Barb's Blog

Are You Pushing Past Clients Away Or Helping Them Remember To Refer You?

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:48:22 -0700

Picture This:

A happy, smiling couple - the closing table at long last, you with their promises of numerous referrals still

ringing in your ears as they tell you how they couldn't have done it without you!

You're wonderful! You stop by to give them a great housewarming gift. You're the best! They'll NEVER,

EVER forget you - they'll tell EVERYBODY they know that you didn't quit until you found them the perfect

house (after only seeing 20). They'll be the best town criers you've ever had!!

But then.......a few months later......where did they go? The referrals you expected to start coming in (or at

least ONE) never materialized. You're back to square one, looking for more new clients, spending more

money.

So what just happened?

Did they just get so caught up in their new lives and new home that they forgot all about you?

Yeah, maybe. It happens.

But, then again maybe not.

Maybe they forgot to remember you because you forgot to remember them (now, stay with me here).

91% of Realtors never contact a client again after the house is sold.

You lose 10% of your influence with past clients every month you do not contact them in some way.

10% x 10 months = 100% forgotten.

If you let too much time slide by with out contacting your past clients, they might just forget your last

name. Sure, they might remember your company name and your first name, and how terrific you were to

work with, but not enough to refer you when the opportunity arises.

So, say you really DO try to keep in regular touch with your past clients. Good for you! That's great!

But, Are they referring you? Are their family, friends, co-workers, fellow church members, etc. just not

buying or selling houses in this economy?

OR is something else possibly going on?

Do you really have to contact them EVERY single month of the year to get them to refer you? Of course

not........BUT.......perhaps it's time to take a closer look at what you're sending them.

Pretend you're getting a nice birthday card from your Realtor. Nice to be remembered, right? A warm

fuzzy just for you on your special day. Now consider that 5 business cards tumble into your lap when you

open the card. How do you feel now?

Do you feel remembered by someone who became a friend when they sold you your house, or do you feel

they only want you to spread those cards around for their business? Warm fuzzy defuzzed fast, huh?

Same thing with those lovely disclaimers on the bottom of the holiday postcards your company has.

"Please Disregard if you're already working with a Realtor". HUH? You just told them to have a Happy

Holiday...then told them to disregard the friendly message on the postcard....and you ARE their Realtor!

Those are both scenarios of a "Send To Get" message to your past client that may cause them to view you

in a different light, no matter how wonderful you were when you sold them their house.

Their perception is now that you're only contacting them to get something from them, no

matter how sincere your real intentions may be.

So, what could you change to make them feel that you still care, are still the wonderful, referrable person

they forged such a friendly relationship with? Would it take a lot to turn them back around and make them

remember you enough to refer you to others?

Not really.

It's pretty simple actually.

If you just adopt a "Send To Give" attitude, and send just a birthday card with a nice note, maybe

saying"Your Realtor For Life" after your signature with your phone number, you'll be forging a stronger,

friendlier relationship with them. Remember them on a few unexpected holidays like Valentine's Day or

Thanksgiving just to say hello and say you're thinking about them - with absolutely no thought of getting

anything at all in return.

Then forget all about it and watch what starts to happen!

Just a few thoughts from "The Card Lady" for you to think about today.

Barb Corsa

PS: If you don't currently send cards to your past clients, maybe you should start - at least a few a year.

Because each person knows about 250 people, and that's a lot of potential referrals.

New Year's Resolutions vs Goals

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:35:37 -0800

I haven't posted in awhile, so I thought I'd mention that I usually (like so many people) put together some resolutions for the coming year during this interim time of reflection between Christmas and New Years.

But, I recently watched a motivational speaker who challenged me to do things a little differently this year. I can't remember who he was (watched a clip on Facebook probably haha), but his message sure sunk in.

He said to quickly write down 10 goals you want to meet this coming year - don't let up until you reach 10 no matter how small some might be. Let it pour out of you onto the paper.

Then, looking at your list, choose only the one that seems most important for you to reach.

Next, start outlining exactly what steps you need to do to reach that one goal, and put those steps on your brand new 2010 calendar - the when, where and how to reach your goal..

Keep the list to refer back to for your next goal.

Resolutions = vague things like lose weight, stop smoking, etc....without a well thought out plan of attack.

Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

Most resolutions will be broken by mid January like so many others over the years.

So, set goals this year and make your plan on how to actually reach them!

I know I am.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

I'd rather you drove safely

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:25:02 -0800

With Winter here and icy, wet roads everywhere we’re driving, (and it seems like we’re ALWAYS driving somewhere, right)?

I wanted to pass on something I read recently, so you all can arrive where you're going more safely:

NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON!!!

A highway patrolman said that if the cruise control is on and your car begins to hydro-plane, your tires will lose contact with the pavement, and your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane.

The patrolman said this warning should be listed on the driver's seat sun-visor, along with the airbag warning:

NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICY

We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive a safe speed, but we don't tell them to use the cruise control only when the pavement is dry.

Interesting to note: I read that some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not even allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on.

If you pass this information on to other people in your office, to family members, and your circle of friends and only one of them doesn't know about this, then this was worth posting. You might have saved a life.

Take care out there.

Audio of a Successful Realtor

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:41:51 -0700

Here's an audio from a Realtor who has been using SendOutCards to follow up with her clients very successfully.

Listen To The Audio Now

To test drive the system she refers to, click here for a 5 minute video walkthrough to send a real card to someone (just do what the little man says and don't click ahead of him).

Got questions? Email me at barbcorsa@sbcglobal.net.

Thanks,

Barb

Peel & Stick Labels and hand cramps - Here Comes Christmas! Hahahaha!

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:54:43 -0700

Sing along with me....(to the tune of These Are My Favorite Things)

Long nights of staring at piles of cards laying

Brain strain from wondering what to be saying

Cartridges empying at a fast clip.....

These are some things that you won't really miss

Scrawling your signature at a hard table

Sticking on stamps and peeling off labels

Blurry eyes straining to finish in time.....

These are some things that you won't really miss

When you're busy, when you're stressed out, when you're feeling low.

Just call The Card Lady, she'll show you for free...

the answer to card sending woes!

That was fun (for me at least LOL!) Ok - seriously folks, did you recognize yourself in any of that? If you did, and you're wondering if there is an easier way to send cards in your own handwriting, with your own signature to everybody in your database this Holiday season, there is!!

With SendOutCards, you can make the cards up WAY ahead of time, set them up to go out BEFORE December 15th to everybody on your list, even add gift cards and gifts. With secure database uploads, mail merge for names and the ability to make Groups in the Contact Manager, you could be done with Holiday cards in 15 minutes. But if I don't show, you won't know, and the only way to get use of the system is through a Distributor.

This year, enjoy the Holidays with family and friends more..without the hand cramps! I

Email me at barbcorsa@sbcglobal.net and I'll send you a link to test drive the system by actually sending a real card without leaving your computer, or you can join at www.sendoutcards.com using Distributor #32451. I give a one hour free training session after signup.

Barb Corsa (aka The Card Lady) System Trainer & Ind. Distributor 32451

Join a New Group - Facebookbloggers - explore tips & tricks for social networking

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:59:25 -0700

My hubby Kevin Corsa, just started a new group called Facebook Bloggers. (his other groups are: The Tuesday Trip and Home Inspector's Corner)

Here's the link to the new one:

http://activerain.com/groups/facebookbloggers

The Join button is at the bottom left.

This should be a lively group with lots of discussion about social networking.

Barb

Have you YuuGuu'd today?

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:03:24 -0700

Well folks, here's something you might want to check out.

I just heard of an neat little program through someone on my SendOutCards forum. It's called Yuuguu and is a screen sharing program. The best thing is that the other person does not have to download anything to use it with you!

I just found out about it today, but it has a voice conferencing feature too. Just what I was looking for to do my one on one telephone training with.

www.yuuguu.com

Hope that helps someone here in the 'Rain.

Barb

Do You Sing, Scream Or Cry In Your Car?

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:11:22 -0700

My mother, a widow with 4 kids and a full time job, used to "go out for a ride" on a weekly basis at night after we got old enough to look after the younger ones. As kids, we thought this was really weird. Was she meeting someone? No.

As an adult, I finally got up the courage to ask her what she used to do on those rides. Her reply? "I sang, screamed or cried in the car depending on what kind of week I had".

She said that in the dark, with little to no traffic to see her, she could just drive around the back roads and get out her frustrations and emotions and come back to us a better mother. She said it didn't help anyone to see her very very mad or very very sad, and it was unhealthy for her to keep all that bottled up inside. It was her stress reliever!

When she was happy, she'd sing at the top of her lungs. When the week had been particularily mean, she'd scream the same way because no one could hear. Sometimes she'd just sit on the side of the road and cry because she didn't want us to see and get upset.

She'd come home calm and ready for some time with her kids.

Too many people these days are so stressed with life and work in general that they often don't think of how their moods can affect their families and their own health. They keep their emotions bottled up until they explode.

Did we ever see her mad or sad? Of course. We gave her plenty of reasons. But our memories of her are sweet, and the lessons she taught have stayed with us.

So if you see a woman in a burgundy van on the expressway at night singing at the top of her lungs to Phantom of the Opera, it's me...and it's been a great day!

I suggest you try this stress buster, because it sure works.

PS: Caution: never cry and drive at the same time.

One Of The Top 10 Websites in Inc. 500 magazine this month!

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:50:59 -0700

I am so very pleased to announce that SendOutCards has made the Top Ten Websites list in this month's Inc. 500 magazine. They also ranked #158 out of the top 500 companies!

If you have not seen this totally web based system for sending out greeting cards, gifts and gift cards in the mail without leaving your computer, you are missing out on the competitive edge that could keep your business relationships warm, your personal relationships warmer and help you save time, money, and frustration.

Getting and keeping loyal clients who can help you build a referral based business is priceless! Visit www.sendoutcards.com today to see WHY it earned a spot as a Top Ten website. Look around the site

Starting to stress out over all those Christmas cards you have to send out this year?

Contact me at cardladybarbc@yahoo.com and I'll show you how to make them fast and easy (in your own handwriting without the hand cramps) so you can spend more time with your family and friends enjoying the season.

Barb Corsa

SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451

Have you been to Butterscotch.com yet?

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:09:03 -0700

I recently stumble-bumbled my way into a very helpful website called Butterscotch.com. I was surfing the free software downloads at Tucows.com (another great place), and saw a link to Butterscotch.

Now, being that butterscotch pudding was always my favorite as a kid, I decided to see what it was.

Lo and behold, it's a site filled with great tutorials about tons of stuff you might need to learn about - like how to learn to use your Blackberry (video!), your iphone, how to blog, use eBay, the finer points of Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter, learning Firefox, gmail, Hotmail and just too many others to list.

No butterscotch pudding or candy - just butterscotch color and tons of things to learn about. Go to Butterscotch.com and scroll dow the page to get a taste!

Hope that helps somebody.

Barb

What MORE can we learn from Michael Jackson's death?

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:30:22 -0700

Ok, so you're probably tired of hearing about it by now, but I think there is an important issue to be addressed here. With the major weeping and wailing and nashing of teeth going on all over the world for this music icon, we seem to be missing a big piece of the puzzle regarding human beings in general.

What is it? The fact that everyone has a need to feel loved and appreciated by others. Regardless of how you feel about Michael Jackson, let me ask you a few questions to mull over:

Do you think Michael felt he was loved and appreciated to the degree that is being shown now? How much better do you think he would he have felt if just a tiny fraction of those people reached out in a note or a letter to let him know he had touched their lives with his music? Was he reclusive or just very alone in his own mind?

His father stated he wished Michael had known all these people loved him. Would it have altered Michael's path in life, his view of himself and made him stronger? I believe it would have.

Oh yeah, you know what's coming now....

How much better would YOU feel if those around you reached out to you and told you they loved you, that you did a great job for them, that they would be lost without you? That would feel incedible, wouldn't it? It would make a big difference in the way you view yourself...and them.

So I would challenge each of you today to look around and see where the gaps in your own life might be so you can begin to fill them -

The people who need to hear the words "I love you".

The ones that need to know you're grateful for their help on a daily basis.

The ones you put on the back burner because they should just understand how busy you are when you forget to call or visit them.

The ones that should be told you're proud of them for doing something great.

How empty life can be when someone doesn't fill your cup. After you're gone, or they're gone, it will be much too late to do the most important things in life. Most of the time people don't realize you need this vital "life lift" too.

Reach out - they're waiting. I'll remember the sadness in Michael Jackson's father's eyes when he looked into the camera and said "I wish he had known".

Because it's not what you do, it's not what you say - it's how you make them feel that counts.

Duplication vs Complication

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:09:47 -0700

Sometimes we want to duplicate what successful people are doing. Sometimes we even HAVE the people who are successful telling us EXACTLY how they became that way.

BUT THEN

instead of "mirroring" success, we try to learn every subtle nuance, every little twist and turn, every trick of the trade and go off course into LEARNING way too much and actually DOING way too little!

Instead of READY, SET, GO, should we be doing READY, GO? Is it fear of failure or fear of success that stops us in our tracks at SET?

When I look back over the last year and notice how much time I spent getting ready and getting set, I see that I complicated a very simple thing. I had the locomotive, the train was on the tracks, all the right fuel to make the train go, but the part that became the hardest was the "almost starting" - pulling that switch that would make my train go down the tracks. I was sitting there letting my engine idle while other trains that came in after me chugged on down the tracks to success.

So, I recently decided to GO! Duplication comes from duplication, not from complication. It's such a simple concept!

Barb, Sender Of Cards

Save Yourself !! You must read this about Identity Theft TODAY!

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:02:50 -0800

This was on the Montel Williams Show today (1/14/09), and if you've ever had any identity theft in your family, you know how awful it can be and how time consuming. Over 10 million people per year have had identitiy theft happen to them, myself included after using a debit card at a drive thru pizza place instead of going to the ATM since I had hungry teenagers partying at home, and it was late.

An attorney on the show that experienced identity theft herself has written a book, complete with the forms and letters you may need someday. Everyone needs a copy just in case.

Book: From Victim To Victor by Mary Frank, Esq.

Some tips from the show (some you may know about but not really do):

ALWAYS shred papers with personal info before tossing them into your trash - preferably with a cross cut shredder - to prevent "dumpster divers".

Don't put outgoing bill payments in your mailbox and put the flag up - it alerts theives to come and get it.

Make sure people standing behind you at an ATM stand 3 ft behind you. That cell phone they're using may be recording your card and where your fingers go.

Don't leave your registration and insurance card in the glove box for thieves to find easily - stash it or carry it.

Always look for the gold lock on the websites you enter personal info into to make sure it's a secured site.

Never give your security card number over the phone, or in response to an email even if it looks authentic.

Never leave your purse or wallet in the car, even during church. Some people have easy pickings with this one!

Now, here's a shocker....one lady had a group of people that moved an old blue mailbox from neighborhood to neighborhood, and people just dropped things in it for her!!! She said the best way to be safe is to take your mail INSIDE the post office to mail it.

Ok, so there's some information you may have needed to safeguard yourselves a little more, but please, please, please don't leave delivered mail in your mailbox for long either. Guess what was in mine today?

Three pre-approved credit card offers, and a mailing from the bank where I got my home equity loan - it looked like junk mail, but when you opened it up....there were three REAL checks, complete with all my bank info, ready to be written out by me to access my line of credit....or for whoever wanted to swipe it from my mailbox.

Be very aware - with this economy and the airing of this show, many unscrupulous people just got some great ideas on how to get money from you. One person showed how easy it was to copy down your check information at their job, go to Office Max and get software and check paper they needed to print your checks on their computer so they could drain your account. Scary stuff happening out there folks - BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY!

Barb

Last minute 2008 Tax Deduction for under the marketing heading.

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:19:06 -0800

Ok, somebody had to bring up the fact that tomorrow is the last day of 2008 and that April 15th is right around the corner. Happy New Year!

Do you need a last minute deduction for the year? Go to http://www.sendoutcards.com/32451 and send a free card on me just to sample the SendOutCards system using the audio prompts, then look around the site and sign up for a Wholesale or Entrepreneur account if you like it.

The company gives you a receipt after you join SendOutCards that you can add to the 2008 stack for your accountant. It could be a really great tool for your 2009 marketing toolbox. You'll never know if you don't send a free card to someone (no obligation to join at all and your name doesn't go on any lists).

If you take deductions for an in-home business, here's a few to remember:

P.S. Get the advice from your local accountant to get correct information related to your country, state, etc.

By operating a home-based business, you dramatically reduce the amount of personal taxes you pay.

You can write off expenses for:

- computer, printer, and internet access
- cell phone and long distance charges
- office supplies
- office furniture
- a digital camera
- credit card fees and interest
- marketing
- attending networking/social events
- having your taxes professionally done
- meals with business prospects and clients
- books and magazines
- attending seminars and conferences
- educational material and training

And write off a portion of your expenses for:

- electricity/water/natural gas
- mortgage interest
- property taxes
- snow plowing/yard maintenance
- house cleaning
- laundry expenses (when out of town)
- automotive fuel, leasing costs, maintenance and repair, interest on car loan, depreciation
- telephone

And a portion or all of:

- cruises and trips when you conduct business remotely

The Tax Man Cometh! Run & Hide! Run & Hide!

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:18:01 -0800

Now that Christmas is past and a New Year looms on the horizon, now is a great time to start looking at those last minute business deductions for 2008 taxes (yeah, yeah somebody had to say it, right?).

I just found a website with links to the IRS site for deductions you might want to see:

http://www.impactyoursalesnow.com (second one down).

PS: SendOutCards would make a fantastic last minute marketing deduction, and a great new tool for your 2009 business toolkit - contact me.

I've heard of Snowmen and Snow angels but...a Snow DOG?? Funny Video!

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:30:37 -0800

I thought everyone would get a kick out of watching this video of a dog playing in REALLY deep snow.

Introducing Bailey the Christmas Snowdog for your laugh of the day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sUL0KCIc48

Ahhh Summer on the lake

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:37:55 -0800

Remembering a beautiful warm evening watching a sunset on the lake. Hurry back Summer!

Peaceful & Calm

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:02:35 -0800

Deadline For Christmas Cards! (and a cookie recipe)

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:51:36 -0800

FYI everybody! The post office says that you have to have your Christmas/Holiday cards in the mail BEFORE December 15th. Are you ready to go?

Here's a recipe for an easy cookie that someone brought to a big party we had recently. People were enjoying them a lot, and they disappeared very quickly (I found out later some of them squirreled them away to take home to snack on later!). I only got to eat one, but I got the recipe haha!

I put the recipe into some of my Christmas cards, and they're set up to fly out from my SendOutCards account automatically, so I'll have more time to make some more cookies.

Here's the front of my card:

Here's the recipe! Don't ask me how the name came about - I don't have a clue, so you can make up your own story if you want to.

DING BATS

1 cup chopped dates

1 egg (beaten)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

Mix & cook until thick.

Stir in 1 Tsp. Vanilla

1 cup Pecans (or walnuts)

2 cups Rice Krispies

Cool the mixture, then shape into balls the size of walnuts.

Roll in Confectioner's sugar

Enjoy!

Barb

Wheee! I finally rode on a Segway!

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:02:24 -0700

I've been wanting to get on a Segway personal transport for years now ever since I was in Put-In-Bay and saw the tours up there. I finally rode on one!

There's a place in Akron that has just opened up uniques townhomes for sale called Spicer Village that has some lovely multi-level units that even had rooftop terraces!

Those who can envision what this new area will look like when they have the beautiful common areas in, and the landscaping all done could find a home close to everything around the Akron, Ohio downtown and University Of Akron areas. Lots of great changes going on in that area!

Mike Wiant was kind enough to show us around the townhomes, and even taught my husband Kevin and I how to ride the Segways that the residents will have available to them (no, that's not us in the picture).

What a weird feeling as you try to find your balance on them, but soon you're whizzing around with Mike walking close at hand so you feel safe and don't get freaked out when you rock back on your heels too far LOL. It made me feel like a kid again!

You use your feet to control it, going forward by shifting onto your toes, and back by rocking back onto your heels. After awhile, you get more confident and start going faster and find out it's really a lot of fun!

Mike looked like a skier on dry land, zooming around corners and taking corners at a fast clip. He also takes people interested in seeing Spicer Village on a tour of the area, but we stayed close to the townhomes since we had another appointment right after that.

If you want more info on the new townhomes in downtown Akron, Ohio, here's the website: www.spicervillage.com

Photo Gallery template advice?

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:09:40 -0700

I have seen a lot of photo gallery templates that automatically resize the pictures within the frame parameters, and had one in the past. I lost it when a Trojan virus got us a few years ago. I need a template with 6 pictures on each page that can be converted to pdf format for emailing. Does anyone have a source or site for me?

Thanks,

Barb

Was It Something I Said?

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:20:04 -0700

Have you ever noticed that sometimes, no matter how you say something, no matter how much thought you give a phrase before it comes shooting out of your mouth, someone will always take it the wrong way?

In both business and personal lives, the spoken word can get twisted around and certain words or phrases can create anger or hurt feelings just because of the way the other person perceives what you say or the way you said it. It may have nothing to do with you personally, you may just strike a nerve.

They take in your body language, your facial expressions, and your tone of voice, and put their own spin on what you said due to past experiences either with you or others in their life. Preconceived notions.

As they repeat what they thought they heard or thought you meant, even if you didn't, you get thrown into a bad light. Ever play "Telephone" in Grade School? Someone whispers a sentence in someone's ear, then it gets passed from person to person around a circle of classmates, and the last one says the sentence out loud. It's NEVER the same sentence, and sometimes is so different, the original content is lost.

So, say you inadvertantly offended a co-worker by just trying to be helpful. Or your conversation with a family member turned into a misunderstanding that keeps your relationship cool with imagined slights for years. It happens. No matter how you try to SAY it, nothing seems to help...and sometimes you just make things worse by trying to justify words and actions in person. You get "shut out & shut down" every time. They're just not listening!

Word of mouth advertising is sort of like the Telephone Game. If something perceived as negative about the way you do business is passed from person to person, true or untrue, your reputation can suffer. If family members start gossiping about you to other family members, the misunderstandings perpetuate, even if the facts are wrong.

So, how do you combat these problems? The humble greeting card. Ah, yes, you knew I'd get around to that, didn't you? LOL! But it's so true.

With greeting cards, you can keep in touch with people - let them know you care, you're sorry there was a miscommunication, that you miss them, that you'll always be there for them, and more. The written word is such a lost art, yet can be so very powerful if you send out to GIVE rather than to receive something back. A card can be read, again and again. There's nothing to get in the way of the words, and they are understood on a deeper level. The card must be a positve, not a negative communication though.

You can re-establish family connections with words of encouragement, a memory of a special time in your lives growing up that you shared and pictures of family members. You can establish good rapport with your clients and co-workers by sending out informative articles and quotes, or surprising them with a small gift.

In sending out to give, and not to get, you create a new or altered state of mind in the recipient of the card. You're not asking for anything from them, you're merely keeping in touch. You should see the way these cards make a difference in someone's lives!

Here's a small example for you: One man always admired the skill of the woman playing the organ at the church he'd been attending. The way she played spoke to his heart each Sunday, and the music gave him a lift for the rest of the day.

Years went by, and he suddenly felt like he should tell her how much he appreciated her music over the years. He decided to send her a card, and was astounded at her response. She called him at home in tears to thank him for his heartfelt card - the only one she had EVER received from anyone. She told him it came at just the right time, because she had just written her resignation as church organist. She had felt her music no longer mattered to anyone, and perceived herself as unappreciated. His thoughtful card came at just the right time, and she continued to give her gift of music to the congregation for several more years.

So, as poet Maya Angelou says, "It's Not What You Say, It's Not What You Do, It's How You Make Them Feel" - that's what can make such a difference in someone's life. You can send out positive into the world, and positive flows back to you. Send out only to give, and you get back so much more for yourself.

The SendOutCards Motto is - Changing Lives, One Card At A Time.

Contest Winner: Just "Lion" Around

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:55:45 -0700

Here's a contest for you. I took this cool picture of sleeping lions at the zoo, and am going to make it into several cards, but I need different captions or what they might be saying.

I thought "Just Lion Around" would be great, but WHAT is "lion around" your office waiting to be set up or sent out? Referral cards, Christmas cards, birthday cards?

Best answer wins a Free SendOutCards Gift Account with 5 cards and the stamps to send them! Contest ends on Sunday August 17, 2008 at midnight.

Here's your inspiration (and how I used it to make a PicturePlus card):

Have you ever sold a house to/for a Veteran?

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:10:49 -0700

Why did I ask if you sold to/for Verterans or their family members? Because I picked up a leaflet with information that your older clients might find interesting. If they have war collections they don't know what to do with, and don't want to keep (but want a good place for them), you can tell them about the wonderful MAPS Air Museum in North Canton, Ohio. Watch for hubby's blog coming soon about our visit there to return my parachute (but that's ANOTHER whole story-LOL).

Here's something cool:

MAPS is asking people to be a part of something called "Project Scrapbook", and they are documenting the personal histories of our WWII and Korean War veterans. Something you might want to pass on to others with elderly family or friends in your real estate travels.

Here's what the leaflet said:

"Every veteran has a story. From the mundane to the magnificent, from the tedious to the terrifying, every one of these stories is worth preserving for future generations.

We are losing our WWII and Korean War veterans to the ravages of time. We must not allow their stories to be lost too. MAPS Air Museaum has initiated Project Scrapbook to record not only the personal recollections, photos, letters and artifacts of our veterans, but also those of wives, girlfriends, sons, daughters and those who served their country on the homefront.

This is History and it must be Saved."

For more information call 330-896-6332 (Akron) 330-494-3577 (Canton) www.mapsairmuseum.org

2260 International Parkway North Canton, OH 44720

I hope this post helps someone preserve their own family history.

Barb

What Good Is A Headshot?

Barb Corsa (SendOutCards Ind. Distributor #32451 ) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:00:15 -0700

Well, here it is, I'm unveiling my new "headshot" picture taken by the nice folks at Paramount Photo in Uniontown, Ohio. They were patient, pleasant, kind and very considerate of my "photo phobias". They buffed away the wrinkles and gave me a little "town polish", along with hi res, lo res, color and black & white shots.

My past experiences with family photographs have been dismal to say the least (I blink), and this was my first headshot ever since I've worked behind the scenes for H.I.S. Home Inspections as Office Manager for 22 years (still do). I'm just teaching people to use the wonderful Send Out Cards system like we have been doing at our business since Nov. of 2007.

So, now I have this nice picture. What am I going to do with it? Put my name on it? Or use a border to tell you where I got my lipstick?

Or maybe I'll put it in a card to say hello to someone and tell them I give free trial accounts.

Or use it on the inside of the card to show you how it looks with my own handwriting, signature and business card.

Oops - copy/paste doesn't always give you all the lines, but you get the idea. I can pick any one of 12,000 cards in 40 categories and put something inside like this, and press "Send Card". That's it!

Left side of card

Right side of card

Are you getting the most out of YOUR headshot?