28 | BUSINESS AIPP column WORDS |Mark Sharp
BUSINESS
www.opp.org.uk | FEBRUARY 2011
Being honest helps
The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde in which the protagonists maintain fi ctitious personas in order to escape the burden of their obligations. Does that sound like the overseas property industry to you? It will be those who champion customer service, reliability, transparency, integrity and honesty who will endure … just like the reputation of Wilde’s play.
you are honest. Be clear and concise … which does not mean that you have to open up the accounts to all employees … it means involving them and making them feel trusted and important. If you do this, you will be able to keep quality staff on side … and never forget that staff costs are likely to be the biggest bill that your business has to pay each month.
T It is far better to tell them of how
the business is doing and what the plans are for the year. You are far more likely to keep valued staff by making them feel valued and wanted … and far more likely to lose them if they feel undervalued.
Clients will also appreciate your
honesty. Some businesses think that they are being clever by introducing smoke and mirrors before the sale.
he importance of honesty in business is paramount. Your employees will appreciate it if
Cut that out and let them see why they should work with you – without all of the fi ne print.
Be upfront in your sales
discussions about your costs and you will fi nd that potential clients soon become customers. Some of the biggest assets you have are your current customers. If something happens that they
should know about – tell them. When something is going wrong, let them know. This all sounds simple to say, but
can be hard to do. Too many overseas property fi rms shy away from this sort of honesty because they fear losing a client. However, by being honest and transparent, you may gain an even bigger sale in the future. Finally, are you being honest with yourself? Ensure that you take time to review and assess your business on a regular basis, and don’t be afraid to
look at changing your business model if the current set-up is not working. It is important that the business is working as effi ciently as you think it should be. Toolkits that can help you maximise your business. It’s important that you don’t rely
on a single strategy for sales. In an unregulated industry whose reputation is sadly lacking in honesty and transparency it is essential that you employ a number of sales techniques that ensure that your business refl ects the service your clients deserve. Ensure that you have your
Professional Indemnity Insurance as part of your sales pack. Wherever possible make sure you use a
“Be upfront about your sales costs and you will fi nd potential clients soon become customers”
standard form of contract or reservation form with clear business terms and conditions, highlighting any special considerations. Ensure that all staff are adequately trained and remember ... “ignorance is not defence at law”.
Look serious | Act with honesty and integrity ... it wins business in the long run
And join a professional body. Whilst many associations offer individual membership, the AIPP offers business membership which encompasses all of those who work within the business. The importance of professional body membership cannot be underestimated … especially if the business concerned is working in an industry that does not have regulation to fall back on. However, it is not all bad news, where regulation exists, people will work to that regulation and this can lead to short cuts and working to the
Professor Mark Sharp is the chief executive of AIPP. He has more than 14 years of board level experience in the internatioanl property industry. Visit AIPP at:
www.aipp.org.uk
letter of the law. And where there is no regulation, just a reliance on voluntary and self-regulated standards, this can actually be extremely benefi cial. Standards can be raised and this is particularly important in the overseas property sector.
Our industry is no different to any other activity … the more you work with experts in the fi eld, the higher your own standards will become. This is a good way to improve not just your own business but also the standards of the industry as a whole. If your business is important to you … run it as a business and not as a part-time hobby. Do the right things to make it prosper in a solid and reliable way. And, as I said at the beginning
of this piece, it will be those businesses that value customer service, integrity and honesty that will prosper and grow. Our industry is not a farcical
play looking to escape burdensome obligations; it is a maturing industry that is looking to be taken seriously. It is also an industry where
consumer confi dence is an essential ingredient that cannot be taken for granted. Also, membership of your professional body is not to be taken lightly because it not only represents you but also gives reassurance and recourse to the consumers that will be ensuring your business continues. Make sure that your customers are getting the standard of service that they deserve.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68