when to brag

[John Dirks Jr]

When considering marketing;

It's nice when a veteran inspector can say, "I've been inspecting for 20 years and I've done 5000 inspections"

On the other hand you don't expect a new inspector to open up with, "I'm brand new to the business and I haven't done a single inspection yet"

So, at what point do you think is is helpful to an inspectors marketing message to begin boasting about how long they've been in business or how many inspections they've done?

[Ken Rowe]

I don't think length of time in the business really has anything to do with experience. Is an inspector who averages 100 inspections a year for 10 years considered to have more experience than an inspector who averages 250 but has only been in business 5 years?

When reading resumes of prospective employees I consistently see references to length of time. "I've been a home inspector for 4 years", but when I ask them during the phone interview I find that in 4 years of inspecting they've done 50 verifiable inspections.

[Matt Fellman]

Years in business is one the best marketing tools there is. Any marketing consultant with a clue will tell you that. The assumption is that if you're in business you're making a living at the profession in question.

Years in business means you've weathered storms (like the current housing crisis, for example). Sure, you could work one day a year at the profession but most people can't feed a family and live their life doing that. People doing that are generally weeded out.

[Nick Ostrowski]

Consumers are impressed by longevity and are probably more likely to have confidence in hiring somebody who has been in business for a number of years. If you have the years, tout it.

[Ken Rowe]

I agree with both Matt and Nick that number of years in the business is a great marketing tool. However, it can be extremely deceptive to people who equate longevity with experience. Very similar to the online HI Certification. It's a great marketing tool to the uninformed but is it really what you're looking for in a HI?

[Jim Luttrall]

So, at what point do you think is is helpful to an inspectors marketing message to begin boasting about how long they've been in business or how many inspections they've done?

Five years seems to be a nice round number that would lend some credibility.
But in the real world, you use what you have. Tout your certifications, training, background, tools, etc.
I think the savvy consumer will be trying to see what you DON'T say more than what is said. Sometimes the silence on a subject is deafening.