5 Ways To Kill Your Business in 2009! - 01/26/09 07:20 AM
It's a new year! New business plans...new budgets (shoestring, though they may be...). New attitude attributed to a new year.  But, none of that will mean a thing if you continue down the same destructive path.
It amazes me on a daily basis how many agents that I deal with actually set themselves up for failure by making simple, yet deadly, mistakes in their business.  Some of these mistakes seem to be so simple to overcome.  Yet, time and time again, they repeat the same thing expecting a different result.  That is the definition of insanity. 
So, in the hopes that I … (94 comments)

You're Not Doing It Wrong...I'm Just Doing It Different! - 01/20/09 09:15 AM
This one a little different for me...
As you all know by now, Im a Twitter-a-holic.  And, by being such, I have developed relationships with some of the best agents around the country.  I currently interact online with nearly 700 real estate professionals in all walks of the industry.
One of the people I interact with regularly is a wonderful young woman in Fredericksburg, VA, by the name of Sarah Stelmok.  Sarah is a wonderful person, a consummate professional, a continuing education trainer, and a dang good blogger.  (She is also currently taking referrals from www.recr.com in several areas...which means I like her … (27 comments)

Its Ok…Everyone Makes Mistakes (Just Don’t Make These!!) - 01/13/09 08:56 AM
Being in the industry that I am, I deal with agents all day long in just about every state in the union.  Some of the agents I work with are as solid as they can get...others, not so much.  But, the one thing that I do know is that all of them WANT to be successful.  It's just that some of them have the ability to ensure that it happens to them.
You can WANT to be successful with all your heart - The fact of the matter is that you will only be successful if you work hard, work smart, … (59 comments)

......You Might Live In Montana! - 01/12/09 10:02 AM
Many of you know that I am from Montana...Born and raised.  I love it here...but, I have noticed that there are a few unalienable truths about living on Montana that just don't quite parallel to other areas of the country.  And, with that in mind, I decided to post this list of things that you will encounter living here...Enjoy!
 If "vacation" to you means going shopping for the weekend in Great Falls, Billings, Missoula or Bozeman (while the kids swim at the Comfort Inn).....You might live in Montana.
If parking your car for the night involves an extension cord......You might live … (14 comments)

Its Hard To Soar Like An Eagle When Surrounded By Turkeys!! - 01/09/09 11:10 AM
Im not a 'preachy' kind of person.  I don't claim to be an expert because I have a fancy title or years of schooling or experience (although both are true in this case).  I am fairly simple.  If you ask me for my opinion, you will get it.  Honest...straight forward...perhaps even blunt.  So, when I was asked recently to evaluate a group of sales people on thier successes and failures -- and to be honest about my findings -- I didn't pull any punches when reporting.
For the purpose of my evaluations, I decided to do this simply.  No confusing quizes to take; … (29 comments)

Writing Listing Ads?? Watch Where You Step... - 01/07/09 02:43 PM
Ive posted this information before, but felt that it needed revisited...
One of the more routine activities of a Realtors(c) job is to write copy for the ads that are used to support your listings.  Whether those be online, print, brochures, or flyers, the goal of these ads is create a positive explanation of the property that will increase the flow of traffic to that ad from interested buyers.  And, lets face it....that is the ultimate goal in this form of advertising. 
However, it is fairly easy to fall into the grey area and start to make statements that arent necessarily … (27 comments)

How To Scare Your Clients Away in 10 Easy Steps!!! - 01/07/09 08:12 AM
I posted this originally many months ago...but with the new year, I thought it was fitting that everyone be reminded of how what we say can cause even MORE fear in today's marketplace.
Regardless of how often Brokers or Sales Managers say not to do it, there are certain phrases that continually pop up during the course of a presentation/phone call/appointment that simply take a client's confidence and shake it to the very core.  Sometimes even to the point of losing your listing to another agent...losing that big sale...or even driving away an existing customer.
Having said that, I ran across … (40 comments)

YeahYeah! (Another MeMe Post of the BookBook Variety) - 01/06/09 08:01 AM
So, I had mentioned in the last Meme that I wrote that I had been tagged by a pile of these recently.  Matt Stigliano must have it out for me.  He is personally responsible for at least 3 of these in recent months.  Now, don't get me wrong...I think Matt is a superb agent and an excellent blogger.  And, I harbor no ill will toward him at all for tagging me repeatedly as he has done.  (Is secretly hoping that a sex-crazed hippopotamus takes a liking to Matt's car considered "ill will"?!?)
Having said that, the latest one I got hit … (4 comments)

It's All About MeMe... - 01/05/09 08:22 AM
I have to admit...I have flown under the radar for quite some time when it comes to these bloggaly transmitted diseases we affectionately refer to as Memes. 
But, as of late, I have been hammered by a couple...My good friend Matt Stigliano hit me with a couple recently...and I got hit by this version by my good friend Melody Botting.
As with any Meme, there are rules.
 Here are the rules
Create a blog post with a link to the person who tagged you. List these rules in your post Share seven facts about yourself in the post Identify seven of … (14 comments)