You’ve just received a fresh house move enquiry. You call them back within 5 minutes—well ahead of your competitors. The phone rings. They pick up. You launch into your polished introduction.
“Hello, this is [Your Name] calling from [Your Company Name], and I …”
Sigh.
They are already annoyed and mentally checked out, anticipating another cold sales call.
I’ve been there, it’s quite unpleasant, so I started experimenting with different openings.
Eventually found one that made a big difference. Customers were thanking me for calling. They were engaged, receptive, and ready to talk. My quote-to-booking conversion rate nearly doubled.
I’ll show you how a tiny tweak can transform your entire sales process.
Why Most Removal Company Phone Calls Fail in the First 10 Seconds
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: the way most of us were taught to introduce ourselves on the phone actively works against us. I did it for years. You probably do it now. And it’s costing you jobs.
Here are the most common pitfalls:
**Reason #1: You Lead with Your Company Name **
“Hello, this is [Your Name] calling from [Your Company Name], and I …”
That’s how most people start their sales calls. Not only we tend to start with this opening but we also rush through it because we want to get to the point quickly. So what ends up happening is us spilling 3-5 sentences as quickly as we can.
The result?
The customer is confused and annoyed. They just picked up the phone. They don’t know who you are. They’ve probably requested quotes from 4-5 removal companies. Even if they visited your website 20 minutes ago, they most likely don’t remember your company name yet. And when you say it quickly, it just sounds like noise, so their brain defaults to: “Oh, it’s a random sales call.”
Reason #2: You Sound Like Every Other Salesperson They’ve Ever Hung Up On
“Hello this is [Name], I’m calling from [Company Name], am I speaking to [Customer Name]”. Or worse… “Hello, am I speaking to [Customer Name]” - Whenever I hear this one i straight up hang up.
That’s the exact script used by double-glazing companies, solar panel salespeople, and all sorts of scammers. The customer’s brain recognizes the pattern instantly and puts up defensive walls before you’ve even explained why you’re calling.
Reason #3: You Make Them Work to Figure Out Why You’re Calling
Even if you do get to the reason for your call eventually, you’ve wasted precious seconds on formalities. The customer is busy. They’re probably at work, picking up kids, or in the middle of packing. They don’t have time to decode who you are and why you’re bothering them.
Reason #4: You Put the Focus on You, Not on Them
“I’m calling from [Company Name]” makes the call about you. But the customer doesn’t care about you yet. They care about their problem: they need to move house, and they need a quote. Lead with their action, not your introduction.
The good news is that with one simple script change, you can eliminate all four of these problems in a single sentence.
Here’s How to Start Phone Calls the Right Way
Step 1: Say Your Name, Then Immediately Tell Them Why You’re Calling
Here’s the old way I used to start calls:
Old Script: “Hello, this is Andy, I’m calling from X Removals. We received your enquiry about a house move, and I wanted to discuss your requirements.”
Here’s the new script:
New Script: “Hello, my name is Andy and I’m calling in regards to your request for a house move quotation.”
That’s it. Notice what’s missing:
- No company name (yet)
- No unnecessary formalities
- No “I wanted to…” or “We received your…”
Just your name and the reason you’re calling.
Why It’s So Important: When you lead with their action (“your request for a house move quotation”), their brain immediately clicks: “Oh yes! I did request that. This is the call I was waiting for.”
Instead of sounding like a cold caller, you sound like the solution they’ve been expecting.
Quick Examples for Different Enquiry Types:
- “Hello, my name is Andy and I’m calling in regards to your request for a removal quote”
- “Hello, my name is Andy and I’m calling about your house move enquiry”
- “Hello, my name is Andy and I’m calling in regards to your office relocation request”
The pattern is always the same: Name + Why you’re calling (in terms of their action).
Step 2: What About Your Company Name?
Now here’s the clever bit: you haven’t mentioned your company name yet. And that’s intentional.
Within 2-3 seconds, the customer will almost always ask:
“Oh yes, thank you for calling! Which company are you from again?”
Notice the difference? They’re not defensive. They’re grateful you called. And they’re asking you to tell them about your company.
Me: “I didn’t mention it yet, but it’s X Removals. Thanks for getting in touch with us.”
Now you’ve created a positive dynamic:
- They feel in control (they asked the question)
- You sound helpful, not pushy
- They already mentally categorized this as “the call I wanted” rather than “a sales call”
Where So Many Go Wrong: The instinct is to front-load everything—name, company, reason—in the first sentence. But that overwhelms people. They tune out before you get to the important part.
Keep it short. Keep it focused on them.
Step 3: Keep It Conversational
Once they’ve asked about your company and you’ve answered, they’re already engaged. Continue with the momentum.
You should qualify them further. Sometimes people just want to get the idea of the costs, while their move is 12 months away. At this stage it would be absolutely pointless for you to try to get to the inventory on the call. Depending on how the quotation form on your website is structured you should be able to immediately identify those just browsing around, but if your quote form is not designed this way you can say:
Me: “I’ve read your enquiry, and I want to make sure, that I understand exactly what you need, so please help me understand the stage you’re at. When are you looking to move?
This does three things:
- Shows you’ve already invested time (you’ve “read” at their enquiry)
- Shows them you’re making sure you understand their exact position
- Gives them the feeling of being looked after (you’re making it 100% about them, tailored to their specific situation)
The conversation flows naturally from there. You’re not fighting to prove your legitimacy or overcome sales resistance. You’re just two people having a productive conversation about their house move.
Final Thoughts on Starting Phone Conversations
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Respect their time and attention: People are busy. Get to the point immediately. They’ll appreciate the clarity.
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Test it on your next 10 calls: Don’t overthink it. Just try the new script on your next 10 enquiry callbacks and notice how differently people respond.
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Train your office team: If you have staff making calls, make sure they’re using this approach too. The difference is night and day.
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Adapt it to your personality: You don’t have to sound robotic. Keep your natural tone and friendliness. Just restructure what you say in those first 5 seconds.
The removal industry is competitive. We’re all calling the same leads, often within minutes of each other. The company that makes the customer feel heard, respected, and valued from the very first sentence is the one that most likely wins the job.
There you have it - a dead-simple way to transform your first-contact phone calls and convert more quotes into bookings.
Happy moving!