Honest Abe Sales Method

[n/a30]

The best sales practice is to be honest and truthful 100% of the time. You do not need to bubble with zeal or be overly promotional. It is the only technique I can use with a clear conscience.

It has been said that attraction works better than promotion.

Getting the public of being attracted to honesty and integrity is the key. Too many emotion-based people are far too influenced by impulse over diligent deliberation. That accounts for the sales of trendy items as tabloid rags at the checkout counter.

Everyone (including all consumers) needs to take the time to stop and think about their decisions. This thought process however is not the main stay of most advertising or marketing, which is often based on greed, sex, impulse, power, control, domination, and many forms of escapism.

Realistic serious deliberation can and often does take a back seat in the effort to close a sale when left to sales "manipulators."

In a glass almost empty view, the rule of the jungle is "manipulate or be manipulated."

Honest people know how to be genuine, socially concerned, and still persuasive without being coercive or manipulative. It is an art form worth practicing.

Think about it

[Inspectorjoe]

Well said, Al! I applaud your continual, determined dedication to honesty and integrity.

While I have your ear, I have a question. Actually, I asked it a few months back, but I'm figuring that you probably missed it. It's about a professional society that you apparently belong to.

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The Society of Engineers and Code Compliant Independent Inspectors sure sounds like an organization that would have pretty high membership requirements. It must be great to be able to display their logo prominently on your website as you do. Why, I'd imagine that if a buyer was trying to find an inspector by comparing credentials, your membership in SECCII might just sway him to choose you.

Just what are the membership requirements of SECCII? How many members does the society have? Are there continuing education requirements?

I'm sorry to bother you with this. I tried to find the info on my own, but I just can't seem to find any trace of this organization, anywhere. Googling it brings up just two results, both of which go back to your website. I just can't understand it.

Help me out, Al.

[MelB]

Joe,

Maybe the problem is that you searched for the wrong society. Carefully reading the logo reveals that it is the Society of "Engineerss" and "Indepenent" Inspectors.

[SonOfSwamp]

The misspellings on the logo are peculiar. Usually, a professional society has people to take care of things like that.

Even more peculiar (to me anyway) is the concept of a code-compliant inspector.

Gotta love this, uh, business...

WJ

[ozofprev]

It shows up under Google, but the site has been shut down. It was part of a school and the URL used to be www.do-dilligent.com. Honestly, it doesn't seem to exist anymore.

[Chad Fabry]

Hey,

I wasn't through playing with him yet...you guys lighten up!

[n/a30]

SECCII and GHIAA no longer exist as “member based organizations?

You can NOT JOIN either. There is still some opportunity for interface.

Many educational items however are for sale. 368 hours of PowerPoint presentations and dozens of instructional texts exists as produced by SECCII and GHIAA. I do not promote them much any more due to advertising costs.

The objectives of both SECCII and GHIAA organizations were an effort to raise the bar far above the level of the common run of the mill inspector. A prime cut above the rest, so to speak. I personally, have not been favorably impressed by the average Joe inspector's knowledge. The GHIAA organization was focused on upgrading the average Joe inspector.

There were not enough qualified inspectors to support the SECCII and GHIAA organizational effort. Therefore, the bar stays at the NACHI/ASHI/NAHI level with their assumed advantages and shortcomings.

Education and the ability to maintain consistent professionalism in service is still a worthy focal point.

My point in the original post is to say that "exploitive" and "manipulative" marketing is not in the best interests of the public. "Exploitive" and "manipulative" marketing is very common in the real estate business. Even with some inspectors they champion services that shady and heavily laden with entangling third party influences. That is just dirty business. If you do not believe me just look at all the inspectors that are in bed with the Brinks "kickback" program. Just count the undermining inspectors who “fill in the blank?out their services to real estate agents for referrals. It seems the problem of poor ethics in the industry as a whole never goes away.

Some of the mean spirited cruder (red neck) elements in the inspection industry actually do very little raise the bar and many have hinted that there should be little to no accountability for ethical infractions if it gets in the way of their profits. That alone is just reason to raise the bar to provide superior services than the norm. Note that some inspection associations side with the same groups of individuals/businesses who are heavily involved in on-going questionable practices. It gives a false sense of security to the public in relying on those who may not be worthy of “trust.?