Schenk News
| 2006-2007 | |||
| FastTrac | |||
| Networking at Its Best |
Greg Schenk, CEO
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Success as a real-estate broker comes to those who build a thick Rolodex. Greg Schenk, a consummate networker, has cultivated hundreds of contacts in his community—and his outreach has paid off. |
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"What
differentiates me from others in my field is I invest the time to talk
to lots of people through my training seminars and speaking
engagements," says Schenk, founder and chief executive of The Schenk
Company, Inc., a real-estate advisory firm in Columbus, Ohio. "Only a
handful of people in my business do that." When we last interviewed Schenk about four years ago, he was hosting regular seminars for real-estate brokers to teach them how to represent tenants more effectively. Since then, he has greatly expanded his public speaking. In addition to his ongoing programs for experienced brokers, he now provides a specially designed training session for new brokers. He also gives monthly presentations on industry-related topics to professional groups. For example, he recently spoke about commercial brokerage issues to about fifty real-estate attorneys in a presentation sponsored by the Columbus Bar Association. Addressing professional associations advances Schenk's strategy of reaching out to what he calls "preferred vendors"—bankers, accountants, attorneys and others who can introduce him to potential clients. "As a result, I never make cold calls. I only make 'warm calls' to generate business," he says. |
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By establishing relationships with influential professionals in the
community, Schenk gains their trust and even volunteers to help them
assess their office leases and address other business challenges. Once
they can personally attest to his skill, they are more apt to pass his
name onto others with enthusiasm. Schenk estimates that he makes about twenty speeches a year to various groups. His programs achieve two goals: he educates his audiences about the inner workings of his business, and he cultivates hundreds of contacts that can guide him to new business. Schenk, forty-five, took FastTrac in 1998 and declares it "the best thing I ever did." He had recently left a job as a corporate real-estate broker to set up shop on his own, and he wanted to develop his entrepreneurial know-how. "FastTrac gave me the courage to go out on my own," he says. "I had a vision, but I needed to learn how to make it happen." For Schenk, one of FastTrac's highlights was listening to a talk by the late Dave Longaberger, the legendary entrepreneur who created an international market for hand-woven baskets. When he visited Schenk's FastTrac class, Longaberger was a multimillionaire and business celebrity. Yet Schenk was struck by the speaker's homespun humility. |
| "He spoke of how he flunked high school and started from scratch in a building with leaks in the ceiling," Schenk recalls. "Here I was working from my basement trying to build a business, so I was truly inspired." Your FastTrac Connection: Greg Schenk, chief executive officer, The Schenk Company, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio. E-mail: greg@columbusofficespace.com. |
| Commercial Real Estate Advisory Services Firm |
| 1714 Churchview Lane Ste 100 |
| Columbus, OH 43220 |
| 1-614-496-2715 |
