One Little Move Destroys Your Reputation

A friend of mine is considering getting out of the real estate sales market. He’s tired of the ups/downs. Don’t blame him.

So he’s been looking at other sales opportunities. One came a long–a large company that does high-end Handyman work. They needed a sales person so he sent his resume. He thought he’d be good at this — knowing as much as he does about residential real estate. Nothing. Not even a form email that said, “We’re so sorry. That position is filled.” Nothing.

So, at my request, he called the outsource staffing company to follow up. He was told, rudely and indignantly, that he need not call back–the position had been filled already.

Companies Spend Millions to Build a Brand. And It’s Over In Seconds.

Think about the absurdity of this. This Handyman company is a consumer company. Virtually EVERY potential candidate for the job is ALSO a candidate for a $50,000 remodel. So, what do they do? They piss off the very person who’s a potential prospect.

PLUS, he’s a realtor. How many people do you suppose he meets each week who are prospects for the Handyman services? And how many realtors does he know that he could refer Handyman to?

The bottom line is that this little mistake they made won’t show up anywhere on their P&L. But it will be costly.

You never know who you’re talking to. And you never know when who you’re talking to will tell stories to your real prospects. It’s a shame to ruin your reputation for no reason at all. If you’re an owner and you’re outsourcing important components of your sales cycle, be VERY careful. Your brand hangs in the balance.

Think about all the ways you build your brand or destroy it.

FlickrPhoto by Evisibility.com