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How to Train Moving Salespeople to Follow Your Process

A moving company can lose booked jobs for a simple reason: the salesperson does not follow the process.

In this podcast conversation, Yuri and Mario Reyes talked about a common problem in the moving industry. Owners give clear instructions, but employees still go back to old habits, follow the wrong number in the software, or fail to ask questions when something does not match.

The lesson for every moving company owner is simple: your sales system must be easy to follow, easy to check, and hard to ignore.

Why do experienced moving salespeople often struggle in a new company?

Experience can help, but it can also create problems. Yuri shared that every time he hired people who had worked for another moving company, they eventually went back to the way they were taught before.

That does not mean all experienced hires are bad. It means you must assume they are bringing habits with them.

Checklist: What to teach before they touch a lead

• Your company way: Explain how your moving business sells, prices, and serves customers.
• Your standards: Show what a good estimate looks like.
• Your pricing rules: Give them the exact price sheet or quoting method.
• Your support rules: Tell them when to stop and ask for help.
• Your non-negotiables: Make clear what they are not allowed to change.

If a salesperson does not understand “the way” your company works, they will use their old way when pressure hits.

How should a moving company train salespeople on estimates?

Training should start slow. Mario compared it to military recruits learning to march. You do not start fast. You learn the simple steps first until they become automatic.

The same is true with moving estimates. A new salesperson should not be thrown into the deep end and trusted to quote alone too early.

Simple estimate training process

• 1. Give them the pricing sheet. Show the correct rates, fees, fuel charges, truck fees, and labor setup.
• 2. Show them the quoting model. Explain how you estimate hours, inventory, weight, or job size.
• 3. Have them build the estimate. Let them enter the information, but do not let it go unchecked.
• 4. Require a review call. For the first few jobs, they must call a manager before sending the quote.
• 5. Release control slowly. Once they prove they understand the process, let them handle normal jobs and only ask for help on unusual ones.

This protects the company from bad quotes and gives the salesperson a clear path to independence.

What should a salesperson do when the software and price sheet do not match?

This was one of the clearest examples from the podcast. If the moving software gives one price, but the owner gave a different price sheet, the salesperson should not guess.

They should ask.

Decision rule for pricing conflicts

• If the price sheet and software match: Follow the process.
• If the software gives a different number: Stop and ask the manager.
• If the customer situation feels unusual: Ask for a second opinion.
• If the quote seems too high or too low: Review it before sending.
• If the salesperson is new: Review all early estimates before they go out.

A small pricing mistake can make a moving lead stop responding. If your quote is $100 or $200 higher than it should be, the salesperson may blame the lead when the real problem was the estimate.

How do you monitor whether salespeople are actually following the process?

Mario made a key point: many smaller companies do not have strong systems to monitor productivity. The tools may exist, but owners still need to manage people and make sure the tools are used correctly.

Having software is not enough. A person can work hard and still work in the wrong direction.

Do not only track booked moves. Track the behaviors that create booked moves.

Can AI replace a moving sales rep?

The podcast discussed AI, and the answer was clear: AI can help with certain tasks, but it cannot fully replace human judgment in moving sales right now.

AI may be able to collect inventory or generate a quote from information provided. But it may not understand when a customer is leaving things out, underestimating their inventory, or giving signals that an experienced salesperson would notice.

Best use of AI in moving sales right now

• Collect basic inventory information.
• Help organize customer details.
• Support simple quoting workflows.
• Save time on repetitive tasks.

Where a human still matters

• Noticing when the customer’s inventory sounds incomplete.
• Understanding tone, hesitation, and missing details.
• Asking better follow-up questions.
• Protecting the company from bad estimates.
• Building trust during the sales call.

For now, AI should support your moving sales process, not replace the judgment of a trained person.

How do you decide if a remote salesperson can work from home?

Remote work can work very well for some people. It can fail badly for others. Yuri shared that some people are productive at home, while others become distracted and less disciplined.

Remote salesperson fit checklist

• Can they stay focused without someone watching them?
• Do they complete follow-up without reminders?
• Do they ask questions when confused?
• Do they produce results when working alone?
• Do they follow the same process every day?

If the answer is no, the problem may not be remote work. The problem may be the wrong person in the wrong environment.

What mistakes should moving company owners avoid?

• Hiring only for experience. A person with moving industry experience may bring habits you do not want.
• Assuming instructions are obvious. What feels like common sense to the owner may not be clear to the employee.
• Letting new reps quote alone too fast. Slow training prevents expensive mistakes.
• Trusting software without review. If the system and your pricing rules conflict, your team needs a decision rule.
• Tracking only final results. You also need to monitor calls, estimates, follow-up, and process discipline.

Quick Win: Review 5 Recent Estimates Today

In less than 30 minutes, pull five recent moving estimates from a newer salesperson.

• Check if the pricing followed your rules.
• Look for wrong fees, wrong hours, or missing charges.
• Compare the quote to the inventory.
• Ask: would I have sent this estimate?
• If you find mistakes, turn them into tomorrow’s training topic.

How to Apply This This Week

• 1. Write your company’s sales “way” on one page. Include how you qualify leads, build estimates, price jobs, and ask for help.
• 2. Create a new-rep estimate review rule. Require review on the first several estimates before they are sent.
• 3. Build a pricing conflict rule. If software and price sheet do not match, the salesperson must ask before quoting.
• 4. Start checking sales behavior, not just bookings. Review calls, follow-up, estimate accuracy, and process discipline.
• 5. Decide who is fit for remote sales. Keep remote roles for people who can stay focused and productive without constant supervision.

Your moving company does not need a complicated sales system. It needs a clear process, patient training, and accountability that catches small mistakes before they cost you booked jobs.

To hear the full conversation, watch Episode 136 - Let’s Talk Moving - The Way with Mario Reyes Pt. 1 and visit the Let's Talk Moving Podcast YouTube channel.