It’s this type of faulty thinking that causes many event people to fail.

The successful event business owner says, “Of course I keep in touch with my brides! They’re not going to get married again soon – but they’ve got sisters, brothers, cousins, friends and co-workers. When I get referrals I don’t have to sell hard and I don’t have to deal with price shoppers.”

And this applies to corporate event pros even more so!

Referrals are your easiest sales and your best customers. They trust you and they’re willing to listen to your advice. They don’t want to waste time shopping for price. So, are you getting enough referrals?

Here’s a few ways to get more referrals – or should I say “earn more referrals” from your clients.

1. Amaze Your Clients. If you want to be successful don’t give them a good deal for the price, give them a remarkable deal. And then give them the very best personal service in your industry. Being good enough isn’t good enough.
2. Know Your Clients. Where did they grow up? When is there birthday? What college did they attend? What’s their biggest passion in life? What’s their favorite restaurant? Hobby? Teams? If they’re a social event client – what do they do for a living and how can you help them? If they’re a business client – what do they do for fun? If you don’t ask it shows you don’t really care.
3. Connect. Use social media tools like LinkedIn with every B2B customer. Friend them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Get their email addresses. Always.
4. Find Ways to Serve Them. Don’t use Facebook to sell and tell – use it to listen and help. When an old client posts “I have the flu” on Facebook – pick up the phone or send a get well card. They’ll be amazed… just don’t stalk. That’s creepy.
5. Let Them Know You’d Appreciate New Business. If you always seem overworked – nobody will want to burden you with new clients. Think about it! Let your clients know you want to help there friends.
6. Don’t offer commissions to everyone. Yes- sometimes it helps to offer a percentage – but many times it can insult your client. If they feel you are bribing them – or exploiting their friends they won’t want to refer clients to you. Use commissions with other event vendors only.
7. Tell Them What Kinds of Clients You Want. Don’t assume your wedding photography client knows you also do family portraits. Educate your clients about your business.
8. Expand You Definitions. Are you only an A/V company or are you an event production solution? Or are you a partner in your client’s success… above and beyond the event?
9. Love. That’s right. Love and serve your clients to the best of your ability. It will come back to you in a big way.

Growing your event business isn’t that hard when you do an amazing job and love your clients. Make sure you’re marketing your business in the most effective way. There are many free internet tools that make attracting more event clients easier than ever before.

If you want to grow your event or catering business fast without spending money you’ll want to download my free report, “More Clients Now.” It’s written for the event professional who wants to book more gigs and events by using 10 powerful breakthrough tools. Please feel free to grab your copy here.

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Are you Sabotaging your own Event Business?

Wedding Planner Battles DIY Brides with DIY Marketing and is DOA.

The other day I spoke to a wedding planner who had a great deal of contempt for do-it-yourself (DIY) brides.

She said, “They honestly think they can do as good of a job as me! They can’t.  I can’t stand them. They pick my brain for idea and then try to do it themselves. They’re either really cheap or really naive.  Most of the brides around here are idiots.”

This planner was in big trouble – she needed to attract new clients – her attitude and her marketing sucked.

Her website was amateurish.  It looked pretty, but it didn’t attract clients.  Full of puffery and ego , it didn’t present a real benefit or compelling reason to hire the planner.

“Who did this site?” I asked.

“I did. I don’t have the money to hire a designer.”

“Who did your logo?”

“I did. I like it.”

“Who did the photos on your website?”

“I did.”

“Who wrote your sales copy? ” …. you guessed it.

She did it all herself – because she was trying to save money. She didn’t understand that a professional photographer could help her business look more professional and friendly. She thought snap shots would do the trick.

A penny saved and thousands in bookings lost.

She didn’t understand that an attractive logo can communicate her value faster than words.

She didn’t understand that the headlines, sub-headlines and copy were powerful tools for capturing attention, building interests and motivating visitors to pick up the phone now – and not hit the back button.

Before you snicker at how stupid the DIY customer is – how silly they are not to recognize your genius – take a good look at your own purchasing decisions.

It may help you understand what is missing in the story you tell your market.

Download Brian McGovern's Free Report Here

Nine Signs That Your Event Business Blog Sucks!

If I see one more crap event planner blog I’ll scream – blogging without a strategy is a huge waste of time. Stop wasting time!

Random blogging will not get you more clients! Traffic that doesn’t advance your strategy is useless.

I recently tweeted that over at @BrianMcGovern after sifting through the crappy blogs people submitted to the BizBash post over at LinkedIn. Over 90% of the blogs listed there are crap – just a handful of blogs on that list are doing it right.

What Is The Right Way To Blog?

If you want to post your thoughts about reality TV programs and pictures of your cat because it makes you feel good – more power to you.  If you like sharing your thoughts and opinions with a handful of people via a blog – knock yourself out.

But if you’re blogging to promote your local event services business you need to think and act strategically. Blogging can generate free leads – it can help your website rank higher – it can build relationships – it can boost your credibility – all for free … except for the hours and hours it takes.

If you’re blog sucks it is sucking your time. If you’re an independent event professional you can’t afford to waste time on anything that is not producing revenue.

Blog smart or stop doing it – stop kidding yourself that you’re promoting your business. Stop using your crap blog a way to “feel productive” and as an excuse not to pick up the phone and make some sales calls or go out and network.

I see too many self-employed people who are so scared of marketing and sales that they hide … tweaking their websites … tweeting on Twitter … acting busy and getting nowhere.

Here are the top signs that your event blog sucks …

Last updated 3 months ago. You don’t need to post things to your blog everyday but not posting things at least once a month tells readers and search engines to ignore you.

No analytics. Is anyone reading your blog? How many visitors did you get? What posts are most popular? How many visitors came from the city or region you serve? How did they find you? There is no excuse not to install analytics.

No Keyword Strategy. What words do your potential buyers search with? If you’re a Brooklyn Kosher Caterer – don’t you think the words Brooklyn Kosher Catering and relevant variations should appear in some form in almost every post? So why do you insist on posting Key Lime Pie Recipes and Event Planning Trends?

Is the Kentucky bride to be searching for a wedding photographer by typing “flower girl” into Google? No! She’s typing “Louisville wedding photographer.”

And when she clicks on a link – does she want to read the deep thoughts or does she want to discover a fantastic portfolio and an easy way to connect?

Check out this amazing blog by a very gifted Louisville wedding photographer, Todd Pellowe. Take notes!

Your Tags Suck or Are Missing. If you want to get attract local buyers you need to put your keywords in your tags.

Your Headlines Suck. Clever titles don’t attract local buyers – keyword rich and titles that promise a relevant benefit do.

Headline examples: If you’re a disc jockey on Long Island ..

Sucks: “Sweet Ideas for Sweet 16”

Better: “Long Island Sweet 16”

Best: “Long Island Sweet 16 Party DJ”

Self Serving Fluff. Please don’t describe yourself as gifted, inspirational, preeminent or world-class.  People aren’t that stupid.
Crap Ads. Are you trying to attract clients or sell advertising? Ads are a waste of time unless you have a massive amount of traffic. Otherwise they just distract  attention.

Crap Design. Are you still using the default black background on Blogger? Really?

Hidden Contact Forms. How do I contact you? Don’t make me look hard because my finger ready to back click. You have seconds to get and direct attention.

Bad Alt Image Tags. Describe your images with smart keywords. Don’t call that photograph of a bouquet, “roses.” Call it “Miami Wedding Bouquet” if you’re a floral designer there.

If you’re a wedding planner, caterer, corporate event planner, wedding photographer, DJ, entertainer, floral designer or any other event professional who wants to get more clients without spending a lot of money – smart blogging works.

Smart blogs attract local buyers – not random readers from across the globe who can’t hire you.  Crap blogs don’t generate leads and what is worse – they waste your valuable time.

In my soon to be announced workshop I’m going to show you how to use blogging to generate a massive amount of leads, goodwill, referrals and repeat business.

To be notified when the workshop is open, be sure to jump on my list and get a free copy of  “More Clients Now.”

Before you set up your Facebook Fan Page … make sure you’ve done your keyword research!

You want to name your fan page with your brand and your keywords. Your brand is useless at attracting customers who haven’t heard of you!

I just did a quick search for an article in which I use wedding dj’s as an example. I checked out Google and was astounded.

Keyword: wedding djs – over 90,000 monthly searches

Keyword: weddings dj – 3,600 monthly searches

Just by misplacing your “s” you’d lose out on a ton of potential customers.

So – don’t guess or assume you know the best keywords to optimize for … go over to Google’s free Keyword Tool and find the right keywords.

I thought Disney eggs went too far … but no, now we’re gluing advertisements to living things. I’d say it was brilliant if it weren’t so cruel. Yes – I smash house flies … but whoring them out with banner ads … I dunno.

Houseflies as salespeople. If advertising couldn’t be more intrusive then filling a convention center with flies.

After last week’s video about turning dead leads into new opportunities I got a comment from Barry Friedman of the Raspyni Brothers. We traded a few emails and Barry was kind enough to record an interview with me … and you can listen to it right here.

In this 15 minute audio, Barry shares some really great ideas on how to build relationships with your clients.

As the saying goes, “people prefer to do business with people they know like and trust.”

In this brief interview, Barry shares how he keeps The Raspyni Brothers on the A List of top corporate event planners. He also shares:

• What free, easy to use time management tool he uses to help him stay on top of a very busy schedule while traveling all over the world.
• Why becoming a trusted business partner is essential.
• How to make your client look like a genius to their clients.
• A simple strategy for standing out and building relationships after a sale falls off.

It’s a quick interview – listen to it twice. There are some real gems in here.

[audio=http://brianmcgovern.com/Brian_Raspyni.mp3]

If you’re in the corporate event industry, you probably already know who the Raspyni Brothers are. They’ve appeared on major television shows and have done over 1000 corporate events for many of the Fortune 500. I’m a BIG FAN.

Take a peak at this promo video and you’ll see why they’re the top choice for planners who want a funny, visual, smart and corporate friendly act that will surprise and delight.

Website.

You know how I’m always screaming about having a good website? The Raspyni Brothers should be your role model. Their site is clean, well designed, fun and professional. It’s easy to get all your questions answered here. Check The Raspyni Brothers.

Raspyni Agent Friendly Website (no contact info) If your services are sold by a third-party, do yourself a favor and create a website that your clients can send their clients to.

Survey

Barry mentioned his double use of surveys that not only give him valuable feedback for his own team – he also shares participant feedback with his clients …. who can pass it on to their clients … and look like champs. Check out their survey.

Conclusion

Don’t think that just because you do a great job for clients that all you have to do is send out a Holiday card once a year and you’ll keep them coming back for more.  Even if you do an amazing job you still have to market yourself.

Is your business as amazing as the Raspyni Brother’s act? Even these super talented guys – who consistently get standing ovations -  know that marketing and sales is vital to their success.

Create a smart marketing system and take action!