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TOPIC: Marketing your business

Re: Marketing your business 15 years 9 months ago #1598

hey Rick you added the slide show to your website right? can u do me a favor and call me when u get a chance also..vote for my website in Inachi june webpole.. www.arrowepi.com
i need to understand how to add pic's to a slide show..would appreciate it very much

Have a great week



Haven't done slide show yet - still looking into it.  Sorry, can't help with that aspect yet.  I need to carve out some time to get back to work on my site!

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Rick Maday
Owl Home Inspections
Schaumburg Home Inspector
Last Edit: by Rick Maday.

Re: Marketing your business 15 years 9 months ago #1601

I thought I had written a tutorial on it, I'll write one up in more detail.

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Dominic Maricic
Home Inspector Pro Home Inspection Software - CEO

Re: Marketing your business 15 years 9 months ago #1643

Jay,

I'm a fairly new inspector. I, too, am located in Virginia.  I'm in the midst of getting established and getting off the ground  and my biggest dilema has been how to market (especially in these times) and grow the business as a new inspector?  I fully agree with your marketing startegies.  My problem has been tracking the real estate folks down, seems like no one is ever around.  My next strategy is to send an introductory e-mail out stating who I am and what I'm about.  I'm also going to send the same type of introductory letter out the same through the mail.  Looking back how did you market as a new inspector?  Just curious?  Out this way things have been very slow and being new to the game doesn't seem to be helping.  Any advice would be appreciated.

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Cardinal Home Inspection
url link: www.cardinalhomeinspect.com/
Body: Home inspector serving Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, Page, Shenandoah and Rappahannock
url path: home-inspections-culpeper-fauquier-madison.html

Re: Marketing your business 15 years 9 months ago #1644

You guys should check out RRs Marketing forum at www.gogetforum.com/?mforum=marketing for very detailed advice. 

As a side note, Dominic, you may want to ask Russel if he would post some of his stuff here for HIP users to peruse.

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Rick Maday
Owl Home Inspections
Schaumburg Home Inspector

Re: Marketing your business 15 years 9 months ago #1649

Hello Jay
The best thing that you can do is find out if the Realtor have an association, like here in my city it's called Columbia Board of realtors it has over 700 realtors listed on there roaster. Once you become a member your name goes on the list for inspections. I does not stop there to wait for a call, get involved with them and see what the affiliate do to get recognized, I serve muffins once a month for their MLS meetings on Wed. I gave a company presentaion of you i am,, 1may2 might show up, but you have to make a great impresstion like you had a room full of people. I served a Free lunch. I had out of 18 emails that would be there 12 came by, also join an investors group that involve brokers contractors, realtors, title Co, Mortgage Co and so on. This is how i started to get noticed, and also get certified in every way you can in different areas of the housing industry. I am now certified energy auditor, and i give them away for Free with every home inspection, a $200.00 value but im makin money from the inspection and it also takes me 20 extra min while im performing an inspection..my cost for energy audit 20.00 big deal lol.. www.vistaprint.com is the best and cheapest placce to get you business cards and post cards for the business. If you have any questions or assistance email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Good luck

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Re: Marketing your business 15 years 9 months ago #1650

Mark - I did not do emails 27 years ago and letters are not very personal.  I did marketing in person, in person, in person.  Among many other things, I created a small 1/2 page topical note, on colored paper.  One month it was foundation, next exterior, next roof, and so forth - and I printed them and dropped them off at each realty office (around here I could do 6 or 7,000 in a week) and had them placed in each agent's mailbox.  I used the same color each month and the agents got used to that color coming from me.  After seeing these different topics each month they began looking forward to the next month.  They began to call.  The first agent to call me in Oct 1981 still calls!  What does that tell you?  Since then she has her own office and I am on the "Diamond List" of vendors suggested by them.  I don't know where you are, but make a routine of visiting and cultivating relationships.

I am an old guy and email does nothing for me.  Maybe to keep in touch when something good happens, but not for marketing.  As Scoutmaster, I use it in my Boy Scout troop to keep everyone informed as to calendars, events, meeting agendas, etc., but not for critical notifications or one-on-one meetings.  When I got my MBA 300 years ago, communication was defined as - Input, Function, Output, Feedback.  Email does not meet those criteria unless someone notifies you that they got it (input), are working on your input (function) and then get back to you with a report of result (output).  Then you measure the result (feedback).  THAT is communication!  In person meetings with agents, from office to office, I think is critical.

Aram has some good suggestions too.  I think they may be meant for you.

Some ideas work and some don't.  But don't be afraid to throw them out there.  AND, what works with some people does not with others, and so forth.  So try it all...

You are a package, which I suggested in a marketing post a while ago.  Wrap yourself up pretty, present yourself well, and do a job that others recognize as having value!  There isn't another of you - so you do have value!!

I read a book, maybe written before you were born but applies today, called "Jonathan Livingston Seagull."  You might consider it.  There is a line in there that says something like, "You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it come true.  You may have to work for it however..."  Also, ANYTHING written by Og Mandino is so cool your socks will curl (Markanich gives him 10 toes up!).  Try "The Greatest Salesman in the World" first.  If you like it, move on from there.  Starting out in business, I had the 10 scroll titles on my wall...  Mr. Mandino is dead now, but had a very interesting life story.

I have a plaque in my office, of a quote by Michaelangelo, that says, "I am still learning."  He was 87 when he said that and died at 93.  THERE is another incredible life history.

Starting out in business is difficult at best.  You need really big cajones (cajón is a Spanish word for big holder or big box and the plural has a street slang meaning).  You get it I'm sure.  Being in business for yourself is hard work.  People sometimes say to me how cool it must be to set my own hours, do my own thing, control my own time.  Um, no...  you work harder for yourself than you would EVER work for someone else.  I know I do!

Call me any time.  My cell is 703-585-7560.

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Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia
www.jaymarinspect.com
Northern Virginia Home Inspector
Festina Lente - Make Haste Slowly
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