On this rainy Monday morning I understand how difficult it is to get started on the to-do list you have for the day, so let me help you prolong that productivity for about five more minutes by telling you about the interview I had with Susan.
Just to back up a bit though I will tell you about the glass pane that I am looking through for the perspective of the interview I conducted with Susan. I am Susan’s intern and am attending college, at which I am taking an entrepreneurship and small business class. I had to seek out and interview three entrepreneurs, for which I chose Susan! She is always such a delight to talk to, with such wisdom, clarity, stays focused and intentional in her conversations, and has such a great heart for others. Conducting this interview with her truly made me appreciate her more as being her intern and warmed my heart for those that will choose her for their Move, whether buying or selling, because she truly longs to help and serve others.
So the interview, for simplicity and the sake of condensing an hour long interview I will number the questions I asked followed by her summed up responses. Here we go! Are you ready to get to know Susan Carroll a little bit better?
1. What were your first steps?
I wanted to understand more about Real Estate. I knew the experience I had in buying many houses but I did not truly know what working in Real Estate looked like. It was so different from anything I had ever done before and I had to start from scratch. My first steps were obtaining training and receiving my Real Estate License. This took me approximately six months to acquire the start-up knowledge I needed before receiving any clients. I learned really quickly that I needed an assistant to be able to accomplish all that I needed to do.
2. If you had it to do over, what would you do differently?
I would probably join a team because I could learn more constantly working beside others who know the business better. There are perks to me still working alone out of BHHS though.
3. What part does creativity play in your business?
The need for creativity is never ending. I constantly have to step back and look at the big picture.
I try to work 20% on the business and 80% in the business.
Working “on” the business is considered to be the time you are putting systems in place to maintain and run the business.
Working “in” the business is considered to be the time you spend working one on one with my clients.
4. What are your intangible rewards?
Intangible rewards include helping people because I have had a lot of experience in how difficult moving is and I want to build relationships to help others with the process. I know how difficult and frustrating it is to not understand the process of buying or selling a home and want to make sure others have a better experience than I did.
5. What is your best marketing technique? What portion of your time do you spend on advertising?
Every day, I try to reach out to at least five current and two future clients. I also try to have face-to-face meetings with two or three clients every week. I think I am my best marketing technique as I present myself to my potential clients.
6. What makes your business unique?
I believe that my level of service and care is unique. This is a priority because of my experience with moving. Having Berkshire Hathaway Home Services behind me creates a corporate level of opportunity behind my individual business as they provide my CRM, webpage, email, initial business cards, mass printing, public signs, and feed my business to many international marketing sites. They allow me to do so much more than standing completely alone in the business.
7. How do you use social media?
I do not use it very well yet, but I am getting better. I know that staying on people’s minds is the goal by being consistent with posts. Social media is a passive market procedure but it is essential to advertising my business.
8. Did you write a Business Plan? Do you wish you had?
I wrote a business plan initially but it was written before I had clients so I was still very new to the business and did not know everything that the business entailed. A Real Estate Business Plan is very different from other types of business plans. I need to update it with my new knowledge and experience.
9. Would you enter Real Estate all over again?
Yes. “Although I feel I am still new to the game, I like it.”
I hope you enjoyed reading the interview I had with Susan as much as I did conducting the interview! Come back and read our blog tomorrow at 2 for our weekly post!
themovewithsusantillman 