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I'd Be Kidding Both of Us ...

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(@kent-mcmillan)
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Just to follow up on a recent thread, today the telephone brought an inquiry from a fellow wanting to have a topographic survey made. He (1) identified himself as a commercial real estate broker and (2) wanted to see about getting a "bid" to make a survey of some specific parcel.

Answer1: "I'm afraid that I've got so much work on my schedule right now that I'd be kidding both of us to tell you I could get to yours as quickly as I'm sure you'd like to have it."

Answer2: "I can recommend the name of a surveyor who I have every reason to think would be a good choice for your project. I'd call ____________ and see whether he isn't in a position to help you out."

The general idea is that if you want to turn work away and it doesn't sound like a junk project (which this one didn't), refer the caller to a reputable surveyor as a public service.

 
Posted : October 18, 2016 6:23 pm
nate-the-surveyor
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Very good.

 
Posted : October 18, 2016 7:15 pm
holy-cow
(@holy-cow)
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I do something much like that somewhat frequently. There is far more work available than what I wish to concern myself with. Net profit is much more attractive than gross income.

 
Posted : October 18, 2016 7:20 pm
(@kent-mcmillan)
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Note that this costs the practitioner nothing if he had already decided not to consider doing the work, but it helps divert a member of the public from seeking out El Cheapo Rapido & Associates while also probably keeping his future expectations of the rate structure within realistic limits.

 
Posted : October 18, 2016 8:08 pm
a-harris
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I'd say that the caller was probably given your name by another caller and will continue with his list seeking that lowballer.
Admit it or not, they all have a list..........

 
Posted : October 18, 2016 8:17 pm

(@kent-mcmillan)
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A Harris, post: 395914, member: 81 wrote: I'd say that the caller was probably given your name by another caller and will continue with his list seeking that lowballer. Admit it or not, they all have a list

That can be true, but isn't always. Probably roughly 2/3 of the referrals I make actually turn into commissions to do the work. At one end of the market, the real problem really is just finding the right surveyor to do what needs to be done, but the members of the public aren't sophisticated enough to talk about their needs except in terms of "bids".

What I gave to the surveyor to whom I referred the work was a prospective client who now should be more inclined to actually hire him to do it, since he came recommended. I see that as a win for the prospective client whose real need is to have the survey made correctly in a certain time frame and my colleague whose chances are improved above those dealing with the average caller just letting his fingers walk down the list of surveyors.

 
Posted : October 18, 2016 8:45 pm
holy-cow
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Chatted with a fellow yesterday who had called earlier thinking I might bid on what he thought was a simple project. He had already had a return call from another firm and was so shocked at the price range they mentioned he decided to abandon his plan. After confirming what he wanted done I pretty much told him the same sort of thing as the other firm. I even tossed out my own idea of the price range and he sort of groaned, suggesting my numbers were even higher. Of course, I may have boosted them a tad intentionally since I knew he wasn't going to ever spend any money on a survey. But, in the future, he won't be so quick to assume we all work for below minimum wage.

 
Posted : October 18, 2016 9:08 pm
(@imaudigger)
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Holy Cow, post: 395921, member: 50 wrote: Of course, I may have boosted them a tad intentionally since I knew he wasn't going to ever spend any money on a survey. But, in the future, he won't be so quick to assume we all work for below minimum wage.

Instead (due to the inflated cost), he will assume he cannot afford a survey and start googling "how to determine your property boundaries".

 
Posted : October 19, 2016 10:15 am
(@roadhand)
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and be in here asking questions soon :clink:

 
Posted : October 19, 2016 4:39 pm
thebionicman
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Another advantage of referring to a solid colleague is the relationship it builds. I have a very small group of folks I share work with. It has paid off for us and the clients.

 
Posted : October 19, 2016 8:21 pm

(@kent-mcmillan)
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thebionicman, post: 396105, member: 8136 wrote: Another advantage of referring to a solid colleague is the relationship it builds. I have a very small group of folks I share work with. It has paid off for us and the clients.

Yes, absolutely. There's never any harm in letting colleagues who you think are doing a good job know that someone is noticing and sending prospective clients to them is proof of that. The reality is that the odds are stacked agaainst someone who is just letting their fingers do the walking through the directory or google listings if they actually need to have something done in a manner that a more informed consumer would expect.

 
Posted : October 19, 2016 8:29 pm
stacy-carroll
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I was taught by a friend of my Dad's that any "professional networking" (his term) would pay huge dividends. I've found that his advice was right on the mark. Pretty good advice, even if it was from a lawyer!

 
Posted : October 20, 2016 3:59 am
(@mjp-pls)
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Holy Cow, post: 395903, member: 50 wrote: I do something much like that somewhat frequently. There is far more work available than what I wish to concern myself with. Net profit is much more attractive than gross income.

no truer words have ever been spoken! 🙂

 
Posted : October 20, 2016 5:08 am
holy-cow
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Much of my early experience in one county came because the local surveyor was aging. He didn't want to tackle the more rigorous projects any more. That really helped to get my name in front of many repeat clients over the years. I'm the one getting a little long in the tooth now.

In another case, a very experienced surveyor had relocated a few counties away from his longtime base and did not want to refer his callers to his longtime rival. He discovered some of my surveys in that area, liked them and called me up one day to ask if it would be OK for him to refer his callers to me.

Most of the time when someone calls wanting a survey done yesterday I will refer them to a couple other firms. I probably won't get to it for at least several weeks, so why be under the gun the whole time.

 
Posted : October 23, 2016 6:40 am