Seems almost every situation in our lives is centered on communication. Good or bad, the way we express our thoughts, wants, and needs to each other determines how we live, love, and learn together.

As a guy who is a regular on the seminar circuit, does a live radio show, an HGTV television show, writes books, columns, and articles, and all the while runs a thriving home inspection company, I get to do a great amount of communicating. Some of that communication is by transmitting; some of it is by receiving. After much reflection, I have come to the conclusion that nothing is learned when we transmit, but great gains come from receiving. That is to say, we learn when we listen, not when we speak.

Not a day goes by that I am not listening to Realtors. Most days I listen to more than a few, some days more than a dozen, and on occasion, I listen to hundreds at a single seminar sitting. The things Realtors tell me help me get better. Better at home inspecting, better at dealing with customers, better on the radio, just better at every aspect of my professional life! But all that input is not without moments. Those moments range from the amazing to the zealous, sad to humorous, and brilliant to well, less than brilliant!

One of my favorite Realtor quotes follow, complete with my thoughts and commentary. A disclaimer before we begin, if this particular quote sounds like you, know that none of what follows is from a single source, but representative of things I hear on a near daily basis.

"You don't need a home inspection, you're getting a home warranty".

Seems to make sense to some that if items are warranted, their condition is of little importance. But among the problems with this thought are:

1. All items that might fail may not be warranted, and
2. Items presently not functioning would be exempted from coverage as an existing problem.

When explaining the relationship of the home inspection to the home warranty, consider the home inspection to be a physical exam and the warranty to be health insurance. Would you ever expect to hear someone say, "you don't need a physical exam, you've got health insurance"? Doesn't seem to make much sense, does it? That is essentially what we are saying to our customers with the "you don't need a home inspection, you are getting a home warranty" comment!

Let's flip it around now. How about "you don't need a home warranty, you are getting a home inspection". Here's the medical equivalent, "you don't need health insurance, you just had a physical exam"!

Insane!

In so many instances, when I have been able to explain a new or complex home related issue to a customer in equivalent medical terms, they suddenly get it. They seem to understand and are now comfortable. Clearly, most homebuyers are not in the medical profession, but the language is familiar to them. Must be from watching ER or Marcus Welby reruns!

So be clear in your communications with your customers. Be ready and able to clearly articulate a compelling argument for anything you wish to say. And above all, EDUCATE your customers. Educate them on why they need a home inspection, a home warranty, or whatever the subject is. Teach them how to choose a qualified home inspector. Teach them how to make a good decision on any real estate subject or issue. They will love you for it!

Wallace Conway

Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inc., the home inspection company he founded in 1994. Beginning as a sole practitioner, he evolved rapidly to become one of the largest firms in Florida. Wally?s rapid growth caught the attention of entrepreneurs in a broad range of business seeking solutions to their expansion questions. Everyone wanted to know, how do you grow from ?me to we??

Wally?s business beginnings were anything but traditional. Twenty-eight days after graduating from high school, he was off to the U.S. Naval Academy. Graduating from Annapolis was the beginning of a career as a Navy Pilot flying from the decks of aircraft carriers, and included service during Desert Storm. Shortly before retirement, Wally realized that he had never had a ?real job? or even been on a job interview. He reasoned he was probably the only person who would really hire him; starting a business seemed like the best and only choice. This ?need one-start one-build one? attitude has taken Wally on a grand journey of business development.

Wally is a multi-media darling who has grown his business by turning marketing into a profit center. He is a regularly featured expert on the HGTV hit series ?House Detectives?, co-host of the series ?House Calls?, and host of ?The Happy Home Inspector? radio show each week. Wally even turned his enthusiasm for educating into a book, ?The Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector?. When the problem of finding cost-effective marketing materials for his inspection company became too frustrating, Wally founded Missile Marketing, a company that targeted the needs of home inspection businesses. Not only did this move bring the lands greatest marketing tools to his company, it actually made a profit selling marketing solutions to businesses across the U.S. and Canada!

The underlying theme to Wally?s approach to business growth and development is that beneath every business expense lies a potential profit center. Wally?s wit, wisdom, and wealth of real world experience are certain to inform, enlighten, and entertain!