35 Stories for 35 Years
Story #13: We Decided Years Ago That Hard Work & Relationships Really Do Matter At PBS
Guest Contributor: John Buehler, Senior Relationship Manager
I started at PBS about 11 years ago, coming from a Collier County 27-year Real Estate background. I totally understood the selling of homes and condos but understanding the building/construction part of it really eluded me. After hundreds of meetings upon meetings, conversations upon conversations, appointments upon appointments, and site visits upon site visits, I slowly started to understand what this was about. “Find your way” was truly an understatement, and there are no shortcuts in the building knowledge department. I had to be careful about what I said to clients when discussing their remodel or new build because, again, the last thing I wanted to do was throw out a price or promise something that we as a company could not accomplish. Now, was I a slow learner at times? Yes, I was! I quickly realized that this business was not for the faint of heart, and many times, “the less said is really, the better,” especially if you don’t have a good handle on the topic. My go-to statement was, “I don’t know, but I will get back to you.” Did I like saying that? Of course not, but better to find out the facts than just throwing something out there that made no sense or that we couldn’t back up. What made it worse was that most everyone in our building knew the business and talked to me as if I did. If I had to use an analogy, it would be like going to a foreign county and having them speak to you like you were born and raised there. My only saving grace (at least in my mind) was, “Hey, they didn’t hire me because of my building knowledge, they hired me to get in front of people and sell! The company looked at me to break down barriers and develop solid relationships with Clients, Realtors, Designers, Building Managers, and Architects.
Creating excitement was my real strength, and since I was a PBS believer, it wasn’t hard for me to do. When one truly believes in something, the story becomes easy to tell, and the words just flow. Everything else seems to fall into place if you like where you are and like the people you work with. If I was asked to describe PBS in five words, they would be Teamwork, Integrity, Honesty, Trust, and Fairness. We love making people happy, and we love a great finished product, too. A friend of mine told me something 30+ years ago, and that was, “happy people tell 10, unhappy people tell 25”, so we better make everyone we can as happy as humanly possible. I really believe that that is our goal at PBS, and it hurts if and when we fall short. We thrive on relationships, and what I mean by that is; I met my wife through a PBS employee. In fact, my best man, who I absolutely think the world of, is a PBS employee. I actually like hanging around the PBS team and how many people can make that statement about their workplace.
PBS turned 35 this past summer, and the growth and expansion that we have witnessed in Collier County is nothing like I have seen since I moved here from Illinois in 84’. I am amazed on an almost weekly basis with what I am witnessing here in Naples; the market is truly alive and well! Even though I won’t be around, our goal is for another 35 years of growth, success, and excitement!
John
