139: Josh Blackman – Everyone is a Salesperson

Guest: Josh Blackman

 

Guest Bio:

​Josh Blackman is a licensed attorney, real estate broker, insurance broker, and general contractor. Mr. Blackman has some 45 years of business experience as a computer programmer, technical writer, practicing attorney, and entrepreneur. He has founded some six varied profitable companies, including a newsletter publisher, an email/postal-list marketer, a property manager, a real estate brokerage, a construction firm, a real estate holding company, and an insurance brokerage. His business experience includes overall managerial and administrative, marketing, people, project, and financial management, public speaking, contract drafting, and negotiation. He is the author of books and magazine articles involving law, the internet, property management, and real estate compliance.

 

Key Points:

Business Overview

· Based in Brooklyn, serving Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.

· Manages 130 properties with a staff of 25 employees.

 

What He Loves About the Business

· It's never boring and highly detail-oriented.

· Enjoys the variety, from client management to running operations.

· The business keeps him constantly learning and adapting.

 

Sales Philosophy & Structure

· Everyone is a salesperson — property managers, field staff, and leadership alike.

· Josh and his COO focus on high-level sales to condo/co-op boards and rental building owners.

· Sales also includes contracting work, managed by the Chief of Construction.

 

How Sales Culture is Built

· Sales mindset is introduced during hiring and reinforced with weekly meetings.

· Uses bonuses and metrics to reward those who generate work and retain clients.

· Encourages employee idea-sharing to improve the company and drive growth.

 

Finding and Managing Leads

· Generates “zillions of leads” mainly through SEO—a result of strong optimization since the company's founding.

· Also gets leads from vehicle branding, signage on properties, and local reputation.

· Faces challenges not in finding leads, but in closing them, partly due to pricing and capacity.

 

Lead Qualification

· Has a process to vet prospects based on:

o Location

o Property condition and size

o Willingness to follow legal requirements (e.g., insurance, safety)

· Avoids clients who cut corners or ignore regulations.

 

CRM & Follow-Up Challenges

· Only recently began centralizing lead info, moving from spreadsheets to CRM.