Is Fear Hurting Your Ability To Lead? - 06/27/08 09:59 AM
I've long believed that fear is the culprit behind any and all of our failures.  It may not be readily apparent in some cases, but if you look deeper it's there.
In my career, I've worked with some abysmal sales managers.  In fact, most of the sales managers I worked with were abysmal.  What's more, everyone on the sales team knew they were abysmal.  What's even more, everone on the sales team (including the big dogs) talked about what poor managers they were.  It was no secret.
There was no question about their ability as a salesperson.  Their numbers spoke volumes.  … (2 comments)

REALLY Effective Marketing for Your Website! - 06/20/08 11:40 AM
There is a lot of confusing information available about marketing your website, and we are all inundated with myriad "great" strategies for doing it.
If you are confused and/or frustrated at the conflicting information you're getting from one resource to another, you must check out this link:
http://www.mortgagecalculator.org/real-estate-marketing
Special thanks to my good friend and real estate pro/extrordinaire/all-around-good-guy Dave Conklin for telling me about this.  It is the most easy to understand resource like this that I've seen.
It will explain domain names, keywords and more in plain language that we all can understand.  I hope you all find it as … (4 comments)

A Quick Tip For Your Direct Mail Efforts - 06/19/08 07:45 PM
A big "thank you" to Duane Peterson of Koenig & Strey in Chicago for this suggestion for your direct mail efforts:
Remember the allure of a commemorative stamp.
Remember, your direct mail efforts are focused on human beings, and what can appear to be an afterthought can in fact be the very thing that causes one of the fickle humans in your database to take notice and (gulp) take action.
A commemorative stamp sure makes your mailer stand out amongst all typical lookalike stamps and those lovely Pitney Bowes meter stamps.  Nothing wrong with those things, but when that's the norm … (4 comments)

Measuring Success With Door Hangers - 06/19/08 10:30 AM
How much is enough?  What kind of return should I expect?  How much do they cost?
I get these questions frequently with regard to door hangers, and I've found just a very few agents who can give me solid numbers with regard to their success rate with door hangers.
If you're an agent who would like a measuring stick for what you can expect from door hangers, here is the info from my most recent coaching call this morning, a lady with 8 children who gave me the results of her recent expedition where she put out 10,000 door hangers:
10,000 … (8 comments)

When In Doubt...Ask Questions - 06/16/08 02:06 PM
Perhaps the most common question I'm asked by agents concerning how to handle a lead is "What do I say?"
Meeting a potential client for the first time can be uncomfortable at times. Let's face it...if we're all honest with ourselves we can remember at least a time or two where we were uncomfortable breaking the ice with a new prospect.
Here's a quick tip to keep in mind when trying to earn trust and rapport with your prospects: When in doubt, ask questions.
People love to talk about themselves (anyone who's been to one of my webinars knows that I … (3 comments)

FREE Microsoft Word 2007 Tips and Solutions - 06/16/08 10:07 AM
Kudos to Allen Wyett for this wonderful tip site!  I've helped numerous agents get answers to Word questions (especially that pesky Word 2007) by referring them to this site, so I thought I would share it with all of you.
If you have questions or problems with Microsoft Word, there's a good chance you'll find your answer here by clicking on this link.
I hope you find the answers that you're looking for and if you come across a site that is particularly helpful to you, please tell me about it so I can share the info with my agents (and … (0 comments)

FREE Anti-Virus Software For You! (No Strings Attached) - 06/15/08 09:38 AM
Click on the link below to download AVAST! anti-virus software...a FREE solution that is NOT a "trial" version to get you to buy an "upgrade."
It appears the fine folks at AVAST! still have faith in the honor system...the professional version of AVAST! has a price (and a reasonable one at that), but the home version is absolutely FREE!  They just ask that you promise that you're using it for home use only.  WOW!
I've been using it on my home computer and laptop and I love it!  I hope you do, too.
Gotta give props to my mom and pop … (1 comments)

Superb FREE Antivirus Software - Now THAT'S Good Marketing! - 06/15/08 09:37 AM
Click on the link below to download AVAST! anti-virus software...a FREE solution that is NOT a "trial" version to get you to buy an "upgrade."
It appears the fine folks at AVAST! still have faith in the honor system...the professional version of AVAST! has a price (and a reasonable one at that), but the home version is absolutely FREE!  They just ask that you promise that you're using it for home use only.  WOW!
I've been using it on my home computer and laptop and I love it!  I hope you do, too.
Gotta give props to my mom and pop … (0 comments)

Brilliant Marketing In Action - 06/13/08 08:42 AM
I saw this commercial last night and I don't think I've laughed this hard at a commercial in 10 or 15 years. It was on during the pre-game of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. I think it's great example of a funny idea (it's a Gas-X commercial...yeah, I know I'm a kid in a man's body) that is made arguably brilliant by the attention to detail.

When you're done laughing, notice these five things:
1. The casting is perfect. Each actor/actress is perfect for his/her part and executes flawlessly.
2. The man's facial expressions, … (2 comments)

We Can All Use A Laugh...Here's One For You - 06/13/08 07:30 AM
I saw this commercial last night and I don't think I've laughed this hard at a commercial in 10 or 15 years. It was on during the pre-game of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. I think it's great example of a funny idea (it's a Gas-X commercial...yeah, I know I'm a kid in a man's body) that is made arguably brilliant by the attention to detail.

When you're done laughing, notice these five things:
1. The casting is perfect. Each actor/actress is perfect for his/her part and executes flawlessly.
2. The man's facial expressions, … (3 comments)

How YOU Can Reach The Top of the Search Engines...The Right Way - 06/10/08 11:07 AM
I'm coaching agents every day on the importance of blogging and how it can help improve your position with the search engines.  Consistency is the key and I've got the proof for you.
I'm really big on "practice what you preach," so I've been doing exactly that...including putting my own inconsistency on display to show the consequences.
Last week, after 4 and a half months of pretty consistent blogging, I reached the bottom of the first page on Google when you do a Google search for "Mark Boyd."   When I began blogging in mid-January, I was nowhere to be found on … (9 comments)

FREE Marketing Tools! - 06/04/08 10:54 AM
Lowe's has a WONDERFUL program for Realtors with some nice things to share with your clients and prospects:
* Lowe's 10% off coupon
* 5% discount on Lowe's gift cards
* Free Videos, Web banners, Monthly E-Newsletter and more
If you're not already using this, please check it out for yourself by clicking this link:  https://www.lowesrealtorbenefits.com
The program is for Realtors, so you'll have to provide your NRDS ID#, but that's really it.  I'm not affilitated with Lowe's in any way...this program was brought to my attention by my colleague Greg Leibrand, through his conversation with Sandra McDaniel in Lynchburg, VA. 
… (4 comments)

FHA Made Easy - 06/02/08 11:25 AM
I've been hearing more and more from agents about how much easier it is to deal with FHA loans.  Yeah, you still have hoops to jump through, but it's better than it used to be.
How about more good news for the weary real estate professional?  How about this:
Bill Glavin, special assistant to FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery, says the FHA has been "inundated" with requests by business-strapped banks to become FHA-certified lenders. He expects the FHA to increase loan volume by 168.2% in fiscal year 2008 (ended September 30), insuring 1.14 million loans, up from 425,000 in 2007. The agency … (3 comments)