When people go to the doctor, they’re not looking for options – they’re looking for answers.

According to Nick Friedman, co-founder of multimillion-dollar franchise company College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving and the keynote speaker at ASI Show Fort Worth this week, distributors should offer that same type of prescriptive service to customers.

Nick Friedman offers his branding and business insights at ASI Show Fort Worth.

“Who do you trust more: someone who’s offering several options or someone who’s recommending one specific option?” he said. “Prescriptions and solutions are your edge. Be the expert, not the order-taker.”

Distributors might want to take note. After all, Friedman didn’t just start a successful business – he’s also a buyer of promotional products. Friedman showed up on stage outfitted in sneakers and a vest branded with his company’s colors, name and logo.

Selling Service

Friedman has more in common with distributors than some of them might realize, specifically when it comes to what he’s selling.

“We took a traditional industry,” said Friedman, “and put an intentional focus on the internal experience – our employees – and the external experience – our customers.”

In other words, moving trucks and services are not a novel concept. These sorts of companies existed long before Friedman was born. But he says the brand prides itself on movers that go above and beyond and services that make people want to do repeat business.

Distributors of promo products, similarly, are often selling many of the same types of items, but what sets them apart is the service and reliability they provide to their end-buyers. 

“It’s clear to me you’re not selling products, you’re shaping brands and changing lives,” he said. “You need to protect your reputation like revenue.”

Humble Beginnings

Friedman wasn’t always a successful franchise owner. Like many small businesses that operate with very few employees and minimal resources, College HUNKS Hauling Junk began as just two college guys trying to make some extra cash during the summer.

“My best friend Omar [Soliman] and I were home from college, and Omar’s mom had this old, beat-up cargo van that she offered to let us borrow,” Friedman explained. “She looked us up and down and said, ‘You could be college hunks who haul junk!’”

And so began the idea that would change the trajectory of Friedman’s career – and his life.

Going Against the Grain

Friedman was brought up to follow a traditional career path, but he wasn’t interested in sitting in a cubicle for the rest of his life.

“I had an internship my senior year of college, but it felt very unfulfilling,” he said. “I knew I didn’t want to pursue that.”

So, once they graduated from college, Friedman and Soliman decided to turn their little business idea into a reality.

“We knew starting a business right after graduation was risky,” Friedman said. “Most college kids would go do something in the ‘real world.’”

But to the two recent grads, the risk was one worth taking.

At the beginning, it was just the two of them. Friedman and Soliman were doing everything, including driving the moving trucks. They bought an 800 number so that people knew the business was legitimate, but linked it to their cell phones.

“One time, we got a call from someone complaining about our drivers,” Friedman said. “We answered the phone while we were driving, and told the person we don’t condone careless driving and that we’d talk to our guys, knowing full well the complaint was about us.”

A lot of learning happened in the years that followed. “There’s a quote from the book The E-Myth Revisited that says, ‘If you want to scale a business, you need to work on the business, not just in the business,’” he said. “We started documenting everything and systemizing processes. We joke that we were a 20-year overnight success.”

College HUNKS Hauling Junk is now worth $300 million and owns more than 350 franchises across the U.S. and Canada.

Tapping Into Emotion

According to Friedman, people buy with their guts, not their minds.

“They rationalize purchases based on logic, but buy products based on emotion,” he said.

So, distributors need to “figure out what you’re selling. In promo, you sell confidence, team identity, retention, culture, success and branding,” Friedman added. “Leverage that emotional connection with buyers.”

He notes that clients have a number of expectations when they engage with a business, and asked members of the audience to shout out some of the things their clients expect of them.

Distributors mentioned quality service, ability to problem-solve, timeliness, brand integrity and attention to detail. But sometimes, Friedman said, these expectations aren’t met.

“That’s when it’s especially important to go above and beyond,” he added. “When clients are upset, they want to be heard. Otherwise, they may post about your services negatively on social media or move their business elsewhere.”

Figuring out what customers expect, what could go wrong and some ways to go above and beyond can help distributors provide a service that buyers won’t be able to find anywhere else.

And when a business manages to delight a customer, Friedman says they should be asking for a review and a referral.

“They’re going to want to recommend you if you delivered a great service,” he said. “Word of mouth goes a long way.”

Still, Friedman acknowledged that a lot of this isn’t easy. “It takes grit, focus and commitment,” he said. “Every day is game day.”

Friedman ended his talk by taking out a copy of the book he wrote, titled Effortless Entrepreneur. “Who wants a copy?” he asked the audience. As people raised their hands, he paused and asked again: “Who wants the book?”

Two people ran up onto the stage, and one of them was just fast enough to grab it. The exercise was Friedman’s way of illustrating the importance of taking action – even (and especially) when others are too afraid to do so.

“You may fall on your face a bit, but it’s about being able to pick yourself up,” he explained. “If you want to be able to achieve the things that others don’t, do the things others won’t.”