Does our new agent-targeted video disrespect inspectors?

[Nick Gromicko]

We did one small test run and the agents gobbled it up and bought many books. It was our best direct-response test campaign with agents since we offered free InterNACHI mousepads.

The advantage is that the book heavily promotes members and reminds agents where to find InterNACHI inspectors.

The disadvantage is that it kind of reinforces a stereotype that agents have about inspection reports.

Does the advantage outweigh the disadvantage? If not, we won't launch the campaign

Anyway, here is the e-mail video we created to test the campaign: http://www.nachi.org/now-agents.htm

Please offer your comments, good or bad. The main question is it wise to depict inspection reports in a way that many agents imagine them in their own heads in order to get them to use a book that recommends InterNACHI members?

I kind of feel it might be taking one step backwards to take two forwards... which would be great.

[Bobby Hamilton]

Kind of humorous, but I wouldn't launch it. The inspector looks like "here ya go and see ya!" IMO He looks kinda dorky flashing his light at you and doesn't depict a professional inspector.

[Nick Gromicko]

I kind of agree with the depiction, but the dang test run put cases of books into agent's hands. Books that promote members.

[James A. Levy]

I take, "If your report sucks, you can use this book to interpret it" from that video. I use the book to add value to the report binder that I give out. I do not use it as a secret decoder for my reports. I describe the book as a maintenance manual to my clients.

[James A. Levy]

Originally Posted by gromicko

I kind of agree with the depiction, but the dang test run put cases of books into agent's hands. Books that promote members.

I feel that the only thing that promotes me is the label that I put on the front cover.

[Michael R. Boyett]

It's horrible...makes the inspector look like a doofus and that only INACHI's book can decipher what he's mucked up. That ad is not in the best interest of inspectors...it might sell more INACHI books though.

[Nick Gromicko]

The biggest concern that agents have is that a reasonably written inspection report still scares the buyer. I believe that the success of the test market can be attributed to this fact. So when we remake the video, we still need it to hinge on this real concern for it to be successful. If we get it just right, it appears we can end up with hundreds of thousands of InterNACHI member promo pieces floating around the real estate community.

[Michael R. Boyett]

Don't have the inspector plop the report into the client's hand, don't have him wave bye, don't shine the flashlight in the reader's eyes....present him much more professionally, make it a joint inspector/INACHI effort to make sure the client understands the contents of the report. Don't make it look like INACHI is riding to the client's rescue. Make it look like the inspector and INACHI are there together to help.

[Nick Gromicko]

I agree Michael.

[James A. Levy]

Originally Posted by gromicko

The biggest concern that agents have is that a reasonably written inspection report still scares the buyer. I believe that the success of the test market can be attributed to this fact. So when we remake the video, we still need it to hinge on this real concern for it to be successful. If we get it just right, it appears we can end up with hundreds of thousands of InterNACHI member promo pieces floating around the real estate community.

I think a report scares the agent and scares the seller. I haven't had a scared buyer yet. Buyer have been disappointed in what was found due to emotional attachment, but not scared.

Great promo for Ben's books? Yes.
Great promo for the Organization? Better go back to the drawing board.

Don't worry, when houses start selling again....WE will buy the books. We don't need agents with them. IMHO.

[Bob Elliott]

My biggest issue is the video promotes Agents thinking we should be rushing through the report checklist style so we can give it on site.

The truth is that the vast majority of Inspectors do the report from home so that the report is accurate and thought out.
Now in days the report is delivered by PDF with well placed pictures to back up the issues that we find .

This video promotes an old concept of how reports are delivered and hurts the modern inspector.

It is great that you wish to promote your publications, but not so great at portraying what a real inspection is all about.
Since this is a Inspector/member association perhaps the focus should be on promoting Inspectors rather than NACHI publications at our expense.

[Nick Gromicko]

Agents already make up almost 1/2 of all sales of that book which is now in its 4th edition. But that's only because there are so many more agents than inspectors.

[Nick Gromicko]

Good point Bob. I know Chris is working on a digital version as we speak.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Good point Bob. I know Chris is working on a digital version as we speak.

Thanks.
The guy does a good job of using big gestures to emphasize the actual foreground focus of the speaker and is successful from that point of view.

Look forward to a updated version however and would love to see that type creativity promoting the better educated Inspector aspect in a future video.

Give Agents a reason why so many inspectors stick around past the newbie stage.

[Doug Edwards]

Okay, you asked. I had my wife view without any input from me. She thought the inspector in the video looked like a jackass, hamming it up and being goofy. She thought the lady doing the talking was fine but that the colored up report with red markings was not realistic (maybe in someone else's world but not mine). Her take was having the inspector doing (in her words) "inspector stuff" like looking at something with the flashlight rather than flashing it in the eyes of the viewers, climbing a ladder. My take was lose the entire thought about the report being confusing and difficult to understand because many Realtors already think Inspectors are the spawn of hell and this just creates more negative feelings where none may not have existed before. The inspector definately needs to be changed. He looked more like someones' dumbass assistant rather than a professional inspector.