Customers rarely know who will show up at their door until the job is booked. For small businesses that sell trust, that uncertainty can decide who wins the work. That’s why many small businesses are creating video content and giving potential customers a look at the people behind the service.
On today’s episode of Business Trends Today, George Clements, Owner of Can’t Quit Moving, joins us to explain how storytelling helps small businesses stand out and build trust. His approach shows that even a traditional trade can act like a media company by filming the real work.
Turning an ordinary job into an extraordinary show
A fourth-generation mover, Clements turned the families, employees and emotional moments behind his company into an unscripted docuseries also called “Can’t Quit Moving.” The series recently won Best TV Pilot at the Monmouth Film Festival. You can watch the pilot episode now on YouTube.
"I put a video up of me bringing a piano down the stairs and everyone likes watching it."
The idea for the show came from a friend who was a cinematographer for HGTV and Food Network. The friend was out of work during the pandemic and joined the crew as a mover. That’s when he saw a story in the crew’s ordinary workdays and urged Clements and his wife to film it.
Solving a problem and gaining trust
The docuseries solved a problem Clements faced on sales calls. Prospects could not see how much he cared about the job.
“I would get off the phone with a potential client, right? And I would say, If they just knew me, if they just knew that I really cared and that I really wanted to do a great job for them, then they would go with me,” he said.
The series and his daily social media posts now give customers that chance. Viewers can see the care behind the work.
Clements has never had a claim in almost 10 years, and his company handles about 400 moves a year. Making things right for customers is his advertising budget, he said.
The crew is the cast
Longtime employees have become characters in the series, and several have stayed with Clements for years. One has been with the company for almost 10 years. Another started at 18 and is now 25, Clements said.
Clements asks his crews to be humble and kind with customers. He tells them to leave each home the way they would want to find their own new one. Customers let crews into their homes, and Clements wants that respected, he said.
Competitors have started to take notice. A few smaller movers have begun similar efforts. Some have told him they wanted to do this for years. Clements sees room for everyone because there is enough work to go around. When he is booked, he sends customers to other movers he trusts.
What comes next and what other owners can learn
In five years, Clements wants to be filming more, and he hopes a sponsor comes on board. He also wants to keep having fun and doing the day-to-day job.
Clements grew up in the business and never knew what outsiders would find interesting. Viewers now enjoy watching him carry a piano down a flight of stairs.
For owners weighing a similar move, Clements points to authenticity. An unreleased episode shows a real crisis. An insurance broker’s mistake left the company owing $20,000 while Clements was on a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. By that point, he said, the camera no longer mattered.
“Everyone’s so sick of scripted promotional, you know, authenticity means everything,” he said.
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