"Accidental" Success
Have you ever gained business "by accident"?
I have . . . sort of . . . and it just happened again.
We live in a small community and tend to watch out for each other. I saw one of my former tenants doing something shady to his new Landlord. I did some research, found out who the new Landlord was, and sent her a facebook message with a warning. She never responded.
18 months later, I receive a facebook message from her. It had been so long that I forgot that I had even contacted her! She said everything was fine and I must have her confused with someone else. I explained that my message was 18 months old. She admitted that tenant was causing problems but he moved away. She thanked me for watching out for her. End of story.
Two weeks later she calls me and admits she actually is having problems with one of her tenants. It turns out they are apparently $4,000 behind in rent and utilities and ignoring her notice to vacate. I explain my process for removing tenants (it does not involve Guido) and she decides to hire me for full-time management of her properties.
Some would say I gained a new client "by accident" but I disagree. I didn't give her a sales pitch or ask for her business, but I did what I always do: I just offered my expertise.demonstrate my knowledge of the market and offered some free assistance. My willingness to help without expectation spoke volumes and she knew I would be the right person to manage her properties when the time came.
I don't believe in accidents or good luck. I believe in hard work, honesty, and persistence. The more you swing the bat, the more likely you are to hit the ball.
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