Instructed by Bill Erickson

1. The Marketing Plan Instructed by Bill Erickson

2. Day 2: • A) ClassPresentations • B) Get Started Binder • 1. Marketing • Implementation • 2. Web library resources • 3. E-mail marketing • resources • 4. To do lists • Day 1: • A) Marketing Plan Presentation • 1. Marketing Strategy • 2. Objectives & Tactics • B) Selling 101 • 1.One-on-one selling skills • 2. Open House selling • role play • C) Referral Source Marketing • 1. Promotions & tools • 2. Networking/marketing to • agents Marketing Agenda

3. A Solid Foundation 1) Determine your services & prices 2) Match services to customer segments 3) Select promotion strategies for obtaining and maintaining customers 4) Implement tactics to carry out your strategy Your Marketing Plan

4. Services and Pricing • Check on your competition, services/fees (phone,visit websites) • Set reasonable inspection fees • Check with other NPI/GPI franchisees in your state/province for their list of services/fees

5. Competitor Analysis Your Service Features/Benefits Your Competitors’ Features/Benefits • Computerized reporting/ Time saved/ Ease of use • Training/ Confidence/Reduced liability • State of the art equipment/Thorough inspection • Insured/ Confidence/Peace of mind • Availability/ Convenience/ Simplicity • Re-inspection service/ Peace of mind/ Value • Moderate pricing/ Value Their reputation Strengths/weaknesses ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

6. “Well-rounded” Diversified Business • More stable business • More growth for your business • More valuable business • Refer to list of services/Avg. fees Provide a variety of inspection services to multiple market segments: Residential, commercial, buyers, sellers, banks,

7. Services Primary Inspection Services: • Home buyer preclosing • Home seller prelisting • Employee relo (origin) • Builder warranty 11th month • New construction draw/phase/final • Commercial inspections for • owners, buyers, tenants • 7) Field Service/Misc.

8. Common Add On Services These vary by geographic area, licensing, local protocol, etc. Radon Monitoring Well potability test/Sampling Septic System inspection Pool/Spa Termite (WDI or WDO)

9. Home Buyer Inspections Buyer Pre-closing inspections • Primarily via Realtors • Web • Inspection clause in purchase agreement

10. Home Seller Inspections Seller’s Pre-listing Inspections • Sells homes faster • Brings top dollar • Promote via agents

11. Relo Most Relo companies will require you to submit the ERC report format Usually inspecting homes at point of origin, not destination Estimate repair costs used to determine home value Promote by contacting the Relo companies on the NPI/GPI Field Service list Most companies pay $185-200 to start plus add-ons Employee Relocation Inspections

12. Builder’s Warranty Inspections • “11th month” inspections • For new home owners. All components/workmanship • Regular home inspection, regular NPI report. (Ask homeowner for a list of concerns) • Promote through direct mail and referrals. Need list or door hangers

13. Builder’s Warranty Inspections • NPI’s Centralized Direct Mail Program • Mailed from our mail shop in Omaha $.70 per household complete. • Pre-printed door hangers for you to distribute. • Neighborhood referrals from your recent customers. Leave them brochures, coupons or cards to pass out. Offer a $15 gift card referral reward per customer they refer. • Optional postcards

14. New Construction • Draw Inspections • (Progress/Percentage completion) • Residential & Commercial • For Banks • National draw inspection companies • Report forms available in the Web library or • provided by the bank or company • Market to banks and sign up with national • companies (NPI Field Service List)

15. New Construction • Phase and/or Final Inspections • Mostly Residential • Quality of construction • Local buyers • Obtain mostly via Realtor referrals • Market to agents who work with builders!

16. Your Services • Field Services Industry Inspections • Residential • Commercial • Field service companies act as a clearinghouse • of inspections for insurance companies, mortgage • servicers and banks. • Market by signing up with companies on the NPI • Field Service List.

17. Your Services • Property Preservation Tasks: • Window replacement board up • Lock change • Lawn service • Debris removal • Pool covering • Water pumping • Bids/Estimates • Winterization • Promote by contacting companies on the Field Service List.

18. Commercial Property Inspections Customers are: 1) Buyers (pre closing due diligence) 2) Existing owners (maintenance or lease inspections)* 3) Tenants (leases)* *Triple net leases hold the tenant responsible for maintenance and repairs often including HVAC. Commercial Property Inspections

19. Commercial Property Inspections Promoting Commercial Inspections • Web: • Your website. • NPI’s website www.npicommercial.com attracts clients and from our corporate Google Adwords advertising campaign. • NPI has a number of national accounts that order commercial inspections. • Contact your local commercial brokers. Unlike residential agents, commercial brokers don’t refer as often. They need education. Offer to present to the brokers.

20. Specialties: HUD 203(k) Property rehab/loan program requiring a HUD 203(k)consultant/inspector to assist with monitoring the construction including draw inspections where repairs are over $35,000. To become a 203(k) consultant you need training (seminar) and a minimum of 3 year construction or inspection related experience. HUD 203(k) Program Consultant:

21. Specialties: Expert Witness Lend Your expertise as a home inspector: To attorneys, for law suits, arbitration and mediation services. Charge a fee for your expert opinion. (Over phone, in court, etc.) Sign up at www.lawcheck.net Example: A homeowner sues their home builder for repairs for poor workmanship. Their attorney needs your expert opinion or testimony. . Expert Witness

22. Marketing Strategy How do you Obtain and Maintain Inspection Clients? • 1) You gain Referrals from professionals • and past customers • 2) You obtain business Directly from • consumers

23. Marketing Strategy Who are your Referral sources? • 1) Real estate agents • 2) Banks/lenders • 3) Past customers • 4) Other professionals (attorneys, • insurance agents, networking • groups, etc.)

24. Marketing Strategy Why Referral Source Marketing? • 1) Provides repeat business • 2) Economical & Targeted: • no mass advertising

25. Marketing Strategy Obtaining Initial Referrals: • 1) Requires constant contact/communication • 2) Email, print, personal contact • 3) Getting to know your leads, building trust • 4) TRUST leads to REFERRALS

26. Strategy for marketing to agents is: Positive Attitude. We “Partner” with agents to assist them in completingtransactionswhile providing an unbiased inspection service to their clients. We help to reduce agents’ liability. 2. Maintain constant contact by email, print, and in person w/ potential and existing referring agents. 3. As a result, potential referring agents will think of you when they are looking for a new inspector and existing referring agents won’t forget you. Marketing to Agents

27. Agent marketing (cont.): 4) The more they trust you the more they will refer you. 5) Network with agents to meet other agents. 6) Better to get introduced by an existing referring agent or office mgr. than to cold call them. See Kim’s Promotion training for tactics for working with agents. Marketing to Agents

28. Marketing Strategy Maintaining Ongoing Referrals 1) Requires constant contact and communication 2) Depends on your performance and customer satisfaction

29. Marketing to Banks Commercial Banks 1)Draw inspections on new home construction 2) Commercial mortgage underwriting 3) REOs (Real Estate Owned) foreclosure Inspections and property preservation services. Call and survey each bank to identify the decision maker. Mail intro letter/brochure, follow up to set a meeting. See How to Market to Banks in web library.

30. 1) Read/study “how to network,” to promote yourself. 2) Network within the real estate community, to meet real estate professionals. 3) Join your local real estate association and volunteer to assist them. 4) Join a formal networking group (e.g. BNI) to improve your networking skills, to broaden your network beyond just real estate professionals. Networking Learn to Network

31. Marketing Strategy Obtaining business directly from customers (not referred) 1) Customers who respond to your advertising 2) Customers who find you on the web

32. Marketing Strategy Advertising to consumers • 1) Should be targeted--avoid mass • marketing • 2) Example: builder warranty • Inspection marketing (mail list) • 3) Google Adwords(web)for those looking • for your services

33. Advertising to Consumers Web: Your Web site at www.npiweb.com/your name See examples of inspector home pages at: www.npiweb.com/test

34. Advertising to Consumers Promote your business online Google local providers (Listed above regular search results) Yahoo Local (top of regular search results) MSN Local ***FREE sign up with the above. See your back folder in this manual for instructions on signing up with directories.

35. Online Directories 1) www.homeinspections-usa.com(largest and most effective) $250/yr. (1st yr. $50-Discount with marketingcode “NPI”) 2) Inspector directory:www.inspectopia.com 3) See the NPI/GPI list of various other online directories such as superpages, etc. 3) AOL and Yahoo free yellow pages. You must submit.

36. Advertising on Internet • Ads on Google, Yahoo, Bing (PPC Pay per click). • Keyword driven –Campaigns for each service: ”Home, commercial Inspections, radon testing, etc.” • Drive visitors to your NPI Web site • Target your local area and those searching for inspectors in your area from out of area • NPI Marketing Dept. can help set up your campaigns

37. Advertising to Consumers Recommended Print Publications: 1. Yellow page directories (not as popular as web) 2. FSBO publications (homes 4sale by owner) 3. Local Realtor Association Newsletters (targeted at agents) IMPORTANT - MANDATORY!!!!ALL OF YOUR PRINT ADS/FLIERS/COUPONS/E-BROCHURES AND ANY OTHER PRINTED MATERIALS DISTRIBUTED MUST INCLUDE THE PHRASE: “INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED”

38. Advertising to Consumers Tip: Consumers typically only respond to inspector’s ads after they have found a home and realize they need an inspector, not when they are searching for a home. NOTE:Be cautious of other “home for sale” publications as traditionally they haven’t produced business. Also avoid newspaper ads. However, if you run an ad, be sure to include a $25 or $50 coupon to compel the consumer to take action!