Week 11 – Lattes, Loyalty, and Learning to Repeat Myself

The week I realized coffee is a business strategy:

This week was full of Realtor meetings—over coffee, on patios, in the corner of busy cafes. Just me, a clean pitch, and a sincere attempt to build trust. And let me tell you: this is where the real work begins.

I used to think the key was saying something new or clever each time. But I’m learning that the magic isn’t in being “creative”—it’s in being *consistent*. Every agent is new to my message, so every time I sit down, I have to treat it like the very first time I’m explaining what we do and *why it matters.* No shortcuts. No jargon. Just the full pitch, delivered clearly and patiently, every single time.

What worked (and what fell flat):

The conversations where I led with “Tell me how inspections usually go for your clients”—those worked. Asking first, listening second, explaining third. That opened the door. It made my explanation feel like a solution, not a script.

What didn’t work? Rushing. One meeting I was back-to-back with an inspection and kind of breezed through my pitch. I felt it the whole time. The agent was polite but disengaged. I didn’t match the energy or pace of the moment. It reminded me: this isn’t speed dating. It’s relationship-building.

The pattern I’m picking up (and leaning into):

Most agents I meet have a go-to inspector already. That doesn’t mean I’m out—it means I need to be memorable. The ones who responded best were the ones who saw I had *reasons* behind every part of our process. I explained why thermal imaging matters. Why we include drone photos. Why we send a color-coded summary. And most importantly—how those things make the agent look better to their client.

It’s not about features. It’s about *what it means* for their deals, their reputation, and their time.

The habit that’s making me better with every meeting:

I’m logging every coffee in my CRM—not just names and contact info, but *what we talked about.* What landed. What confused them. What they cared about. That way, when I follow up, I’m not just “checking in.” I’m picking up a thread.

Also: I rehearse the pitch out loud in my car before each meeting. Same words. Same points. Like muscle memory. Because for *them* it’s the first time. For *me*, it’s practice. And I’m getting sharper every week.

The franchise framework that gave me my edge:

Having a solid USP from day one made this possible. I wasn’t scrambling to “sound impressive.” I had talking points, benefits, and real-world examples baked in. The leave-behinds helped too—clean, professional materials that backed up my words. And when I told one agent I could text a follow-up video explanation to her client directly? Her jaw dropped. Game over.

Next week’s move: deepen the wins, follow the sparks

Some agents seemed genuinely excited. I’m not letting those conversations drift—I’ll be following up with a thank-you, a “here’s something we talked about,” and an offer to come speak at their office. If someone shows interest, I want to move them from “curious” to “confident.”

What I’ll absolutely keep doing:

Repeating the message. Word for word. With full attention. It’s not boring—it’s professional. And the more I repeat it, the better I get at it. Building a home inspection franchise isn’t about dazzling people—it’s about showing up, saying what you do, and saying it *the same way* until they believe you’re the real deal.

→ Next up: Week 12: First Team Member? Or Stay Solo?

← Curious what burnout almost looked like? Week 10: My Schedule is Filling Up — and I Feel Behind

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