One of the great things about working in the organizing industry is the vast number of possible ways you can help your clients. I’m pleased to welcome Audra George of Pretty Neat with some advice around adding move management to your services.

Whether you’re a veteran professional organizer or new to the industry, it’s always a good idea to diversify your services. After all, oftentimes the more services you offer, the better chance you have of attracting clients.

One service you might not have considered is move management, where you help people with various aspects of their move. This includes organizing, decluttering and simplifying your clients’ space. After all, studies show that people consider moving to be the most stressful events in their lives, even more than divorce or going through a breakup, getting married and switching careers.

Selling move management services will eventually produce results that your clients will be able to qualify, but in the beginning, the only thing you have is a promise and maybe some pictures of previous jobs.
Wondering how to get clients to sign on the dotted line? Here are a few ideas to help you sell moving concierge services to your clients.

1. Pictures and Testimonials

Selling a service is challenging because you are basically selling a promise. The best thing you can do, once you get a client under your belt, is to show them before and after pictures of space you have managed along with other metrics like how long it took to execute the move and level of customer satisfaction. Another great tool you can use is customer testimonials, as glowing reviews by other customers can show how effective your service is.

2. Reinforce the Idea that Moves are Stressful

Potential clients may not truly comprehend the size and scope of a move, thinking it will all go smoothly if they handle it themselves. By laying out all of the steps such as pre-planning, purging non-essential items, decluttering, packing, moving, unloading, and setting up the new house, they will realize that the process is more complex than they thought and your services will be welcomed.

3. Highlight the Benefits of Move Management

There are many benefits of move management. This includes the fact that you’re taking on the stress so they can enjoy the moment, their old house will be easier to sell because it will be organized and look more spacious, their new home will be move-in ready, and nothing will get lost or left behind in the chaos of the move.

4. Showcase Your Experience

Once you have a few moves under your belt, remind your potential client that, while she may have moved once or twice in her life, you’ve done it multiple times. Your experience with the process makes you uniquely qualified to deal with situations as they present themselves. That experience means that details don’t get missed that can end up costing money and memories.

5. Ask the Client What They Want from the Experience

Sometimes the best way to sell a service is to let the client sell it to himself. Ask open-ended questions that lead them to talk themselves into your service. A few examples include:

• What made you call me for a quote?
• What types of services are you looking for?
• Have you called any other professionals for help?
• What is the timeframe for your move?
• Are there any steps I can take to earn your business?

6. Promote Minimalism

Remind clients that a move is the perfect time to get rid of all the things they don’t need. People generally own more stuff than they realize, and who better to work through it all patiently and help them decide what they need and what they don’t than you, a professional organizer? Tell them about the power of getting rid of the things that don’t serve them now so they can fill their new home with truly valuable items. A shift to minimalism is indubitably an appealing idea for many, and if you can help them do it, even better.

7. Offer Something Competitors Do Not

Easier said than done in a competitive market, but setting yourself apart from the competition—even in a minor way—may be just what your client needs to say yes. Anything from homemade cookies to a gift card for food during the move, or even partnering with another local business to offer free house cleaning for a month when they sign with you will not only help them to sign now, but it will encourage them to tell others about you in the future.

8. Be Sincere

The most fun moving situations are those where a client is upgrading to his or her dream home, but that’s not always the case. In some instances, people may be moving due to loss of income or illness. Do everything you can to show how much you care about the client and their challenging situation. Being genuinely caring and showing empathy will go a long way to show the client you are the right person for the job.

Putting it All Together

Selling move management services isn’t much different than selling any other service out there, though you will run into a few industry specific obstacles and benefits. The best thing you can do is be sincere and genuine while sharing why your expertise is worth paying for. When clients see your personality, as a caring and compassionate individual who happens to have a talent for organization, they will quickly decide that you’re the move manager for them.

If you’ve done everything on this list and the client still decides not to hire you, don’t take it personally; sometimes, it’s just not a good fit. If you feel comfortable, you can ask them what made them choose to go in a different direction so that you can get insight for future sales calls.

Don’t forget that word of mouth will always be the best marketing strategy, so even if they choose not to hire you, you can always ask them for referrals and have them keep you in mind for any future moves.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels