communications: Improving Sales using Real Lessons Taught by the Dog (and not the Bounty Hunter) - 08/19/08 04:43 PM
My intent is not to make a "oh, look how cute our dog is post" but to talk about real business lessons!
You see, our dog has much better sales, communication and relationship skills than many people I know.
First a quick background... I grew up in the big city of Bear Creek, Alabama … (11 comments)
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communications: "Leave me alone! I Don't Need Any Training!" - 08/15/08 04:08 PM
"Leave Me Alone! I Don't Need Any Training!"
"Training is for Rookies!"
"I KNOW what I'm Doing! It's Everyone Else that Needs Training!"
Ever hear these types of comments from the veteran agents, brokers, sales folks? Ever said any of these yourself?
In our office, we call this … (7 comments)
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communications: Pricing... Is it the BEST VALUE in the neighborhood at this PRICE POINT? - 08/12/08 11:54 AM
Okay, so I've been a bit focused on the pricing of property in recent posts. Well, I've got more to consider and how you can possibly help your clients and your efforts...
THE SITUATION: New listing or sales opportunity. Does the buyer want to really sell? Or are they just unrealistically … (4 comments)
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communications: "Not Getting Any...." Small Details can "Getcha" - 08/08/08 08:43 AM
Just a quick thought this morning about how even the smallest of details can change the big picture.
For instance, the old story goes that back in the days of the telegraph, a man traveling is sent the following telegram from his wife...
NOT GETTING ANY BETTER, COME HOME AT ONCE.
… (8 comments)
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communications: Business on a handshake... - 08/07/08 07:40 PM
Our businesses have an in-house business mentor.
A retired, savy businessman that built his business from scratch and sold to a multi-national conglomerate. He does not know all of the things our businesses do but he can read a balance sheet and business plan and tear each apart if it does not work. … (3 comments)
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communications: Reputation... A long ago reminder from my basketball coach in Bear Creek, AL - 08/07/08 01:38 PM
For Good or Bad, Our Behavior becomes Our Reputation. As much as the marketing world wants us to believe we can all spend enough money to define and promote the reputation we want others to know us by, it is not that simple.
In high school one long ago Fall in … (4 comments)
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communications: "... because my house is SPECIAL!" - 08/07/08 11:13 AM
Whether as an agent, appraiser, buyer or seller, anyone that has done many residential real estate transactions has dealt with the owner that says (or feels), "I can get a higher price for my house because my house is SPECIAL!"... or some variant of the remark.
And since most buyers and … (12 comments)
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communications: Monday Minutes 080408 with Tracy Reece and Mark Hall - 08/04/08 09:57 PM
Monday Minutes @ RE/MAX Communities
We invite you to view our Monday Minutes Video:
CLICK HERE to View the Monday Minutes Online
Quick Notes
FMLS Showcase August 20th at the Cobb Galleria from 10am-5pm. Tickets are $10 in advance.
E-Key Swap Thursday and Friday August 21 & 22 at the Cobb … (1 comments)
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communications: Monday Minutes 080408 with Mark Hall and Tracy Reece - 08/04/08 09:49 PM
Monday Minutes @ RE/MAX Communities
We invite you to view our Monday Minutes Video:
CLICK HERE to View the Monday Minutes Online
Quick Notes
FMLS Showcase August 20th at the Cobb Galleria from 10am-5pm. Tickets are $10 in advance.
E-Key Swap Thursday and Friday August 21 & 22 at the Cobb … (0 comments)
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communications: What would you Do? Commercial Realtor Suggests Potential Lessee Bypass their Realtor... - 07/30/08 01:30 PM
Okay, this one ran through our office recently and I'm curious on what thoughts any of you may have on this....
BACKGROUND: We are not real estate agents. We provide transaction management services and other real estate support services.
Outside of our work arena, we are acquaintances with the owners of a … (5 comments)
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communications: Monday Minutes 072808 with Tracy Reece and Mark Hall - 07/28/08 08:43 PM
Monday Minutes @ RE/MAX CommunitiesCLICK HERE to View the Monday Minutes OnlineQuick NotesPlease welcome Wade Hunt of Covenant Mortgage fame . . .our special guest star this week and part of our RE/MAX Communities team!FMLS to Add "Contingent - Due Diligence" as a Status August 7thIn response to Member requests, on … (0 comments)
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communications: Monday Minutes 072808 with Mark Hall and Tracy Reece - 07/28/08 08:38 PM
Monday Minutes @ RE/MAX CommunitiesCLICK HERE to View the Monday Minutes OnlineQuick NotesPlease welcome Wade Hunt of Covenant Mortgage fame . . .our special guest star this week and part of our RE/MAX Communities team!FMLS to Add "Contingent - Due Diligence" as a Status August 7thIn response to Member requests, on … (0 comments)
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communications: Selling Houses or Just a Lure for Listings? Lessons from a Long Ago Summer on the Lake... - 07/24/08 09:52 AM
When I was a teenager in rural Bear Creek, Alabama, my brother, father and I had a small fishing bait store near an area lake one Summer. I learned several things about business that year that really applies to the world of real estate agents.
1. I found that 10% of the … (21 comments)
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communications: Do You "Mutually Qualify" Your Potential Clients? - 07/21/08 11:32 PM
When I am meeting with a potential customer, vendor, or partner, one of our primary goals is to mutually qualify the arrangement. It saves us all time and leads to a very high success rate!
What do I mean by "mutually qualify?"
Well, so many folks are working so hard to … (5 comments)
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communications: Listen First, Then Answer the Question! - 07/16/08 08:02 PM
"Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah"
Okay, this is not quite the level of a pet peeve for me but it can be something that leads to a struggling conversation at best and a lost deal and/or lost referrals at worst.
I am amazed at how many people start talking with … (10 comments)
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communications: PMI Problems, More REOs, & Finding Success - 07/09/08 10:35 AM
While there was a bump up in the market numbers this Spring, that was just that. A bump. And many attribute that temporary rise to the number of forclosed properties that hit the market and tended to move faster than they typical house.
More Properties to Hit Market
I have heard … (0 comments)
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communications: Referrals... Not Giving Any? You Get What You Give! - 07/08/08 04:20 PM
Referrals... often the hot lead that is ours to not screw up. We all want them, so what is one of the best ways to get them?
Refer to others.
Think about it. It is human nature to reciprocate.
For example, suppose you need to refer to someone for another service (survey, … (0 comments)
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communications: What to do with a "no".... - 07/03/08 01:39 PM
What can you do with a "no"...
Move on to the next prospect.
Move on to the next property.
Move on to the next research project.
Find out if you made an error (so you don't repeat it).
Find out if you were not communicating clearly (again, so you don't repeat … (24 comments)
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communications: Minor Detail? Major Problem! Minor Address Error Creates Havoc - 07/02/08 09:21 AM
Little things can be such a big difference! In the conclusion of a recent deal, we found a lender had added "SW" to a street address on all of their paperwork. Don't know why but there it was. Every document from the lender.
Well, it turns out that "changed address" was a … (2 comments)
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communications: The 8 Worst Things To Say To Your Client - 07/01/08 05:14 PM
Part of my business focus is networking and working with the employment and transition industry. Often times the overlap between transition and real estate is to close to pass up mentioning. In today's CSIX meeting I received a handout that sparked an idea: What are the 8 Worst Things A Realtor … (18 comments)
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communications: Great article from eMarketer about online habits of buyers and real estate agents - 07/01/08 03:55 PM
Check out this great article from eMarketer.com on what buyers and agents are doing online:
Click Here To View Article
Now bring your online communications to the next level using video to brand yourself. It is not uncommon to see a realtors picture on their business card, website, or advertisments. Now … (0 comments)
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communications: Question - How have you found great assistants? - 07/01/08 03:10 PM
Greetings!
I am curious as to how those with good-to-great assistants found those assistants. And how you keep them trained.
I spoke with one successful Realtor that told me that by having an assistant, she and her husband sold 14 more houses a year. She said that if she loses focus and … (3 comments)
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communications: . . . . Closing DISASTER on MY House!... And How It Might Have Been Avoided... - 06/29/08 01:35 PM
My worst closing example is actually before I was involved in the real estate market and it was the closing where I was selling my own home.
The Realtor was representing both parties in a dual agency role. (Won't do that again.). But that was not really the problem. As closing … (2 comments)
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communications: Just because the market is murder doesn't mean you have to kill yourself - Top 7 Career Killing Mistakes And How to Avoid Them - 05/23/08 04:56 AM
Protect your reputation by avoiding these Top 7 Blunders.
In challenging times, a high standard of ethics is more important than ever.
Few things are more embarrassing in the course of selling a home than to have a prospective buyer tell a client, "your agent isn't doing you any favors."
Clients in … (13 comments)
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communications: Top 7 Tips - How to Make Your Presence So Memorable That People Can't Get Enough Of You! - 05/22/08 04:54 AM
Looking for a way to lock in that sale - and create word-of-mouth references from happy clients?
Be yourself - only better.
Top 7 Tips to Make Your Presence So Memorable That People Can't Get Enough of Your Business.
Stop right here if all you want is a way to fool people … (9 comments)
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communications: So there I was, leaning out the helicoptor door, cold Pacific waves crashing all around me... "How Building Relationships Can Keep You From Drowning" - 05/21/08 05:55 AM
Waves slapped against the craggy rocks, sending spray in a thousand directions, too far below the helicopter for me to feel the salty drops.
"Where do you want to go?" the pilot asked, his voice inside my helmet, on a closed-circuit sound system that shut out the intensely loud "whap, whap, … (1 comments)
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communications: How To Sell a Home in Three Seconds (Really!) - 05/20/08 12:09 PM
How to Sell a House in Just THREE Seconds
7 Tips to Keep Your Home Buyer Focused
According to some experts, you've got 90 minutes to keep someone's attention.
Others say you've got. 7 minutes. Yet others assert say it's 50 seconds or 8 seconds or even that people have no … (73 comments)
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communications: Poor writing can kill a good message - 05/20/08 10:22 AM
Most of us rely on written communication to get our message across, at least to some degree. Though we now have the benefits of tools like spell-check, there are plenty of punctuation typos that can slip in under the radar and sabotage our writing.
Avoiding these common punctuation blunders will help … (3 comments)
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communications: Don’t Get Fired for Expressing Your Point of View: Top 10 Media Tips For Bloggers - 05/15/08 04:53 AM
Top 10 Media Tips For Bloggers - How To Keep Your Job While Blogging
Blogs are much more than discussion forums. They're a form of media. They're monitored by more audiences than you may be intending to reach. And they can get you fired, if you don't follow some simple steps.
… (16 comments)
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communications: Public Relations: Top Five Tips - How to Use Good PR to Help Sell Homes. - 04/25/08 10:20 AM
Top Five Tips - How to Use Good PR to Help Sell Homes.
Using Public Relations to Improve Your Image
Tired of paying big bucks for newspaper advertisements nobody notices?
"Free advertising" - otherwise known as public relations - is an often under utilized tool in the real estate industry. But it can be … (4 comments)
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communications: Don't Be Your Own Bad News: Top 10 tips for Talking to Reporters - 04/24/08 07:17 AM
Don't Be Your Own Bad News: Top 10 tips for Talking to Reporters
If you're impacted by negative numbers in the real estate market, you're a prime target for reporters looking for salacious stories. So what can you do to save your reputation, before thousands of people see you floundering on … (7 comments)
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communications: In Marketing, Perception Is Everything - 04/07/08 01:26 AM
In Marketing, Perception Is Everything Jason Lee Miller | Staff Writer Influence...Not so much The mind is a deeply complex organ, at times influenced by small, seemingly trivial things, and at others closed off to any external stimuli. Think of it as an onion, with belief at the center and perception at … (1 comments)
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communications: Being responsive in a reactive world. - 03/16/08 01:56 PM
OK, WooHoo Sally this one's for you. I know you like this stuff and you popped into my head as soon as I started writing. Check out this link on the Bowen Theory.
This post was inspired by some recent conversations I have been having with another ActiveRain member. I will … (41 comments)
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communications: Who are all these people and where are they finding houses? - 01/31/08 06:44 PM
Wow. All those stories about Raleigh being a top ten destination for people who want to move somewhere cool are really true.
I just found out that close to 100 people are moving into the Triangle region every single day - with about 50 new water hookups a day. Sure does imply … (0 comments)
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communications: If you breathe too fast into the brown paper bag it will implode - 01/30/08 12:52 PM
I first began to hyperventilate two days into real estate training, when I found out all the things Ididn't know when I bought my home. Wow, I thought. There's a lot more to real estate in the Raleigh Triangle than I'd realized.A class member whispered her advice about the paper bags a … (1 comments)
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communications: The Torture of Stage Fright! - 01/23/08 02:50 PM
The human anxiety reaction begins almost automatically and includes clear physiological symptoms: a racing heart, sweating, stomach pains, even diarrhea. But the torture can stop!
You can walk up to people confidently -- You can step forward and take the most incredible journey into Eliminate Fears of Public Speaking
Getting … (0 comments)
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communications: The Inner World of Perception Rules - 12/05/07 06:12 PM
Our perceptions are truths that rule our purchase behavior. A perception may not be correct or follow any lines of what one would call logical reasoning. Perceptions held, in the mind of our customers, are the realities of their vivid imagination sparked by fantasies of emotional experiences. Simply put, there is … (0 comments)
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communications: Communicating With Your Realtor - 12/03/07 03:14 PM
Communicating with Your Realtor®
A necessary ingredient for any strong relationship is good communication. And, like all relationships, the one between home seller and Realtor® needs open lines of communication to ensure the ultimate goal of selling a home is reached.
Your first contact with a Realtor®, which is usually by phone, … (2 comments)
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communications: Email Marketing - 11/04/07 01:18 AM
1. Use the same branding styles through all your online and offline media. Remember that this is not limited to your logo, don't' forget about font styles, sizes, colours and your writing style. Use an email template to help maintain a consistent brand image. A consistent branding style encourages seamless transition … (0 comments)
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communications: First Class Mail Or Bulk Mail - 11/04/07 01:17 AM
One business owner asked a marketing analyst a question: is it better to send his postcard printing pieces via first class mail? Or would it be cost effective if the PrintPlace.com postcards were posted as bulk mail?His answer? It all depends on what would be your purpose and need for your … (0 comments)
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communications: Postcards - 11/04/07 01:14 AM
Direct mail is a very useful tool for lead generation because it allows you to target so precisely. Postcards are very effective direct mail pieces because they are cheap and don't require opening. They are ideal for delivering the message of ‘Quick Cash for your house.' There are two ways to … (0 comments)
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communications: Educate your Audience - 11/04/07 01:08 AM
Have you ever heard the rumors that brochures are not anymore the best things that ever happened to the marketing industry? Many would say that a brochure printing project, maybe even a tri-fold one at that, are not anymore effective to get your business the leverage. And that everybody’s using it … (0 comments)
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communications: Different Types Of Envelopes - 11/04/07 01:06 AM
Time and again, envelopes have proven their worth in providing every business with great packaging for their marketing materials. Used for carrying letter proposals, brochure printing pieces, postcard printing items, and even flyer printing stuff, your envelope printing piece have become a significant part of your promotional arsenal, even in varying … (0 comments)
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communications: Web Advertising - 11/04/07 12:59 AM
A well known advertising technique is to use the free advertising sites and classified ads sites. These websites are where webmasters can post ads and links to their sites. Online classified ads work just like the newspaper classified ads. People who are specifically looking for something, especially in terms of products or … (1 comments)
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communications: Brochures - 11/04/07 12:58 AM
Your brochure printing project is often the most misunderstood marketing tool ever. Business owners forget the power that a brochure printing project has in terms of getting your business recognized, closing a deal with prospective clients, as well as its capacity to build ties with your prospective clients that encourage repeat … (0 comments)
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communications: Loopnet & Xceligent agree to work together - 11/04/07 12:40 AM
“LoopNet, Inc. , which operates the largest commercial real estate marketplace online, announced today that the company has entered into a strategic alliance with Xceligent, Inc., a leading provider of commercial real estate information services”
Read the whole article here.
Xceligent is the service provider for Atlanta Commercial Data Exchange, which was once … (1 comments)
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communications: Postcard Design - 11/04/07 12:34 AM
Remember that prospective clients are always looking at your marketing materials, be it postcards, brochures, flyers, and even your business cards, at a small window of opportunity. That small window of opportunity can be 5 seconds at most, as studies have shown. It only takes 5 seconds for your target readers … (1 comments)
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communications: Winners Minute - Communication - 10/25/07 11:35 AM
Your ability to communicate effectively has a big impact on every aspect of your life, but especially your effectiveness as a leader. J. Paul Getty once wrote, "There may be no single thing more important in our efforts to achieve meaningful work and fulfilling relationships than to learn to practice the … (3 comments)
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communications: If you are not full time, QUIT! - 08/30/07 09:49 AM
Dear NAR,
Please require that "REALTORS(R)" can walk and chew gum at the same time. If not that, at least be able to spell their own name...
Time and time again I have had clients tell me that they thought REALTORS(r) were all irresponsible unresponsve idiots. So, if you are not full time, committed … (21 comments)
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communications: How the Masters Seduce Their Customers with Word Power to Make Millions! - 07/27/07 02:50 PM
Author: Don L. Price
It's amazing just how powerful words are and how little we recognize their enormous power to influence us. Scientific research, over and over again, validates the power of words to seduce our every action.
In the minds of children words can surface in later years, bringing with … (5 comments)
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communications: TREB Communications Survey - 07/23/07 03:21 PM
Members are invited to submit their opinions online, in the interests of improving communications (website and publications) to all members. I also noted questions relating to TREB's recent marketing campaign (against the proposed municipal land transfer tax), and questions that could be used to enhance TorontoMLS and prioritize TREB spending areas … (1 comments)
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communications: LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE presents: Your Video Screen on Steroids - 07/20/07 05:00 AM
With the advent of high definition and t.v. displays, techies will tell you that the video screen has no more room for improvement. They are so wrong !! This video will change the way you think about computers. After years of research, Jeff Han has created a simple, multi-touch, multi-user screen interface … (2 comments)
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communications: Prudential Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations - Prudential Commercial Real Estate - 06/28/07 01:21 AM
Prudential Marketing, Communications, and Public RelationsThrough national print and television advertising and media exposure, we maximize the power of the "Rock®". From advertising on major television networks and cable channels, to our comprehensive advertising in the global editions of The Wall Street Journal, to our very own specialty magazine, Fine Homes® … (0 comments)
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communications: How NOT to Sell Real Estate: My Rant of the Day - 03/14/07 09:40 PM
Brace yourself. I'm on a rant...
I'm currently spending a bit of time at the beach in Ft. Pierce, Florida. It's lovely. I'm here with my mother, my grandmother and two of her sisters.
This is what I went out to see this morning before beginning my work for the day:
(I love … (39 comments)
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communications: Is there anything to Mercury going retrograde? - 03/05/07 05:25 AM
A friend of mine told me that Mercury was going retrograde on Feb. 14. She said it would create communications snafus...well, I went about my business. This retrograde issue is supposed to run from Feb. 14 to March 28. Well, I really didn't have any use for problems, so I let … (1 comments)
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communications: What is the Best Tech Tool that You Use in Real Estate? - 02/07/07 11:19 PM
I guess in many ways we live in such a high tech world that we take it for granted that the conveinece of technology was always here and it wasn't. I remember the first MLS machines were like a fax with thermal paper that was a pain to work with. We … (9 comments)
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communications: Attending a Net Neutrality Pow-Wow in Memphis - 01/13/07 07:02 PM
I've been here for a few days now, and I must say that the National Conference for Media Reform (NCMR2007) this year is excellent. I've been blogging the details on my "other blog," (I'm actually an 'official blogger' for the event) but wanted to be sure that I shared some of … (1 comments)
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communications: Mobile Communications: How Hard Do I Have to Work to Call You? - 11/10/06 04:20 PM
I want to take a moment to talk about the customer service aspects of making it easy to call you.
As a real estate agent... your objective is to get people to pick up the phone and dial your number. You don't want ANYTHING to dissuade them. Do you?
Then you may … (6 comments)
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communications: Real Estate comes down to Communication - 09/05/06 01:28 PM
I have been doing this business a long time. I think it can easly be summed up in one word "COMMUNICATION". This business is all about communication. First we need to listen, and communicate with our buyers. Than we need to communicate the offer. Than we need to communicate with the … (1 comments)
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