MARKETplace
Business intelligence
for appraisers
By Rob
Engelman
RELATIONSHIPS 101
Going beyond sales tricks and contact
lists to grow your business
AS SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS AND
ENTREPRENEURS, professional real estate
appraisers often must juggle daily administrative
duties with financial responsibilities and general
business logistics — and that’s in addition to
conducting appraisals and generating corresponding reports. With so many tasks demanding
your attention, it may be easy to neglect strategic
and proactive business-development activities.
But falling into that habit is a big mistake.
When it comes to business development, you
can’t just sit there and wait for the phone to ring;
being proactive and making connections has to
be a top priority — otherwise, you’ll be out of
business. So, in a sense, business development
and relationship management are really one and
the same.
In other words, growing your business means
going beyond traditional sales techniques. It means
establishing and building good rapport with clients,
referral sources and other business associates.
relationships are a two-way
street, involving trust, honesty
and flexibility.
With a little strategic thought
and a healthy dose of networking, you can grow
your business by remembering other people’s
needs. Here are some tips to help you establish
meaningful business relationships:
■ Network, network, network. Almost any
activity — joining a group or professional association, attending a workshop or conference,
even mingling at a luncheon or cocktail party —
is an opportunity to introduce yourself to people
who could directly or indirectly help your business. And remember: Your networking energy
is wasted if you don’t follow up with those you
meet, so always ask to trade business cards.
■ In any exchange, ask how you can help
that person — then shut up and listen.
Refrain from dominating the
conversation. Instead, invest
some time in asking prospective clients or contacts what
they do and how you can help
them grow their business or
achieve some goal. You may
be surprised at what you learn
and at the positive impression
you make.
■ Be a matchmaker.
Appraisal professionals
often serve a wide range of
industries, so identify and connect clients and
colleagues who could do business together.
(Before you know it, you’ll likely find yourself on
the receiving end of such goodwill.) Of course,
your reputation is on the line when you recommend
or refer someone, so it’s best to vouch only for
those you know and trust.
FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS
At their core, business relationships are still
human relationships. Your BlackBerry or iPhone
may be full of “contacts,” but if you only call
to sell your services, those individuals may
start avoiding you. Healthy and productive
Growing your
business means
establishing and
building good
rapport with
clients, referral
sources and
other business
associates.
NETWORKING
KNOW-HOW
The best teachers understand that
reaching many different students
requires a variety of teaching
