Building Your First 100 Contacts

Introduction

When you’re starting a moving company, “just run ads” or “wait for referrals” usually doesn’t fill your calendar fast enough. People don’t know you yet, and moving is a high-trust purchase. The easiest way to create momentum is to proactively reach the exact people and businesses that need movers.

That’s what the 100-Contact Scramble is for: in a short stretch, you build your first real network of leads by making direct contact with homeowners, property managers, real estate agents, and local businesses that constantly deal with moves. You’re not trying to “go viral.” You’re trying to turn conversations into first bookings—then use those bookings to earn reviews and referrals.

Concept

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The Importance of Direct Outreach

In moving, brand recognition matters, but it’s built through repeated, personal exposure. Direct outreach means you contact potential customers (or referral partners) and start a real conversation before they already have someone picked.

Waiting for inbound usually fails for new operators because most customers don’t search for “movers” until they’re already stressed and scheduling is urgent. If you’re not on their radar, you’re invisible at the moment they need help.

Moving Company scenario: A couple in your area is likely planning a move because they just listed their home or they posted a “moving soon” note in a neighborhood group. If you message them after they already booked someone else, you lose. If you reach out earlier—when they’re still “considering”—you get a chance to quote and schedule.

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Building a Network

You don’t only need customers—you need *repeatable sources* of moves.

Start by mapping who influences decisions:
- Real estate agents (often see moves before the public does)
- Property managers (handle tenant turnover)
- Realtors’ assistants / transaction coordinators
- Local staging companies
- Storage facilities (customers ask, “Do you know a good moving company?”)
- Title companies / attorneys (sometimes recommend vendors)
- Neighborhood community pages

Platforms help you find people fast, but the real work is the outreach. LinkedIn can help you identify agents and managers, while email and phone calls help you actually start conversations.

Moving Company scenario: You find a property manager who oversees 10+ buildings. Tenants move in waves. If you introduce yourself with a simple offer—“I can handle turnovers, shrink wrap, packing help, and same-week quotes”—you’re not begging for business. You’re giving them an easy default choice.

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Resilience in the Face of Rejection

Rejection is built into this job. Sometimes it’s a hard “no” because they already booked. Sometimes they’re not ready. Sometimes they’re asking you questions you didn’t expect.

Your goal isn’t to feel good—it’s to collect feedback and improve your offer. Every “no” tells you something:
- Are your quotes too slow?
- Is your service list unclear (packing, loading-only, storage coordination, stairs handling)?
- Are you missing the moment they need you?

Moving Company scenario: You reach out to 100 homeowners and only 15 reply. From the 85 who don’t, you realize your follow-up timing is off. From the 15 who reply but don’t book, you realize they want faster estimates and clearer price ranges. After two weeks of adjustments, your conversations get warmer and bookings start showing up.

Conclusion

The 100-Contact Scramble is about building your early pipeline through direct conversations. If you consistently reach out, you’ll learn what local customers respond to, which partners actually send work, and how to turn “I’ll think about it” into scheduled moves.

Do it long enough to become recognizable in your market. Be persistent. Track what works. Improve your message. And treat rejection like data, not a verdict.

Completed 2 coaching modules to improve operational decision-making

Modern Marks Business Consultants partnered with Mekai, an owner of a Moving Company, to address practical business needs through structured coaching. The engagement focused on applying guidance directly to day-to-day operations, helping Mekai build clearer approaches to manage the business more effectively.

Across the program, Mekai completed two coaching modules. While a business health audit score and testimonial were not provided for this case, the coaching outcome is documented through the completion of these modules, reflecting continued progress in refining how the business is run.

— Mekai, Moving Company owner