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Credibility Building
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I named my company "Integrity Home Buyers" because the word Integrity has meaning for me. It is the way I run my business and my life. The people around me know this. When I decided to take my business to the next level, I was in a situation where people didn't know me. My challenge with "Credibility Building" was to convey my philosophy to those people. What I was asking those people to do was give me large sums of money and trust me to do what I said I would.
My credibility building strategy consisted of using these tools:
a.) Newspaper article
b.) Credibility kit
c.) Better Business Bureau
Let's look at each of these in more detail.
Newspaper article
About a year ago the Springfield Sun interviewed me. They did a long article with lots of great information about what my company has done and it also had some information about our lender program. Recently the reporter came back and did an article focusing on the lender program. Talk about credibility! The whole city saw the article. That is powerful!
At my lender luncheons I always made sure my prospective lenders had a copy of the first article. Now I am adding the second article to my packets as well.
To grow your business, you want your name out there. You want the prospective lender to say, "Hey, I've heard of you." or " I've seen the t-shirts on the Little League team you sponsored "or" you're the 'I Buy Houses' guy. That familiarity makes an impact. And, this recognition conveys credibility.
Credibility Kit
My Credibility Kit is a 30 page, spiral bound book. It has a nice cover with colored pictures of over a dozen houses that I have bought and rehabbed. Right from the start before they even open the book they see the before-and-after pictures that show I have a seasoned real estate business. This is evidence of my work that they can go drive by.
Inside the book they see an introduction that tells them about me, the company philosophy, pages of testimonials, certificates from training I have completed and special reports.
They see page after page of information that sends the strong message that I know my business.
Better Business Bureau
Since this is a serious, responsible business, I joined the Better Business Bureau. I am authorized to use their logo on my material, which further conveys my credibility.
People frequently check with the BBB before making a major decision. To be a member of the BBB you have to agree to "follow the highest principles of business ethics and voluntary self-regulation" and "have a proven record of marketplace honesty and integrity."
When finding private lenders I believe one of the main keys to success is to build credibility.
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 | Alan Cowgill |  |
Alan Cowgill is the owner of Colby Properties, LLC. and President of Integrity Home Buyers, Inc. Alan is a full-time Real Estate Investor, investing in single family and small multi-family properties in Springfield, Ohio.
Since 1995, Alan has bought and sold over 200 investment properties. Alan uses Private Lenders, not banks; to fund his real estate purchases. By doing this, he has created his own private bank of $2,000,000 in funds. Alan looks for "Win - Win" situations, where the seller, the lender, and the eventual homeowner can all "Win". He is not a Realtor, but a Private Investor.
Alan has served as an elected official to the Board of Directors for the Clark County Property Management Association. He is an author, consultant and national speaker. He has been asked to speak on the topics of “Investing for the Beginning Investor.” and “Finding Private Lenders.” His home study system, “Private Lending Made Easy”, shows new and seasoned real estate investors how to find private lenders for their own real estate business.
In addition, Alan:
• Holds a BS Degree in Business Management.
• Has over a quarter century experience in Business Management.
• Is a published author not only for Real Estate but also in American Industry.
• Featured in the Business Section of the Springfield News-Sun newspaper in May, 2001. Article on real estate investing in Springfield, Ohio.
• Adjunct Professor for 5 years at Clark State University.
• Acknowledged in the book “e-Mail Basics” ISBN #0-9676313-1-9.
• Speaking Engagements include: Yovel, England; Dallas, Texas; Fort Collins, Colorado; Atlanta, Ga.; Jacksonville, Florida; Cashiers, SC.; Las Vegas, Nevada and Springfield, Ohio.
• Business trainer and consultant.
• Member of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau.
• Appeared on a twenty-eight minute real estate infomercial that is shown nationwide.
And best of all, Alan Cowgill is married and the father of three children.
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| Copyright Notice | |
Copyright 2002-2011 All Rights Reserved.
Published with Permission of Author.
No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted
without the express written permission of the Author and/or REIClub.com. |
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