Had a meeting

[Jeff 232]

You know me when something goes on in my biz I like to bring it here and tell all of you folks. Its another story about call, write, fax and now about meeting the people who give us work, plus how persistance pays off!

I told you some days ago about a PM from a PM company that I've been targeting for over 2 years. He said he had seen several of my fliers etc come across his desk.

I talked to him a few times this past several days and we did a small pool area/clubhouse for him. Now this pool area was disgusting and this PM had just taken the property over from another PM company. While doing this pool area one of the board members and several residents came by and commented on how clean we were getting it and how it has looked like crap for a long time and they were thanking me for cleaning it up. Well I had known there other PM company because they had called me about a year ago to bid on the 8 buildings of this complex and even after repeated calls they never got back to me and the buildings a year later hadnt been cleaned.

I like to promote and talk up the PM companies that hire me when ever I can. So as I was talking to that HOA board member I brought up the PM and he started telling me the PM co. is new for them and I told the man that this PM company has a real good reputation and Im sure they will be happy with them, I also took the opportunity to mention to the HOA member that I had bid these buildings a year ago and had no responce. The board member said they know they need cleaning but hadnt ever seen any proposals. I asked him if he's like me to submit a proposal to the PM company and he said yes.

So now I had talked several time to this PM and I mentioned to him that Id be submitting a proposal and I asked him if he had anymore properties he would like me to look at and he did he gave me 3 other properties to look at, not huge properties but properties at an end of town that are in a nice high end area.

While calling and talking to this PM. I liked talking with him he seemed a little different from most of the PM's I talk to, he was a little more course in conversations , you know he'd swear and bullshit with me over the phone and I kept calling him Sir or Mr. ----- and he kept telling me to call im by his 1st name. I told him I called him Sir etc out of habit and he said your in the south now and it isnt disrespectful to use 1st names and if I didnt start using his 1st name he'd start calling me a name I wouldnt like. Funny guy this PM is

Well back to the meeting I had with him this Friday. Theres a few PM's Ive never personally met, I get calls from many and I call them but have never met. Well this year with the experience Ive gotten doing this PW work I have a little more confidence and Ive been trying to meet with every PM I know or who calls and Ive met many of them now. I figure I may not be mister smooth but Im sincere guy with a biz and a service that is needed by them and meeting them they may see that.

So Friday I try to fax this PM the proposals he had me do, but the fax machine just kept ringing busy. I had told him I would get the proposal to him by the end of the week and I dont like not meeting a date I set, so I called him and told him the fax wasnt working and is there any way I could come to him and give him the proposals . I know he's a real busy guy, He said a couple times to me " I'm up to my ass in alligators" Busy funny guy. I told him I would meet him anywhere to get these proposals to him and I told him I'd like to meet him. He set a time for 2pm so I finished what I was doing on another complex and told my guys what to do next and I took off to go meet this guy. I shot home washed upped and put on a clean shirt and went to go meet him.

Heck of a nice guy swears like a sailor , which is unusual compared to most other PM's & GM's Ive met. I gave him the proposals thanked him for having me look at his properties and started telling him what we offer. Then he thanked me. He told me the HHOA member I talked to was real impressed with the work we did at the pool and how I said that the PM company was a good one. I had submtted the proposal for the buildings of that property Tuesday along with a proposal for the sidewalks. Well the PM & that board had met Thursday and they now want me to do the job plus the concrete. Totally cool. The PM said I made his job easier and the property member and a few others liked the work and wanted us to do it without any other companies bidding, they excepted my bid!!!! I wondered if my price was high when I submitted it, because these building are going to be a PITA because its all rough stucco and rough painted wood siding with a ton of spider webs which are a PITA to get off rough siding. I had told this PM that and explained it in my proposal. I got the job and we do it in a little over a month COOL!!

So at this meeting I asked him how he heard about me. He repeated that he had seen my fliers that I faxed and a letter I sent his boss, he's been working for this PM company since June 05. He said he hadnt needed me till recently and he was going to call me eventually. He said to me , that I just dont give up and he liked that. Then he said he was out with a freind who's another PM at a different company and they were talking and he was talking about some of the upcoming projects he needed done and the freind told him to call this company, that does real good work..... MY COMPANY !!!!! he told me he laughed because of all the times he had seen my fliers & cards, The freind ended up bein one of the 1st few PM's that used me a couple years ago and I still do several little things for him yearly.

Well I was getting excited because of how well the conversation was going and I was still trying to tell him what I offer and the PM told me I dont have to sell him anymore. He said he was going to have me look at all his properties and with the other 3 props that I gave him proposal on he wanted me to go look at the last 3 props of his. COOL!!!!! He said its hard to find a good contractor and he thinks he found one in me.

You know I love this ****. We talked a little longer and he gave me directions to his other properties and I thanked him for the opportunity to work & bid on his properties. Then I threw in if he could please tell other PM's in his company about me and he said "You know you just dont give up do you" I said NOPE, I love this biz and you guys are my money. We parted ways and I feel, I know, this is the start of a good relationship.

Once again the moral of this story is "persistance" I never knew if all my faxes & letters were ever being read at this company, for over 2 years I sent them stuff and never heard anything from them. Well now I know they saww them "YAY"

So to all you guys that arent established yet and want to grow your company do some of the things I do, Fax, write, call. I guess I'll have to add to that list "meet the customer" and sell sell sell

Once again another long post, but I get so excited when a plan comes together I just have to share it with you all. I already told my wife & Mother about this and now I had to tell you all. Thanks for letting me share TGS

Guess what I did before I started writing this post? YUP I just faxed several fliers and I wrote to one head of a large PM company for at least the 9th or 10th time, who knows he might call in a year or next week, I might never hear from him, but I might !!!!! So FAX, WRITE, CALL & SELL SELL SELLLLLLLL

I've heard some say PM's dont give a crap & arent loyal, I say BULL, Do good work, deliver on time and be persistant, you'l get them to call time & time again. PM's are just like anyone else. If I find someone or a company that is good I stick with them. I think I'll get this PM to stick wit me

I LOVE THIS BIZ !!!

Well as he says "I'm up to my ass in alligators" got some proposl to do see YA

JL

[James 624]

Great stuff Jeff..

[PRESSURE PACKED 14]

when you send a letter to a property management company do mean your newsletter

[Jeff 232]

when you send a letter to a property management company do mean your newsletter

I do send Newsletters but I'm talking about a regular letter. If I have a PM's name or I just address it to Property Mang. Dept.

Having a name I send them a letter of introduction , telling them what I offer and why PWing is important. Then I'll send follow up letter or letters

I have my wife proof read them for spelling and usually have to cut them down, because you know me I write to much and they aree just to long.

JL

[Mike Williamson 198]

I do send Newsletters but I'm talking about a regular letter. If I have a PM's name or I just address it to Property Mang. Dept.

Having a name I send them a letter of introduction , telling them what I offer and why PWing is important. Then I'll send follow up letter or letters

I have my wife proof read them for spelling and usually have to cut them down, because you know me I write to much and they aree just to long.

JL

Do you have any examples of letters you wouldn't mind sharing? I'm moving in that direction, but haven't been able to come up with anything I'm happy with.

[Jeff 232]

Here's a couple Mike. I'm sure they could be better but I figure something is better than nothing, Hey they work!!!!

Your a smart guy and know how to word stuff well, so go write something and get it to them

Good luck

JL

[Mike Williamson 198]

Here's a couple Mike. I'm sure they could be better but I figure something is better than nothing, Hey they work!!!!

Your a smart guy and know how to word stuff well, so go write something and get it to them

Good luck

JL

Cool! Thanks! Maybe these will give me the jumpstart I need to get something written!

[John Doherty 126]

Good stuff Jeff!!!