Early in the business, there was a property management company I would have done anything to work with.
They managed the nicest luxury Airbnbs in our town. Getting their business would've been a game-changer for our reputation. So I did what I always try to do, I just started showing up and being helpful.
I got friendly with their director of ops. And one day, I sat down with her and walked her through everything. Our full pricing formula. How we estimate each job. How we pay our staff. We went line by line through each of their properties together.
I even made suggestions on cleaner pay.
A few months later, they implemented my suggestions. New pricing structure. Adjusted cleaner rates. The whole thing.
We didn't get a single property from them.
Not gonna lie, that stung a little. I handed over the formula I spent a long time building and walked away with nothing.
But here's the thing. I never went into that conversation expecting a contract. I went in trying to be genuinely useful. And I figured if it helped them, great. If it came back around to me someday, even better.
Fast forward 2 years…
…they called this week.
They offered to turn over the cleaning at their 25 highest-volume properties to us.
25 properties. From the company I had written off a long time ago.
I've thought a lot about why this happened. And I think it's pretty simple: people remember who showed up for them without an agenda. They remember who shared real knowledge freely. And when they're ready to make a move, they call that person first.
The business development advice you'll hear most is "protect your process" and "don't give it away for free." Maybe that's right sometimes. But it hasn't been my experience.
People do business with people they like and trust. So if you’ve got your sights set on a big partner or customer, start building that relationship by getting out and seeing where you can help
Until next time!
Logan
