Blogging - one of the most powerful internet tools available today, some would even say THE Most.  What started as a simple means of journaling or making social commentary has become a major workhorse when it comes to generating traffic and business.  But, as with most workhorses, this particular Clydesdale requires a lot of care and attention:  grooming (need to stay on top of moderating those comments, archiving old items, etc.), exercise (you need to have fresh angles and approaches on a variety of topics to keep ‘em coming back), feeding (you must continually post new material)… We won’t get into mucking out the stall right now. 

However, the rewards you can reap from a properly run blog are bountiful indeed!  Especially when you consider that you don’t necessarily have to do it all yourself - simply find a virtual assistant who knows all the tricks to train your blog and keep it running in the right direction. 

For your consideration, read the following blog posted by Kevin Tomlinson:

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Every now and then you hear something that makes you go “Hmmmm… Isn’t that the point?”  I had one of those moments not too long ago.  I was talking with a real estate office HR Manager about her agents’ reaction to the Online Dominance program, and if any other agents were getting curious yet.  She said one lady, who was a long-time agent, commented that it may be fine for those young bucks just starting out, but people like her who had been around for years just wouldn’t be able to pay for something like that, and besides, what could it have to teach HER?  She didn’t have time for it.

 Well, hmmmm… Isn’t that the point?  If you are working so hard and have so little time, and yet still have so little money to invest in yourself, are you really having a fulfilling career and life?  Isn’t it so frustrating when you work and work to offer people an opportunity, but they just completely miss the point?

 What are some experiences you have had where missed the point?  Or better yet, what are some ways you had success getting your point across?

 Well, this week’s Featured Article from Dr. Jay addresses “The Missing Links in Web Marketing”.  Be sure to read it so you don’t miss out!

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I was never supposed to be a sales trainer, coach and author. I was supposed to be a ballerina. Many years ago however, I needed a day job, so I got a job with a telemarketing company and the rest is history. Here I am many years later, “The Queen of Cold Calling.”

Dancing is still my great passion and in spite of the years and many injuries, I still dance. Recently, I started taking a ballet class with a new teacher. At that point I was going through a period of pain and frustration due to an old dance injury.

During my first class with the new teacher, she pointed out to me that I was not initiating my leg movements from my foot. This is a ballet basic. All leg movements initiate from the foot. Because I was not initiating the movement properly, I was engaging the wrong muscles. The teacher suggested that this might be the cause of my pain. And you know what? She was right. By focusing on initiating my leg movements from my foot, the pain from the old injury started to subside!

I knew that in ballet all leg movements are initiated from the foot. I’ve been dancing since I was a small child, I’ve even taught ballet classes. At another time, I might have been the teacher making that particular correction to a student. And certainly, if someone had given me a test and asked that question, I would have aced it. It wasn’t that I didn’t know; it was that for many different reasons, I wasn’t doing.

So what does this have to do with sales?

If you’ve been in sales for a while, you probably know at least some of the basics. You’ve probably done the Sales 101, features and benefits and have at least heard of some of the tools and techniques touted by sales superstars and sales trainers. You may have visited bookstores, flipped through a few books and said to yourself, “I know all of that.” You may have looked at different training courses, looked at the agenda and said to yourself, “I know all of that.”

Wouldn’t it be great if you could simply take a test proving what you know and customers would then flock to you based on your test results?

Unfortunately, selling is not about what you know. Selling is about what you do consistently, time after time, with every prospect with whom you speak.

There is a huge difference between knowing something and actually implementing it. And there’s an even bigger difference between being able to implement something and having totally mastered a skill.

The people who are most successful in sales are not necessarily the ones who know the most. They are, however, the ones who have mastered certain skills (and they’re frequently very basic skills) and they are able to use those same skills over and over again, and that’s why they’re successful.

If you are new to selling you need to learn the basic tools of your craft (what you know) and then focus on using them all the time (what you do). If you’ve been in sales for a while, focus on making your skills consistent (what you do). And if your sales process is not working for you, the question to ask yourself is: Am I using what I know about selling consistently each and every time that I speak with a prospect?

It is just like me in dance class. I certainly knew that all leg movements initiate from the foot. I’ve known it for years. It’s a ballet basic. I simply wasn’t doing it and because I was not doing it, I was in pain.

If your sales process is causing you pain, go back to the basics. Look not just at what you know; look at what you are doing with what you know. You might need some help to do this, an outside eye (like my dance teacher) to help you evaluate. Ask a colleague, your manager or perhaps a coach to help you analyze and ascertain that you are implementing what you need to be implementing in every step of your process. If you do this, like me with my old dance injury, the pain should subside.

Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling,” is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. Her recently released program, The Miracle Appointment-Setting Script, and/or her book, Cold Calling for Women, can be ordered by visiting http://queenofcoldcalling.com. Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get Wendy’s free Special Report, How to Write an Effective Cold Calling Script, at http://www.queenofcoldcalling.com

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My friend and colleague Brad Carroll, CEO of Dakno, a Real Estate Marketing Company turned me on to something that was just so phenomenal that I had to write about it immediately. So often we talk about “leads.” I have even made the mistake at times of using this term. First, I want to apologize for the usage of this term. From here on out, I will make a conscious effort to forsake this term, because these are people looking for information. When I reduce them to a lead, I have done nothing more than make them a number, or put them into a category. The truth is these are people who want some information, maybe it is not specific to what you were hoping for, but have you ever thought that these people are asking for information from you because they find you trustworthy, you have relevant information on your website, or possibly they may have nowhere else to turn. Even if this is not the type of individual you were hoping to speak to, the fact that they contacted you puts the ball in your court. You have a responsibility to contact them, even if it is with a recommendation to someone else. To ignore these people is the worst thing you could do for your future business. These are people, these are people with questions, these are people with needs and wants, and they are looking for someone to help them. Are you that person? Watch this video, compliments of www.1000wattblog.com and I think you will see what I mean.
I am not a lead

Another Prescription for your Internet w-Health.

Jay Izso, “Dr Jay”, M.S., Broker
Internet Doctor
1641 Stannard Trail
Raleigh, NC 27612
919.369.2121
Toll Free: 800.506.0633
FAX: 800.506.0633

doc@InternetDr.com

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If one picture is worth a thousand words, how many is one web page worth? 2,000? 500? Or as many as you can squeeze out of your copywriter? The correct answer is the minimal number you need to tell each page’s story clearly and concisely. This is one situation where less is definitely more.

In the newspaper biz, important stories are placed “above the fold,” meaning that readers can see them right away without having to unfold the paper. You should adopt the same philosophy for your web site. If you think of the bottom of the screen as the fold line, your headline and the copy that’s most critical to your business should appear on one screen, without the reader having to scroll down. It’s my firm, however unscientific, opinion that readers shouldn’t have to scroll more than once on any web page. If your copy requires continuous scrolling, try one of these options: 1. Judicious editing, or 2. Create a new page.

In order to maintain the “above the fold” format, it is important to stick to one main idea on each page of your site. Your home page should offer an introduction to your site stressing the main points of your business. The copy should state your location (I am amazed at the number of real estate sites that don’t name a city on the home page!) and your target market: e.g. first time homebuyers, downsizers, urban lofts. This insures that visitors to your site know they’re in the right place within the first 15 seconds of reading your copy. If so, they’ll be likely to click onto your other pages for more information. If not, they’ll know right away to keep on surfing for an agent who’s working in the right market.

Each subsequent page should stick to the one theme per screen idea. Again, get to the most important points right in the headline and lead paragraph. Try to keep all the copy on one screen or, at least, within one downward scroll.

Making it easy for your potential customers to read and navigate through your site makes it more likely to capture their interest—and their business.

Lois H. Feinstein produces powerful and compelling Web copy, marketing materials, newsletters and brochures for Realtors® and other business professionals. She is Chair of the Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA) Copywriting Guild and a member of the International Virtual Assistants Association, and has written for a number of magazines including 5280 and Denver Woman. Her business, I Can Do That!, www.i-cando-that.com, is based in Denver, Colorado.

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As a manager, when considering how to motivate others, understanding the internal nature of motivation is critical. Motivation, like attitude, cannot be worn on the outside like a raincoat- it has to come from within. As everything we accomplish is related to how we feel, our attitudes towards work, life and our goals are something we should be checking on the hour rather than by the year.

Just how critical is motivation? One manager joked that he would rather have a stupid motivated person than a smart unmotivated person! Why? Because motivation creates momentum and momentum is the force that makes money, unifies strong teams and builds businesses up to their true potential.

First and foremost, good managers must cause motivation to happen internally, rather than causing employees merely to produce the desired external results. When properly motivated, those results will flow naturally. If you want an employee to increase productivity on a certain task, for example, but you micromanage the task until it is done to your satisfaction, you will have put so much of your own effort into the process that you will not be able to focus as successfully on your own work, not to mention other employees or colleagues. In addition, the employee is not really able to feel proud of his or her accomplishments and is thus not as motivated to work harder at the next opportunity. When managers simply cause results, the end effect is exhaustion for the manager, inferior performance from the employee, and a decreasing sense of motivation for all in question.

In order to feel motivated, people need to take pride in what they are doing. That pride extends to all levels and all participants of any given job. No matter how many things are on the to-do list, do one thing at a time and make sure each one is completed. There is nothing more un-motivating than feeling like you’re simply running on a treadmill, with too many tasks to ever successfully finish and/or with ever-incomplete tasks that are a standard part of the operating procedure. If you consistently promote the expectation of success throughout every project, employees are more likely to feel motivated at each step, expecting subsequent successes. In this vein, remember that it is always better to have one thing completely done than many simply hanging in the balance.

Listen and listen well. One of the biggest de-motivating factors for an employee is an employer who does not listen. Listening is often a difficult skill to learn but an incredibly important component of promoting self-accountability in all members of a team. Tune in before you turn on and remember to listen first, and talk second.

Be available and approachable. Employers can significantly affect the driving force of their employee’s inner motivation by having an approachable management style. While letting the employee do the job, also let them give you feedback on the project. When everyone is involved in the planning stage, everyone understands and appreciates how he or she contributes to the final outcome.

Lead by example. You may have heard it before but it’s true. Successful managers agree that the best way to get excellent performance is to set a stellar example. Your own motivation—as evidenced by your actions—in leadership and your hard work speak volumes more than anything that your words could say to a member of your team.

Have your expectations in place. Starting with the hiring process, keep in mind that a person lacking enthusiasm and motivation from the start will be much more difficult to motivate than someone who comes in with these innate qualities.

Keep track! In order to track motivation, have managers and employees set goals for themselves. Write those goals down, keep them in a visible place and make sure to verbalize them. Once a week, discuss with your team how close you are to reaching your target.

Let them know. As a project progresses, give everyone involved sincere feedback. With a positive but honest bent, let people know how they are doing and give them the space and time to adjust their actions and working plan to reflect the feedback received. Positive reinforcement should be given for results! It could be anything from a special parking spot, a badge, a cash bonus, a plaque, or a gift certificate for dinner. Remember this: people like recognition and recognition helps drive motivation.

On the other hand, don’t be afraid to let people know when they are under-performing. Confrontation in the form of sincerely addressing the issue instead of attacking the person takes finesse. It’s truly an art and it leads to enhanced motivation. Begin by appreciating what the person you are confronting brings to the table. Feed the person’s ego a bit while reinstating your commitment to that person. Create a performance agreement that relies on accountability. Track the performance, show the person their improvement and reward them. The simple knowledge that one is becoming increasingly successful at his or her job after previously struggling is a great motivator in and of itself.

Lastly, make sure to tell employees every day that you appreciate what they do. Feeling listened to and cared about helps to create a motivated team that gets results that benefit everyone!

With a client list that reads like a who’s who of the real estate industry, Ken Goodfellow (Coach Ken) brings experience and a proven track record to all his clients. As the CEO and Founder of CKG International (www.ckginternational.com
) he takes great pride in the caliber of the program offered. His proven coaching programs are highly regarded among real estate professionals as the top in the industry. In 2005 Ken was given the prestigious Business Coach of the year Award. On top of coaching Ken is widely known through out North America for his interactive and hard hitting speaking style that keeps audience wanting more. He focuses on how to make your business extremely successful.

Within his first year of being in real estate Ken became a top producer and maintained that level for five years. He then went on to build his own real estate company from the ground up, creating a firm that had 3 offices and over 150 agents. After achieving success with his business, Ken moved into the training business bringing all his experience with him.

With over 10 years in coaching, Ken is widely known for taking high producing agents and real estate companies to a level they never dreamed possible. www.ckginternational.com

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Most real estate agents are continually vying for that top spot on Google. After all, the right search term can send thousands of visitors to your site. The reality is that there are usually hundreds of thousands (and more likely millions) of other pages competing for only a handful of slots on the first page. But the good news is that Google’s new “Universal Search” combined with a little bit of creative thinking may be just the formula to capture Google’s most sought after piece of real estate.

What Is Universal Search?

Google has always been the resource to find web pages about a particular keyword. But they soon realized that people wanted more than just web pages when searching. That’s where Universal Search comes in. Back in May of 2007 Google began incorporating images, video, and news into the search results page. You can see from the graphic below that a search for iPhone on Google shows results for Web pages, News Stories and Videos.

What about Real Estate?

So how does this relate to the real estate industry? There are two key places for a real estate agent to take advantage of Universal Search.

1. Google Base (aka Google Housing Search): If you search for Sheridan Wy Real Estate in Google, you will see a link that says “Find results for Sheridan WY Real Estate in housing search” (see graphic below). By having your listings appear in the Housing Search, you can attract more buyers and expose your listing to more eyeballs – thus making your sellers much happier! The good news is that it’s very easy to include your listings on Google’s Housing Search as well as other places like Trulia, Oodle, and more. Simply use a listing syndication site like Postlets or V-flyer.com.
   
2. Google Local: One recent change that Google has implemented is the way they display their local results. Any time Google “thinks” a search is related to a local area; it will pull from Google Local and display this information at the top of the search results page (see below).
   

   While some areas such as Raleigh Real Estate are pretty competitive, there are also areas that are still wide open for that coveted top position. For example, in the Sheridan Wyoming area, there is only one agent who has taken advantage of Google Local, as a result, when you search for sheridan wy real estate agent, Century 21 BHJ has the Google Local spot all to themselves. Even though they are not the top position in the organic search results, their Google Local listing appears above all other results, and here is the best part – it doesn’t cost them a dime!

   

   So how do you take advantage of this prime piece of search engine real estate? Simply go to the Google Local Business Center and add your information. While Google hasn’t come out and said what the secret is to getting to the top of the local results, there are a few tips for local optimization that can help push you to the top. Just visit the Dakno Real Estate Blog for the tips.

More than Just Google

Google isn’t the only game in town blending video, images and more into search results. Yahoo and Ask also have their own version. You can take advantage of Yahoo’s local results by submitting to their Local Directory. In fact, there are dozens of places to submit to local portals.

Get Creative with Your Search Engine Optimization

Remember, Universal Search can show results for videos, images, news, maps, books, websites and more. In other words, the answer to breaking through the keyword glass ceiling may be hidden in more than the content on your website. So get creative with your optimization plan. If you are having trouble getting to the top spot for that coveted keyword, try a different approach. Create a video, write a press release, or post a blog article. It just might be the trigger that pushes you to the top!

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I am a student of human behavior. I am certain that my interest in how people interact started at a young age and grew as I went to college and graduate school. One of my favorite activities is to watch salespeople develop rapport and secure a client. As an outsider, who is basically a fly on the wall, watching these interactions I am always interested in these salespeople’s skills and how they go about their business. I don’t think it takes a person with an advanced degree in psychology to see if someone is genuine or just out to make a sale. When people want to genuinely help people with their needs and wants, it is natural, unforced, and free of sales games. I have seen people with what I would call bad sales skills become very successful out of sheer desire to want to help people. I will take someone with sincerity and passion over a person with impressive sales skills anytime.

I am going to over-simplify the sales process for a moment, and perhaps re-analyze it in a future writing. Simply put, the sales process comes down to 2 elements: Communication and Relationship.

More than Words

Let’s talk about communication briefly, as I do not have the time or space to fully explore it. I don’t think it would surprise anyone that communication is more than words. Words are extremely important and powerful however, words are only a small portion of the communication process. Words by themselves are quite frankly…empty. Even the words that you read on this page lack so much. I am always frustrated when I write, because the words alone cannot express, or convey what I am truly trying to say. While it is true I am not the best writer, if you could see the emotion and passion on my face as I write, I can assure you that I am fully aware of the problems of putting words on a page. ARRRRGH!

Emote with Me

Emotions are important to the communication process. Whether it be the salesperson or the potential consumer, the individual’s emotions and the ability to react to them immediately is crucial to the process. When someone’s tone becomes more excitable, or there is a sense of sadness, anger, or joy, it is absolutely key to be able to respond appropriately. This makes the communication process not only easier, but less frustrating for the all the parties involved.

The Eyes Don’t Lie

If I were sitting in front of you right now you would be able to look at my face and into my eyes. Typically the face and eyes give us clues as to the genuineness of someone when they speak with you, especially when the subject matter has significant impact on us. We will have a tendency to look a little deeper into the eyes, check the facial expressions, compare it with the words and make a determination whether a person can be trusted. When I was working as an intern in a mental hospital, the very first thing I would do is look at the eyes of the new patient. I could immediately get clues as to the type of person I was dealing with, or if my point was being communicated.

Hand Jive

Body language is extremely important, yet one of the most underestimated. This is partially because we don’t pay conscious attention to it, yet it gives us strong clues into intention, passion, and believability. There have been numerous studies conducted on people crossing their arms in front of themselves vs. opening their arms, leaning forward versus leaning back in conversation and the effects on specific physical behaviors of the person being engaged in conversation. Many people talk with their hands. I have been told I am one of them, part of this may be because I get so excited about the topics I discuss I want to emphasize a point. I am also a “hugger.” No words need to be communicated in a hug, yet the message is powerful.

Relationship

What about “relationship?” Humans are built for relationships. No one functions emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually healthily when they do not have relationships. How many studies have we seen that demonstrate that people who are married, or have significant relationships tend to live longer and have less health problems than people who remain alone? Beyond this, we want to work with people we know, or think that we know. We want people to care about us, to care about what we care about, to be genuine, and show empathy toward a situation. This, my friends, is a “relationship.” Honestly, people want to work with people they can trust, that they like, and they can count on.

The internet presents a set of problems for communication and relationships that even the best salesperson cannot overcome. Let’s talk about these for a moment.

1.    The Internet Lacks a Human Face

2.    The Internet Lacks Emotion

3.    The Internet Lacks Physical Responses

4.    The Internet Lacks Vocal Inflection

5.    The internet does not foster true relationships

The internet does have words, but as I stated earlier, it is progressively more difficult to express them because it lacks so many elements of the communication process, much less trying to develop some sort of relationship. I understand that there are a few successes with dating websites etc, but there are far more failures, and ultimately those people who are successful still must meet face to face. Here are the issues of trying to sell on the internet. It is nearly impossible to communicate and create meaningful, long lasting relationships on the web. So if you are trying to practice your same face to face communication and relationship skills on the web, you are not going to be very successful.

So what do you do?

Since you cannot employ the same strategies, then you need to create trust and relationship in a different way.

1.     Provide updated accurate information your potential consumer wants

There is nothing more powerful that will create faster consumer trust then understanding what the consumer actually wants and getting it to them in a user friendly manner. I am sure you think you are providing useful information, and maybe you have good information, but do you know what your consumers really want. Here is a clue, if you look at your website statistics and you see that your consumers are exiting pages after a brief period of time, chances are you are not providing the information that they want. Further, make sure you update your information on a regular basis. There are two reasons for this. First of all, nothing is static, so you need to update your website all the time. Add new content and update information that has changed. Second, the search engines like it when you update your site. This tells them you are being active, and trying to provide the most up to date information.

2.    Make sure your information is FREE

I have never understood why people would require sign-ups for information they can find somewhere else for free. While you think you are getting a significant number of customers from forced sign-ups, I can guarantee this statement… you don’t know how many didn’t sign up and are now working with someone who is providing that information at no personal identity cost to them.

3.    Always Protect the Consumer Identity

We used to talk about this as privacy. However, it is now a bigger issue than just privacy. It is taking active steps to protect a person’s identity. This is about ensuring your potential clients that your business is going to do everything within your business power to ensure that their identity does not get passed out. This means that you will delete their names from your database when they want it deleted. It means that you are not going to put them on some email list unless they request it. It means that you want to keep them as anonymous as they want to be kept anonymous.

4.    Discuss Their Issues, NOT Your Service

If you want to really communicate with people and develop relationships with them, then talk about the issues that affect them. When I go to websites the owners want to talk about how great their service is. No one cares. First of all, the internet consumer is skeptical, they can’t see your face, they can’t see your body language. You are nothing more than some cheap salesperson giving them a line. I know that is not your intention; however, that is what the consumer sees and believes. If you are going to change that, then you need to truly consider what your consumers are concerned about, and then discuss it. If you feel you have to talk about your service, put it somewhere on a back page.

5.    Don’t try to be everything to everybody

We all know the old saying, “when you try to be everything to everybody, then you become nothing to no one.” I know that you might service more than one type of individual; however, when you try to make your website so big with enough information to include everyone it becomes too overwhelming to the consumer. The best answer is to start creating more websites that will speak to the different members of your business. Too many times I have seen websites with so many links to different places that people are overwhelmed with information. You would never do that in face to face conversation. If a person must sell then you talk about selling, not buying. Therefore you need to simplify the life for the consumer. If you make it simple, more user-friendly you will achieve greater success.

All in all, you cannot continue to be the salesperson on the internet that you are in person. You do need to have it in your style but you do not have the advantages on the internet that you do in person. You have to “tune in” to your client. You have to think like they think. You have to stop thinking about your next sale, and think about what is important to your consumer. If you can truly stop thinking about your bottom line, and start thinking like your consumer, you will find that your internet business will take a turn for the best. You will develop better customers that will turn into clients, and possibly great relationships for life. Really, isn’t that the bottom line?

 Jay Izso aka “Dr. Jay” has his Masters of Science degree in Psychology from Washington State University. He was a former instructor of Human Learning and Motivation, Experimental Psychology, and Statistics at Washington State and North Carolina State University. He has been part of the Linda Craft Top 50 Internationally Ranked RE/MAX Team located in Raleigh, NC, since 1996 where he developed Linda’s award winning Websites and cutting edge technologies. He is also head coach for the Mr. Internet® Total Solutions Coaching program. Many of his articles and writings and observations can be read at www.realestatepsychologist.com.

Jay Izso, “Dr Jay”, M.S., Broker
Internet Doctor
1641 Stannard Trail
Raleigh, NC 27612
919.369.2121
Toll Free: 800.506.0633
FAX: 800.506.0633
doc@InternetDr.com

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Would you like to have customers return again and again to buy? Would you like to be first in line for additional orders and repeat business? Would you like to keep your customers for a very long time? Then read on for:

7 Tips for Building Relationships & Guaranteeing Repeat Business

(1) Make sure that you ask all of the right questions so that you truly understand your prospect’s needs. Don’t assume that you know what your customer wants or that they have the same needs as all of your other customers. Ask. This way you’ll be sure.

(2) Give your customers exactly what they ask for. “Sort of” doesn’t count. Make sure that you are delivering quality each and every time. In addition, don’t oversell. Persuading a customer to take more product than they actually need will quickly make you a one-time resource.

(3) Make absolutely certain that what you are offering will solve your customers’ problems or help them in the way they need to be helped. If your offering is not truly a solution, tell the truth. Selling a product/service that does not solve the problem it was purchased to solve may put money in your pocket in the short term but in the long term, it will guarantee that you lose the customer.

(4) Do everything you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it. Nothing builds trust and credibility like doing what you say you’re going to do. And tell the truth no matter what. While sometimes being truthful might cost you a sale, in the long run the trust you build with your customers will more than make up for any lost revenue.

(5) Keep your new customer informed every step of the way. Whether it’s a delay, a pricing issue, a mistake or any potential problem, let your customer know about it as soon as you know. Do not delay. They will find out eventually and not telling them personally and/or allowing them to discover it on their own will lose you business.

(6) Become a valued team member and go above and beyond your prospects’ expectations. Show your customer that you are interested in their business. Invest time thinking about their needs and how you can help

(7) Show appreciation for your customers’ business. Don’t forget to say, “thank you.”

Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling,” is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. Her recently released program, The Miracle Appointment-Setting Script, and/or her book, Cold Calling for Women, can be ordered by visiting http://queenofcoldcalling.com. Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get Wendy’s free Special Report, How to Write an Effective Cold Calling Script, at http://www.queenofcoldcalling.com

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I generally use this space to share some thoughts about marketing your real estate practice but, hey, it’s 2008, so I thought I’d break away from the usual. How about some resolutions that you (and I) might actually have a chance of keeping this year? We both know that we’re not going to hit the gym 6 days a week, cut out all junk food and/or achieve world peace. However, here are some ideas that may change your outlook on life. Who knows, with a new attitude, you might come up with some great ideas for your business as well!

Laugh every day. We all get caught up in the day-to-day grind, whether it’s work,
home or family related. Are all the things you’re stressing about really that critical? If your daughter wants to wear mismatched socks to school or you can’t find that file folder you stashed yesterday, is the world coming to an end? Click on the Comedy Channel, pop in a Marx Brothers DVD or read the comics—anything to bring on a chuckle. It’s guaranteed to lower your boiling point and make the rest of the day more fun.

Concentrate on what goes right. How many of us gnash our teeth at night over things that went awry during the day? Sure, the boss was cranky, a can’t-miss deal fell through and your cell phone bill hit the stratosphere. But, there was also a magnificent sunset, having your own two feet carrying you where you needed to be and your favorite song popping onto the radio during the drive home. Learn to shift your perspective and life will treat you kindly.

Slow down. When it’s time for lunch, walk away from your desk and turn off your phone, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Multi-tasking may seem efficient, but it’s an energy drainer. Savor that tuna sandwich and Diet Coke.

Weed out the extraneous. Do you own your stuff or does it own you? A constant battle with clutter takes time away from more meaningful tasks. Throw out magazines that are more than three months old, whittle down your earring collection and shred those 20-year-old tax returns. View your closet with a critical eye—do you really need 35 ties or 10 white t-shirts? Bag up the extras and give them to charity; you’ll be doing a good deed and cutting down your stress level.

Help somebody else. One of the best mood elevators around is lending a hand to someone less fortunate. Donating money is relatively easy; if you’ve got some time to give that’s even better. There are plenty of organizations that can use your help on a once-a month or infrequent basis. Check out local food banks, Habitat for Humanity or homeless shelters.

Resolve to try just one or two of these suggestions, and see what a difference some small steps can make in your life. I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2008.

Lois H. Feinstein produces powerful and compelling Web copy, marketing materials, newsletters and brochures for Realtors® and other business professionals. She is Chair of the Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA) Copywriting Guild and a member of the International Virtual Assistants Association, and has written for a number of magazines including 5280 and Denver Woman. Her business, I Can Do That!, www.i-cando-that.com, is based in Denver, Colorado.

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