Lamar arrived at Global Electronics on time and was soon greeted by Mr. Detweiler. Their conversation went as Lamar planned: He would do 80% of the listening and 20% of the talking, a proven but seldom used tactic. He also wanted to make sure any information he received or conveyed was factual. He purposely sought to ask questions in order to clarify the client’s wants, needs, and priorities. Once he’d summarized the overall position of the client, he would explain in concise, direct language how his company could satisfy, perform, and deliver those directives.
Their conversation was quick. They had been meeting for 30 minutes when Fred interrupted and summoned his assistant. “Cindy, can you book us a table at Che Moir for 12:15? And, Lamar, do you like veal?” Lamar nodded. “Great. And cancel my 1:30; I’m gonna be tied up for a while.” Lamar and Fred got along well. When they’d finished lunch, Fred said that he wanted to talk things over with his wife, and that he’d be getting back to Lamar before the end of the week about the possibility of working together. “That sounds great, Fred. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”
Lamar was ecstatic. In his line of work he had all kinds of clients with a variety of quirks, assumptions, goals, and knowledge. He had never met someone as easy to get along with as Fred Detweiler. Fred was a seasoned home buyer. He had been with Global Electronics for nearly 23 years and had resided in six different cities. He and his wife had built homes and hired out numerous remodeling projects. They’d become experienced contracting consumers as a result of their interactions with the entire gamut of building professionals over the years. “I want to work for this family,” Lamar thought.
On Wednesday morning he received a call from Fred. “Lamar, my wife and I want to hire you to help us draw up plans, generate a budget, and build us a house. Are you up for that?” “Yes I am!” “Good. Now, I want you to draw up an agreement so that you and your company are compensated for your time during the plan development phase of our little custom home project. And then we’ll enter into another contract for the actual construction of the home. That way we can work together, and I don’t have to worry that we are taking advantage of your experience and expertise without paying for it. And, by the way, can you do lunch tomorrow?” “Sure,” an excited Lamar responded.
At lunch, Fred further explained why he and his wife had selected Lamar. “We’ve met with several builders and architects during the last six to eight weeks,” he explained. “None of them listened to us. You asked me to outline our goals, wishes, wants, and needs for the project. You were the consummate professional. Our conclusions were confirmed when we contacted your references, and they all stated that you were consistently about the client and project first, and that the money was a secondary issue. And the overriding, compelling quality that my wife and I observed was that you were polite, helpful, and giving at that first encounter when you stepped in to help me at the church coffee.”
Enough said.
Dennis A. Dixon is an author, contractor, and speaker with 23 years of experience in the building industry. He can be reached at dixven@aol.com.
