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New licensee. How to build reputation and earn clients?
Norman_Oklahoma replied 3 years, 10 months ago 19 Members · 26 Replies
Warning. Some advice provided above appears to be reckless for one of your tender years. Being an expert in one very narrow thing may allow one to go out on their own with only a few years of experience. Operating a successful business has little to do with being an expert in one very narrow thing. Few of us operating our own firms have such an extremely narrow focus. And, less than half of our work time is spent on that at which we are most expert. If you want to focus on doing what you do best you need to have others handling everything else that is involved with the business, from taxes to making sure there is toilet paper where toilet paper should be found. Phone calls, texts, emails, conferences with clients, bid submittals, making sure there is an adequate supply of ink on hand for the printer, getting the survey chariot’s oil changed, acquiring a fresh supply of various expendables (bars for example) and on and on and on are not necessarily survey work. They are work a surveyor does only if no one else is available to handle that. Those hours cost money. They do not make money, except on rare occasions.
This is why large, multidisciplinary firms come into existence. Their goal is to keep the experts doing those things that require their expert knowledge and talents. The supporting staff from custodial services to the wheeler dealer who schmoozes potential big clients do what they are best at doing. They are not out at the job site doing real surveying.
Here is what I’ve learned: do exactly what you promise and when you promise, for what you promise it will cost. Do not make unforced errors, do not rush or compromise to please or impress: they will drop you like a Kleenex at their own misunderstanding of our profession, and they will jump to the next surveyor who comes along with a cheaper offer. The clients you want will find you
@andy-j 2nd for the Beardslee book/PDF
- Posted by: @holy-cow
This is why large, multidisciplinary firms come into existence. Their goal is to keep the experts doing those things that require their expert knowledge and talents. The supporting staff from custodial services to the wheeler dealer who schmoozes potential big clients do what they are best at doing.
And incidentally, they can be an excellent place to pick up additional survey skills, as well as some of those ancillary skills, prior to going out on your own. They can also pay pretty well depending on all the variables…
“…people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” -Neil Postman Wow! Thanks for all the replies! There??s too many to respond to all of them, but I??ll try to hit the high spots.
I??ve asked for a more client facing role, but those requests have basically fallen on deaf ears.
I think I really want to get into boundaries, Actual boundary work, not deed staking. I like subdivisions and residential developments pretty well too. I don??t mind highways and heavy construction, but they aren??t my calling.
The good news is my wife is starting grad school soon, so I??ll have at least another couple of years of learning and networking before I take the plunge.
I don’t know if this has been suggested already, but if you bring clients into your current employer it will greatly increase your standing in the firm. When the time comes there is a very good chance that those clients will follow you wherever you go. And the taking will be guilt free. If you can pull it off it’s a great way to set your self up.
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