If you’re like some of us at RWC, you may be a reader who enjoys a lifelong relationship with books. We can remember the ones that got us started on that path. One was that Dr. Suess Alphabet book that captured our imagination and made reading fun. Then there was a book about Babe Ruth that recounted his childhood in an orphanage, his mastery of hitting a baseball, and his larger-than-life off field adventures. That one was the subject of our first book report. It was quickly followed by a book about the great quarterbacks of the NFL, which revealed, in its Y. A. Tittle chapter, that a person could be both bald and an NFL quarterback at the same time, a revelation that amazed us at the time.
By finding books at the library or from a suggestion by a caring teacher or family member, we then discovered stories like Sheila Burnford’s The Incredible Journey. We can remember lying in bed trying to read by flashlight (when our parents wanted us to go to sleep) because we were deeply invested in the welfare of that cat and those two dogs we had come to know so well. And then Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird sealed the deal, as we learned important lessons, not from a textbook’s endless stream of facts and assignments, but from a work of fiction that touched our minds, hearts, and souls.
Since then, we’ve read hundreds of books that entertained, educated, or captivated us all the way to their thrilling, meaningful, or startling endings. Over time, we also began many other books that we simply couldn’t finish. There are a few reasons why we keep reading books to the end and remember some books all our lives and why we forget the many that we toss aside without finishing.
First, a good author keeps us turning the pages so that the end of each chapter leaves us thirsting for the story to continue. Another is the skill of the author in creating interesting characters who we care about and thought-provoking circumstances in which we can imagine ourselves—in other words a product of such good quality that we simply must have it. Then there is the hook that captures our imagination and makes us want to know whether that cat and those dogs make it home or whether Atticus Finch can get Tom Robinson the justice he deserves.
As builders, we can learn a lot from the books we’ve loved. For example, when a customer sees your billboard or online ad, does he want to turn the page and visit your office or model home, or does he throw that experience on the pile of ads that were easy to ignore or never really grabbed his attention in the first place? Once in your office or model home, what does he think about the quality of the product you want to sell him? Can he picture the happy ending that comes from living out the thousands of pages and hundreds of chapters of his life in the home you will build him, or does he lose interest because nothing you have to offer stands out from the crowd? When he drives into your development, does he think, “Wow, this must be a great place to live,” or does he turn around after a block or two to look for a place that gets his juices flowing?
And don’t forget that hook that draws a reader into a world he wants to experience or, in our case, captivates a potential home buyer. What is your hook? Is it quality of craftsmanship or value? Is it affordability or design? Is it small low maintenance lots or big yards where the kids can play? Or is it some combination of these qualities? If you find the right hook, you’ll be better able to reel those customers in and grow the kind of company you have always dreamed of having.
What’s your story? Is it a well-crafted one whose hook keeps bringing you customers? We hope it’s a page turner that tells your customers and prospective customers that time spent with you will be something they will always remember and give them an experience that positively changes their lives forever.
Speaking of books, there is no better book you can give your customers at contract time than a warranty from Residential Warranty Company. Over more than four decades, RWC has provided warranty protection on over four million homes. We offer a wide variety of warranty options like our standard ten-year warranty, our Day 1 coverage warranty, our extended appliance and systems warranties, and our specialty warranties for remodeling projects, detached garages, and commercial construction. Only RWC has developed and offers its members a customized state warranty that mirrors each state’s statute of repose and accommodates other state specific issues. All RWC warranties provide clear performance standards that help create realistic homeowner expectations and provide a road map to resolve even the stickiest customer complaints.
At RWC, every guarantee our warranties make is backed by Western Pacific Mutual Insurance Company, RRG. Western Pacific has an A- rating from A. M. Best and only insures home warranty and similar new home construction risks, like builders’ general liability, which can be offered through the RWC Insurance Advantage program to RWC members. No other warranty company has an insurer with this kind of strength solely dedicated to covering builders and their homes.
Each person or company is the author of their own destiny. Here’s hoping that yours is a bright and successful one and that, with RWC at your side, your homes are best sellers!
Have a great summer!