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marketing: A Success-Focused Sidetrip - 03/12/10 05:41 AM
As you are no doubt aware, over the past few months my blogs posts have featured a variety of success-related themes.
A Planned Journey
This has not been accidental.
Nor has it been totally unrelated to the theme of real estate marketing.
Towards the end of last year, it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to find fresh approaches to the topic of real estate marketing. I'm sure that many people can write about real estate marketing forever. For better or worse, I am not one of them.
I was beginning feel that when writing about real estate marketing, instead … (4 comments)
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marketing: Are You Marketing...Or Barketing? - 11/18/09 05:38 AM
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 … (8 comments)
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marketing: Marketing Can Be Fun...But Numbers Are Everything - 10/14/09 04:56 AM
As much as I love writing about marketing, I am very aware that effective marketing is impossible without sound business planning.
Good Business Planning
Some of the factors that contribute to good business planning are:
knowing your numbers; knowing who your clients are; know who can assist you and what they can do for you; being aware of what you are doing; having a schedule to dedicate 60% of your time towards building new business by prospecting for new clients; being clear of your budget and time; knowing your peak performance time; and finally - fully planning your year with … (65 comments)
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marketing: How To Produce A Monthly Newsletter In 1½ Hours - 08/25/09 05:40 AM
After what seems like an endless flow of bog posts about newsletters, I have come across an excellent example of an agent's newsletter.
A Unique & Professional Newsletter
Since at least April 2006, Brian Madigan has sent newsletters to clients and contacts.
To make sense of my comments that follow, check out Brian's September 2008 newsletter, and leave it in the window available for future reference.
The first thing to notice about this newsletter is its unique and professional appearance.
Brian chose the colors maroon and gold because he liked the look of them as used by 2 Canadian businesses … (4 comments)
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marketing: Applying The Best Real Estate Marketing - 08/17/09 07:03 AM
Although invariably producing positive outcomes, Internet research can also be a very frustrating process.
Last week, I experienced this frustration...along with some very positive outcomes.
Filling In The Gaps, Topping Up The Resources
Early in the week I started researching newsletters...both hard copy and electronic.
As a writer I have accumulated a solid base of experience in planning, preparing and producing newsletters.
In planning my own newsletter, I wanted to ensure both the currency and relevancy of this experience.
I also wanted to fill in any gaps in my planning and production know-how and top up my resources in sourcing and … (5 comments)
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marketing: 10 Questions to Evaluate Your Marketing Results - 08/11/09 07:20 AM
For better results in the future, learn from past results.
By now you will have received, perhaps...even reviewed...your results for the first 7 months of the year.
Are you happy with these results?
What must you do to generate better results next month?
The following questions will help you develop a better understanding of your marketing results to date.
It's a good idea to record your answers for future reference.
1. What do you need to know about your marketing results in order to understand them better?
If your reports do not help provide the data you need, see if … (1 comments)
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marketing: The Ideal Solution For The Twin Curse Of Transaction-itis & Short Attention Span - 08/11/09 07:01 AM
Yesterday in response to my comment about newsletters, Andrea Swiedler said "
...I bought one before [a newsletter] and loved it I always had CMA requests after they went out, it was pretty good! Wonder why I don't do that anymore...”
While there is no way of my knowing specifically why Andrea does not buy newsletters any more, I can offer a suggestion as to why many sales people do not repeat seemingly productive activities.
Many sales people, including real estate agents suffer from the twin curse of transaction-itis and short attention span.
Transaction-itis
This condition results in sales … (3 comments)
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marketing: How To Be More Creative - 08/10/09 05:44 AM
Of all the ingredients that contribute to a recipe for great marketing, my favorite is creativity.
Not only is creativity personally satisfying...it helps distinguish each of us from the competition and helps prospects, clients and contacts remember us.
I realized this after writing Friday's blog post about 10 Things You Can Give Prospects ...and reading the comments.
The Creative Process
Not surprisingly, that post and this one are results of a creative process.
By detailing the process, we can all understand how to become more creative in our marketing.
The seed for Friday's blog post can be traced to an … (1 comments)
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marketing: What Was that Name Again? - 08/06/09 07:36 AM
Yesterday when I returned from lunch, I noticed that all of the homes in our neighborhood had door hangers on their front door.
These are the things that couriers and other delivery people leave hanging on the door handle to advice of a missed delivery.
Turns out the hangers were from a real estate sales representative, whose name I did not recognize. On the front was the simple question Thinking of Selling? (We're not) together with some promotional copy...top producer and lifetime achievement award.
And as required, the front also included the agent's name, office and phone number.
Overall a so-so … (9 comments)
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marketing: Is Marketing An Art...Or is It A Science? - 08/05/09 06:50 AM
Marketing Is An Art
Some days I think that marketing is an art.
When I think this way, it's because marketing is about applying strategies such as prospecting, advertising or networking to promote our businesses.
Because we are all different and unique as individuals, we apply these strategies differently.
When we do cold-calling we are likely to say different things in different ways and generate different results.
Similarly, when we advertise our services, we use different words to promote our uniqueness.
The same considerations apply to networking...we normally interact differently with different people.
From this perspective, marketing is similar to … (3 comments)
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marketing: Are Newsletters Still Important? - 07/28/09 07:07 AM
Some time ago, I posed the question: Do newsletters help you attract new business?
The response was great...and also very helpful.
So I decided to ask it again, this time to help me decide if I should consider developing my own newsletter.
Keeping In Touch
Has the growth of blogging and social media, such as Twitter and Facebook reduced the use ...and usefulness of newsletters?
In the past, newsletters have been ideal ways to keep in touch with clients and contacts...but at intervals ranging from monthly to annually.
In today's instant world, I wonder how effective newsletters...as less frequent communications...can … (8 comments)
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marketing: Why Marketing Is Like Cowboy Boots - 07/23/09 06:52 AM
Once upon a time, I had a pair of cowboy boots.
As part of a summer job I found myself in Calgary Alberta for the Calgary Stampede.
Like most easterners visiting the stampede, I had get cowboy boots. I bought a pair that looked great, but were beyond uncomfortable...they hurt mt feet..big time!
Lookin' Good
Everyone around me dutifully admired my boots and reassured me that the discomfort would end sooner or later.
So I hung in...after all, I was a stubborn university student who has just invested some of his summer earnings into some really neat cowboy boots...there was … (2 comments)
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marketing: 5 Reasons To Like Marketing More Than Economic Analysis - 07/09/09 07:00 AM
In yesterday's post, I left the comfort zone of marketing to offer some economic analysis. This was driven more by the simultaneous occurrence of 3 reality checks than a deep seated love of economic analysis.
Returning to more familiar turf, here are some of the reasons that I prefer Marketing to Economic Analysis.
1. Marketing Is Proactive
Marketing involves taking action to bring about desired results.
To borrow from Michael Gerber's classic book The E-Myth Revisited, it is actively creating your business into what you want it to be.
Economic analysis on the other hand, is reactive...it involves evaluating and … (3 comments)
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marketing: Never Underestimate The Power Of Self-Interest - 06/23/09 10:10 AM
Think of what you can achieve by helping clients satisfy their self-interest.
Municipal Workers' Strike
Yesterday was the first day of a highly anticipated strike by some 30,000 civic workers in Toronto.
Although such services such as city day care centers, parks maintenance, and summer recreation programs like swimming lessons will be canceled as a result of the strike, it is the suspension of garbage pick-up that is attracting the most attention.
City officials have asked residents to store their garbage, including organic materials, for the first week. There is the added provision: “If desired, it can be dropped off, … (15 comments)
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marketing: Things Are Not Always What They Appear To Be - 04/01/09 06:54 AM
Make sure that you and your services are what they appear to be.
'Debunking the 10/90 myth'
Yesterday, I received the April 2009 edition of Real Estate Marketing the print version of a monthly publication for the Canadian real estate industry.
This is the only printed publication that I receive...and that's because I am a regular contributor.
Even though I have written for publication for the past 17 years, I still get a thrill out of seeing my name and work in print.
When I saw this edition, an item on the front cover caught my attention: 'Debunking the 10/90 … (5 comments)
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marketing: Just Because You CAN Do Something, It Doesn't Mean You Should - 03/29/09 07:50 AM
Instead of doing things just because you can, do what generates he most desirable results
Earth Hour
Normally I don't take take a lot of satisfaction from following or being part of a crowd.
However, last night I was pleased to be part of the estimated 1 billion people world-wide who observed earth hour.
Actually my earth hour started around 8:00 o'clock when it started to get dark and instead of tuning on the lights, I lit some candles.
I enjoyed the experience so much that it was about 9:45 before I turned the lights on.
In the glow of candlelight, … (8 comments)
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marketing: Marketing Is Neither An Art Nor A Science...It's Both - 03/25/09 06:02 AM
Marketing is both a science and an art that can and often does produce a win-win scenario.
Apples & Oranges
Among the most difficult questions to answer are those that require us to make a choice between two factors that are different from each other...but not total opposites of each other.
Apples and oranges are different from each other...but they are not opposites.
For those of us who enjoy both, it's frustrating...and generally meaningless...to be asked which we prefer.
Apart from being labeled as some one who likes apples or some one who likes oranges, there is no reason whatsoever … (2 comments)
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marketing: Is Marketing An Art...Or is It A Science? - 03/23/09 06:31 AM
Marketing Is An Art
Some days I think that marketing is an art.
When I think this way, it's because marketing is about applying strategies such as prospecting, advertising or networking to promote our businesses.
Because we are all different and unique as individuals, we apply these strategies differently.
When we do cold-calling we are likely to say different things in different ways and generate different results.
Similarly, when we advertise our services, we use different words to promote our uniqueness.
The same considerations apply to networking...we normally interact differently with different people.
From this perspective, marketing is similar to … (6 comments)
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marketing: How Agents Succeed In Real Estate - 02/03/09 06:02 AM
The following material originally appeared in the April '08 edition of Real Estate Marketing,a magazine for the Canadian Real Estate industry.
I am reproducing the article because I believe it is as relevant today as it was last April and offers helpful information to all agents in all markets.
Larry Easto
I believe that if you want to know what makes people successful, the best way to find out is to ask them.
So when a broker asked what makes real estate agents successful, I suggested that we ask them.
This comment led to my interviewing 74 high producing real estate agents … (4 comments)
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marketing: Good Marketing Whets Prospects' Appetites - 02/02/09 06:29 AM
Marketing whets prospects' attitudes for the service that follows.
Marketing means different things to different people.
To most sales people, marketing and promotion mean much the same thing.
Regardless of which term is used, it refers to virtually everything that is done to promote a business.
Unfortunately, this understanding ignores the importance of two elements that are critical factors in successful marketing.
Marketing Includes Research
Market research allows you to identify who and where your clients are...as well as what they need, want and expect from you.
Without this knowledge, it would be difficult, if not impossible to prepare promotional activities … (5 comments)
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Larry Easto
Toronto,
ON
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