It’s an unavoidable reality of owning a business: the problem customer. Arguably, even though we struggle with and (often) despise our problem customers, it can be said that they’re one of the most valuable assets that we can have in our business. So how, you may ask, can a problem customer be an asset? Consider your business career. It’s certain …
Getting That Certified Letter…
As business owners, we all certainly get more than our fair share of mail. From credit card offers to catalogs, business opportunities to bills, it never ends. Regardless of how much mail you get, there’s always one piece of correspondence that gets your heart beating a little bit faster: a certified letter. It’s amazing that something as simple as an …
You are the product. Why we are all salespeople
It’s quite odd, if you think about it: we are all unique, with various backgrounds, different upbringings and divergent beliefs. But one thing we all have in common is that (almost) everyone hates dealing with salespeople. Looking to get a new vehicle: accosted by a car salesperson. Shopping for insurance: endless phone calls from insurance brokers. Need a new refrigerator: …
So, you think you know it all?
Working in any part of the real estate industry has its challenges, but (in my opinion) the most difficult part has to be the negotiations that occur between the buyer and seller after the completion of a home inspection. (And I’m not just saying that because I’m a home inspector.) For real estate agents, this can be a nightmare situation. …
Emotional Rescue. Caring About Your Clients Can Work Miracles
Think about the last time you shared a dinner with friends at a nice restaurant. Was it an enjoyable experience? Can you remember all the details? How carefully was the food presented? How professional was the service? How clean and comfortable was the restaurant? Was the noise level acceptable, enhancing the meal? Overall, did you have a pleasant experience, and …
The Power of Your Words
Words. They really are amazing things. Think about where we’d be without them. Obviously, you wouldn’t be reading this right now, which some people may argue would be a good thing… Though there is plenty of scientific debate on exactly when language began, one fact is certain: none of the amazing advances of humanity would be possible without language and …
Wiggle Room
Give the people what they want. It’s an often-repeated business mantra. It seems like a simple-enough way to run a successful business. Find out what your client is looking for and give it to them. You would think that every businessperson already knows that this is the key to running a business. But you’d be wrong. Just by doing this …
The Four-Letter Word
Code. It’s considered a “four-letter word” by some home inspectors, and the reason why we have building codes is often misunderstood. Code refers to the set of rules that specify the standards intended to (hopefully) guide the contractors who built the structure that you are now inspecting. The main purpose of codes is to provide construction guidelines that help to …
Guidelines for Dating Your Clients
Before we begin, let me explain that, no, this post is not about how to get dates with your clients. Unless you are running some sort of escort agency, for the vast majority of business owners, dating your clients is always a bad idea. In this post we will examine the similarities between how we learned the ropes when we …
Learning the Lessons You Don’t Want to Learn
Funny thing about being a home inspector: you can never be 100% certain what’s going to happen on an inspection. Just when you think it’s shaping up to be a perfectly normal day, and you’re looking forward to a relaxing weekend; BAM! You get blindsided by a hay-maker. And you’re down for the count. That’s exactly what happened to me …