Property Assessment

Are You Really Listening to Your Customers?

Could Your Public Relations Program Use a Facelift?

In researching the online public relations activities of local assessors, I have found that typical content includes a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and the responses to these questions.  Although most are informative, they should be reviewed on a routine basis and updated to include more recent issues and an increasingly informed public.  Now might be a good time to refresh the content of your FAQs to reflect the current real estate market that we experienced this last year.  Some sites that I've reviewed recently are still mentioning the robust real estate market that we experienced in 2005 and through most of 2006, that seriously dates the content should be updated with more recent news and issues.  Here are just a few things we could think about:

• Is staff somehow collecting comments from property owners as they are received to know what is really being asked?  Unfortunately, most FAQs are a collection of questions listed by assessors that try to put themselves in the shoes of the average property owner/taxpayer.  Although this can be a good start, it's no substitute for actually listening to the customer.  But remember, just because a property owner wanted to know why assessments were increasing so fast, they may have learned the answer and now have new, more relevant questions about today’s real estate market.
• How are assessor's monitoring mortgages foreclosure activities?  Do property owners know that you generally do not include foreclosure sales in your studies and why?
• Has new legislation been passed that would prompt property owners to have new questions about assessments?  What about assessment issues in the news?  With the Internet and global news sources the world is getting smaller and many people are paying close attention to issues that affect them.  Are you using Google Alerts for news about assessment reform and other issues in your state and nationwide?
• Does your website content include varying degrees of depth to fit varying levels of inquiry?  For example, is there content on your website that answers basic questions about the assessment process, but also include content, maybe in another area or topic area, for those that want to know more or who may have asked harder questions?

Who Would You Like to Thank for Getting You Started in Your Profession?

Was there someone who helped you when you were first starting out in your profession?  Here's your chance to say thank you and give others some ideas on how to help a struggling colleague.  I wish to thank Marvin Wood, Dick Ingram, and Jerry Vander Roest for taking the time to teach me some of the appraisal skills that they had acquired.  I was all eyes and ears and I watched attentively and listened acutely.

The people we work with, especially when first starting out, can either inspire us to want to be like them or we learn what behaviors we don’t want to model.  I feel very fortunate that my first exposure to employment in local (county) government was with a dedicated group of people who had professional aspirations.  My first boss encouraged me to become state-certified as an assessor with the Michigan Board of Assessors.  The real estate appraisers in the property tax equalization office were genuinely determined to accurately and uniformly estimate market values of agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential properties for tax purposes.

Many of the things we learn early on in our professions stay with us throughout our careers.  If we are lucky we find opportunities to pass on what we have learned to others.  Some say that it’s our responsibility to pass on what we have learned.  I agree with this way of thinking and I firmly believe that most of you do too.  That’s why many of us still enjoy our professions after being in them for many years and look for ways to fulfill our desire to pass our knowledge on to others.

Public Relations Resources for Property Assessors

As professional property assessors we are continually searching for effective public relations techniques.  Having good public relations ideas available are important at any time, but in the current economy and realities that exist in most real estate markets today, they are essential. To help address this need the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) has developed a treasure trove of public relations articles, books, reports, and websites.

According to the IAAO Research Librarian Mary Odom, "The Public Relations Subject Guide was developed in response to a recent increase in requests from assessing offices for more resources on this topic.  The IAAO Membership Services Committee has also responded with plans to offer a webinar on public relations and customer service later this year.  All of the online subject guides are a proactive attempt to help library users find materials quickly and easily.  We've already done the research for you, and want members to think of the IAAO Library first when research questions come up."

The Public Relations Subject Guide, which references more than 25 articles, books, reports, and websites) can be viewed by anyone accessing the IAAO website.  However access to some of the full-text articles and reports in the subject guide are limited to IAAO members.

Access to IAAO Library Services is just one of the many benefits that the IAAO offers its members.  The IAAO Paul V. Corusy Memorial Library is the premiere assessment library in the world, with over 15,000 cataloged books, videos, and documents and over 100 current journals and newsletters.

Improving the Content of Your Postings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have read any of the advice and suggestions given lately for good article and blog writing or the so-called secrets of successful social networking one key method should be resounding loudly in your head: good content.

The two things I’m going to suggest that you concentrate on in order to improve the content of your postings are: (1) identifying and analyzing the posted content that you admire; and (2) improving your writing skills.  These two steps can significantly improve the content that you post in the weeks and months ahead.

Begin Where You Are Now
If your plans include writing good content for articles, blogs, social media conversation, whitepapers, etc., get serious by taking stock in just how well educated you are in the ability to write well.  Without a foundation in forming proper sentences, outlining a topic, or structuring a good story line, how could you expect your postings to get the recognition they deserve?  There are many good books available on improving your writing skills.  Four books that I recommend are:

The Elements of Business Writing: A Guide to Clear, Concise Letters, Memos, Reports, Proposals, and Other Business Documents by Gary Blake and Robert Bly

135 Tips for Writing Successful Business Documents by Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts

Writing at Work: Professional Writing Skills for People on the Job by Edward L. Smith and Stephen A. Bernhardt

Your Attention Please: How to Appeal to Today’s Distracted, Disinterested, Disengaged, Disenchanted, and Busy Audiences by Paul B. Brown and Alison Davis

While each of these books is important in its own right, I especially want to emphasize that you read Paul Brown and Alison Davis’ book Your Attention Please.  It focuses on the need to write for today’s audiences.  And don’t overlook the tutorials that article submission sites, blog site providers, and discussion or questions and answer sites offer.  Many of their tips are useful, but after you have exhausted them move on to one or more of these suggested books.

Find What to Model, But Don’t Plagiarize
Put on your investigative reporter’s hat and immerse yourself in the world of good writing.  Go to the articles and postings that you most enjoy reading and work at identifying just what it is that you like about them.  Is it the way the authors structure the story, describe important items in detail, or how they arrange the facts in a straightforward style?  By identifying and studying the works of others you’ll get insights on what key ingredients that you can include in your own writing.  Strive to model the structure and methods used by your mentors, but don't plagiarize the works of others.

Like most things, if you really want to be good you have to study hard and practice.

Are You Ready for Career Advancement?

Getting Things in Order for your Next Promotion or New Job Opportunity
 
During the most productive years of our working lives most of us are seeking ways to advance our professional careers.  Whether through promotional opportunities available with your present employer or by changing employers, you can significantly advance your career.  But would you really be ready for that promotion or job opportunity if it came available in the next 30 day?
 
Many of us want to be promoted or desire to be the successful candidate selected for that top job that comes along.  Unfortunately, many times we are too busy in our current position with its day-to-day responsibilities that we don’t take the time to adequately prepare for our own advancement.
 
Here are four suggestions that will hopefully get you off and running in the direction of advancing your career.  Please let me know if you have other suggestions that we can add to this list.

1.  Understand the current requirements of the job you seek.

Research position descriptions for the job promotion that you hope to get or for the job you hope to land if you look for work elsewhere.  Most personnel offices have job descriptions online or available upon request.  Take some time to look at recent job postings on web sites for potential employers or organizations that you are a member of that posts job opportunities.  What experience, skills, new technology, and education levels are required or desired for these positions?  Being ready means keeping up with what employers want in your field.

2.  What would success look like?

Spend some time visualizing the perfect career advancement opportunity that you have in mind.  List the day-to-day duties and the annual cycle of activities that you might perform in your new job.  Try to picture the people that you would be working with (from the staff you might be managing to the other professionals and experts with whom you may need to work).

3.  Have a plan

We’ve heard it a million times.  You can’t expect to reach the right destination if you don’t have a plan.  Perhaps bestselling author Stephen Covey said it best when he said, “Before you climb the ladder of success make sure it’s leaning against the right building.”  Your plan should include updating your resume at least once each year and keeping a list of major work accomplishments.

4.  Take Action.

Put together an action plan that incorporates your findings from the items that you researched, visualized, and planned above.  Each week choose at least one item that you want to take action on.  It can be as simple as a phone call or as time consuming as setting aside time each week to study for a degree, designation or certification in your field.  Your action plan should include the identification of people who can serve as coaches or mentors.