I have been in some form of sales since I was 10 years old working in my mom's craft store selling yarn and bobbins to her quilting and knitting friends. And, since that time, I have always tried to establish myself as a leader in any sales position that I have held...and I also have noticed that there are some really good sales people out there.
The kicker is...a good portion of those people aren't good at sales. What they are good at is avoiding the things that cause sales people to falter.
Now, before we get into this...lets establish a quick and simple truth: Knowing what NOT to do is just as important when talking about sales as knowing what TO do. Make sense?
Knowing that, here is a quick "Top 10" of mistakes I have seen sales people make that are guaranteed to derail the very efforts that are being put forth by a salesperson.
1. They refuse to learn. -- I have seen more than one 'newb' burst onto the scene and run huge numbers in a very short period of time...and then just disappear into obscurity. Why is that? It is because they refused to continue to learn. It is vital to be a student of your game. Make sure you are continually learning about your product/service/industry. Read the new books that come out. Go to the seminars that are being held about your industry. Listen to audio, watch video, read blogs (like mine! hint hint) about sales and how to be better at what you do for a living. Reinvigorate yourself.
Did you know that Tiger Woods spends $1 million a year for a swing coach? He is constantly looking to be better at what he does...
2. They stay generalized. -- "Narrowcasting" is the specialization into a specific segment or part of the market. Staying generalized eliminates the ability to be considered an expert in any one specific area. Think about that for a second....Medical specialists get paid more than medical generalists. A specialist has narrowed his/her field of vision to ensure success in mastering that specific part of the market or product. They become known as specialists and people recognize that and come to them when they need that expertise.
3. They dont position themselves properly. -- The way people position themselves is the primary determining factor in how they are seen by prospects and clients. People pay attention to people they THINK are in a position of importance. Blogging, engagement and interaction with prospects and others via social media are all ways to help position yourself accordingly. The best way to sell is not to position yourself as a salesperson...but to position yourself as an expert in your field. And, one of the best ways to do that is to offer up information and assistance to those that are in need. (A Realtor might do a class on being a first time home buyer, for example. A guy that sells referrals to Realtors might write a bunch of blogs that help the agents do their jobs better...) The goal of these sessions isn't to sell anything, but to establish yourself as an expert in the field so that, as the need arises, those seeking your service automatically think of asking you.
4. They dont prospect. -- This is HUGE! The largest cause of failure in a sales position is having a lack of potential customers. You should always have multiple streams of inbound leads to work. You should never be out of people to pitch to even if that means you spend more money to get them. Take advantage of the technology that exists and use it to your advantage. Don't have anyone to pitch? Start thinking about a new career.
5. They pitch the wrong people. -- You cant get rich selling to the wrong people. You had better be in front of people that can make a decision, have a need for your services, and are willing to listen to you. If anyone you are pitching your services to doesn't meet that criteria, you are spinning your wheels. Remember, not everyone is a good prospect. Spend the time required to find good prospects and work with them rather than trying to peddle your wares to those that don't need them, can't decide if the need is there, or are not willing to listen to you.
6. They listen to their peers. -- Listening to your peers usually means you get an earful of negative input. "This isn't the way that you sell houses." "Blogging doesn't bring any clients." "Social media is a huge waste of time." Yeah...You've heard that before, right? And, it goes on and on and on and on...ad infinitum.
Instead, listen to positive, upbeat stuff that makes you feel good and allows you to think clearly. For me, thats music. Some use motivational speech, etc. And remember...most of your peers suck at their job.
7. They don't understand economics. -- Would you sell something you bought for $1.50 for $1?? Painfully obvious, right? Yet, that is what a good portion of sales people do because they don't understand the 'back-end' costs that should be added into the equation. For example, if you spend $750 marketing a home, $300 in gas showing a home, $200 in food wining and dining clients, and then only make $1000 on the sale of a home...what have you gained?? Here is a quick lesson in Economics 101 -- If you are losing money on your deals, you can NEVER make that up regardless of how many deals you complete.
8. They spend money before they make it. -- I had a sales manager who said to me, "Clint...a sale is never done until you are eating the steak that you paid for with the money you got when your commission check cleared the bank." Why think this way??? Look at all the things that can happen that can derail a sale in today's market...if you are out buying a new TV on credit because you have a closing happening on Tuesday, you are going to lose your butt in this business. Just because you have a signed contract doesn't mean you are going to get paid anytime soon.
9. The fail to ask questions. -- More importantly, they fail to ask the RIGHT questions. And, when they do ask them, they fail to actually listen to the answers given. A prospect will always tell you what it is that they need to hear come out of your mouth. Asking the right questions based on their feedback will, more often than not, lead to a sale for you. You have two ears and only one mouth. Use them accordingly.
10. They are hindered digitally. -- "Hindered", in this instance, means they are either digitally compulsive or digitally impaired. Both are a hindrance. You can be so addicted to the technology available (Internet, sales force automation, blackberries, iphones, etc) that they are completely paralyzed when it is not available. Or, the mere thought of being surrounded by that much technology has them so scared, they refuse to adapt to any of it. Both are career-killing impairments. In truth, it is those that have the ability to take on the technology without losing the human aspect of their jobs that will be the ultimate winners. Find your happy medium.
Sales people are a curious breed. "Experts" rarely have the open-mindedness required to accept criticism and adapt to make themselves more successful. Yet, it is exactly that which will set you up for a stellar sales career. Pay attention to the pitfalls that you can fall into that will slow your momentum and focus on those things that will increase it. Do this, and you will be just fine regardless of the market.
(206) 910-2300 2231 Second Avenue Seattle, Washington
When you walk into this quaint coffee shop located in Belltown Seattle the first thing you see is the unique red serving counter. You are greeted not by an employee but by the owners themselves who will then take your order and make your coffee themselves.
If you are a coffee addict as I am (and a self proclaimed connoisseur and expert) then you know that not all coffee shops are made the same. Lavender and Rose Mocha(free of thorns) are some of the specialty drinks that you may delight in.
The owners of the shop Ben, Jesse and Chris have a secret (don’t they all) roast whose origins they would defend with their lives. The entire inside of this coffee shop is littered by local artists displaying seattle’s diversity. All the art is of course for sale (so buy some they are starving).
Once you grab this home brewed gourmet coffee relax by the window and watch people walk by or get cozy in a comfortable leather couch.
This shop in Belltown also has tables and free wifi for those students that require coffee to complete their overdue homework. Or work on that soon to be famous novel that you will never really finish.
As you close your laptop that you where really just pretending to use anyway, you can grab a board game and be social! Clue, Quelf, game of life and Risk are some of the entertaining games available.
In this most illustrious Belltown Coffee Shop you may grab a cupcake (you can work it off later) and a danish made by locals. Their are many other shops around that you may frequent (ok I mean bars where you can get drunk).
Bedlam is open untill 3:00 in the morning on friday and Saturday for all you drunks that need to sober up before you drive home.
So if your in the area or want to poke your head into some seattle culture then for the love of god stop by Bedlam Coffee Shop located in Belltown Seattle, WA
Yet another awesome blog from Brad. What makes your blogs different then everybody else? We all know that a colorful button will be clicked on more then a grey box. Companies have spent millions of dollars researching the effect that different colors and icons have on the user. (They did this for a reason)
Spice up your blogs, make them fun, unique and easy to use.
Social Media Buttons and Icons - Is Someone Pushing Your Buttons?
During these past few weeks, since adding the "Signature" option to ActiveRain posts, I've received so many requests, calls, and emails regarding how to add "Social Media Buttons and Icons" to the footers of Blog Posts. You've probably seen many of the various types and styles other members are using on their Blogs which poses the question, "Where Are They Getting These?" Here's some sites I've found that offer you these custom buttons for FREE. This includes for personal and commercial use according to their terms and guidelines.
Here are some Links to Literally Thousands of Buttons and Icons:
Instructions For Adding Buttons and Icons to the Signature or Footer of Posts:
Once you've downloaded the Social Media Buttons or Icons of your choice, you can add them to your AR Signature Page (including the appropriate links) by going to your "My Home" page on AR, then select the "Settings" link on the left hand sidebar. Just upload the button or icon into the "Signature" section of the page, add the appropriate link to your image, then click "update" to save. That's it!
One tip I would suggest is to be careful which Icons you select for some of the Social Networking Sites. If the Icon or Button isn't a familiar looking one, then visitors might be less likely to click on it. For example, the cow face, what Social Network or site does that one belong to? Maybe visitors would click on it just to find out? (LOL~) With all these Buttons and Icon styles available, one thing for certain is that your signature can be unique. So have FUN!!
This should give you plenty of options and creative ways to stand out from the rest of the crowd. :-)
Social Media Buttons and Icons - "The Buttons You Want People To Push!"
"RainMaker" Special - Signup Here and Get New Member Discount
Their are many tips and strategies to increasing your SEO of your blogs/content. We all want that coveted 1st page of Google for our search results, who wants page 5?
In a world where you are competing against others every little bit of SEO help places you further to the top.
This blog teaches you a nice little trick to getting even more SEO power. Read this!!
One of the most crucial factors in ranking high for your targeted keywords in search engines is your Title Tag.
What is a title tag?
If you look at the top of your browser when you're on a web page, it's those words that are in the little blue bar at the top. The reason for this post is because of the number of real estate websites I see that don't take advantage of such an easy way to promote your website to search engines.
Did you know your title tags are what's holding you back in the search engines?
I hate to say it, but the reason you aren't showing up in search engines, is because you don't have your title tag optimized. Your title tags should be the first thing you "optimize" to be found in search engines. If you are blogging and generating back links to your website, but your title tags aren't optimized, your making it hard on yourself.
So, how do you optimize your title tags?
This might be complicated, because it all depends on your website, and not every website lets you access the title tags. If you don't know if you can edit your title tags, talk to whoever built your website for you, or you can always Google it. If someone else has a website like yours, chances are you can find out how to optimize your tags by searching Google.
How Should I Optimize My Title Tags?
Now that you know what a title tag is, it's now time to consider what you should change it to. For each page on your website, you need to determine it's purpose, and what the content on the web page is about. For example:
I have webpage dedicated to Logan Utah Real Estate, and if you look at that pages title tags, they define the page as "Logan Utah Real Estate, Logan Real Estate, Utah Real Estate Listing." The reason it has those 3 phrases, is because I know people, when searching for properties, will type phrases like that in the search box. You probably already know this, and that's why it's key to add those phrases to your title tags.
That title tag is "optimized" because the content on the page itself is about what the title tag says it's about. If you read through the content, it's keyword rich with the words: Logan, Utah, Real Estate, Listings, Property, and so on.
Warning: If you add title tags to a web page that don't really represent what the title tag says, it's going to be hard to convince search engines your page is about what your title tag says. Make sure that your title tag is related to the pages content. If you have a page about neighborhoods, your title tag should reflect those neighborhoods.
If you do this with every page of your website, you are going to see your rankings in search engines increase. You will be giving search engines more information about what your pages are about, which is the whole purpose of a search engine. They want to give their searchers the most relevant page to their search query. If you title a page correctly and create relevant content to that title, you're going to help search engines, which in turn, is going to help you rank better.
Title Tag Optimization Tips For Real Estate
When optimizing your title tags, it's a good rule of thumb to use these phrases, as they all relate to real estate.
Listings, Property, Properties, Home, Homes, Homes For Sale, Agent, Agents, REALTOR, MLS.
If you use these phrases with your town included, you will pick up more search engine results placements, and increase the traffic to your website.
Examples:
If I was a real estate agent in Seattle, I would use those same phrases, but I would add the different areas I service.
Seattle WA Homes For Sale, Seattle Real Estate Listings, Real Estate Property and MLS Listings Seattle Washington
With that title tag, I have given myself the chance to show up for broader searches. Say someone searches in Google: Seattle real estate listings for sale - With that search, I have my title tag optimized for all of those keywords, and if I build enough links to that page, I will show up in the searchers results pages.
Now, if you read this, I expect you to update your title tags, and optimize your pages to be better then your competition. I can't stress enough how much an optimized title tag can increase your websites visibility.
If you have any questions about this, leave me a comment, and I will do the best I can to help you out. :)
Localism! The power of Localism is absolutely unbelievable. Want yet another spot on the first page of Google? What if (all) your blogs could be linked together and pulled up under all the other searches that each blog generates in Google? Sounds to good to be true?
If you do not understand how Localism can double your online exposure (yes I said double) then read this blog, ask for help and get addicted to the power of LOCALISM!
Are you new to Active Rain? Not sure of what Localism is and how it can be beneficial to you? When you're brand new to blogging it's often very difficult to come up with ideas for topics to write about on a consistent basis. I've been writing posts over almost 2 years and have had those days when I just can't think of anything to post.
One of the ways to overcome that problem is to write about your communities. The sister site and consumer facing side of Active Rain is Localism where members can display consumer oriented content about their local communities.
Posting to Localism allows you to interact and create connections with the public by providing them with local information and promotes you as the knowledgable local expert in your area,
I don't leave my house without my digital camera and flip video. You just never know when the opportunity will arise to take a picture of something of interest in your neighborhood. I also make sure I carry with me a small note pad too and jot down places of interest or upcoming events that I want to focus on at a later date to write a post about.
You're all familiary with Wikipedia, the free internet portal where there are millions of written articles on any topic you can think of many of which include links to guide its users to additional information on related pages.
Think of Localismas your local Wikipedia or as the tagline for Localism states "The World's Most Complete Neighborpedia."
Posts written to Localism consisting of hyper-local content and photos will attract consumers who want to learn more about a specific area. Write about upcoming events, local news, libraries, places of interest, schools, school activiites/sports, local businesses, parks, fund raising events....Think like a consumer and what they would be looking for that is engaging and interesting.
DON'T write content to your peers!!.....DO write content to the consumer!!
Your posts are sent to Localism by checking the box as shown and then choosing the state, county, city and neighborhood that you're writing your content for.
**If you are a free member any posts you've written are "Members Only." You will have to upgrade to aRainmaker account to post toLocalism**
As an Active Rain Ambassador, I would be more than happy to offer any assistance and help to any new members who are ready to get started.
I've included a few other member's posts that will provide additional information about the many benefits and ways that Localism can help to brand you as the local expert in your community.
Why do children's books all have pictures? Why does every major company have a "symbol", when you order pizza do you want to see a block of text about pizza or do you want to see a perfectly baked pizza when you land on that site?
PICTURE PICTURES PICTURES!! I would say this is easily as important as your content. If your blog does not look good enough to be interesting then nobody will read your awesome content.
How to "PhotoShop" Your Pics for Your Blog (For Free)
Pictures really are worth a thousand words - at least they are when they are placed in your blog. Pictures placed in your blog will keep readers there much longer. You may be an award winning author, but most likely people aren't going to your blog to read a novel. They are showing up for fast, accurate info. Let's make it as easy as possible on their eyes.
Your blog will also rank better with Google when pictures and photos are used. You can label your pics with relevant terms (keywords), and you can also link your pictures to other locations, such as your website or a property search engine.
How To Create Award Winning Pictures and Photos for FREE
Ok, so I never won any awards, but here's how I do it. Two pictures are shown below; the one on the left is unedited from its original format. The one on the right was edited using Picnik.com, a free photo editing website that is powerful and very user friendly. So in this tutorial we will learn to
Upload a photo
Crop it (re-size and take out "extra" space)
Add text to make it more original
Add a drop shadow frame (or border) so it isn't so stagnant and "just sitting there.
*
STEP ONE:To begin, open a new window and go to www.picnik.com (check spelling!) and click on the button that says "Get started now!" (If you want to use my original unedited photo above, right-click on it and pick "Save as").
STEP TWO:To select a picture to work on, locate the "Upload a photo" buttonnear the left-hand side of your screen (see below). You will need to know where your picture(s) are saved on your computer to select it.
STEP THREE: Now that we have uploaded the picture of your choice, we are ready to edit it. At this point you should see a page that has the picture you selected in the middle of the screen, and a tool bar that looks like the one below. If you need to, click on the "Edit" TAB
STEP FOUR: Choose the "CROP" function, third from the left on the menu buttons (see above pic). A "grid" will now appear on top of your photo (see below). Drag each corner to where you want the edges of your photo to be. After dragging the corners, "OK" it by clicking the "OK" button as shown below.
.
STEP FIVE: Your picture should now have been re-sized to only show the contents within the grid you just adjusted. Next we are going to add some text. From the menu above the picture, choose the fourth TAB labeled "CREATE". Once this is selected a new menu list should appear that looks like the one below. Once this appears select the "Text" button as shown below.
STEP SIX: Once you have clicked on the "Text" button, the top left-hand side of your screen should show a text box (See below, at left). Type in whatever you like and then hit the "Add" button. This will place your text onto of your picture. You can change the color, size, font, and even the angle of the text. I chose black text, the "Daniel" font, and dragged the text to the bottom of the picture. (See below at right)
STEP SEVEN: Finally we are going to add a "Drop Shadow" to the picture. This will make it appear to be 3-dimensional and pop off the page a bit. In Picnik, this is considered a frame. From the same menu across the top (5th from the left) choose the "Frames" button. Once you have clicked on "Frames", a column will appear on the left hand side, and you will see several pictures of a frog, which will give you an example of what each option will do. Scroll down this left hand column about 7 spots or so, and choose "Drop Shadow". A box will appear in this same column for editing the drop shadow options (below, left). Play with the adjustments until you get the desired effect. Once the picture looks the way you want, hit the "Apply" button (Just below the adjustment sliders). My photo is below at right after I added the drop shadow.
LAST AND MOST IMPORTANTLY !!!!
Lest we shoot ourselves in the foot, DON'T FORGET TO SAVE the photo by clicking on the TAB pictured below.
PHEW - - - YOU DID IT!!
Now throw your new picture down below in the comments for all to see!!!
UPDATE:
Check this great article by Donna Brigda on using Picnik to create a header for your blog. Thanks DONNA!!
Video has dominated every aspect of our lives. From television to your computer screen we are "programed" to be receptive to video. From entertainment, ordering pizza to finding a home, if you want to have a powerful online presence then having video is simply a must.
(I can't figure out how to embed videos into my ActiveRain blog so if anyone can help, that would be great).
I wanted to make sure she got the answer, so the first thing I did was read through the 80 comments thinking for sure someone had left a link to a post on how to do this. To my surprise there was none. To my even bigger surprise, when I searched ActiveRain for an post I couldn't seem to come across an updated blog post with information on how to do it. So, Erin, this tutorial is for you!
If the video is too small to view, try watching in HD.
Feel free to subscribe to my blog to keep up to date with my latest posts of tips & tricks to enhance your experience on ActiveRain. If you would like, you can sign up to receive updates via email directly in your inbox.
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We have many different choices for Headers for your Outside Blog. But for those that want to be unique this blog will explain and give you a tutorial of how to customize your own header.
I get asked often how I created my custom header for both my ActiveRain Blog and also my Outside Blog. The process of creating one is actually pretty simple to do. Instead of doing a tutorial with screen shots, I thought it might be easier to see how I created my header & uploaded it in a video format. So, I made a generic header for my blogs today & taped it as I made them.
The entire process from beginning to end only took me about 5 minutes. I actually spent more time locating the photograph I wanted to use & enhancing that. So, if you are unsure about how to design your own header, watch these two videos below and you will be on your way to creating a great looking new header for your blog in no time!
This first video walks you through the process of actually designing the header. It shows you how to re-size, crop, and also add text to your photograph. I used a free online photo editing software called picnik.com to create mine. If you have photo editing software that you are familiar with, you can use that & have the same results by following the steps.
Now that we have created an awesome looking header, it is now time to insert it onto both our ActiveRain profile & also our Outside Blog. This video will walk you through uploading the picture to both places.
Feel free to subscribe to my blog to keep up to date with my latest posts of tips & tricks to enhance your experience on ActiveRain. If you would like, you can sign up to receive updates via email directly in your inbox.
Also, lets connect on these great social networks:
ActiveRain is a social network. Use your friends and the connections you have made to help build each others business! Most members do not use this function but it is one of the most powerful features here at AR.
Each member who is a Rainmaker has a Outside Blog and the Grandfathered rainmakers (should) have a updated outside blog. The power of having your own Outside blog gives you ownership of your own website/domain name.
With contributors you can quickly build content and SEO power 10X faster then you can yourself by simply having a group of good agents all contributing to each others Outside Blogs. If your not doing this now....you need to!
How To Add & Understand Authors, Editors, and Contributors Roles on Outside Blogs
Any member of ActiveRain with an Outside Blog or "ActiveBlog" can invite others to contribute. Whether you are a Broker inviting your Agents, an Agent inviting your TEAM and Affiliates, or just a member inviting another member, here's the differences between setting up an Author, an Editor, or a Contributor. When you invite others to write and contribute to your Outside Blog, it's important to understand these three categories and the rights and privileges they offer. There are different levels of privileges for each category.
Inviting Others To Contribute
To invite someone to contribute to your Outside Blog, go to your "My Home" page on ActiveRain. On the left hand sidebar, you'll see the link to your outside Blog referred to commonly as your "ActiveBlog." Click on the link and you'll be ready to invite others to contribute. They'll need to be a RainMaker Member in order to contribute posts to your Outside Blogs.
On your Outside Blog you will see a Black toolbar located across the top of your Blog. Select the "Members" link to invite and manage your contributors. When inviting others, you only need to use their AR Profile user name. Example: activebrad or arbob. Typing anything other than their correct user name will result in an error and no invitation will be sent. Be sure to visit the members profile to make sure you have their correct user name.
Once you click on the members link, the menu option will open allowing you to "Invite" a contributor. This is also where you can manage the "roles" of each contributor. To change the role of any contributor, click on the "Down Arrow" and select Author, Editor, or Contributor for that member. You can also delete a contributor from this screen by clicking on the red "delete" link located next to their name.
If you are invited to contribute to another members Outside Blog, you will have a link on your "My Home" page to either accept or decline their offer. Click on the link to "Accept" you can now add your posts to their Blog.
You will also be notified by email of their request, but you cannot "accept" or "decline" from the email.
To add your posts to an Outside Blog, put a check in the box(s) when creating your Blog posts on AR.
Outside Blog Contributor Roles
Author: Selecting the "Author Role" allows the contributor full access and rights to post entries without your moderation or approval. They can also assist you with Moderating other contributors posts. Author is the highest level role with the least amount of restriction.
Editor: Selecting the "Editor Role" allows that contributor to create and add posts to your Blog without your moderation or approval. They cannot assist you with the moderation process, they can only post to your Group or Team Outside Blog. Editor is the next level of role with the least amount of restriction.
Contributor: Selecting the "Contributor Role" gives the contributor the authority to create and add posts to your Blog but you need to review or moderate them first, then either accept or decline their entry. Contributor is a role with the least amount of priviledges and the most restriction.
Managing Posts from "Contributors"
If you select the "Contributor Role" for a member, be sure to check your "Review Pending Outside Blog Posts" link on your "My Home" page. The link is located at the very bottom of the page on the left hand sidebar. This is where you can accept or decline your contributors posts. Don't do as I did and forget to check it once in a while, otherwise your entries will get backed up.
To accept a "Contributors" post, just click on the green check mark. To decline, click the red dash mark.
One of the great benefits of the Outside Blog is that each one allows members the ability to add multiple authors and contributors. In my honest opinion, this brings a greater value to your Outside Blog. You can have multiple voices and opportunities to share and collaborate content which in turn results in more information, faster growth, and a variety of topics focused to your targeted readers. Especially for the niche markets that many of you have, this is a great way to saturate them with hyper-local content quickly and efficiently. I believe that one day very soon, every Brokerage, Real Estate Company and REALTOR team in the Country will have a Group, Team or Multi-Authored Blog.
If you started out like me and got frustrated with trying to get your pictures to go where you want them too this blog is for you! This teaches you how to move those pictures where you want them!
The number 1 question that I get asked each week by new members is how to insert photos into your blog and move them around. I would guess this question comes up anywhere from 3-5 times each week. Adding photographs to your ordinary blocks of text in a blog post can take your boring posts to another level.
However, many are confused on how to insert photos, or use the different components of ActiveRain's photo editor, so I am going to break this down into several components.
The first part I am going to show you is how to insert photos either from your computers Hard Drive, or from a link to the photo on a web hosting service like Flickr. (Remember to read the TOS of the web hosting site before uploading photographs for commercial use.)
The one advantage to loading your picture to a web hosting site first is that it gives you another link in your blog that helps to build your SEO & Google juice by linking from the photo site to your blog. You will notice that since I uploaded the picture of the Lilly Pads from my photo account, I have the ability to go back & place a link on it as well back to the photo album. Since the picture on the left came straight from my hard drive, there isn't a way to link back to another area. The other nice thing by linking this photograph is that if someone wants to see it much larger, they can click on the picture and will be directed straight to where the photo is available in full size.
This first video will just show the 2 different ways to insert a picture onto your blog. I broke this tutorial into two parts to keep the videos from becoming too long. When you are actually inserting the picture into your blog, you would do both processes of both tutorials before clicking the update button.
This second video shows you how to align the photo in your post, re-size it & also place some white-space around your picture so that the words of your post do not run into your picture.
Here are a few final reminders for inserting photos onto your blog:
Do not use any photo that is not yours without written permission from the owner. Using a photo without permission can result in an instant lawsuit and cost you thousands of dollars!
Keep your photos on your ActiveRain blog under 550 pixels in width. Any wider than that and you can run into major layout issues on your Outside Blog.
Turn off Pop-Up Blockers. The number #1 issue that people run into when trying to insert a picture is that they have a pop-up blocker that is prohibiting them from loading a photo. Sometimes even after changing the settings they run into issues. If this is the case, hold in the CTRL button on your keyboard when clicking the links and it should allow the boxes to load properly.
Give Credit to the Photographer. Some places have a creative commons license which allows you to use another persons photo, but you must give them credit for taking the picture.
The photos I used for this demonstration were taken from my Flickr Set that were taken on my recent trip to Atlanta & our journey to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
I hope this tutorial answers any questions you may have on how to insert an image into your blog. If you have any other, do not hesitate to contact me.
Feel free to subscribe to my blog to keep up to date with my latest posts of tips & tricks to enhance your experience on ActiveRain. If you would like, you can sign up to receive updates via email directly in your inbox.
Also, lets connect on these great social networks:
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
I have been in some form of sales since I was 10 years old working in my mom's craft store selling yarn and bobbins to her quilting and knitting friends. And, since that time, I have always tried to establish myself as a leader in any sales position that I have held...and I also have noticed that there are some really good sales people out there. 
1. They refuse to learn. -- I have seen more than one 'newb' burst onto the scene and run huge numbers in a very short period of time...and then just disappear into obscurity. Why is that? It is because they refused to continue to learn. It is vital to be a student of your game. Make sure you are continually learning about your product/service/industry. Read the new books that come out. Go to the seminars that are being held about your industry. Listen to audio, watch video, read blogs (like mine! hint hint) about sales and how to be better at what you do for a living. Reinvigorate yourself.
3. They dont position themselves properly. -- The way people position themselves is the primary determining factor in how they are seen by prospects and clients. People pay attention to people they THINK are in a position of importance. Blogging, engagement and interaction with prospects and others via social media are all ways to help position yourself accordingly. The best way to sell is not to position yourself as a salesperson...but to position yourself as an expert in your field. And, one of the best ways to do that is to offer up information and assistance to those that are in need. (A Realtor might do a class on being a first time home buyer, for example. A guy that sells referrals to Realtors might write a bunch of blogs that help the agents do their jobs better...) The goal of these sessions isn't to sell anything, but to establish yourself as an expert in the field so that, as the need arises, those seeking your service automatically think of asking you.
6. They listen to their peers. -- Listening to your peers usually means you get an earful of negative input. "This isn't the way that you sell houses." "Blogging doesn't bring any clients." "Social media is a huge waste of time." Yeah...You've heard that before, right? And, it goes on and on and on and on...ad infinitum.
9. The fail to ask questions. -- More importantly, they fail to ask the RIGHT questions. And, when they do ask them, they fail to actually listen to the answers given. A prospect will always tell you what it is that they need to hear come out of your mouth. Asking the right questions based on their feedback will, more often than not, lead to a sale for you. You have two ears and only one mouth. Use them accordingly.
One tip I would suggest is to be careful which Icons you select for some of the Social Networking Sites. If the Icon or Button isn't a familiar looking one, then visitors might be less likely to click on it. For example, the cow face, what Social Network or site does that one belong to? Maybe visitors would click on it just to find out? (LOL~) With all these Buttons and Icon styles available, one thing for certain is that your signature can be unique. So have FUN!!
However, many are confused on how to insert photos, or use the different components of ActiveRain's photo editor, so I am going to break this down into several components. 
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