Larry's Blog

Your Road To Better Results

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:24:28 -0600

The Road To Achieving Better Results...The Bad News

If there is any bad news about achieving better results, it is that there is no on-size-fits-all approach guaranteed to work for everyone.

How could there be?

Each individual is unique, facing different challenges.

Each of us has different reasons for seeking better results...and each of us has a different combination of skills and resources to achieve these resources.

Certainly, we can...and definitely...should learn from others who have successfully achieved better results.

Realistically however, what others have done to achieve better results may...or may not...work as effectively for us.

The Good News About Your Road To Better Results

Appealing as the approach may appear, simply duplicating the actions of of others is not always the easiest...or the best...way to achieve better results.

The easiest approach is to continue to do what you do best...pursue your goals by building on your own unique combination of skills and resources.

It's a whole lot less stressful...and more effective than trying to duplicate other people's actions, especially when you have different skills and talents.

And the best approach is to pursue goals that represent desirable results for you...not some one else.

As a result, the good news about your road to better results is that it's yours and yours alone to develop and follow to achieve your goals.

What's even better, is that developing, following and enjoying your journey to better results, is not really all that difficult.

Developing Your Road To Better Results

When building physical roads, designers and engineers start with a sound plan.

As well as incorporating a strong foundation for the road, this plan also details the strategies that the construction people will follow in creating the road.

The same considerations apply when developing your own road to better results.

Staying The Course...Following Your Road To Better Results

The finest roads are little more than completed landscape designs if travelers do not use them to get to where they want to be.

Similarly, your plan to improve your results is little more than a completed file if you do not use it to bring about better results.

For your road to better results to help you achieve the results your desired results, you must implement your plan...effectively and consistently.

Enjoy Your Success...Do It Again

Few roads lead to dead ends. Most offer more options once we reach what was once our ultimate destination.

Similarly, once you have achieved the better results that you initially wanted...you are well positioned to achieve even better results.

Simply repeat what you did before...create a new road to even better results and achieve a higher level of success.

To learn more about developing your own road to better results see The Road To Better Results Is All Yours.

Setting Goals And Achieving Them...Effectively And Efficiently

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:07:34 -0600

The Best Goals Are Recorded In Writing

One major difference between dreams and goal is how they are recorded...if they are in fact recorded.

The best goals are recorded in writing.

Like dreams, unwritten goals remain tucked away in our imagination as pleasant visions of what we would like.

Written goals are more than ideas scribbled down a piece of paper.

They need to be complete and focusedThree and Five. Ideally they will be as detailed as a road map.

Why a road map?

Because that is exactly the purpose that goals...as recorded in your plan...serve.

In effect, your goals are your road map for the journey of achieving the results that you desire.

Setting & Achieving Goals Is A Continuous Process

For all intents and purposes, setting goals and achieving them is all about planning...and planning is all about setting goals and achieving them.

This is true whether your goals are personal, business or even marketing.

It is also important to remember that the achievement of any or all of your goals is not the end of your journey.

Whenever you achieve one or more goals, you are well positioned to to repeat the process setting goals and achieving them.

This time around, however, you build on your successful experience of setting goals and achieving them...and set more challenging and smarter goals.

For More Information

See Chapters Three & Five of How To Achieve Better Marketing Results...Sooner.

This material will help determine the results you would like to achieve..i.e. set your goals...and identify the actions to be taken to achieve your goals...effectively and efficiently.

Keeping In Touch With Your Clients & Network Contacts

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:23:06 -0600

The key to developing and maintaining a successful referral program is knowing how to maintain a relationship with people who can make referrals to you.

This presence will facilitate repeat business and referrals from satisfied clients.

How To Maintain A Relationship With Clients

Knowing how and when to keep in touch can be challenging.

By keeping in touch too frequently, you risk annoying your contacts and having your message lost in the advertising clutter.

On the other hand, not keeping in touch frequently enough makes it difficult to maintain a sufficiently strong presence to generate referrals.

A knowledge of your clients will help you determine what frequency is best for keeping in touch with them.

If you are unsure as to how often to keep in touch, ask your clients and contacts.

Send them a simple survey asking them three basic questions:

1. How frequently they would like you to keep in touch with them. (Offer 4-5 choices):

monthly

bi-monthly (every other month)

quarterly

semi-annually

annually

2. What information would they like to receive?

Once again, keep it simple, with choices such as: market trends home maintenance tax issues

3. What format of keeping touch do they prefer?

hard copy (paper)

electronic (The Internet offers two main email options. One option is simply an email that contains your newsletter; the other is a newsletter referring to your blog or other website content.)

In sending the survey, you let clients know you value their opinions.

We all like to know that some one values our opinion. You could also include an advertising specialty, brochure or current newsletter.

And when you tell them about the survey influenced your decisions, you confirm how seriously you take their opinions.

Remember that to learn more about how to maintain a relationship with clients focus more on asking them questions than on promoting yourself and your services.

To learn more about keeping in touch with your clients & network contacts, see How To Maintain A Relationship With Your Clients & Network Contacts

How To Generate Referrals

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:21:46 -0600

For purposes of continuing to grow your business, no single marketing approach is as effective as generating referrals.

Benefits of Referrals

As you are no doubt aware, referrals offer very significant benefits, which include:

Pre-qualifed leads

contacts will pre-qualify leads before making referrals

non-qualified prospects are usually screened out.

Believable endorsements

more objective than paid advertising and promotional material

Easily generated

often all that is necessary is to make the appropriate request and contacts will make high potential

Low or no cost to generate

Regardless of what prospecting approaches you use...advertising, cold-calling, direct mail, website or anything else...remember to include provision for potential referrals.

The people who see your ad or visit your website may not be in the market to buy or sell their homes. But they might be impressed enough with your message to recommend you to some one else.

When developing your plan to generate referrals, there are four important factors to keep in mind.

Generating Referrals From People Who Know You
Social Networking to Increase the Number of People Who Know You
If You Want Referrals, Ask for Them
Keeping in Touch With Prospects, Clients & Referral Sources

Each of these factors is too detailed and complex to be properly addressed in a blog post.

The good news is that they are addressed in more detail in the December edition of my ezine Best Real Estate Marketing.

Although this edition was scheduled to be sent tomorrow, I decided to send it yesterday in support of this blog post.

If you are a subscriber to my ezine, you will already have received this edition.

If you are not a subscriber, you can learn more about generating referrals by checking the online archives of the ezine.

And there's more good news.

Keeping in Touch is such an important element of generating referrals that I address it in my second blog of the day.

Move Beyond Promotional Advertising Specialties Products

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:09:21 -0600

Promotional advertising specialties products are intended to serve as reminders of you and your services.

But do prospects and contacts really want these things?

Promotional advertising specialties products are items such as a bags, calendars, baseball caps, pens and similar items that businesses give to prospects, clients and contacts. They carry your name, office and contact information.

Intended to serve as reminders of you and the services that you provide, these items are also known as 'advertising novelties', 'promotional products' or simply 'trinkets & trash'.

You can include these things in mailing to clients such as surveys and newsletters.

Since they add bulkiness to your mailings, recipients will be more likely to open the envelops because they are curious about what's inside.

The best promotional advertising specialties products:

reflect your personal brand and the client service you provide
be consistent with your ideal clients' standards of quality
distinguish you from other agents in your market

Unfortunately most widely available promotional products meet all these criteria.

Many look like they were picked from a clearance bin in the local discount store.

In practice, agents generally purchase similar items from the same or similar catalogs. As a result, the promotional items favored by real estate agents are virtually indistinguishable from each other.

Why spend money on anything that makes you look just like the other agents?

To learn more about advertising specialties, see Beyond Promotional Advertising Specialties Products—No Trinkets & Trash

How To Develop Your Market Segment Strategy

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:51:12 -0600

When developing your market segment strategy, there are four key issues to consider:

market segment
specific needs that you can satisfy
strategy for satisfying needs
communicate your ability to satisfy these needs

What Is Your Market Segment?

A market segment: is distinct from other segments is composed of clients who have common needs can be reached by a effective marketing communications.

To all intents and purpose, a market segment is the same as a market niche.

What Specific Needs Can You Satisfy In This Segment?

The very foundation of your market segment strategy is identifying specific needs in the segment that you can meet with your own resources or resources that are available to you.

Your resources will include your own talents and skills as well as those of your network contacts and referral partners.

This combination of resources will become your personal brand...a statement of what distinguishes you from the competition.

Your ability to satisfy clients' needs and wants will become your brand promise...a statement of the benefits that clients will enjoy as a result of hiring you.

What Is Your Strategy For Satisfying These Needs?

This question addresses the actual service delivery component of your market segment strategy.

It helps you define how you will apply your unique combination of your own...plus other people's ...resources to satisfy clients.

The best way to generate repeat business and referrals is to exceed clients' expectations. And the best way to exceed clients' expectations is to provide the best quality client service that you possibly can.

How Will You Communicate Your Ability To Meet These Needs?

You may have developed the best market segment strategy but if prospective clients don't know about how you can help them, nothing will happen.

This component of your market segment strategy has two purposes:

to help prospective clients understand how you can help them to encourage prospective clients
to contact you to learn more about specifically how you can help them

It really doesn't matter which marketing communications tools you use, they serve these same two purposes.

To learn more about developing your market strategy, see How To Develop Your Market Segment Strategy.

Like Raccoons & Skaters...Make Fear A Non Issue

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:02:10 -0600

On Monday I referred to Susan Jeffers' book Feel The Fear...and Do It Anyway.

For me, the best fearure of the book was the five truths about fear that she identified early in the book.

On Wednesday and again yesterday I saw illustrations of her Truth # 2:

“The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it.”

Since it relates to ignoring fear...one of the things we can learn from raccoons...I decided to share my observations with you.

“Falling is Fun”

On Wednesday I was watching the skaters on the ice rink in front of City Hall.

As a true red-blooded canuck (I share the same birthday as Canada...what else need I say?) I learned to ice skate when I was three years old. Or at least that's the family legend...I cannot remember actually learning to skate—it's something that I've always done.

Ice skating is so much a part of who I am, that I am always drawn to watching skaters.

As is invariably the case on public skating rinks, the skaters were of all ages and at various stages of skill level.

The youngest was a little guy under five years old all decked out in hockey sweater, helmet & gloves; the oldest was an elegant woman who could well have been in her seventies or eighties.

What interested me most was group of teenagers who had apparently never skated before. They shrieked and wailed as only teenagers can.

Most were so afraid of falling that simply tried walking on the skates. Of course they were tense so when they inevitably fell, they shrieked even louder and their fear increased. Before long they retreated to the sidelines impressing each other with how brave they were.

One of this group was a boy who fell immediately when he stepped onto the ice.

In a show of bravado he shouted how much fun it was to fall and then put on a display of falling in ways I didn't think possible.

When his friends started to get bored with his performances, he started moving around the ice, trying to imitate the actions of the other skaters.

Within about 15 minutes he had completed his first complete round of the rink without falling.

Now that's what it means to get rid of the fear of doing something...falling...by going out and doing it.

The fear becomes a total non-issue.

No Fear of Needles

Yesterday I had my H1N1 vaccination. (Hey...it's medical week for me: in for an ECG on Mondayin for a needle on Thursday).

Shortly before the H1N1 vaccination clinics started, a healthy 13-year old boy died as a result of contracting the virus.

Needless to say, when the clinics were opened, there was chaos at every location.

Initially intended for high priority people such as health care workers, care-givers and so on, the clinics were totally overwhelmed by non-priority people...driven by fear. As a result of the crush of these fear- driven people, wait times as high as 6-7 hours were common.

Yesterday, I arrived at the clinic at 2:00 PM, was vaccinated at 2:07...according to my official 'Proof Of Influenza Immunization”...and on my way by 2:20.

Like all of the other people at the clinic, I ignored the initial H1N1 fear.

Once again the fear had become a total non-issue.

And the best part of yesterday...I have no pain from the needle...yet!

Better Marketing Results Start By Setting SMART Goals

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:50:43 -0600

Regardless of its subject area--life, business, marketing or a specific project--planning is about setting goals and identifying appropriate actions to be taken to achieve these goals.

While everyone agrees that goals are an essential planning element, there is no such agreement on the essential elements of individual goals.

After being introduced to the concept of strategic planning several years ago, I came across the idea of SMART goals.

In the event this idea is new to you, SMART is an acronym representing the combined terms Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based.

Over the years, the idea of SMART goals has proven very helpful in setting goals that accurately describe the outcomes that I...and in consulting engagements, my clients...desire.

A few years ago I came across an expanded version of the proven concept of SMART goals.

Life is so much more complex now than it was when I first learned abut SMART goals...it only makes sense that each letter of the word smart should represent more than one term.

Here is the expanded version of SMART goals for your consideration.

Specific
Synergistic
Systematic

Measurable
Magical
Meaningful
Motivational

Achievable
Accountable
Actionable
Agreed-upon

Realistic
Relevant
Results-oriented
Rooted in facts

Time-based
Tangible
Thoughtful

Although all 18 elements contribute to setting SMART goals, you do not need all of them.Select as many elements as you need to personalize your goals.

The SMARTer your goals, the better your planning. And better your planning, the better the results you will achieve.

To learn more about SMART goals see Setting SMART Goals Are Key To Astute Marketing.

How To Achieve Better Marketing Results In 2010

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:19:53 -0600

Now that we are into December, it's time to give serious time and attention to 2010 marketing plan.

The good news is ActiveRain represents a huge pool of rich resources that will help you plan and improve your marketing.

Not Easy To Find What You Need

The bad news is despite this incredibly large wealth of useful information, it is not always easy to find what you need...when you need it. I speak from experience when I say this.

On many occasions, I have read interesting posts but neglected to bookmark them.

Or if I have bookmarked them, they have been transformed items a list rather than the indexed links to accessible reference information that I had intended.

As for the tags that we add to our blog posts, they are more likely be afterthoughts than carefully planned and thought out index tools. Once again I speak from experience.

When searching for information on my own blog posts, more often than not, I default to the software that I used to prepare the blog post in the first place.

Having tried to use the tag feature on other blogs, I am relieved that my approach to tagging my posts is neither better nor worse than most other ActiveRain bloggers.

A Free Mini-course In Marketing Planning

Instead of the prospect of searching hundreds of thousands of ActiveRain blogs for useful marketing planning information, I offer an alternative approach.

Starting tomorrow, my blog will feature a series 14 posts about marketing planning information that will help you achieve better marketing results in 2010.

Each post will be about the same length as a standard blog post, but will differ from a standard blog post in two significant ways.

First, each post will link to additional information for those readers who would like to learn more about a specific topic.

Second each post will include tags that are are clear and carefully chosen as keywords are chosen for web content.

As a result, these 14 posts will serve as a free mini-course that you can bookmark...and hopefully find again.

This in turn will make this mini-course useful resource for your marketing planning for next year...and many more years to come.

Think of these posts as my way of thanking you for your support over the past year...and a preview of what is yet to come.

One more comment about planning your 2010 marketing. If instead of waiting for all 14 blog posts, you would prefer to fast-track your 2010 planning, you can cut the chase and get to the outcome...your personal marketing plan.

It too will help you achieve better marketing results...but your planning will be completed sooner so you can enjoy the holidays.

Insights From Interruptions

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:44:20 -0600

Until last Friday, my life was nice and orderly. My work was under control and flowing according to plan.

But Friday afternoon things changed. I got a call from the ophthalmologist's office asking if I would like to change my scheduled cataract surgery from January 21 to December 10.

Surgery Rescheduled

Back in October when the January date was set, I was hoping for a December surgery date. So of course, I quickly agreed to the earlier date.

As a result of the rescheduling, my pre-op appointment was moved from January 10 to Monday. Although that meant rescheduling some of the work that I had planned for the day, it was little more than a minor inconvenience.

Enjoying good health, I seldom use the health care system for anything other than routine check-ups.

Whenever I do enter the system I continue to be absolutely amazed at the complexity of modern health care and the dedication and competence of the people who keep the system moving.

On Monday, I had to wait a few minutes for my pre-op appointment at the ophthalmologist's office.

The receptionist was working hard to set up a referral for a patient.

Language Issues

Two factors caused the delay.

One was that neither the patient nor her husband spoke English well. I'm not a linguist but it sounded as if they were speaking a mid European language.

And the other was that the referral appeared to be a hospital-based dental clinic.

I pride myself on my ability to communicate in English, but from overhearing the attempted explanation, I couldn't understand why this referral was necessary.

Just imagine how confused the patient and her husband must have been.

After I had finished at the ophthalmologist's office, it was off to the lab downstairs for an ECG.

At the lab the waiting room there were about 20 people waiting their turn.

Most of these people were elderly...and many were accompanied by others to help.

Once again I was delayed by a receptionist trying to help a patient. This time, the problem was that an elderly gentleman did not understand the instructions for how his wife was to collect the samples and specimens for the three little plastic bottles they had been given.

Although he was very fluent in English, the receptionist not so much. Because she was gowned and masked, I could only see her dark brown eyes...my best guess is that she was originally from somewhere in Asia.

Eventually the problem was resolved, I was checked in and waited my turn.

The ECG was fast and painless and I was off to continue what passed for a normal day for me.

Keeping The System Moving

As I reflect on the experience, I cannot say enough good about the front line heath care workers who magically keep a very complex system moving...even though it may not move as quickly as I'd like it to.

As much as I do not always welcome interruptions to my normal routine, I value the insights they offer into the lives and work of others.

Helps me learn more about the world outside my tiny corner of it.

The Challenges of 360 Virtual Tours

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:45:02 -0600

Yesterday I received received a contact message from my contact form on the ActiveRain network.

Kate Murray asked:

“...what challenges on-line agents face when using virtual tours and why they are not used on more properties?”

Good question.

My immediate response was to consider the relative advantages of these tours.

The advantages could include:

robust visitor-satisfying content for your website
virtually unlimited showcasing of clients' properties listed for sale
elimination of drawbacks of conventional open houses, such as time commitment and security issues

On the other hand, disadvantages might include:

additional cost
additional technical skill required
limited ability to showcase the 'feel' of a home and neighborhood.

But wait a minute!

That is not what Kate asked.

So I am going to turn her questions over to you.

If you use virtual tours to help promote clients' properties that you have listed for sale

1. what challenges do you face?

2. what criteria do you use in selecting properties for virtual tours?

If you do not use virtual tours,

#3. what would it take to get you to use virtual tours for selected properties?

Kate and I...and hopefully many other people...would like to hear about your experience and thoughts.

The 3 P Approach to Achieving The Results You Desire

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:53:50 -0600

Working on your business starts with having a big picture for it.

This means knowing what you want to achieve and how you are going to do it.

One approach is what might be called the 3 Ps: Purpose, Process and Pay-off.

Purpose Gives Life A Meaning

Few, if any reasonably intelligent people dispute or even question the importance of having a purpose for our lives and out work.

However, despite the widespread acceptance of the importance of having a purpose, not every one has taken the time and effort to define and articulate their purpose in life or in work.

Realistically, whatever I can say in a few words in this blog post is unlikely to inspire those folks to change their approaches to life planning and devote themselves to the task of defining and articulating their purpose in life or in work.

But that's OK.

For purposes of this post, all I ask is that you agree that is important to have a purpose in life...regardless of whether or not actually have defined such a purpose.

Don’t Stand There...Do Something

As an avid reader I invariably have a book on the go.

This week's book is Susan Jeffers' best-seller Feel The Fear...and Do It Anyway.

Although fear is not a major factor in my life, I am intrigued by how much of an obstacle it is for so many people.

Early in the book, the author identifies five truths about fear.

Two of these truths totally resonate with me:

"...Truth # 2: The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it.

Truth # 3: The only way to feel better about myself is to go out...and do it...”

I've lost track of the number of times I have hesitated to do something, only to find that when I actually did...the task was no where near as onerous or negative as I had expected.

It's like what Canadians say when swimming in cold water: “it's not too bad once you get used to it.”

There’s an old expression ‘don’t just stand there, do something’

In running our businesses, we often find ourselves bogged down in management issues.

Whenever this happens, a good response is to get more involved in the process...do something. If you do something wrong, just do it pick up the pieces later on.

When you do something, magic things happen. If you talk to ten people or 100 people, stuff happens.

Too many people get caught up in the system...bogged down trying to get things perfect instead of actually doing something. So the second P...process...is all abut doing something.

If for example you are working with a seller, the purpose is selling the house.

The process is everything that you do to help sell the house.

What's In It For You?

Continuing the example of working with a seller, the payoffs...the third P...includes:

the sale of the house
your commission
a new client for your referral base

The 3 P process relates to everything in life.

Your purpose could range from being totally engaged in the moment (thank you Eckhart Tolle) to a grand, noble and all encompassing purpose in live.

Your process is how you act, take action...and get all the things done that you do. Your payoff answers the question: what's in it for me?

In other words, your payoff is achieving all those desirable results that you seek..in your life and in your work.

It's Not Fair!!

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:47:12 -0600

On Wednesday, registration opened for units in a new condo development in downtown Toronto.

As is often the case with these developments, many real estate agents lined up...some for as long as 10 days...for the chance to register.

And once again, the police had to called to intervene and restore order. A similar situation took place a few years ago at another condo development a few blocks away.

For reasons that are not entirely clear, yesterday there were actually three line-ups.

It turned out...again for reasons that are not entirely clear to me...that the line-up of the most recent arrivals got priority over the other agents who had waited a long time.

Since most real estate agents have a very competitive nature, there were many disappointed and angry agents.

They started chanting that the developer was unfair and waving signs that simply said “Unfair”.

Because they did not get what they wanted, they denounced the registration system as unfair. Kind of reminded me of children claiming one thing or another...from bedtime to eating their veggies...was unfair.

It seems to me that the word unfair really means: “I didn't get what I wanted...so whatever happened is not fair!”.

While I am not familiar with the registration procedure that the developer used, I'm quite sure that it did not commit to fairness...whatever that term means in the development industry.

In fact, despite the best efforts of governments, real estate boards and a whole host of other organizations and people to make it fair, the real estate industry itself is sometimes 'unfair'.

But that's OK.

Life itself is not always fair.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but nowhere is it written as universal truth or rule that life must always be fair to everyone.

To those agents crying 'unfair'...like our children used to...I say: grow up!

Making A Contribution To Your Work Environment

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:39:24 -0600

From the perspective of organizational development, there is an implied expectation that every person who works for or with an organization will make a positive contribution to the overall well being of the organization.

This is true whether the organization is a large international company like RE/MAX, or a small real estate office with 1-2 sales people and support staff of 1 person.

If any individual agents or employees or don't believe that, they really shouldn't be working as part of the organization.

This contribution could be as simple as their personality....who they are in life and how they influence others or something else.

If you don't contribute to the environment you're in, you're really not part of that environment at all. You're just existing superficially apart from it.

You have to be part of the environment and to do this, you must make a contribution to your work environment.

The Myth of Multi-Tasking

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:21:49 -0600

In today's busy world, may people...and seemingly most people in real estate...pride themselves on their ability to multi-task.

Performing Tasks Simultaneously

As I understand the term, multi-tasking refers to effectively performing several tasks simultaneously.

For example, several years ago I met with a real estate agent to discuss a project that we were considering. As we started our discussions, he pulled out what appeared to be a an offer and started to review it.

When I stopped talking, he encouraged me to continue, reassuring me that he was good at multi-tasking and could perform several tasks at the same time.

Not only do I like to make eye contact when I am speaking to some one, I did not and do not believe that most people can be fully engaged and effectively involved in two or more tasks at the same time.

I had this belief confirmed yesterday.

Big Rocks First

I had planned my day to complete some editing, then get my H1N1 vaccination before heading to a concert.

To use Stephen Covey's image of adding the big rocks first completing the editing was my big rock for the day.

What I had not planned was despite the best of planning factors, big rocks unexpectedly appear and demand their share of attention.

I am one of those people who can be adversely affected by dramatic changes in the weather.

I my case, a sudden change in air pressure results in a headache. The more intense the change, the more intense my headache.

My unexpected big rock was the headache. What an appropriate image for a headache...big, hard, unyielding...and UGLY!

As much as I would like to report my success at managing the two big rocks...my work and my headache...and the other items, yesterday was not a thing of beauty.

I honestly tried to manage the four items I had on the go...but just couldn't pull it off.

Shortening The Task List

While editing, my mind wandered to the H1N1 vaccination, so I started checking checking the web site to learn the wait time at the nearest clinic.

I needed this information in order to determine when I had to finish my work so that I could go to the clinic and then to the concert.

This of course generated stress, which although totally avoidable still made the headache worse.

With the headache worsening, I had to take more time-outs, which added the pressure to manage the other tasks.

It was during one of these time-outs that I decided I was making the situation worse by trying to manage all four tasks.

As a result, the H1N1 vaccination and concert were dropped from the task list.

There will be many more opportunities to get my H1N1 vaccination and also lots more interesting concerts over the next moth or so.

The remainder of the afternoon was divided between the editing task and time-outs to deal with the headache.

And once the editing was completed, the headache received my full attention.

With my body focusing totally on dealing with the headache, my brain was able to reflect on the events of the day.

Sequentially, Not Simultaneously

It was then that I realize that if multi-tasking does in fact refer to performing several tasks simultaneously...it is a myth.

If however, it means performing several tasks simultaneously with reduced effectiveness...it is a very real concept...but of limited value. I learned that while trying to simultaneously manage my four tasks yesterday afternoon.

Realistically, if multi-tasking refers to performing several tasks sequentially...one after the other or switching back and forth...it's a good approach.

That is exactly how I managed to complete my editing and allow my headache the attention it was demanding before fading away.

Today it feels really good to have those two big rocks well managed and off of my to-do list.

Tomorrow..may you enjoy a good day of no-tasking...Happy Thanksgiving.

8 Promotional Ideas That Help Connect You With Others

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:19:48 -0600

Connecting with others is one of the most effective ways to attract new business.

Adverting that promotes you helps you distinguish yourself from the competition. It also helps prospective clients learn how you can help them.

Promotion that connects with other people is not all about you...it is about your connection with your community.

Here are 8 promotional ideas that help connect you with others.

1) Acknowledge The Achievements Of Others

These people will remember your recognizing their achievements..and be more likely to reciprocate with referrals. Also you demonstrate your connection with other successful people...which reflects positively back on you.

2) Community Website

Creating a community website for your niche market will enhance your profile, attract new clients and give you a sustainable competitive advantage.

3) Cross PromotionWith Referral Partners

Individually and collectively, you and your referral partners make up a system that offers very significant benefits.

The most obvious of these benefits is the cross-referral of prospective clients. The best way to stimulate cross referrals is by undertaking joint or cross promotions with your referral partners.

4) Exchange Information

The basic purpose of social networking is to exchange...not just gather...information.

By sharing information with others, you enhance your personal brand and brand profile...and make it easier for these people to promote you to their friends and acqaintances.

5) Honor Your Clients

Like ideas # 1 and 2, this demonstrates your connection with the community and reflects well back on you.

It also demonstrates how much you appreciate your clients...and the kinds of clients you serve. Tactfully done, this idea could also serve as a subtle testimonials.

6) Keep In Touch

The most effective promotional advertising ideas continue to connect effectively with prospects, clients and contacts. As a result, you will keep in touch with these people...maintain a relationship them.

7) Show Your Appreciation

Showing your clients how much you appreciate them is one of the most effective outward focused promotional advertising ideas. Instead of featuring you...it honors your clients.

This enhances your relationship with clients, which in turn generates more repeat business and referrals.

8) Sponsor A Team...Or Community Event

Sponsorship is a gentler, more friendly way of advertising In many cases, it will enhance your personal credibility and help make you more attractive to prospects.

To learn more about these ideas, 8 Advertising Ideas That Promote You...and 9 more promotional advertising ideas, see 25 Promotional Advertising Ideas

8 Advertising Ideas That Promote You

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:44:58 -0600

The best advertising ideas distinguish you from the competition and help attract new business.

Here are 8 advertising ideas that will help promote you and the service that you deliver to clients.

1) Ebook

By writing and self-publishing an ebook you will and an ideal vehicle for virtually unlimited promotional advertising ideas

2) Go Outside The Box

One of my favorite outside the box promotional advertising ideas is green bagels distributed by a Jewish accounting firm...on St. Patrick's Day. Cross-cultural...and at a time when accountants are normally totally engrossed in tax work.

3) Offer Tips

As part of your marketing communications strategy, offer tips based on your experience and expertise. What a great way to enhance your personal brand.

4) Produce a CD or DVD

Largely ignored, CDs and DVDs are among the most unique promotional advertising ideas. Anything you can say or write can be produced in CD or DVD format...and distributed as easily as ezines and newsletters.

5) Promotional Advertising Gift

Typically these gifts are donated to charitable or community organizations for their use as prizes or give-aways as part of of a of fund-raising drive or other special event. A promotional advertising gift generates advertising that you pay for by 'in kind' by donating the value of the gift.

6) Promotional Advertising Specialties Products

Promotional advertising specialties products are intended to serve as reminders of you and your services.

7) Unique Website

In today's online world, your unique website is the best vehicle for promotional advertising ideas ...regardless of what they are.

8) Write For Publication

Having your work published...whether in print or electronic format...can help you establish your credentials as an expert in your field.

This is especially true when you publish a book.

And speaking of publishing a book, how is that book that you have dreamed about writing coming along?

Coming tomorrow...8 Promotional Ideas That Help You Connect With Others.

Learning From Raccoons !?!?!

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:16:21 -0600

As I'm sure is the case most everywhere else, waste management...aka garbage collection...is a big issue in Toronto.

Waste Management In Four Streams

We manage our household waste by separating it into four streams.

Yard waste...garden trimmings, dead plants and leaves...but not lawn clippings (???)...are gathered in paper bags and left curbside for collection and ultimate mulching.

Recyclables are stored in large blue bins with wheels as the await their bi-weekly journey to the curb.

Kitchen waste which can include soiled disposable diapers and pet droppings (???) are collected in small green bins, also with wheels for their weekly curb trip.

Grey bins are the vehicles of choice for everything else that does not fit into one of the above categories and is not hazardous-designated waste such as electronics, paint products, batteries and other specific types of disposables.

Despite initial misgivings of some residents, and post-launch problems the system seems to work quite well.

Most people have adapted to separating waste into its proper stream.

The Racoons Like It

Our neighborhood racoons have adapted particularly well to the waste management system.

Thanks to the ethnic and cultural diversity of the people who live in Toronto, they enjoy different types of food...albeit leftovers and waste...24/7, 365 days a year. And now with the green bins, they have convenient storage facilities...set up for their dining enjoyment throughout the entire city.

Not only have they figured out how to open the so-called 'animal-proof' lids of the green bins, they seem to follow some kind of a rotation system in selecting where to enjoy their meals. Few if us humans go the same restaurant every day...why should raccoons?

Although I don't know for sure, it seems that our green bin is chosen every couple of months or so.... and last night was our lucky night.

Leftover Leftovers

When I went out to take the green and grey bins for their trips to the curb, I saw the overturned green bin surrounded by the leftover leftovers from a recent raccoon meal.

Unfortunately the raccoons have yet to learn to pick up after themselves...of course there are human adults who have yet to develop this ability.

So I dutifully gathered the leftover leftovers, returned them to the green bin and complete my part in this phase of the waste management process.

Lessons To Be Learned

What is notable about this incident is that earlier in the week, I read a fascinating blog entitled What A Raccoon Taught Me About Selling. by Kelley Robertson.

In his blog, Kelley suggests there are three things about selling that we can learn from raccoons:

be bold
ignore your initial fear
be diligent

What a great blog...take a couple of minutes and read Kelley's blog for yourself. It's a fun read.

Raccoons could be even better teaching models if only they learned to clean up their own messes. Few of us humans enjoy picking up after others.

Define Your Desired Results...Then Take Action To Achieve Them

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:38:57 -0600

Regardless of your work in the real estate business...or outside of it for that matter...the results of your work are clearly important.

However, as important as results are, it's usually a mistake to allow ourselves become focused on them to the exclusion of all else.

The actions are the only things we control, so we need to focus on what we do day in and day out.

Only Actions Matter

A better approach is to emphasis the work we do, rather than grabbing onto the result.

By setting high standards for the work we do...the actions that we can control...we can increase our confidence in our ability to achieve the results we seek.

By focusing on the results...listings, buyers, leads, sales, or whatever...we put a great deal of pressure on ourselves. This added pressure makes us more likely to do whatever it takes to get any work that we can get.

In turn, this urgency leads us reduce our fees, accept clients or work that is not right for us...just because we need the work to meet the results that we have set.

By emphasizing the work we do...our planned actions to achieve the results we seek...we can trust the process knowing that the results will follow.

Trust The Process

But remember that in order to trust the process, it is important to have faith in the numbers that formed the basis of your planning.

How many calls do you need to get an appointment...how many listing appointments to get a listing...how many listings to get a sale?

Divorcing ourselves from the results can really pay off.

It gives us total control over the one thing that really matters...our actions.

Are You Marketing...Or Barketing?

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:38:25 -0600

Last Friday, when writing about imagination, I wrote:

“Imagination allows us to transform old ideas and plans into new arrangements.”

I recently read a great example of imagination in action.

But first some background information...because it's important to give recognition where recognition is due.

Enterprise

Earlier this week, I received my November copy of Enterprise.

This magazine which celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, reaches Canada's small & medium enterprises.

Being one of the original contributors to the magazine, it's great to see it continue to thrive, despite the difficulties facing print media.

Congratulations and best wishes for continued success to Hayden Bradshaw, Publisher and Editor.

George Torok is a long time contributor to the magazine. George and I have known each other for many years, having appeared at the same trade shows, seminars and small business and marketing events.

It's nice to welcome long-time friends like Hayden and George to my blog, which has yet to reach its first birthday.

Now back to imagination in action.

Beware of Barketing

The November copy of Enterprise contains a very imaginative and interesting article by Geroge, entitled “Beware of Barketing”.

The article's layout and graphic combine to make it jump right off the page. In introducing the term 'barketing' George writes:

“...Barketing is is a cross between marketing, and barking like a dog. Barking is often repetitive, annoying and loud, and always a one-way message. Barketing is marketing gone the way of dogs. You annoy customers with your message attempt, sound like the rest of the pack, and display no finesse.”

“Barketing is any form of marketing that looks and sounds like “me too” to your prospects. It feels to your market like you are competing for attention by shouting louder...”

Now that's imagination in action: two old ideas...marketing and barking...combined into a new arrangement...barketing.

The very sound of the term is off-putting.

@!#$% Dog!

The layout of the article helps to visually represent.

It contains a photograph of a man in a business suit shouting into a bull horn.

The text opens with several paragraphs...ah the peacefulness of it all.

It then shifts to a series of bullet points...like a dog barking.

@!#$% dog!

After three short barks...or bullet points...like a dog trying to have the last word, the article concludes and finally ends with a one-word sentence: meow.

Happily, imagination is alive and well at Enterprise.

Thanks George and Hayden...good work well done.

Getting Hired By...and Firing...Clients

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:45:27 -0600

In late July and early August, when I wrote a couple of posts about firing clients, I was totally surprised by the response.

Obviously it is an issue that resonated with a larger number of people. In view of this response, I am revisiting the topic of firing clients, but this time with a three significant differences.

This time, the content will:

1. appear in my ezine...Best Real Estate Marketing...which will be emailed tomorrow.

2. also address the issue of getting hired.

Ideally if the hiring process...being selected by a client and agreeing to work with the client... is carefully undertaken, there should be no need to fire clients.

3. also include suggestions as to how to prevent the situation form arising in which it is necessary to even consider firing a client.

These suggestions were taken from the comments made in response to my post.

If you have signed up for he ezine, you can look for it in your email inbox tomorrow morning.

If you have not yet signed up, you can still do so...click here to make it happen.

Finally, if you would like to check out past editions of Best Real Estate Marketing, they are now available online.

Need Better Information? Trust Your Intuition

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:32:12 -0600

We must always be open to new and different things.

We can have the desire and the passion but we must also have the ability to receive information that comes our way.

The Sixth Sense

For the most part, we gather information through our five physical senses--hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch.

We do however have a sixth sense allows us to come up with answers to questions without understanding why.

Often referred to as intuition or instinct, this sense also means having a hunch, or feeling about something.

I have learned that my intuition is usually correct.

I don’t know how I developed that ability. It’s something that no one could teach me. I think we all have it within us, but the hard part is really bringing it out, recognizing it and trusting it more then anything else.

Tempered With Research

I have acted on most of my hunches.

This does not mean taking foolish chances in life...just relying on my intuition. My intuition is usually tempered with research.

I may have a flash about something right out of the blue, but this sudden flash is also the starting point for the necessary research.

Invariably the strongest and most accurate intuitive or instinctive flashes seem to come when our minds are either unoccupied or total engaged in another task altogether.

This suggests that our sixth sense is a function of our subconscious minds...which represent Napoleon Hill's eleventh step to riches in Think and Grow Rich.

I continue to have a very healthy and active subconscious mind. This activity seems to increase in intensity around 5:00 AM, which explains why I am almost finished this post at 5:48 AM.

One Inescapable Conclusion

Reflecting on my own experience of allowing my sixth sense to play a key information-gathering role, there is one inescapable conclusion.

No it's not the absurdity of having my subconscious mind wake me at stupid o'clock every morning. I quite like the morning hours...but that's another story.

My intuition can be deadly accurate in the information that it gathers for my brain to process.

I have however, been trained and worked extensively in the left-brain analytical approach to gathering and processing information.

This means that it's not always easy to totally trust a natural process...like intuition...that cannot be explained using the 'scientific method'.

But I am getting much better at trusting my intuition more consistently. As a result it is feeling better and better. It is even starting to over-ride the ever-present need to have a logical explanation for everything.

How liberating is that?

5 Reasons Why FAQs Make Great Web Content

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:25:01 -0600

I am a great fan of the FAQ...Frequently Asked Questions... feature found on many websites.

However, for reasons that are not immediately apparent to me, until recently, I had not included any FAQs on my own website.

When I recently prepared such a feature...about a niche market...I was immediately struck with what great web content FAQs make.

Here are 5 reasons why:

1. Visitor Satisfying

offers important and relevant information in an easy-to-read format

2. Keep Visitors On Your Site Longer

by including links in your answers, you can offer even more sound information, which will help keep visitors on your site longer...and please them more

3. Easy To Prepare

think of the questions that prospects, clients and others have asked about you and your service...then put the questions and answers in writing

4. Versatile

you can use FAQs to address issues that relate to any or all of

your market

your areas of service

expertise

what distinguished you from the competition

the good things that clients say about you

5. Position Youself As The Expert You Are

by answering the questions...you demonstrate and confirm your expertise in in your field.

For an example of setting up your own FAQ feature, see page that I recently prepared about niche markets.

Feel free to use this page as a model for your own.

The ROI of Using Your Imagination

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:19:25 -0600

Imagination allows us to transform old ideas and plans into new arrangements.

Many people talk about having an new idea or a concept.

But generally speaking, there is not much new that hasn’t been discussed or tried before in our businesses.

Your Own Spin

There is no ownership of ideas. (Copyright law protects the published format of the ideas...not the actual concepts).

However, our imaginations allow us to combine old ideas into new things.

What is new is the freshness and the energy driven by your burning desire to make a change by putting your own spin on things

As service providers we must be creative in everything we do.

My Own Spin

My first full time job had a huge public education component to it.

At the time, I was no where near an expert in the field. However, as a result of my education and professional training, I was confident that I could easily process a great deal of technical information and communicate it to other people in a way that they could understand.

When started the job, I made the conscious decision to get as much information as I could from wherever I could.

Always an avid reader (and always open to suggestions for books to read...got any?) I devoured whatever I could about topics related to my work.

From people I liked, I wanted to take a piece about how they did their work and mould it into my own creative style and design.

Before long, I was considered as an expert in the field and the speaking invitations began to flow in.

I was always surprised when some one referred to me an expert...I thought of myself as merely a well-read novice.

Looking back, I now realize that what I was doing was putting my own spin on existing information.

I also realize that among the great things I learned from people I likes and respected was that in order to put my own spin on these ideas, I had to use my imagination.

Your ROI On Using Your Imagination

Here's the really neat thing.

Whenever I offer marketing insights and observations I am doing much the same kind of thing that I did a very ling time ago when I started my first full time job.

As much as I hate to admit, there is nothing new in my blog posts. Sorry to shatter that myth.

I am simply putting my own spin on generally accepted marketing ideas and concepts.

Regardless of what business you are in or what market you serve, you do much the same thing.

When informing and advising clients, you are putting your own spin on generally accepted ideas and information relevant to your industry and market.

The good news is that by putting your own spin on existing information, you can distinguish yourself from the competition and attract more new business.

How's that for a return on the investment of mental energy used to engage your imagination?

To Attract New Business...Be Really Good At Something

Larry Easto (Real Estate Marketing Link) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:58:16 -0600

In sales situations, if you only have general knowledge you’re just an order taker.You don’t have any specific value that you offer to others.

Content-Rich Keyword-Focused Web Pages

When I first started my website, among the many things that I didn't know was the role of keywords played in selecting and preparing web content.

I was considered a good business writer, but needed to become an expert at writing web content.

I decided that one of the things I wanted on my website was content-rich keyword-focused web pages.

The rich content would satisfy human visitors. A clear keyword focus would help the pages rank well on search engines so readers could find the site.

It took a lot of time and effort to learn to write web content that was at least as good as my writing for print publications, but it was well worth the effort.

Over the past year I have learned to prepare web content that pleases human and search engine visitors...efficiently an defectively.

I am more than satisfied that my specialized knowledge of writing web content offers site visitors and clients good value.

Applying Specialized Knowledge

At another level, specialized knowledge is also knowing what I want to be good at, what I can be good at and what I am good at.

This form of specialized knowledge comes from trial and error.

I avoid games in which I can not be competitive.

Similarly, I don’t take on projects or writing assignments unless I can do the best job possible.

I don’t pretend to know everything, but I sure know where to get the answers I need.

Nobody likes a know-it-all. But everyone values a resourceful go-to person who can find solutions to problems.

Become A Go-To Person

Being a sponge or magnet for everything that goes around allows you to increase your personal experiences and observations.

In other words, it helps you become the go-to person that clients, colleagues and associates value.

The clearer you are about who you are and your specialized knowledge, the easier it will be to attract new business.