Start up: Sydney courier Mark Passey, Motion Messengers

• NAOMI HULBERT
• 15 April 2008
• Page 1 of 2 : single page

Mark Passey, Motion Messengers couriers, Sydney. Photo credit: ANTHONY GEERNAERT

1: Know your points of difference

Naomi: Where are you now and where do you want to be?

Mark: I want to position Motion Messengers as a

premium brand. After speaking to my customers, I know they’re willing to pay for better service. My plan is to target niche markets, where the major players have limited penetration. Within two years, I want Motion Messengers

to be the couriers of choice for major companies who value service and presentation. I see us as setting the industry benchmark.

Ruby: You need to sit down ask yourself, “What is unique about my brand?” It’s a strategy that will help take you through the entire business process: “We’re going to be known as a great courier service that everyone loves.” Don’t forget – it’s about the service, not about what’s being delivered. Once you establish your points of difference, it’s going to make things a lot easier for you to when creating website copy and all your other collateral, your recruitment messages, forming your culture, and all that kind of thing. I notice that you say you’re carbon-friendly, that’s a good point: it should be on the back of your van somewhere.

Mark: Yeah, it’s going to be. And on the website.

Ruby: And don’t forget the business cards.

Mark: I noticed no-one else was doing it. When I tell them, my customers say, “Really, wow, that’s really good!”

2: Plan your website

Jonathan: Do you have a Motion Messengers website?

Mark: I do, but it’s shocking! I’ve done nothing with it for six months. It just sits there for web rats to crawl over.

Jonathan: I doubt they’re even looking at it, because there’s not much to crawl over. If someone does find it, it’s not what you want them to see, so I’m hoping they haven’t!

Ruby: What you could do in the meantime is to leave just one page there with your brand, a short blurb about what you do, your key selling points, and a contact phone number and email, so at least it’s working for that click. Mark: That’s a really great idea. I didn’t think of that. Jonathan: It’s important your web presence evolves, alongside everything else – especially if it’s appearing on your business cards. These days, people will tend go

to the internet first when trying to find local products and services – it’s the first place I’d look for a courier.

Naomi: Where should Mark begin with the website?

Hilbert: If you have a limited budget, keep it simple from a brand perspective. You need to try and capture the essence of your brand message.

Ruby: A website should reflect your brand, your brand positioning, your personality – all those things. It’s also the way you’re going to connect with your market, and should say in two or three seconds, “I’m great, contact me.”

Jonathan: That kind of thing’s really important. You really shouldn’t try and compromise too much on style, because that will affect your image. And the higher you try and pitch your business, the more important that becomes.

Ruby: Your budget will direct everything. Most of the template sites should cover your look and feel. You need to work out your key messages early, because then you can keep the same voice, but evolve it as you grow. Stick to that initial message: this is who I am, this is what I do.

Hilbert: Later down the track, when business is booming, you can reinvest and get a slicker site. Have someone professional do it for you. For now, it’s a stop-gap measure.

Jonathan: I hear you’re planning to add GPS tracking?

Mark: Yeah, just to keep up with everyone else.

Jonathan: Even though that might be a way down the track, it’s worth bearing in mind as a direction you eventually want to go. Although you don’t need that now, the website you design should be adaptable later on. You don’t want to have to rip up everything and start again.

Ruby: It’s all about time, too. Where do you want to spend your time? Where is it best spent in your business?

Mark: My time is best spent acquiring new customers. However, I do recognise there is more than one way to do this and that I need to step back sometimes to explore new ways of growing the business.

Jonathan: Quite right. The intention of a website is to help you acquire those new customers in the first place. If you create a simple enough website, it can more than take care of itself while you do things. Write it to generate inquiries. If it gets clients on the phone, it’s done its job.

3: Train your staff

Mark: Finding good staff can be difficult. I know what I want: intelligent couriers who can think on the road and solve problems, and who are also courteous and helpful. It’s hard to find people with all these qualities.

Jess: When you’re hiring someone new, make sure you’ve got that list with you and try to tick off as much of it as you can. If you’ve got a good feeling and an instant rapport with someone, that’s significant, because your clients are likely to get that good feeling from the person as well.