Are you Linked

Sometimes I can hear a collective groan from a group of real estate agents when I mention how great another social media tool is.

LinkedIn.com is like a Facebook for business professionals that has search capabilities.  It can be a fabulous way to build a network that is easier than going door knocking in a neighborhood in the rain.  You can just sit at you computer and you can connect with people that work at a certain employer in town, who are based in your town, or who use certain keywords in their profile.  You can also connect with those in your industry and learn the latest news and trends.

AND ... Maybe most importantly YOU can be found by prospective clients!  If you meet with a prospect that works at Amazon, for example, they may jump on LinkedIn and check out your resume, recommendations and also who else you are connected to... Maybe even at Amazon!

Go get your profile on LinkedIn and then sign up for one of my classes and make it more effective!  It is not just a time waster... It is a powerful tool that can build your business in the next year!

Looking for my motivation

Today I couldn't find my motivation.  I spent most of the day at home looking for it.  I tried searching the refrigerator which resulted in too much grazing.  It could have been buried under the bills and miscellaneous paperwork on my desk, which did lead to a few productive moments putting papers in recycle.  I thought maybe I'd find it somewhere near my piles of books and then I found myself flipping through old books looking for gems of wisdom.  Then I finally opened my computer which has an infinite number pf ways to get distracted.  Finally, I contacted three of my best friends and chatted with them and I found great advice.

There are days that we all lose our motivation.  Sometimes it's important to just spend those days looking around in your own space.  I did eat too much, but I did find some great ideas in books I had just stacked up in my den.  I did get to the point of finding the color of the top of my desk by just putting stuff in the recycle.  I did contemplate my future as I looked for motivation.

the advice from my friends...
Imagine what you want to be like as an "old lady!". The age doesn't matter... And the money or house is unimportant... What kind of person do you think others would describe you as?  I said I want to still laugh every day, use my talents, and give more.   So I need to imagine the future..l whether it is next week or in ten years.  I am moving forward... I continue to go forward even though today I feel stuck!

The next friend suggested that I should get busier as the year starts out.  We all get more done when we are busy.  Just "do things." because your motivation will come and you will be more focus if you are busy and not just contemplating.

The third friend suggested that I "create.". Just use your talents and create something from nothing... Whether it is writing a class, a blog post, a newsletter or a greeting card.  Because when we create there is motivation.

Change is Inevitable

 

The fall season is such a reminder that change is inevitable... and that changes that seem .. well, negative, can instead be a sign of a brilliant future and new growth.  The leaves on the trees are so spectacular!  But, they are a sign that the leaves are dying and the tree is preparing to go into a kind of winter hibernation.  When the weather starts getting rainy, overcast, and chilly instead of hibernating and mourning the passing of summer... we can take that time to focus in on some of the marketing efforts we were "going to get done!"  We all have that list.  

In general, we have a tendency to attract the same business and the same type of clients as we did in the past.  Maybe this year we can aim to try to change something about our marketing and business efforts to attract more and a different clientele.  For example, you might have so many clients in financial trouble that maybe on the radar for the next 6 months you can aim for more financially stable buyers and sellers.  That change has to happen in your head first!  All changes originate in that grey matter between our ears.  Try to figure out why you attract certain business.  

Your marketing in the next six months could be more focused, more internet based, or more fun and creative.  Change is ahead... make yours INTENTIONAL! 

You can go to my website to get a link to a pdf of a list of my favorite quotes on change!

 http://www.clockhours.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Quotes-on-Change-flyerpdf.pdf

Do you have a Face on Facebook?

Consider that by next year approximately 80% of all your family, friends, past clients, future prospects and neighbors will all have an account on Facebook!  For those of you still complaining about reading posts about what someone ate for lunch, you might just be missing the entire marketing trend that could be your future business and paycheck.The statistics for Facebook are staggering across the globe. No other communication has connected more people at one time ever in history. 

So, then I ear the rumble about privacy issues. It is time to notice that privacy is not what we thought it would be.  You are tracked every day from the debit card that paid for your coffee to the license on your car as you drive across a toll bridge to the sites you visit on the internet.  If you are in a public business, privacy has taken on a new meaning.

As for virus' and spamming.  there will always be other that want to break into your garage as well as your email.  Just make good decisions.You have the opportunity to communicate with almost everyone in your sphere daily.  A decade ago, the only way to interact with past clients or prospects was to send out a mailer or pick up the phone.  Junk mail is one way and gets tossed.  People just don't answer the phone at home any more.  But, they are on Facebook.

So, if you have see the Salmon dinner that your best friend had last week and you don't see the point, then look at the number of comments.  There is interaction.  That friend might be eating at an Seafood restaurant where your sister had her anniversary party.  It might be next door to the office of your neighbor.  The business might have been sold by a co-worker.  The recipe might be posted an available for your spouse to make for dinner! Your past client might be going salmon fishing and want you to come along.... because you commented on that photo of a salmon dinner.

Connect with your sphere.  Interact with them and engage. Comment and send messages.  Post interesting information!

If you have questions or want to learn more about facebook, I teach a 3 clockhour class for real estate agents for $30 tuition each.  If you set one up in your office... YOUR tuition is free! 

Connect with People as One of Your Priorities

Your business ultimately comes from people that know you. Though we are always juggling all our priorities, the most important aspect of our business is our clients and prospects. We have to find time to connect with them and build relationships.

The economy has taken a toll on just about everyone. We start our day wondering where our next prospect might be hiding and if our transactions on the books will ever close. And then add all the social media and technology that bombards us.

First of all, know that the search engine will not just find you another client. We all know that the agents in the business for the long haul grow their business from their sphere. Trying to find a prospect from the world wide web that will buy a house this month is like trying to win the lottery.

The challenge is how to connect with your sphere? That is where all the tools, referred to as social media, will help. Choose the ones that work for you and help you connect. Social media is here to stay in one form or another.

If you get a notice for a committee meeting, you might first think, "Can you just email me the information?" If a friend actually invites you to dinner, your first thought might be, "How can I get there in time with rush hour traffic?" If you are busy with the kids and the phone rings, you might think, "I hope they leave a message on the voice mail." We just don't get out and actually connect and talk to people as much as we used to. Technology has given us ways to make that connection and build relationships.

Choose three ways to connect with people. Don't worry about the search engines or an expensive website. Look at all your family, the clients you have had in the past, your friends, the neighbors, and club members. You need to create a better relationship with them. They need to know where you are and how to find you and whether you are still in the business! Use the free tools out there and create a conversation. Try to create a relationship and conversation that is not just based on real estate... it may not be their favorite topic right now!

Get yourself on facebook, build your connections and chat daily.
Start a couple blogs. Use free and easy templates like this one at blogspot, Wordpress.com or Tumblr. Just think of a name and get going. Then post links to your blog on facebook and at the bottom of every email.
Think of a third way... sending notes, calling, having events, sending a newsletter, tweet on twitter, have a video blog on youtube, etc.

The time it takes to start something that simple is negligible. It is probably comparable to writing an ad for a homes magazine and a classified ad.

Don't worry about what all the techies out there promote. Don't try to buy your way into social media. Don't moan and groan about the time it takes.

Even though I pride myself in knowing about most of the latest tools, I have several blogs, I am at this computer constantly, I still don't get it all done. I don't take time to learn the new tools (like Google+), I forget to write in my blogs, and I just don't talk to enough of my prospects on a regular basis. I just wish business would come to me this Monday morning. But, I have to keep on my top three ways to market my business.

Just create conversation with your sphere. People will work with you as an agent if they know you, like you, and trust you. Find ways to get yourself connected online in simple and free ways.

Box of Good fortunes

Everyone can use some good fortune! So why limit yourself to one cookie at a Chinese restaurant? So I googled "Chinese Fortunes" and found hundreds on the internet. I changed many of them. I included only positive fortunes. After cutting and pasting in Word, I made them the same font and size. For those at work, I left the logo but for others I cut it off. Then I curl them like ribbon over the edge of a pen or a butter knife. They get stuffed in a chinese take out box available at Michaels or Paperzone.
What a great gift for a housewarming, birthday, celebration, just for fun or if someone needs good fortune to come their way.
Here is a link to the dropbox public folder with the info and the fortunes!

Oh NO! I waited til the last minute... just like you!

I waited until the very last minute! I couldn't sleep. Nothing else consumed my thoughts. I knew I shouldn't have waited so long. My heart was beating so hard! I was such a fool! Why did it put it off?

On May 5th last year I finished the US Coast Guard Masters Training course. It cost over $1200 and took months. I am a boater and I took the training to learn as much as possible. Maybe my boat will be a wedding chapel.. or I'll charge for trips. Who knows? The final exam was painful because it was so difficult. To get my Captains license I had to turn it in with an application and 10 other verifications and forms. Most of them complete from First Aid Training to a copy of my passport. A current drug test and fingerprints were also required. I had one full year to get the paperwork to the US Coast Guard to get my license. When did I get it in?... You guessed it. The day it was due... the deadline date! UGH!

All I could think about is that I am just like the real estate agents that contact me daily! Because I can relate to the desperate agents, I try to respond to them right away. I am fortunate my assistant, Sarah Jean is so great at following up with your emails!

I don't know why we procrastinate. We know we have to get something done by a certain date. It seems so basic that we can finish it within the time frame. But, it does seem to be human nature.

I had a couple speed bumps. I had to find the first aid card from the class I took. The lab sent my drug test results to someone else. My fingerprints were just impossible to document! Then I let those get in the way of finishing my paperwork.

But, this is no different than agents that lose their certificates or have to have fingerprints redone. (Evidently, about 30% of the real estate agents who get fingerprints have to have them retaken.)

So, I will continue to understand when you contact me needing your certificates right away because your license has to be renewed ASAP!

Share what you are up to! Do you blog? Volunteer? Keep in touch!

I hope your summer is full of sun!