The Personal Property Appraisers Post

By Todd W. Sigety, ISA CAPP

There has been a fair amount of discussion both here on the Appraisers Post and on some LinkedIn appraiser groups about the benefits of social media and online networking. With that in mind, I discovered an interesting article on the CBS Moneywatch.com site called Networking Without Looking Desperate: 5 Rules. As more of our networking moves to online forums such as Social media sites, blogs and videos, the more appraisers need to be aware of current technological trends which can prove beneficial in operating an appraisal practice.

The article states that networking should be part of your ongoing business activities and plans, not something that is done on the spur of the moment or with little thought and foresight. I think this is a very important point to keep in mind.  Networking should be part of your business plan, and I just dont mean online, but both real face to face networking and virtual networking.

The 5 rules mentioned in the article were

• Nurture Your Network...Patiently
• Ask How You Can Help
• Know When to Ask - and How
• make the Web Work for You
• Shake Some Hands

The five rules will keep your networking planning current and productive, and of course growing. By nurturing your network you want to keep in touch with your contracts on a periodic basis. This is done in order stay connected so when you do need some advice or assistance your group of contacts will not wonder where you have been or why you only connect when you need advice. Keep you network advised of what you are doing, but also don't overdo the contact either.  You should keep a good balance of updates, questions and answers.

In asking how you can help, you present yourself to your contacts as a resource available to help and assist. By staying engaged with your contacts you will benefit when it comes time for your network to reciprocate. In Know When to Ask - and How, make sure you are asking questions of the right individuals in your network, and ensure you are not asking them to do your work. So many times I have seen request for help where there was no preliminary research done, no foundation. If you are going to ask for assistance from your network, make sure you have done your proforma investigations and understand the situation before asking for assistance. I have seen request where appraisers ask for assistance on an artist, and some of the responses were, have you tried Google? The point is pretty clear, dont ask your network to do basic foundation research for you. What you want from your network are specifics, and clarifications of the nuances of a question or appraisal methodology.

Click the Read More below for the rest of the article.

Making the web work for you is very important. I have mentioned many times that in order for online networking and marketing to work, all online activities have to be coordinated and used. You may have a website, yet by adding a blog brings additional exposure, same with social media such as LinkedIn and videos on You Tube. The appraiser should be using it all, and perhaps more importantly, coordinating it all.  Just having one exposure area on the web will not help build networks, a client base, or greatly aid your overall exposure.  Using multiple methods, all linked and coordinated with the same message and brand will.

The final point is to shake some hands. In other words, dont forget the old fashioned way of networking, which is face to face. It will probably be more beneficial for local contacts, but also networking works well while attending classes and conferences. Dont be afraid to reach out and make connections. A plan for networking during a conference is important. Know what you wish to accomplish and who you may wish to meet and why. You will benefit more if you network with a purpose and not just to meet peers.

To read the full CBS MoneyWatch.com article on networking, click HERE.