Ever notice how a smile can communicate? - 04/30/08 03:50 PM
Ever try to consciously smile at people - even total strangers - to see what happens? Invariably they'll smile back. I do this in airports, shopping malls, grocery stores, on the street - anyplace that people are. Without saying a word you can brighten someone's moment with a smile - given … (8 comments)
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News flash!! We just hit bottom!! - 04/29/08 05:06 AM
For all of those waiting for the announcement, here it is: we just hit the bottom of the real estate devaluation and now we can begin rebounding. Really? We hit bottom? No, I mean I don't know, and neither does anyone else.
However, for all of those waiting to read it, here … (6 comments)
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"How's My Driving?" Never Mind, Don't Ask - 04/28/08 11:38 AM
I'm sure most of us have seen those decals on the back of business vehicles asking us to report them to the big, bad "800" number if their driving wasn't up-to-par.
I'm sure most drivers are courteous and this decal is redundant. But for the few who seem to have forgotten the … (16 comments)
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Is it better to be effective or efficient? - 04/26/08 08:58 AM
Take 2 very important attributes for successful selling: effective and efficient. Which one would you rather be? Why not both?
These both are similar concepts but different enough to both be necessary to be the best.
Let me illustrate. Wearing a totally opague covering into the woods -including gloves, hat, and a mask … (2 comments)
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No order takers, please - 04/25/08 12:27 PM
In recent years, much of what passes for real estate sales and new home sales, was really someone being in the right place at the right time to accept the check from the buyer and write the purchase agreement.
This is known as "order taking." It demands no particular skills except answering … (12 comments)
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Some of the annoying words and expressions we hear - 04/24/08 01:18 PM
If it's never happened to you yet, it will. Here are just a few of the annoying words, phrases, and messages that I (and I'm sure many of you) encounter:
"I'm sorry he/she is in a meeting"
"Oh they just stepped out"
"Oh they must have picked up another call"
"That mailbox is full"
"This phone … (6 comments)
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The GPS genie is not psychic - 04/24/08 10:32 AM
This is in no way meant to be a criticism or indictment of anyone who uses a GPS for directions, but they do have limitations. Maybe some of you saw the picture the other day of the commercial bus that was lodged inside a 9' underpass because the driver had relied … (4 comments)
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It's easy to look the other way - 04/23/08 11:21 AM
Last year, I witnessed a traffic accident that happened to the car in front of me. A car ran a red light and plowed into her. No one was hurt, although the fellow who ran the light without ever attempting to slow down claimed later that he had hurt his back.
Here's … (10 comments)
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Won't somebody please talk to me? - 04/22/08 03:27 PM
Ever call someone at their office and get intercepted by the receptionist or assistant? You ask to speak with the person you're calling. They ask who you are, and then they ask why you're calling.
After a brief interchange, you convince them that you should be allowed to be put through. Then … (6 comments)
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Make sure you don't bite on the phishers' lines - 04/21/08 09:12 AM
Ever receive an email that looks real and you're really tempted to respond because obviously there's been a mistake? I'm talking about ones asking to verify order that you know you didn't place, or concerning an account at a bank you've never heard of or certainly one that you don't use. … (10 comments)
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Some of the funny things we say - 04/21/08 08:22 AM
This morning, I felt particularly amused by some of the things we say - all innocent things, and all things which people understand when we say them - but if you really thought about the words ...
"I write all of my own articles" - well, actually the computer and the keyboard … (8 comments)
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More on the new movie "Expelled" - 04/20/08 12:19 PM
Yesterday I posted my comments on the new Ben Stein movie "Expelled" and received some really great comments from fellow ‘Rainers. This movie has been commented on extensively in outside blogs - some with over 1,000 comments, and growing. One has nearly 1,600 comments at this moment.
Obviously this movie has hit … (0 comments)
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You never know where you might learn something - 04/20/08 11:05 AM
I really love the cute little security graphics that we have to type in to post a comment. Many of the words I'm familiar with, but others require me to look them up.
At first, I thought maybe some of these were just "made-up" names - a collections of letters to form … (12 comments)
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"Expelled" - a "must-see" movie - 04/19/08 09:25 AM
I don't often go to the movies - in fact, I really don't remember the last time I did go. Last night my wife and I and some others from our church went to see the new Ben Stein movie "Expelled."
I know people always recommended a book or restaurant that they … (14 comments)
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Happy beginnings, America - 04/19/08 07:13 AM
If memory serves me correctly (and just to make sure I looked it up) today is the anniversary of the "shot heard around the world" and the start of America's battle for independence - April 19, 1775.
Here's to our fighting spirit and our liberties as we reflect on why we decided … (4 comments)
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How does my computer know? - 04/18/08 04:40 PM
When you're installing software or downloading an update, there's a little counter that tells you how much time it has remaining before it's done. How do they know this?
I love it when the time starts fluctuating wildly also. It starts out at 16 hours then immediately jumps to 2 hours, then … (2 comments)
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What do you live for? - 04/17/08 11:21 AM
Our church is doing a 12-week study of the "Truth Project" produced by Focus on the Family. It's a video series and extremely well-done. If you ever get a chance to watch it, please do.
Anyway, last night we were left with the charge to ask people we came in contact with … (14 comments)
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Are you mirror-dependent? - 04/16/08 10:02 AM
You know that piece of reflective glass that sits in the middle of your auto windshield - that's right, the rear view mirror? Well, this piece of safety equipment is necessary for safe driving, but it can also become an impediment and be quite dangerous.
If you spend so much time looking … (8 comments)
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Can’t we come up with some better adjectives? - 04/15/08 09:51 AM
I'm really tired of hearing about the housing bubble and the subprime mess. The crunch, the crisis, the disaster, and other doom-and-gloom adjectives. It's no wonder consumers have a low confidence level.
Fellow ‘Rainers, let's decide that we're not going to take it anymore. Don't let anyone in your presence utter any … (16 comments)
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Shouldn’t the paint dealer be liable? - 04/15/08 09:26 AM
I know we've all seen them - maybe even tried to sell that house or the one next door to it. I'm talking about the bright blue, sunshine yellow, hot pink, fushia, lime green, and other bright colors that look good as a fashion accessory but don't cut it as a … (12 comments)
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Do I have to have a nice day? - 04/14/08 05:23 PM
Ever think about those cashiers, waitresses, toll collectors, front desk people, and others who admonish you to have a nice day? Some genuinely mean it and are actually giving you a blessing. Others sound as if they are compelled to say it - likes it's part of their job. Many sound … (8 comments)
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The nerve of some people - 04/13/08 02:54 PM
I am amazed to see at the grocery store - where admittedly the aisles could be wider anyway - that some people act as if they are the only ones in the store and that the store is open just for them.
Actually, I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the apparent … (14 comments)
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Don’t sweat it - 04/13/08 12:49 PM
I just caught a glimpse on TV of one of those infomercials where they proclaim that you'll get all the benefits of crunches or sit-ups without any of the work. They show this well-toned man or woman - or both - seemingly exercising away on this great, low-impact machine.
As far as … (0 comments)
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"This is your last notice ..." - 04/12/08 11:58 AM
Don't you just love it when you get an email or postcard - or occasionally a "formal-looking" letter from a magazine company telling you that your subscription has expired or that it's about to. I guess we're supposed to feel threatened and intimidated and renew right there on the spot.
What I … (20 comments)
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If March Madness is over, are we in April Anxiety? - 04/11/08 05:44 PM
This has nothing to do with buying homes except everything.
For the first time since last Labor Day, there's no college basketball or football to watch on TV or in-person. No tailgaiting, no bowl games, no tournaments. It's over. Has March Madness given way to April Anxiety? Oh, no! What to do?
Guess … (2 comments)
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People are watching all the time - 04/11/08 09:44 AM
We spend a lot of time and money on advertising, blogging, website design, search engine optimization, and generating leads and referrals, yet all of this can be seriously derailed through thoughtless actions that have nothing to do with real estate.
Take for instance driving on the freeway – in our company’s branded … (18 comments)
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I really think it must be me or my computer - 04/10/08 12:34 PM
I've experienced outages and slow responses over the past few weeks which I attributed to growing pains. I didn't take it personally - that is, until now. Last night I tried for over 2 hours to get on AR and couldn't - keep getting some "500 internal service error" - whatever … (8 comments)
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It really does matter who you talk to - 04/09/08 01:24 PM
I was going to call this "what a difference a day makes" but that can be said for so many things. Anyway, I reported the great experience that I had with Microsoft this past Saturday in my post on Monday. Well, I had another great experience with them on a similar … (8 comments)
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Suspense at 2:00 am - 04/09/08 10:48 AM
Imagine that after a late night/early morning session with the computer and a few comments to AR blogs that you hear a Sheriff's helicopter circling in the distance. You go outside to check it out a notice that the circles are getting closer and closer to your house. Now the helicopter is … (0 comments)
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Reading should be intentional - 04/08/08 06:28 PM
I learned many years ago that reading for results only needs to be a page or two at a time. I'm talking about non-fiction here, not recreational reading on the beach or by the fire.
I think one of the obstacles that keeps more professionals from reading and expanding their expertise is … (8 comments)
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What Did We Ever Do without "Cut-and-Paste"? - 04/08/08 10:49 AM
I can remember back in the Dark Ages when we had typewriters and carbon paper. In fact, I did my master's thesis this way. I even remember "greasy" photocopies on thermal paper that faded.
Look at how far we've come. No more retyping a complete document just to make a little change. … (4 comments)
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The fundamentals really do matter - 04/08/08 08:20 AM
In last night's NCAA men's basketball final, Memphis seemed to be the winner as time wound down in regulation, but one of the most basic shots in basketball - the free throw - was their undoing.
Now I haven't been to an official practice session in some years, but coaches used to … (4 comments)
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A great customer service experience – this time from Microsoft - 04/07/08 09:33 AM
Customer service is such an easy target. It's been the subject of many of my posts and likely will continue to be. This time I get to share something incredibly well done.
I was having software issues with Microsoft Office on Friday and Saturday and tried everything I could think of myself … (12 comments)
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The clocks have the last laugh - 04/06/08 09:20 AM
This morning at 2:00 was the traditional time for setting clocks ahead an hour to signify daylight savings time; however, we had already done that a month ago on March 9th. By the way, how has everyone been enjoying that extra evening daylight to commute or play soccer or softball or … (6 comments)
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Way To Go 'Rainers - 04/05/08 08:16 AM
I'm impressed with the professionalism and compassion of AR bloggers - especially when it comes to comments. I have received some really great comments and only a few that offered a different point of view. But that's the real point. Even in disagreement, I find that the AR blogger community is … (13 comments)
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Strike another blow for customer service - 04/04/08 08:55 AM
Don't you just love it that "customer service" exists more for and at the pleasure of the companies providing it than for their customers and clients?
Here's another episode in the long - possibly never-ending - saga of customer service insults and blunders. Yesterday, I ordered some software online. There's a whole … (0 comments)
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Welcome to the first ever "make-a-sale day" celebration - 04/03/08 11:32 AM
Every Thursday should be a sales celebration day, starting today.
Make today the "Alabama Make-a-Sale Day" - and progress each week using each state in alphabetical order. Next Thursday will be "Alaska Make-a-Sale Day" and so forth. Put in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and you have all 52 weeks … (0 comments)
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The power of networking - 04/03/08 07:33 AM
Yesterday as I was sitting in the airport waiting area getting ready to board my flight, I struck up a conversation with the people sitting across from me - the usual where are you from, where are you going, etc.
It turns out that they have been leasing their home in another … (11 comments)
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Going home - 04/02/08 08:38 PM
I don't know which sounds better - going home or coming home? Both are good. Having been across the country for the past 3 days, the thoughts of both going home when boarding the plane and then coming home from the airport are both very comforting.
There is no place like home.
Homes … (5 comments)
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Two in one week - 04/02/08 06:31 AM
I have reported about various customer service issues I've encountered - and I'm sure that there will be many more to share in the future - but I had to share this positive experience. You may recall that on Monday I talked about the TSA employee who had decided to make … (4 comments)
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Definitely a job for someone else - 04/01/08 08:32 AM
Flying yesterday and going through airport security, it became quite apparent to me that I am not cut out to be a TSA employee - even if I was so inclined to pursue that career path. I might be able to handle it for a week or two, but that's it.
I … (4 comments)
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