Commercial Property Inspectors Roundtable Meeting #35: Sales Strategies

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Rob Claus (00:05)
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to this month’s edition of the Commercial Inspectors Roundtable. I’m working in in Boulder this week, so that’s why I’ve got my my AI background on. Otherwise, it’s just a boring old whiteboard behind me. this month we wanted to talk a little bit about sales strategies and and I wanted to hear what’s working for you.

And if you’ve got things that aren’t working for you, it’d almost be equally as fun to hear of of maybe something you tried that fell flat. You know, basically what we’re talking about is converting losses to wins. I recently had a conversation with a member and he was closing out his year and his first year in business, and he said that he had 20

Seven inquiries. He booked nine inspections. That means he lost eighteen. So he lost two-thirds of his of his work and only won one-third. And I’m and I’m sitting here talking with him going, Boy, you could convert just two or three more. That’s huge. Or if you lost one-third and one two-thirds. It’s just it’s it’s like baseball. You know, one more.

one more hit in an advent. Yo, you go from from one one for four to two for four. And so so I wanted to hear a little bit about what’s working for you all and maybe what’s not working. And and I’ll open it up. Noah go ahead please. How you doing? Hey good Rob. something that works with us, that I feel really helps me close is I’ve had

good success with I have a Google intake form that all my clients fill out ahead of time, really capturing a lot of that information. And the second thing that I’ve done, which has really helped would be the there’s a Canva template for commercial proposals on the CCPI website. It’s phenomenal. I think I win more proposals just because it looks more professional.

than the rest because we used to like everyone else we had a one page Google document and we just laid it out but really having that multi layered informational document form really makes a difference. When you’re sending out proposals, Noah, are you sending them out as as a here’s the price, read it, like it, or have you already talked to the client, agreed to the scope, agreed to the price?

And by the way, here’s my proposal that memorializes that conversation. So what I like to do is I like to intake the order on the Google form. I have the proposal already drafted by the time I get on the phone with that client to have that next step discussion. And I let them know, hey, I can absolutely do it how you want. I do have additional services. It allows for me to upsell based on that because you know, everyone wants the burger, but

I mentioned the fries, they want the fries with it. So whether that’s a cost to cure, that’s a a what do you call it? The phase one ESAs, we can provide that. You need sewer scopes, mold testing, radon testing for commercial properties, we can do all of that. and it really opens that next door for that. And then I get a lot of clients out here, I’m in a smaller market, so I get a lot of clients, they they’re looking for more of a limited scope option.

I can lay out, you know, we have the platinum package, the gold package, and then the silver. We don’t have bronze here because we are a bunch of losers and stuff. It’s kind of psychology, but it works really well. It offers them, you know, if they get it, they don’t get the immediate sticker shock. They just make a decision and move forward. That way, you know, I’m still getting the inspection. So when you think of all the various soft skills out there in in in the world of sales, you’re really using professionalism.

As as your biggest elevation. That’s great. I love it. I love hearing that. Absolutely. Anybody else have anything they want to share or or or or or want to ask you, you know, a question of what Noah’s doing?

I know for me, my biggest thing was is I I always knew where I was in my business. Like what what I mean by that is is if if I was charging five hundred dollars, I knew exactly how much that inspection was gonna cost me. I knew if it was gonna cost me forty five four hundred and fifty bucks, I had fifty dollars of profit. So if I get it at four hundred and fifty dollars, I’m breaking even. If I do it for

449, I lost a dollar. And so it was one of those things in proportion. I was always able to to win on the pricing side because I knew if if I went below a s threshold, I’m gonna lose money. And so and so being able to work with my clients and I use that as my sales tool more than more than anything else. and but but to the point what I asked Noah was is

Well over ninety percent of my proposals were inspections that were already ready to be scheduled because I went through all those steps myself and and all we did was use the proposal as a codification. Those inspections that I sent proposals of of of price, sh it ended up be sticker shock, you know, of of things. And so so I I I like what Noah’s doing because he’s used it as an upsell.

based on the conversation. And so that does an that does a nice job. Offer people like to be part of the process.

Yeah, go ahead, Steve. Hey there, Steve out in Arizona. quick question. Noah you said there was some kind of a form on the on the website.

Yes, there i there is. It’s a it’s it’s it’s a form that it’s a template that we created using Canva. Canva. Canva is is it’s it’s Canvas, it’s it’s not expensive. I think if you do it one time, you can download the you know, download the the the template. And really more than anything else, Steve, a and and Noah’s done a good job in in their operation. They have a multi inspector operation.

And and can’t it and this document really the Holley’s put it in the chat. Thank you, Holley. It really does a nice job of highlighting your company. Even if you work alone, Steve, you know, you can put biographies in there, you can put the the team that’s gonna work on the project in there. Even if you’re working with specialty consultants, you can list them on there. It’s got a spot where you can you can highlight the building. I saw

a proposal recently that that showed photos of the different elements of a building to really show your client that you paid attention, that you looked, you did your research. And that that really helped will help s you know solidify their their confidence in you. And it’s not just a a one page or three page, yeah, yeah, this is what I’m doing. Pay me here with a link.

Thank you. Yep. Yeah, please go ahead, Steve. Okay. I I yeah, I this might not be the right platform, but so just a thirty second intro. I’m I’m a home inspector in Arizona, been doing home inspections for twenty two years. lots of construction before that and apart to three years as a building engineer. but I’m very new to this commercial inspecting aspect. So quite frankly, I’m clueless.

So I’m looking to absorb as much information as I can about getting clients and how not to look like an idiot and the very first step, you know. I I and again I don’t want to hijack the meeting. So it’s just you’re you’re not this is these round tables are your your meeting. And most of the time we will add a topic that that kind of helps steer the steer the ship a little bit, but it’s it’s whatever anybody wants to talk about more than anything else, Steve. So what all right, welcome.

Ask any questions you want. In fact, we’ve got a class coming up called the the pathways to winning commercial clients that that might be really good for somebody just breaking into the industry and and looking to because our the and the reason why I wanted to talk about it this month was the our our process for us to to win clients is completely different than that process in residential.

in residential it’s usually just booking an order. And in commercial, it’s selling an inspection. Yeah. And and I’m I’m so bummed out too because I was ready to sign up for that November ninth class. And then I looked at my calendar and my sister’s coming into town staying with us and I would feel terrible saying, Hey sis, I’ll I’ll be back for six hours and I got a Zoom class. Sure. Sure. is there another one?

We’ll we’ll have another one on the calendar before long, I promise. Okay, great. Thank you. Anything else anybody wants to, you know, ’cause I I I think of and and Noah and his team as as created we call them trust cues and and they’re using confidence. They’re using they’re using the Canva tool, they’re using their proposal, and they’re using that and I and I love what you said, Noah, of we don’t have no bronze here. Yeah, we have

We have platinum, gold and silver. yeah, well, you you’re using confidence as your trust cue. other trust cues you could use is is credentials, you know, by by you placing in your in your proposal or you placing on your intake forms or you placing on your website all of your vase b various credentials, certifications, and and I guess knowledge points is great.

Another trust cue you could use is is response time. You know, they hit my they hit my intake portal. And so within within a very specific amount of time, I promise them I’m gonna call you back. I promise them I’m gonna talk to you, and I did it. Whether that’s whether that’s you know, you your staff answers the phone or somebody answers the phone, you promise them I’ll call you in 24 hours, and you darn well called them in 24 hours. That’s a trust cue. And then

Lay you that’s that’s the response time trust cue. And then and then lastly, it’s your capabilities. You know, being somebody that can say, Yes, I can. And maybe if you if you sat in my class, you know, you’ll hear me say, Yes, I can, I’m the best at it. You know, I’ll figure this out, you know, in my head. But yes, I can. I can do that. I’m the best at it. I’m glad you called. This is something we can absolutely help you with. So so you’ve layered that cake.

in such a way that that their decision making is between you and somebody else is is almost assured thing.

Anything else anybody wants to wants to bring up or ask or talk about when we’re talking about sales. Go ahead, Noah, please. I just wanted to add to that. So everything that the CCPIA has, use it. So it helps a lot. There’s a there’s an inspector locator on that CCPIA website. I use that as part of my sales strategy.

I asked my clients whenever I have that initial phone call with them. I’m like, feel free to shop for and I’ll give them the names of other guys in our local market. But I really position myself. So there’s a few companies up north that only do commercial inspection. So instead of referring out to, you know, the local home inspectors who could do a commercial inspection for I’m like, call this company, call this company, positioning them up further north, let them know it’s gonna be increased price due to the drive time and everything.

But I do that because I know that in our local market, I’ve used that inspector navigator. Me, Steve, and we have one other guy. We’re the only three people that are CCPIA certified within a 200 mile radius. So I can really gather that. And it goes back to what Rob was speaking to about, you know, the coming from confidence. I know that we are the only people that are certified to do this within a X mile radius. And it really helps close that. And I’m like, sh whenever you’re going to shop.

Make sure you’re shopping on similar qualifications. How many certified master inspectors do they have? Do they have licensed general contractors on staff? Are they CCPI certified and have a standards of practice? Because our state doesn’t have a standards of practice for commercial inspections. So I just wanted to caveat that. Thank you. Steve, you had another question. Yeah, I mean, I I know when I started my home inspection company twenty something years ago, pounding the pavement, old school, shaking hands, paying for bagels and all that good stuff.

Worked pretty well, but is that approach effective at all in commercial? Can can you just find property managers or commercial real estate offices and just walk into the brick and mortar and introduce yourself with some some advertising pens and notepads? Well, I’ll I’ll let I’ll I’ll let others answer that question before I do. Anybody anybody got a response for Steve? Noah’s getting coffee.

No. My experience, no. A commercial proper a commercial broker is never in their office. Okay. You know, they’re they’re they’re there’s huge, elaborate, gorgeous offices, but they’re out pounding the payment more than you’re pounding the pavement. I have found in my experience that finding the buyers is far more beneficial than finding the brokers.

And finding the buyers. That’s usually that’s usually to make sure that you’re searchable and found in the world. But that being said, there’s plenty of associations and benefits to being members of associations, whether it’s building owners management groups like BOMA, whether it’s SIOR, whether it’s industrial real estate associations, your local board of realtors has a commercial offset that’s probably very

very sparsely populated by inspectors. where if you go to the commercial board of realtors meeting with, you know, for the affiliates, and it’s probably full of inspectors. It’s almost an inspector’s meeting. so I have found I have found that marketing to the the consumer through a very good responsive website and whatever mechanisms I need to take to make sure that my website is found is probably bang for bang.

a better choice. Would you recommend paying extra for a a Google search?

I I will never get into your pocket. but i if if that’s what it takes to to make sure that you’re found, especially as you’re launching a new division or a new a new company, I think that’s a better leg up than than the hope and prayer. Okay. Thank you. Yep.

Has anybody has anybody used the idea that I can create a new scope of inspection for you know for a for a particular client versus you taking an and Noah’s talked about tiers, where if if you present a price and they’re they kind of have the sticker shock, has anybody been successful with well, how about if we create an inspection that’s specific for you and meets your budget?

I know Noah is shaking his head. Yeah, please, Noah. I’ve I’ve even had clients, they want a strictly visual, no report. Just come over here. I need someone who knows what they’re talking about to walk me through. Takes the same amount of time. I take the same photos, I just make a document, have them sign a agreement and we’ll get going. I’ll do that for, you know, seven hundred and fifty bucks all day.

There’s an agreement on our website for the walk and talk. And that’s what I used. Yeah, I don’t even take photos during those. I I yeah, you you can for your for for just pure collateral in the i in your drive for life. But I mean I I found those, Noah and and everybody to houses of worship that have a very limited budget, but they’re buying this building to go in there and provide them a

Visual inspection where their their committees can walk with me. They’re so appreciative. and they get your knowledge point and they get that information about this, about this building that’s that’s gonna be an a a huge asset to this congregation. But maybe they don’t have $35 or $4,500 to pay you that that you need for this full inspection, but yet you can go do it for.

for a fraction of that ’cause you’re not writing a report, you really don’t have any re you know, any re they really never have a recourse against you ’cause this is just a a a vocal opinion. And so th I think it’s a fabulous product for for that opportunity. Thank you, Noah.

Well, if nobody has any other questions on sales, I’ll open up. Yeah, what Steve, please. kind of unrelated to sales, but at the same time, I guess it includes the bottom line. Do what when you guys hire the way I understand it is you hire a team. If it’s a big building, especially you can’t inspect a building by yourself in one day it’s ten thousand square feet. Or if you can, let me know how you do it. But like hiring plumbers, electricians, experts, so to speak, in the field.

I did do one commercial inspection about six months ago, went ri went really well. but unfortunately, since I was scared of getting, you know, screwed up or sued or whatever, I hired a you know journeyman electrician, plumber, and a roofer just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Of course it dug into my profit. but do I guess my question is, do you guys have a way to integrate their findings into your software? Or do you just have them send you an email that you forward to the client, or do they send a direct email?

Or do you just pretend that they were never there and act like you’re the expert all around?

See if anybody wants to. so let me let me let me explain it this way. during our introduction to commercial property inspections class that we offer, Steve, we there’s three ways in which you can handle specialty consultants. One, you just simply take their findings and make that an appendix in your report. Just there it is, C page blank for details. Two.

You could take all of their information and simply input it by hand into your software solution, your reporting system. And you you you’re kind of you’re kind of pseudoing the expert as as writing that down, or three, the combination of both, which is the one that I personally prefer. And that’s where there no matter what my specialty consultant gives me, it could be

a napkin with coffee stains on it or or it’s written in electrician’s handwriting, which is worse than a doctor. And then I will add that as an appendix. I will translate it into my solution. And then I that way any findings go to us go to a summary very, very succinctly. And then I’ll say see appendix or see addendum for details.

Okay. Now just for absolute fun. Hey Fred, are you are are you still here?

See if Fred could come off mute. Otherwise I’ll ask I’ll I’ll ask I’ll ask Vernon. Hey Vernon.

Guest (21:34)
Yeah.

Rob Claus (21:35)
How many how how how many square foot of a commercial building can you do in one day?

Guest (21:42)
Now

we we don’t do these monster structures, but by myself, well I’m trying think. The last one I did what that was ten thousand square feet, there was me, myself, among other guys on that on that gig. So if I was to do that myself, it would definitely be an all day an an all day activity.

Rob Claus (22:02)
Okay.

Guest (22:03)
Yeah. But you know, that’s one of the things I like about commercial is it like we were talking earlier, it is an it’s an a la carte industry.

So you could take the same building and you can be inspecting that building potentially two or three times a year under different scenarios. Yep. And that’s one of the great things I like about it. But yeah, I I would say like I would say like a day. Yeah. And it just depends on what they what they want what they want inspected. But I have a I have a question for everybody. I’m curious, and I’m just thinking down the road for future.

I’m in a DMV. So I’m in, you know, I’m in Dell. I mean, I’m in DC, Maryland, Virginia. So we have a ton of these data centers being built. And these data centers are not little teeny sheds in people’s backyards. These these data centers are a million square feet each. And I can show I can I can I could I always tell people to drive through resting because there’s a highway that goes in between these these data centers. They’re a million square feet each.

square foot each and there is 40 of them in just this one little teeny area. But my question is, is is other people around the country are they experiencing this growth with these data centers in their backyards? And I’m just curious on what the future of inspection needs are going to be for for these properties because I’m not sure who owns these properties.

I I don’t know if it’s i I I’m just I’m just trying to get other people’s feedback as far as what they’re experiencing with the with the building of the data centers in their in their areas and if they have any opinion as far as the the future needs for inspecting these buildings because these are high tech these are high tech buildings.

Rob Claus (23:52)
Yep. They’re high tech buildings, but they’re low tech. They’re they’re extremely low tech. Well

Guest (23:58)
The structure

the structure itself is as low tech, yes, I agree.

Rob Claus (24:01)
Yes. Yes. It’s it all it is is a concrete tilt up construction box that was put that was put up in six weeks. even a even a half a million or million square foot was put up in six weeks. It was a leveled lot with with with a concrete pour and then and then slapped up. The only high tech in there is probably Vernon V H V A C because of the tremendous amount of of cooling it needs. And so

When when you think of it and I and I love the question, and then I’ll I’ll open up to anybody else’s ideas, but when you think about a life cycle of a commercial building, commercial building is placed to do a job. And so the life cycle began with we need a building, then it goes to how much is my budget, then it goes to what’s my design, then it gets built, then it gets occupied.

Then it gets maintained, and then it gets torn down. Now, I treat in my mind a data center as a gets only on the surface maintained. And it’s most likely to be torn down.

and and the reason I say that is all of the the kit, you know, and you think about, you know, the what’s inside that building, all of the the components that is inside that building probably already has a planned obsolescence. You know, the the whatever they’re using as you know, we’ll call it, you know, la lack of a lack of a better term, look at the computer on your desk. That’s not meant to last forever.

That’s meant to last three to five years and you take it and you throw it away. Whether you trade it in and get a new one or you do it. And so let’s treat a data center as one giant computer, because that’s what it is, is is they’ll probably they’ll probably in that data center probably won’t ever live long enough to replace the roof.

In my opinion.

Guest (26:17)
Well, I I know that’s the case with in in our area, there’s CDS, there’s the there’s Walgreens, these these corner drugstores. And some people don’t realize that they are purposely built to be torn down one day. Yes. It’s the pad where the value is. It’s that it’s that land where the value is. And as things change, those are incredibly inexpensive buildings to build. There’s nothing to that.

Rob Claus (26:41)
Right. And all commercial buildings have that, all commercial buildings have that seven step life cycle. you know, and so so and I used to go round and round with the ownership group that that I worked for when I was c inspecting. Cause they drive down the highway and they’d see half million, million square foot buildings. They’re Rob, why aren’t you inspecting these? I said they’re brand new. Well, why aren’t you doing new construction on them? Because they’re never going to do an inspection on them. Right. My only opportunity would be

is is if somebody leased it and they’re looking ’cause it’s it’d be a a triple net lease or a or or or or a or a double net lease and they’re looking for knowledge over things because they didn’t build that building.

Guest (27:27)
And and and that’s a great thing to market to buyers. Because

Rob Claus (27:31)
four.

Guest (27:32)
buyers don’t even realize that that’s an option. They’re relying they’re relying on their broke on their commercial broker, and I get that, but he’s still a commercial broker and his and his and his job is to get that place rented as quickly as possible.

Rob Claus (27:46)
Exactly.

Guest (27:47)
People don’t even realize that. And and and that’s definitely that’s definitely a market that that we should, I mean other people on online should be going after because

You’re not inspecting the whole structure. You’re just inspecting that one individual suite and you’re only inspecting inspecting it to specific things. Right. Great it it’s great money.

Rob Claus (28:05)
Right. Yeah, as much as I would love to say, Vernon, that you have this opportunity with with all these data centers. I mean, if you saw if you happen to watch the video we just did on tilt up construction, the the plant that I went to that was making all the precast panels had a contract to make I don’t know how many hundred panels that were gonna be used for for a data center being placed in Indiana. And

I was in the middle of Illinois. and it was cheaper for them to truck them from there than it was to have a local. But they were actually tinting the concrete and blasting the concrete to a very specific surface texture to require zero exterior maintenance for the life of that panel. So they’re not they’re they’ve already preordained that building to never require exterior coatings.

Guest (29:04)
Yeah.

Rob Claus (29:05)
So I that’s where I that’s where I have this this strong feeling that that the planned obsolescence of that building was already placed in the amortization chart. And and when that building’s ready to go, they’ll be they’ll be culling it for for scrap precious metals.

Guest (29:24)
Was there any, do you what’s your opinion on, is there any is there any as a process that’s gone with any time point that we would be getting involved in inspecting these buildings?

Rob Claus (29:38)
Possibly if you decide to and I’m just I I’ve I’ve not done any research, but i in my mind, if I was processing a maintenance product to do maintenance inspections, because when I look at these data centers, you know, the here they’re they they they all talk about it’s it’s gonna be a half a million square foot. Okay, great. that’s roughly the size of a large intermodal aro around

Around my market area. Okay. But then they’re only gonna have and they’ll they’re gonna talk about how there’ll be hundreds of workers to construct it. Yes. But there’s probably only going to be about 45 people to keep the lights on. Right. Because once you turn the switch, the only thing you’re doing is mowing the lawn, you know, making sure the the floors are clean and you the and the light bulbs still work. And so it’s very possible that you might find that odd center.

that understands that maybe their staff is doesn’t have the skill set for the preventative and the routine maintenance identifications.

Guest (30:49)
Well, I was just gonna say that’s that’s the key. I need to find out who is who’s owning, who’s managing these data centers because that’s the people I need to get to. Yes. Because when you’re dealing with when you’re dealing with forty million square foot buildings, s there’s a full time staff there somewhere. I I just I just need to find them and and pick their brain for future needs.

Rob Claus (31:14)
And

and and maybe keeping your ear to the ground, possibly possibly if you’ve got a relationship with Coastar to be able to see if they can data mine those key people, the phone numbers, the email addresses.

Guest (31:28)
I’ve been speaking with I I’ve been speaking with CoStar. That that’s a great program they have. I haven’t I haven’t jumped on yet, but I’m gonna I’ll I’ll get there. But yes, that’s a very good program they have. Absolutely.

Rob Claus (31:37)
Yeah. No yet

Guest (31:38)
And and you know I I just started my website, so we’ll we’ll see how we’ll see how that how that progresses along here.

Rob Claus (31:45)
I mean if if if you know there there’s to to Steve’s question earlier, if you engage in maintenance inspections, which good lord, I’m I I I think that’s ki that’s key to to to ha spreading the ebbs and flows of any industry, because I don’t relying on people buying, I’m relying on people needing. If you engage in maintenance inspections and fully SEO

keyword and engage your website, it’s very possible, Vernon, they find you.

Guest (32:19)
That’s that that’s that’s the hope, that’s the plan.

Rob Claus (32:21)
You know, because they’re not looking for the you know, they’re they’re they’re gonna be sitting there in we’re i in their in their their AI bubble, relying on their AI algorithms, and they scrubbed your website with AI and said, Check it out. Vernon is an expert on building maintenance.

Steve, I mean Noah.

I was just gonna speak to if you think about it, it’s actually in their interest for you to come through twice a year and do that because if they’re paying a maintenance tech forty eight thousand a year on average, forty eight to sixty depending on your market. charge you know, eight thousand for a walkthrough of just, you know, maintenance inspection twice a year. That’s still sixteen thousand added to your bottom line and they’re saving a shut of money.

I I think so we’ve got a bunch of those data centers. We’ve got a lot of, you know, people that are upset with the data centers out here and everything. So it’s very much so public record on who and what corporations building them. I would definitely talk to your local assessor because they’re gonna know everything about that new development going up because it’s gonna add a X amount of jobs and it’s a huge footprint in your market.

I haven’t we haven’t had any data center built yet. We’ve got a lot of moratoriums put on right now. but as soon as they do, I’ll be hitting up the assessor and figuring out who owns those so that we can get in there on those maintenance contracts for sure. You can flo you can FOIO that pretty easily. Steve.

Yeah, just jumping back to Noah or the the other gentleman’s comment about I think it was Noah about the maintenance inspections. ’cause I was in building engineer for parts of three years and if there’s one thing I can tell you is that that’s all they care about is the budget, these property managers, working with people leasing. So if you come in and say, Yeah, it could be the best idea in the world and they’re gonna be like, Great, but it’s not in the budget. come see us for next year’s budget.

So it’s one of those things where you gotta gotta get ahead of the curve, maybe anticipate several months out for the job securing. Yep. Yep. Yep. Look look for look for some maintenance programs coming out of the C C P A for twenty seven. I can I can a hundred percent guarantee that is high on our priority.

Well shift let’s let’s shift a little bit. Does anybody have anything they wanna share? Any anything going on that they’re having troubles with or questions with that they wanna share in the round table?

Yes, please. Go ahead, Noah. I’m I’m having trouble with the more this is just me being human. I have trouble with the patience of sending out the proposal and knowing when to follow up and when to cut the time on it. ‘Cause I know after a certain point the proposal’s gone.

I usually make it a point, you know, within twenty four to forty-eight hours, follow up on that after sending the proposal, follow up on it. I’ve got one up north right now. It was a 76,000 square foot strip mall. They needed a full scope inspection with a cost to cure attached to it. it’s been sitting on my desk for about 10 days now. I haven’t heard anything back.

But at that scale, I mean we’re talking a five million dollar building. So at that scale, I’m sure he’s doing due diligence and just making sure he’s getting all different quotes and everything. what would you guys suggest or what are you guys seeing as far as how long should I wait before closing that one out and moving on from it?

Did you place an expiry on it, Noah? I did. I put them I do a forty-five day expiry on it. So I I don’t know that I close it out as much as I just throw it on my desk and it sits over there. I would be I would to me if if I didn’t hear back from them in forty eight hours.

That’s when I have to start. there’s if I don’t hear back from them in 48 hours, I typically look within myself. Not to the client myself, going, sure, did I scope it right? Did I price it right? Yeah, you know, what are the conditions that I placed on this inspection? that may have did I not talk to them properly? Sure. Like, like.

Yeah, and and I and I’ll and I’m not to to brag or or I mean I was well over eighty-five percent, eighty-four percent closure rate. Sure. But my closure rate was so high because I didn’t I used my proposal as a as an after the conversation marketing tool and not a price presentation tool. So I was pretty much assured they’re gonna call me back when I sent it.

And so if you’re not getting that call back on that on that seventy-five thousand square foot s shopping plaza that you you thought you did a pretty good job on the and and you got a forty-five day expiry, then I just put it over at my desk and and I wouldn’t worry about it as much as I know you want to. And and I and I know I and I know that you know you’re you’re sitting there having your meetings.

going where’s where where where we at type of thing. But if if if your professionalism was so high and your confidence was so high when you put it in, the only thing that’s separating you from them is you know, booking is probably somebody else’s price point. Sure. And it’d be nice to know that. And so so if you have a 45 day expiry, then reaching out to them at the 30 day

And if you lost it, say did you go with somebody else? I just need to know so I I can look at my ca look at my pricing because I know my you know, ex I I would literally go to them because I know my inspection is much better than theirs. Sure. And give them FOMO. Yeah. I I do something similar to that. Whenever they tell me, you know, they decided not to move forward, I’m like, is it pricing qualifications or availability? Which one of those three was it? Yeah.

And they usually are pretty forthcoming. It was the price or you guys just couldn’t get me in soon enough. Because I I still get the commercial industry in our local market, it’s still newer. So a lot of it is, you know, everyone expects a home inspector that can come out there within a week and get you filled and get it done. but on some of these pr like I said, 75,000 square foot, that’s a couple days, right? so there’s some time and hotels and things considered with that.

So the guys who need it tomorrow, I’m probably not gonna be able to get you in. But if you can wait two weeks, three weeks and we can actually plan for this, we can get you squared away and everything. So And the funny thing is is the people that were available tomorrow probably aren’t as good as you because they were available tomorrow. Yeah. I know. That’s it try to explain that dichotomy to the clients though. It it doesn’t work very well. Yep.

Anybody else?

Yeah, please Steve. Don’t mean to derail us, but it is kind of a problem. So how I I tried to I steered away from credit card payments before. do you guys have a preferred avenue you use for accepting credit card payments that you’re not gonna be a the victim of extortion?

A lot of your software solutions, if you’re using a aftermarket software solution company, have a have a program with with a vent with a credit card vendor. There’s other ones out there. You can always go to your bank. You can also negotiate You know, there’s nothing wrong with adding the the the cost of the credit card processing to your credit card processing. You know, it’s recently we made

We made a credit card purchase here for the rental of a building and it was a simple five hundred dollar rental and it ch it cost us five hundred and forty-three dollars and eighty-four cents because you know that we got sent an invoice through their QuickBooks for the thing and they added the processing. So it’s just that’s just how it is today, and that’s just the price of doing business. And I would rather collect a credit card and be paid than not correct collect a credit card and not get paid or lose the job because.

I put my feet so deep into the sand that I have no flexibility. Yeah. The most of them are about three percent, it seems. Squares seems a little expensive. Yep. Yep. That’s the price to do in business.

Well, coming up we’ve got a couple of classes on our books. we we are going to be having Inspector’s Giving again this year, which we’re very excited about. That look for some information and so it’ll be on our website, it’ll be on our calendar and we’ll have some social media on that. That’s coming up in in the the week of Thanksgiving, I believe. but look look all that Holley just put it on there.

So we’ll we’re we’re having inspectors giving coming up. There’ll be prizes and some fun going on there. we’ve got pathways coming up, we’ve got cost to remedy coming up. And look in the next two weeks for the announcement of our first three day class that we’re going to be having. I will tell you that we’re we’re trying to have our our next three day class, three day introduction to commercial property inspections, to be held in the first quarter of next year.

And I believe it’ll be in a nice warm climate. So look forward to making that announcement as well. If nobody has anything else, which I’ll open it up. Otherwise, I just want to thank everybody for taking the time to be here.

Yes. Noah, anybody or just waving goodbye? Just wanted to say thank you, Rob. I appreciate you as always, brother. Yeah. Well, I I appreciate helping. And we l I love doing these round tables. There’s nothing more fun for me because this is one of the few times we all get to talk and we’re not we’re not trying to sell anything. We’re not we’re not trying to beat anybody up. I I’ve always promised that these round tables are always gonna be inclusive.

And there always gonna be be something that we can all benefit from. Thank you. thanks guys. Be safe. We’ll talk soon. I have a quick question, Rob. yeah, please. What what what is there a general software that people use in the commercial world that seems to be the most popular or feasible? Boy, that’s a million dollar question, Steve. why why don’t you book a yeah, we can talk about that.

You know, I I’m never gonna be one that’s ever gonna sit here and tout one software solution over another software solution. I think a lot of time a lot of times, Steve, it’s gonna have to go to to three different factors. One, what fits your eye and your mouse, two, what is easy for you to use, and three, what is the output look like that your clients are gonna use?

Yeah, because there’s a lot of software solutions out there. I’ve done we’ve done building your business podcasts with at least four of that you can go back and listen look, listen to and research on. But at the end of the day, you know, it’s it’s what fits best for you. Okay. you know, I I I I I usually I usually get a little snarky and say that most of the solutions out there were built for home inspections and not for commercial inspections.

But but I’m not saying those are bad or bad or good. I’m just saying that most of them were built for home inspections. Yeah. Seems like it. Yep. Research.

Guest (45:06)
Do your

Rob Claus (45:07)
Yeah. Check out check out the software partners that we have on our website. And I think you’re gonna find something that’s gonna fit best for you. All right. Thanks for everything. I appreciate it. Yep. Be safe, guys. Okay. Take care, y’all. Bye-bye.