We recently connected with Ron Grams and have shared our conversation below.

Ron, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I was inspired to become a home inspector after witnessing the heartbreak some new homeowners faced when they realized that their dream home was actually a money pit, because they either failed to get a home inspection, or they tried to save a few bucks by hiring a cheap inspector who gave them a less than thorough inspection. It is easy to rack up tens of thousands of dollars in repair bills just to make a home safe to live in if an inspection report is missing critical information that a buyer needs in order to make an informed decision.

It is my mission to make sure that prospective home buyers know exactly what they are facing when they are deciding on whether or not to make a financial investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars. I never want to see one of my clients regret a home purchase due to unforeseen repairs that could have been caught during the home inspection process.

My thirty plus years of construction experience including twenty years of work performed on behalf of realtors based on information that was found in inspection reports makes me uniquely qualified to find defects that others miss.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My family has many tradesmen who taught me all that they knew. My father was a skilled wood worker. He helped me to develop a love of precision in what I did. My uncle was a siding man. He taught me how to hang siding, make custom aluminum trim, and how to install windows. Other family members taught me about roofing, plumbing, electrical work, and various other trade skills.

I am a certified professional home inspector. It is important to hire the right inspector before deciding to buy a home. The inspection report is one of the most important sources of information a home buyer can get. Not only does it give information on what repairs may be necessary to a home, it can also be a powerful bargaining tool when negotiating. I provide inspection reports using the most advanced reporting software available. My reports are easy to follow and can be viewed on computers, tablets, or cell phones at your convenience.

What sets me apart from other inspectors is the amount of detail and effort I put into my work. Most inspectors try to get in and out in two or three hours. I don’t work that way. I take as much time as necessary to provide a thorough report. I try to make sure that my clients have all of the information they need when buying a home. I also try to educate my clients on the defects I find. Sometimes an inspection report can look scary because there are many defects reported. Sometimes these defects are serious. Sometimes the defects are very minor and can be repaired quickly and at minimal cost. I try to make sure my clients know the difference. Many inspectors don’t offer that service. For over twenty years, much of the repair work that I did for realtors was on defects that were found by home inspectors. I am the person who priced the work. I am the person who performed the work. Other inspectors do not have this experience. I do.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

Rather than talk about a single marketing or sales moment, I’d like to share what I have found to be an ongoing theme in that area. I am not a born salesman. I am not high pressure or gimmicky. What you see is what you get when it comes to me in life and in business. When I speak to a current or prospective client, my first rule of thumb is to listen. I want to know what is important to each individual person. I am not interested in “selling” you. I am interested in meeting your needs, exceeding your expectations, and making you happy. I have found that people recognize that I am sincere. People give me their trust, and I make it my mission to fulfill and deserve that honor. I don’t really look at it as sales. I look at it as building long-term relationships. I have been a business owner for 26 years. I still have relationships with many of my clients from way back then. I have even developed friendships from these relationships. A “sale” doesn’t end after the transaction with me. When you decide to hire me, I am there for you whenever you need me.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective way to grow clientele is through trust and reputation. Sales pitches and marketing ploys may bring in new clients, but those methods are not how you keep and build clientele. That can only be done by consistently ensuring customer satisfaction and by building relationships after the sale. I stopped having to pay for advertising after being in business for two years. For the last 24 years, all of my business has come from referrals and personal relationship building. You can’t get word of mouth advertising if you don’t make customer satisfaction a top priority. An advertisement may bring in new individual customers, but trust and reputation brings in exponential growth. The irony is that if you stop worrying so much about sales strategies and start worrying more about making your clients happy, that is when your business will really grow because instead of you seeking new customers, new customers start to seek you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.calltheviking.com
• Email: [email protected]