The Dayton Underground Grotto
of the National Speleological Society
|
The Dayton Underground Grotto
|
|
Landowner Relations Landowner relations can be a touchy subject. I have been paying close attention to the Email traffic associated with the Kentucky Speleological Survey. Landowner concerns and the subject of recreational vs. project caving have fueled these for several months now. Those who have worked in dedicated areas of Kentucky have found their access slowly limited by the actions of spelunkers. It does seem however; folks who are part of "legitimate" caving organizations will bare the brunt of any punishments. Be this as it may; we will always have to rely on our personal skills when dealing with others. In my line of work (auto sales) I have been trained in many different sales and closing techniques. My all time favorite is relationship selling. It does not matter what you are selling the first step is onto common ground. I have to find a subject, person or, place that both the customer and I have an interest in. This usually has to happen within a three-minute window during the meet and greet. The same is true of Landowner Relations and making your first contact. Upon seeing that tempting hole along the road, you must stop at the closest house and ask for permission or at least some information. " Hi I am George Jones from Dayton and I belong to D.U.G." This might be a great opening line but without some rapport building you are left with a very short and probably unsuccessful meeting. My best resources are my eyes and ears before I ever open my mouth. On the lot, I check the license tag to see if the prospect is local or not. Parking permits for work or play and bumper stickers start to tell a story about the customer. Personalized clothing and what they are looking at has given me a couple more clues and I have yet to speak a word or ask the first a single question. Observation will serve you well when making your first impression on a landowner. Maybe they have a special mailbox, an older collectible car or truck, a unique garden or, anything else that attracts attention. Look for that subject of conversation before you introduce yourself just so your conversation is not only about caves. It also helps if you can play the "name drop game" but do a little research first. You never can tell if on the local scene there might be some "bad blood" that, you are not aware of. I have been in this situation a time or two and it is no fun doing a Mexican hat dance as you back-paddle out the door. In older times and especially in Appalachia there was etiquette that started from the gate at your place. A visitor would holler from a distance to see if you were at home. Once noticed they might approach as far as the front step to start their conversation. If you wanted to you might invite them up on your porch so that they can take a seat. It was impolite to approach someone's place without being invited beyond the gate. I keep this in mind and try to make my first meeting by catching the prospect in their front yard. I want to avoid knocking on their front door, as this is a violation of their privacy. Another good idea is to wave at every passing car or truck and anyone who is outside. I may do this for a couple of months before I stop and introduce myself. Relationships will get you invited to dinner, an offer to camp on their place and, a wealth of local information. Relationships become friendships and can develop into life-long associations. Your kids may play in the yard and occasionally you may have to help fix the old farm truck that hides in the shed. On the other side of the fence will be those folks who never warm up and accept you for anything but a needless interruption to their busy day. Either way it goes if a positive reaction on a first meeting is to be had then you must be very attentive to your surroundings and your own appearance. Once a friendship grows and the hospitality is extended I try to follow the advice of Ben Franklin. He said," Both house guests and fish stink after three days." These words are humorous but keep them in mind if your visit is more than a few hours. I hope some of my ramblings made sense to you. I further hope that you found something that will help you for years to come when dealing in and amongst the local population. Ron Fulcher |
|
DUG Webmaster: Andy Niekamp |
