Awesome series of posts/PICs Russell.
Some inspectors balk at spending 10 cents on a cup sleeve that promotes their company… even if someone else is going to hand it out for them.
People ask what is the ROI? To be honest I have not a single clue. All I know is that business gets better and better and that is how I measure it.
When you think people (all people) don’t notice the little things, your wrong.
O yea, I almost forgot. We vacuum the house when done as well. We go through the house with a Dyson cordless vacuum and ensure our small droppings are all cleaned up.
People really like it when you respect them and their belongings…
Wanna do something good for your client?
MARKET!
Marketing and service go hand in hand. If you market your inspection business, you get more work, which means you can charge more, which means you can afford time off, which means you can take a vacation to recharge, and also afford time to take InterNACHI’s courses, which makes you a better inspector, and you can afford better tools, and afford to spend a little extra time on an inspection if the home or client needs you to, and so you get more referrals, and so you make more money, and so you can afford to hand out a promotional gift once in a while… which brings us back to the beginning of my post.
The road to financial success could very well start with investing your first 10 cents in your own company.
Hot Stock Tip: Marketing is the way you can make an investment in a great company… yours. Everything else is “cost.”
You can’t provide a great service for consumers if you can’t afford to… or worse… if you’re out of business.
If government agencies in jurisdictions that license inspectors truly cared about consumers… they’d require inspectors to perform continuing education AND continued marketing.
Nick, it does no good. They will wait and wait for the “perfect” idea and it will never come. Afraid to make mistakes and do the wrong thing.
Doing NOTHING is suicide, and yet the commit it everyday.
Do all those things I have please everyone? Nope, but one of those things is usually appealing to them and even having them and offering them is something people appreciate.
I have seen my mugs numerous places to include Starbucks and Barnes and Noble. Don’t go cheap, everything you do is a direct reflection on your.
You can not make money without spending money.
Only if you have the money to spend in the first place. Doing only 15 to 18 inspections a month barely pays my bills. Being a CMI, 11 years in business, being a full-time home inspector, advertising, brochures, is not getting here for me. Only being at $149 and creating say-nothing fluff reports gets you business here. I have tried everything from pens, can covers, free gift cards, nothing seems to work. Most RE’s here suggest newbie inspectors, for obvious reasons.
“Why hire him? He is more money and my inspector checks everything by state law, and at half the price”.
I wish I was doing 18 a month 
The best marketing tool is word-of-mouth. Take care of your customers, provide the best, quickest, easy to understand reports you can, and the word travels to other future home buyers. Give out Nick’s home inspection guide to every customer. Maintenance is the most important thing in home ownership. Over 80% of my business comes from referrals.
So 14 a month come from referrals.
Dam Gary, you must be in debt up to your as*. 15-18 inspections should equal close to $6,000 a month.
Not at $199. a piece.
Russell that is a great collection of promo swag. I also have many, Hats, several different style pens, flashlights, key chain flashlights, bottle openers calculators, Clocks…I’ll post some pics later. Also as you say I have no clue of my ROI, I just know that people love them and referrals always mention them, so it must be working.
Jim
Juan start here, this should keep you busy for awhile…LOL…Makes your head spin there is so much you can get.
Jim