Oprah Live! - 12/30/08 07:42 PM
Much has happened over the last 12 months.
Gas prices hit $4.00 per gallon, Michael Phelps dominated the pool at the Beijing Summer Olympics, Britney Spears making an unexpected comeback, the fall of the national economy, and Oprah the middle of a heated presidential campaign.
Along with events can a new tone in marketing and advertising messages.  These messages will tend to be more negative as business tries to retain what is left of their market share.  We will also see a greater share of advertising campaigns directed at "money for nothing and the clicks are free".  (translated into value)
But … (2 comments)

Just Judge a Facebook by its Cover - 12/30/08 07:36 PM
Finding the sort of elusive connection that is normally the domain of plain dumb luck is, of course, the promise of social networking.  But if you spend any time on social networking sites, you seldom find it works the way you thought you know it would work.
Most sites offer quantity over quality which is the "buzz" about growing your network, followers, or contacts. 
The problem is that most of us don't know how to use these mediums of a global web when we have a question or need input from the right people.
Are these questions hard to find the … (2 comments)

Twitter-Paited - 12/29/08 12:47 PM
If you are like many, you may wonder what is a Micro Blog?  You may even have heard about Twitter and are trying to find out what all the fuss is.  If you are like SOME, you have already realized that Twitter has become one of the most innovative communication tools on the planet.
Our President Elect used Twitter to become elected and you can follow him or someone who Tweets for him.
Tweeter is also used by Lance Armstrong, MC Hammer, and Tina Fey.
So Why Why Why?
Tweeter is evolving and implementing into one package:
- Blogging (Twitter is … (18 comments)

Monolopy Money - 12/28/08 04:20 PM
Today you can buy "clicks" to increase your customer base, buy "Ad Words" to boost your search engine optimization, and you can place "embedded" marketing to trigger a website view, but none of these IT gimmicks can help you make the right financial decision when researching for your home mortgage.
At a time when we seem to be paralyzed by the economic hype on the mortgage war front, direction can be found in a select few. 
Experience, integrity, and trust lay a great foundation for any company.  Believing in these traits is one thing, acting each one out daily is another. 
… (4 comments)

Lipstick, Plastic, and Lace! - 12/28/08 04:11 PM
This one is for the late night crowd, not the preppies!
This niche wears a 3 piece suit during the day and then will unwind in a private spot at night.  This prospect may be a board member, an account executive, or a bank vice president.  This crowd will dress for success, wine and dine, and then untie, undo, and unravel.
This ain't your Sammy's Go-Go crowd. 
This is high dollar gentlemen's club where jeans and t-shirts don't get in.   Your car is valet parked and you are known by Mr., no first names from the employees.
This niche is not … (2 comments)

Father Time - 12/27/08 03:05 PM
Father Time is just about to turn over the New Year.  You just about ready to lift a glass, kiss the first person you see, and make a resolution that you probably won't be able to remember how you worded it or keep due to lack of whatever. 
So now let's make plans ahead of time to create some needed extra time during 2009 for our business, our family, and extra water weight.
Unless your calendar is perfectly organized, you can pick up some valuable time by following these simple tips for beating office chaos (disorder and clutter).
•·         Mini Sessions … (2 comments)

Training is Futile! - 12/21/08 03:40 PM
I signed up for a computer lab last month with a number of other professionals.  As we began to move into the class, as is usual in these situations, I could tell people would soon be lost.
The professional in the class were wonderful at sales, but they have not trained in the computer arena other than "word" or "excel".  When they turn on the computer, they panic if the computer won't boot.  They have not kept up with technology and the loss of time in dealing with each and every problem has forced them into training.
But where do they … (10 comments)

Don't Blame it on the Butler - 12/21/08 03:05 PM
During slow economic times, times they also call lean, you can be so busy managing and coordinating marketing, sales, prospects, and projects that you have no time to work on your actual business.
Financial matters always need to be correctly interpreted and analyzed in order not to compromise quality.
Most small business owners are good at the marketing and sales side of the business.  Some are very good at prospecting and service.  But not many are doing a good job of keeping accurate accounts, reviewing financial reports on a regular basis, and establishing benchmarks. 
Sales is sales is the answer I … (0 comments)

Girl Scout Cookies - 12/20/08 02:53 PM
I cannot believe that there are still today businesses without a company website or an individual webpage.  The darling little girl in pig tails at the local Grocery store has a web page.  The 13-year old boy who rakes my leaves has one and it is linked to his Facebook page.  Our baby sitter in the next neighborhood also has a site.
These new entrepreneurs have only been just introduced to the business world and they understand the value of having an online site and presence.  Yet we still have people and business today that do not have a web site.
… (8 comments)

Next! - 12/20/08 01:37 PM
Next What!  Next Question.  Is that how you feel?  In business you are only as good as you next question.  Not the one you answer, but the one you ask. 
The simple truth is that there is not a formula or Ivy League school that can teach you the next question.  The answer will range and span with decisions that you have made as a professional.
You can discuss questions and learn to become a disciplined asker that produce rigorous answers that will lead to the best questions.  It is a discipline that can be learned, but must be experienced in … (7 comments)

Let's Play a Little Round Ball! - 12/19/08 07:47 PM
Sooner or later the economy will take a decisive turn.  Good things will happen.  You will need to "grab" to ball, or see the "Rebound" coming in order to make the most of the early opportunities.
I sure by now you have had it up to here of the endless "stuff".  Stuff as defined by house sales, loan losses, bail outs, oil prices, and the market.  What we are really looking for is hope. 
No not the "Obama" hope.
We want surefire signs that we are ready to shoot from outside the paint.  Maybe even a 3 pointer.  But the percentage … (3 comments)

Secret Agent Man! - 12/19/08 07:05 PM
"There's a man who leads a life of danger, To everyone he meets he stays a stranger.
With every move he makes another chance he takes, Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow.
Secret agent man, secret agent man, They've given you a number and taken away your name."   Johnny Rivers
That is just what the next evolution of the Real Estate agent is starting to look like . . . .   a number without a face.  And thanks to the online services, real estate information has spread from agents to customers.  The buyer is now a semi-pro stalker of … (4 comments)

You Got Mail! - 12/16/08 09:57 PM
Social collateral loves Tweeter, Active Rain, LinkedIn, Digg, etc.  You can also include podcasting and video, plus a Google of others!
What has happened to e-mail? 
E-mail only approaches one person at the time, unless of course you broadcast, spam, or permission sent. 
We work within relationships.  One on one.  People still prefer doing business on a relationship basis.  The warm body effect!
So let's look at a number of ways to increase e-mail collateral:
1. Forward Please!:  People will pass along their email when you remind them to. Put a big "Tell a Friend" link in your message. … (7 comments)

It's not Personal - 12/15/08 05:19 PM
I was driving behind a VW bug yesterday.  As I approached I read a bumper sticker that read "Never Piss Off a Witch".   I had to read it twice.
Just then I had a Dorothy moment.  I saw the witch riding her bicycle across my mind with the little dog Toto.  Then the music of the chase, that awful music before we see Auntie Em giving poor Toto to that rotten lady.
Now back to the VW.  As I passed the window and looked in, this lady had on 1955 black horned rimmed glasses and her hair in a bun.  Cigarette … (14 comments)

Letterman's Top Ten - 12/14/08 02:42 PM
The Late Show Top Ten List is a regular segment of the television program The Late Show with David Letterman. It is adapted from Letterman's NBC show Late Night.
On September 18, 1985, the very first list, "The Top Ten Things That Almost Rhyme with Peas" was broadcast and the lists have grown traction.
These Top Ten Lists are given humorous topics such as Top Ten Signs Your Kid Had A Bad First Day At School or Top Ten Rejected James Bond Gadgets.
The Top Ten List was added as a way of mocking People magazine, which routinely featured such lists … (2 comments)

Meet 100's of HOT Local Singles! - 12/13/08 02:19 PM
Maybe you haven't been so nice this year.  Maybe you are ready to try the dating line.  Just call and connect.  Now 50% off all new members.   Quest Mates use code #911.  Safe and Friendly!
Call 1-800- TEASEME.
Ok, I did tease you a little bit, but I do want to pass on a tip.  A niche that nobody is working with today.  This group will need a lot of work, but the payoff is huge. 
This group knows style and trends.  This group takes networking to a new level.  They are eager to learn and have spent the last four … (10 comments)

The Matrix - 12/13/08 01:42 PM
Client Service
Your client's expectation is determined by past experiences and their prediction about future experiences.  Of course this is a directly drawn from interaction with either your business or the preceding situation.   Also public information, expert opinions, and the neighborhood "bunko" group.
These experiences create a sphere of future expectations for results, reliability and requirements, which within this MATRIX the future of your service will be predetermined by the client.
This MATRIX establishes a measuring tool and the foundation for the perception that your client has input into their need. 
Now comes the reverse discernment with this MATRIX.  The Higher … (2 comments)

Holiday Enteraining - 12/10/08 04:37 PM
Holiday Entertaining
It's ALL about Creating an Experience . . . . .
We all have certain friends whose parties we never dare to miss.  The food is always fabulous, the people are always interesting and the hospitality is over the top.  They understand that a successful party is all about creating a great experience for their guests, as well as actually being a guest at their own parties. 
Sounds a lot like business to me.
Party Planning Secrets
It is never too early to start planning your party, especially the guest list.  (translation:  do you have a plan for your … (4 comments)

Larceny on the Water - 12/10/08 12:32 PM
So you want to quit the Real Estate business and make a living on the water.  Who doesn't?  But let's say you have a little larceny in your soul as well, what then?  The life as a Captain Nemo might not scratch that special itch.  Something a little more on the edge might be more fitting you style.
Sound intriguing?
Want to make some big money and have some real excitement?  Then I have a job for you.  Now I am not condoning them, but I will trust you will make the right choice.
Or maybe not!
PIRATE - This is … (2 comments)

Crash and Burn - 12/08/08 11:19 PM
Maverick Builder Rule of Failure
The Maverick Rule of Failure is that failure is probable and usual in success!
The main cause of failure is a conflict in agenda between business and ego.  Too many companies try to correct structures and platforms rather than just letting go.  Business feels the need to "reorganize" to pull out of the nose dive. 
It would be better to pull the eject cord by recognizing failure early, cutting losses, and moving on!
Some businesses try to manage or make decision with numbers.  Big decisions - many people - one tribe.  Let us gather around the … (11 comments)

From Maverick with Love! - 12/06/08 09:41 AM
Postcard and their Messages
Before text messages, cell phone, instant messaging, blogging, e-mail, and tweeter revolutionized our social communication the postcard or letter was an institution.
Our writing and cards found their way across the land or ocean bearing information of weather, sickness, joy, and hardships.  They keep us up on recent events, trials, and tribulations, successes and failures, new life and death.
This communication was personal with emotion.  It was a voyage, a journey through history and life.  We kept these letters, these mementos as they represented a caring soul, a formidable heart, and a closing reach.
Let's look at … (3 comments)

No Rules Just Write! - 12/06/08 08:33 AM
Great Books of the 20th Century
•·         Gone with the Wind
•·         The Great Gatsby
•·        The Grapes of Wrath
•·         The Sun Also Rises
•·         Catch 22
•·         To Kill a Mocking Bird
•·         Nineteen Eighty Four
These are the greatest works of a literary golden age.  It was the century of Hemmingway, Steinbeck, and Faulkner.  Of James Joyce, George Orwell, Aldous Huxley and f. Scott Fitzgerald.
Literary masterpieces give use thrills, delight, movement, and inspiration.   They give us unforgettable characters, imaginative details and profound insights into life and love. 
Now I am giving you permission to go write your … (8 comments)

Pick Your Own! - 12/05/08 07:09 AM
Low Hanging Fruit
Who devised this term?  It is applied to easy money, reachable markets that are ripe and short people. 
No not really short people, but the words have been put together as defining business opportunities that are right in front of us and effortless generated financial fortunes. 
Open your eyes to the easy money! 
Let's examine how to uncover this "Easy Fruit" in business.
First you will need to profile people you have a business relationship.
Next ask the questions:
•1.      What do the need?
•2.     What do they want?
•3.     What do the have to have?
•4.     What … (13 comments)

Don't be Green with Envy! - 12/03/08 10:10 PM
What Color are You?
I am so tired of hearing the word "Green" this and "Green" that. 
Have we already forgotten the "Jolly Green Giant"?  What about a "Green Thumb", or the "Green Hornet" or the "Green Lantern".  Or the dreaded "Gangrene" or "Green Bananas" or "Green with Envy".
What about the color or money or sea sickness "Green".
These "Green's" are pale now in comparison with the New Power of Green!
So what color are you? 
Light Green?                   You recycle!
Green Green?                 You recycle, but you are conscious in Green" details (programmable thermostat, eco-friendly household products, light bulbs, etc.)
Dark Green?                  … (4 comments)

Maverick Rule of Predictability - 12/02/08 03:42 PM
The Maverick Rule of Predictability is business, sales, and marketing plans based on what will happen in the future are usually wrong!
Well all good plans have to predict the future right?  Tell that to the weather man, or the book makers in Vegas.  What about IBM and Apple?  Who predicted their future?
Let's look at forecasting the competition's reaction to your plans.  It is important to consider what can and what if when making projections.  Also consider the long view versus the short view.  Most problems come from short-term financial thinking.
When planning in the short term, come up with … (0 comments)

Maverick Rule of Sacrifice - 12/02/08 03:08 PM
The Maverick Rule of Sacrifice is that you have to give up something in order to get something!
This is very easy.  If you want to be success in your business today, give something up. The question always comes back to me is what is "something"?
In a small business there are usually 3 things:
•1.      Target market - Please tell me who wrote that you have to be all things to all people.  Where is it written that you have to appeal to everyone?  There seems to be a belief in the business today that a wider net catches more customers.  … (2 comments)

 
Dave_picture_update

Dave Park "The Maverick Builder"

Raleigh, NC

More about me…

Advantage Inspection Raleigh

Address: 4020 Wake Forest Road #111, Raleigh, NC, 27609

Office Phone: (919) 850-2526

Cell Phone: (919) 796-1141

Email Me

Mentoring by creating business platforms and structures that foster ideas and innovation. Advice on Real Estate sales strategy development through visualizing innovation and streamlining its implementation. Sales and Marketing tips for the Home Inspection Industry.


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