Prospecting through social media

Social Media is Relational NOT Transactional

In creating a set of business objectives, we tend to look at number of contacts needed to create one appointment or one revenue share. Though textbook planning, this doesn’t necessarily lend itself to the essence of social media: creating a network of people who share about themselves.

Looking then at the goal of Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, I am enthused by the potential of online relationship building. Wow, social media creates the perfect platform for personal branding!

Often people question which social media platform yields the greatest results? The answer varies greatly depending on the preference of the media user. Though many people believe Twitter, for example, is more B2B focused, it provides ready opportunity to build hyper-local market interest. Facebook, on the other hand, is commonly considered a business to consumer media source. Neither social media platforms, however, will produce prospecting results unless they are worked consistently to deliver relevant market contact.

Easy steps in making money with social media:

Choose your favorite platform. If you like Twitter, use it. If Facebook is your favorite social media platform then become a Facebook professional. Learn your social media platform’s tools and posting methods.

Identify your content strategy by understand your target market. This could be a geographic group like in the old neighborhood farm days or it could be an interest group like model railroaders.

Research and “friend” or “follow” your target market.

Identify daily tasks. These are 4 to 5 daily posts of information that are of interest to your market group.

Manage the delivery of the information through a realtime drip marketing program. Just like neighborhood farming, you can’t send out a year’s worth of postcards in one day. Sites like www.hootsuite.com, www.tweetdeck.com, and http://www.socialoomph.com deliver scheduled posting opportunities. Most blogging platforms like Wordpress and Blogspot do as well.

Keep posting! Growing a group of faithful followers who know, like, trust you takes time. Success is dependent on consistent longevity.

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Thanks Friends I Had a Blast

Recently I changed companies which is no big deal in today's business world. Most people change jobs on an averge of every three years. I was with the same company for ten years! That's 3 jobs and on to the fourth for the average person working today. Wow, that's a long time.
You can guess that after working with the same company for such a long time it was difficult to make a move. I had so many new experiences there and opportunities that I never even dreamed of. I can't find all the words to express my gratitude towards the owners who believed in my abilities even when I wasn't always so sure of them myself.

What happened after I left surprised me more than anything. I can honestly say that after ten years someplace you make a lot of friends. But I never dreamed of the flood of phone calls and emails that came from my change of companies. Starting early Monday, the day my leaving was announced, the phone began to ring. Colleagues from within my previous company, even people from related industries like title and inspection companies, and friends from out of state called to wish me well and offer their support in my new endeavors. I soon became overwhelmed by the kind, heartfelt words. I made a comment to my wife at the end of the week, "It was like being eulogized."

I never realized what I had accomplished and how I had impacted others in my nearly ten years at this company. Most importantly, I made friends and lasting relationships that will go beyond the walls of a company.
How can I put a learning "spin" on this? Easy! Isn't this what we want from our customers? Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles calls them Raving Fans. They wrote the book by the same title.
I'll just call them friends.

Thanks friends. I had a blast.

Brand vs. Logo

Recently, I was making a presentation to new real estate agents. A man in the audience made a comment about our company’s logo. He said that the logo was all wrong; the color was too bright and “hideous” was the word he used, and the font was old. He said if he had the chance he’d change the logo color to sandstone for one area of the country and other colors for other different areas. He thought it would be best to make the logo fit more into the local environment than to recognize the brand as a national leader.
Hmmm… Brand vs. Logo?
Without much need for reflection I responded with, “I WANT a nationally recognized logo or even a regionally recognized one! It isn’t the logo though that makes the brand. It’s the quality of the relationships that make the brand. The logo helps you find it.” And the great debate was on!
I think he missed the point. It’s worth repeating: “It isn’t the log that makes the brand.”
Leave the logo alone and work on the service given. It isn’t the brand that makes a successful agent. It’s the service the brand and individuals that perform the services of the company that truly define the brand. Chris Brogan in his blog post “When You Are the Brand” makes several excellent points about being community minded. The brand is created because of the quality of service the company or individuals of the company provide. Chris goes further by saying that you can never rest on your reputation. The reputation of your company rests nearly solely on your next relationship not the last one.

Mighty Casey has struck out!

In real estate, or in sales for that matter, we only get so many chances to exceed the expectations of our clients. Are you recognizing and acting on your opportunities?
Recently, I received a Mission Control email from Jimmy Vee (Five Foot High Marketing Guy) and Travis Miller (The Big Idea Guy) of Gravitational Marketing. Have you ever heard of them? I always read their emails even if I have to leave them in my inbox for several days until I have the opportunity to pour through their reflections, thoughts, and ideas. Like many, this too sat for a few days until I could give it the attention it deserved. I wasn’t disappointed. Here is what it said:
“A few years ago the transmission went out on my Acura TL. No bueno. Thankfully it was under warranty. I only had a few months left on my lease anyway.

I was going to be without my car for about 2 weeks. Last time this happened, Acura paid for a rental (that's part of the deal). But I ended up with a Dodge Neon or something. No bueno #2. You feel a little silly driving a Neon and making an Acura payment.

Anyway, I fully expected to get the same deal this time - and was not looking forward to it.

I called the dealership and let them know I was coming down - they said they would have a car waiting when I got there.

Sure enough, I meet the guy right at the curb and he says the car is waiting - and he has it started with the AC on so it's nice and cool when I get in.

The only difference was this time it was not a Neon - but a brand new Acura TL. Yeah!!
He explains that they felt bad about the problem and wanted to take care of me. Whatever. I was just mucho happy that I didn't have to drive the Neon again.

Then it occurred to me. I'm not sure if they did this on purpose or not, but this was a brilliant marketing ploy.

First of all, they get to look like heroes by taking good care of me.

Second, I get a 2 week test drive of the brand new model. Since my lease was up in a few months, "what to get next" was on my mind.

I didn't foresee any other dealership giving me a 2 week demo. So if the product had proven to be exceptional I would have been that much closer to closed when I turn it back in.

If they're really smart, they would have called me in a week or so, and ask how I like the car. Maybe suggest that I just leave my old car with them, they'll take care of the remaining few payments, and I just keep the car I've got. "We'll mail you the paperwork, Mr. Miller." I wasn't expecting that, but it would have been pretty clever.
Didn't happen.

Anyway, it's a great example of thinking a few steps ahead, turning adversity into pleasure, and using any customer interaction as a chance to build value.”

My first thought after reading this article was of Earnest Thayer's "Casey at the Bat"
"Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out."

What, me worry? Nah! Pass the Prozac, please.

When faced with a problem that keeps you up, has you worrying, and doubting yourself, how do you approach it?

If you’ve been in real estate very long, you have come across at least one, but likely more, of the following: an irrational seller, a pushy buyer, an egotistical agent, or disgruntled client.

It helps to have a methodical approach to dealing with worry, and feel free to use these in your personal life, provided you have need.

Dale Carnegie studied Worry. To begin with, he researched books written about worry and found 189 books about ‘Worms’ and only 22 about ‘Worry’ New York public library. Most of what was said in these books was about the physical problems that can result from worry.
I’m sure by now most of us are aware of the illnesses that can result from a lifetime of fretting.

After spending countless hours with people, teaching, and counseling, and collecting data, he came up with some methods to help nearly eliminate worry in his book published in 1944. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living:

1. Get the facts. Dean Hawkes, Columbia University said that half of the worry in the world is caused by people trying to make decisions before they have sufficient knowledge on which to base a decision.

2. What can I do about it? What are possible solutions?

3. After weighing all the facts come to a decision. Here is what I’m going to do about it.


4. Once a decision is reached- ACT! Get busy carrying out your decision, and dismiss all anxiety about the decision.


By the way, I still think the reward and satisfaction of helping someone buy their first or next home, assisting them to move on to the next phase of their life, still outweighs the problems.

Keep your focus on the big picture.