8009777058: AAACCHHOOOO!!!! (And other bodily functions...) - 07/30/09 02:41 AM
Like many people, I suffer from seasonal hay fever.  And, like many people, I start stocking up on drugs, Kleenex, and eye drops in about March so I have enough on hand by May that I can survive until September.  The medicine cabinet in my house looks like the allergy aisle in Walgreens.
Allergies, as a whole, are a pain in the butt.  I have had them my entire life.  I had them so bad that, from the time I was 5 until I was 17, I had to have shots weekly to help build up my immune system enough to … (14 comments)

8009777058: The Sins Of A Seller - 07/23/09 04:38 AM
 
Many of you know that I recently bought a home. 
And, for those of you that don’t know that I recently bought a home…I recently bought a home.  Here’s proof.  
Although we are very happy with our home we did purchase, during this process, I happened to notice that as we viewed house after house, I kept seeing the same things happen over and over.  And….not good things.  Bad things.  Bad things that were blatantly obvious to me.  Bad things that literally turned me off.  Bad things that were keeping this otherwise fine house I was standing … (219 comments)

8009777058: Dont Tie Your Shoe Laces Together & Expect To Get Very Far - 07/16/09 12:35 AM
"Dont tie your shoe laces together and expect to get very far."
Seems like excellent advice, doesnt it?  My dad taught me that statement many years ago.  I never really knew what he was talking about until I was old enough to figure it out.  And, I think it makes more sense now that I'm in a commission-based sales position than it ever has in my entire life.
See...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 … (12 comments)

8009777058: 212 - The Magic Number - 07/07/09 02:14 AM
I often look for motivation and inspiration in as many places as I can.  One of the best I have found is the 212 movie.  www.212movie.com
(I mentioned in the comments that I have a book by this same company...and I highly recommend that anyone that likes inspirational material get a copy.)
But, aside from that, I truly believe it is impossible to watch this video and not get inspired to do more...to be more.
(25 comments)

8009777058: How SEX Helps Me With Twitter! - 04/03/09 01:18 AM
Sex has helped me use Twitter.
Yes...I said sex has helped me use Twitter. 
(Do I have your attention yet?)  Ok...good.
For those of you that understand Twitter, use it properly, and have seen it as a benefit in your business...you can pretty much stop reading right now because this is going to simply regurgitate everything you already know (unless you just want a refresher course with a bit of snark).
But, for those of you that have no clue what Twitter can do, have not understood Twitter, are afraid of Twitter, don't know how to effectively use Twitter, or see … (72 comments)

8009777058: Social Media -- Numbers Dont Lie! - 03/09/09 06:31 AM
The world needs another blog about how important it is for agents to build and maintain a positive social media presence like Eskimos need ice. 
But, I'm a big fan of technology.  I figure anything that is out there that can help me do my job better, more efficiently, and with less effort on my behalf has to be a good thing.  Plus, I'm a numbers junkie.  Numbers and statistics to me are undeniable proof that certain truths exist. 
And, I guess I'm not the only one that feels that way.
The 2008 Use of Technology Survey tracks the current trends … (86 comments)

8009777058: A Testiment To Working Your Leads! - 03/02/09 11:09 PM
I have never made any secret of the fact that I work for an internet lead generation company.  And, having been at this company for nearly 5 years, I do believe that, when worked properly, internet leads can and will make you money.  But, as with anything in life, there is no "magic pill" that will allow you to automatically be successful.  This remains true for anything in life, but is especially true when discussing real estate...more specifically, internet-generated leads.
 
Really, what it boils down to is this: If you suck at follow up...internet leads are not for you.  (By … (17 comments)

8009777058: Death of a Salesman - 02/24/09 11:42 AM
I decided I needed to get a new pair of shoes.  The ones that I have are a couple years old and, quite frankly, a bit worn out.  So, I decided to head to the local ShoeEmporiumMart and get myself some shoes.  I knew exactly what I wanted...and in what section of the store to find it.  As I entered the store, I saw a couple customers browsing and 3 sales attendants by the cash register. 
As I stroll past them, one of them says, "Hi. I will be right with you."  Assuming she was discussing something important and required time … (132 comments)

8009777058: 6 Ways To Soften Your “Hard-Sell” Approach - 02/17/09 01:38 AM
I have been involved in sales for the better part of 20+ years.  I've sold everything from advertising to insurance and have set sales records in the process.  But, I never really tried to sell anything.  What I tried to do was show people that what I had to offer to them was of value and explain to them how it can help them.  And, that style hasn't let me down even today.
So, it goes without saying that the one thing that I have always disliked about sales is the standard "hard-sell" style.  You know...that pushy, in your face, unrelenting … (75 comments)

8009777058: 5 Ways To Make Money In This Real Estate Market! - 02/02/09 11:28 PM
So, you want to make more money in real estate sales, huh?  Well...I'm fairly certain you aren't the only one.  I think we all do.  And here are 5 ways to help:
Do something NOW! - Too often, agents lull themselves into this false sense of reality that preparing to do something is the same thing as actually doing something.  Endless attempts at coming up with a plan, meetings, conference calls, strategic alliances with others in their market, etc are nothing more than a waste of energy, time, and brain matter unless you actually ACT ON THEM!  You must do something … (22 comments)

8009777058: 5 Ways To Kill Your Business in 2009! - 01/25/09 11:20 PM
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)

8009777058: You're Not Doing It Wrong...I'm Just Doing It Different! - 01/20/09 01:15 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)

8009777058: Its Ok…Everyone Makes Mistakes (Just Don’t Make These!!) - 01/13/09 12:56 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)

8009777058: ......You Might Live In Montana! - 01/12/09 02:02 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)

8009777058: Its Hard To Soar Like An Eagle When Surrounded By Turkeys!! - 01/09/09 03:10 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)

8009777058: Writing Listing Ads?? Watch Where You Step... - 01/07/09 06:43 AM
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)

8009777058: How To Scare Your Clients Away in 10 Easy Steps!!! - 01/07/09 12:12 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)

8009777058: It's All About MeMe... - 01/05/09 12:22 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)

8009777058: Do You Lack The "Lead Generation" Skills To Survive?? - 12/22/08 05:56 AM
If you follow me at all...you know that in just about any given moment, you can find me involved in one conversation or another on Twitter.  Usually more than one...And the day that this conversation occurred is no different. 
See, I was talking with Tamara Dorris about lead generation.  We were talking about the fundamental importance of lead generation and the fact that most agents simply don't have enough leads and why I think most agents simply fail when it comes to this activity.  Below is an exerpt from that conversation from Twitter (If you don't use Twitter, I am talking … (92 comments)

8009777058: STOP ME BEFORE I TWEET AGAIN!!! - 12/10/08 04:42 AM
Ok...I have a confession to make: I am a Twitteraholic. 
More than that, I'm a BAD Twitteraholic.  I don't mean that I'm highly addicted to social networking (although that is certainly true).  I mean that I am guilty of using Twitter incorrectly. 
Yup.  I'm a bad tweeter.
Twitter was originally designed as a micro-blog - a short snip-it of what is occurring in your life at this exact moment stylized in 140 characters or less.  So...nothing worth of a full-blown blog...but, a snapshot of what is happening right now.
"I'm at Starbucks meeting with clients"
"Just closed on a $372,000 home! … (67 comments)