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The Dorky Active Rain Profile (DARP)

A while back, I wrote a blog about The Dorky Announcement Letter (the DAL). In that blog I tried to explain why the typical rookie announcement of his or her venture into real estate is pretty much a wasted effort because the DAL's are SO boring and SO impersonal and... well... SO dorky!

Most DAL's read something like this:

Dear Mary,

I am pleased to announce that I have recently fulfilled a lifelong dream and have become a licensed real estate professional! Blah blah blah

I decided to join ABC Company due to their excellent reputation and training program. Blah blah blah

I would like to be your real estate consultant for life. Please think of me if you or anyone you know could use the services of a real estate professional.

Love,

Joan

BORING. Does anything in this letter motivate you to pick up the phone or bang out an email?

Okay, so this morning, I'm reading through Active Rain profiles. Why? Because I try to send everyone who joins one of my groups (Selling Soulfully and Introverts are (Sales)People, too a little welcome note. After all, I'm really honored when someone wants to hang out with me and I do take it personally (in a good way)!

But I hate the idea of just sending out a canned copy & pasted note to everyone, so I review each profile to try to get to know this person a little better.

I tell ya... it's tough to do. I read the profile and there's rarely a real person there, not that I can find anyway.

Where are YOU?????

It's okay to show some personality in your online persona. Give people a reason to like you, other than the fact that you're a great real estate agent, home stager, or mortgage broker. We KNOW you want our business, give us a reason to form an opinion about you as a real person.

The vast majority of Active Rain profiles are boring. Sorry, they just are. Now, I KNOW you guys have personality - I see it in your blogs every day. Some of you are hilarious! So, why, oh why do you hide all that charm when telling the world about YOU?

To give you an idea of some profiles WITH personality (IMHO), check out the links below:

http://activerain.com/sgabriel - Sue Gabriel

http://activerain.com/susanmovesyou - Susan Haughton

http://activerain.com/sellwithsoul (Yeah, that's me - gotta practice what I preach)

http://activerain.com/sundusk - TLW

http://activerain.com/jeffo - Jeff Olsen (Someone please talk this guy into blogging - he has some incredible insights

http://activerain.com/respres - Jeff Turner

Can you think of other profiles that make you want to know more? Please share (yes, even if it's YOURS. It's okay to be proud of yourself.)

sws www.sellwithsoul.com

Jennifer Allan, GRI

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Posted by Jennifer Allan, Author of Sell with Soul on 09/30/2007 07:35 AM

Comments (30)

dorky, all blogs

Originally posted at: Selling Soulfully with Jennifer Allan: The Dorky Active Rain Profile (DARP)

30 Comments on The Dorky Active Rain Profile (DARP)

SEP

2007

Boy, I sure have seen some pretty bad profiles. You won't even believe some of the awesome prank profiles out there. Maybe Carnac will post some this month.

When I started my career I bucked the advice and did not send out "introduction" letters as I thought they were dorky myself. As for the profiles, your are so on the mark! I know I've personally gone over my profile trying to find the balance of "me" and "what I do". I don't have the creativity that others do (the people you mention are awesome and gifted!) but I do try to find some balance that shows "me".

I profess to having a profile that has not been updated since I joined over a year ago. The thought of updating it does not excite me.

Hi Jennifer...

I agree with you 100% and then some.

The Consumer wants to work with "real people" not the personas that are put forth in some of the profiles.

I love reading profiles...However most of the time I find myself bored to tears :)

P.S. Let me know if you would ever like me to deal with a 'counter offer'. My services are FREE :)

TLW...ROAR!

I found this interesting......I came here just to see what group Ricardo was putting his meme in, and your title interested me :) I just went back to my profile......checked it, and have no idea if it personal or not ? If you want to check and leave feedback, I am open.....:) :) I too hate canned remarks, but sometimes don't know what else to put......

J-Dawg - I would do a better job with the profile if I knew all those neat little tricks about picture inserting and changing fonts and all that jazz. I read the ones you mentioned. Yes....I am boring. That being said, I will support your right to call me boring till the death.

And if anyone knows how to do all that fancy stuff, they can just step over the line and stand with Travis and Colonel Bowie and me. As for the rest of you know that portion of it alls, you can leave via the front gate.

"Remember the Profile"

Hi Jennifer! Oh....I need to do some profile updating. Thanks for the reminder. :)

Jennifer~ Thanks a bunch! One more thing to add to my mile long laundry list. Of course, you are so right, so on to adding some personality!!

Jennifer~ I forgort to add my other thought. When profiles are written I think it's important to write in the first person, not in the third. Why are so many profiles and websites written in the third person? I just don't get it.

Great post and a great reminder of how important it is to make sure that we look through the filter that whatever we do, it is a reflection of our competence and character.

I'm feeling kinda bad that I called this blog the DORKY Active Rain Profile. I don't think anyone's profile is dorky, just a little dull. So hopefully no one took offense. I was just trying to build off of my earlier blog - y'know trying to BRAND myself as the one who calls people DORKY!

Hmmmm, might not be so good for business.

Anyway, every single one of you who is reading this has written an interesting blog or two or hundred. Get into that mode when writing your profile.

Does it really matter what your AR profile says? Maybe, maybe not. But if you can write up a great little ditty about who you are, imagine all the other places you can use it!

Kathy - I like your profile. I bet it serves you well!

Thanks Jennifer!!!

I did the sphere mailing...and got zip zilch nada. They weren't all waiting for me to get my license!!!!I hope that my profile isn't dorky. I am going to go through and read it again. I think mine is very personal and the truth.

Jennifer another thought provoking post! I am going to have to look at my profile (been a while) and see if it does show any of my personality and if not I will work on that one!

Jennifer, thanks......

You're right -- pizaazzzzzzz is needed. I need some work on my profile

It is OK to show off your talents and personality ... as the old saying goes, "If I don't do it, whowill?"

If you cannot read your profile out loud and smile or laugh ... it probably needs some work (mine included)

Jennifer, I did not send any boring letters or emails. I know that any customer service business has to be personal and that is what I am trying to do. As far as my profile, it took me awhile to even write it. I welcome your opinion.

OCT

2007

Not sure if this is relevant: What I noticed that there are 2 very distinctive profiles that join AR. There are some who solely use this as a business generation tool. Hence, their writings almost never interest most members. Nothing wrong, just pure blah......

Then, there are some who shows their personality very well.

John Occhi's profile page is kinda cool.

Oh Jennifer, thank you so much for the enlightening post. I am so glad that I did not send out a DAL, whew!. However after looking at the examples of those that have some personality in there profiles. Mine really sucks. If you have a moment take a look for yourself.

OCT

2007

I admit I had one of those dorky profiles and knew it. The thought of starting over was not appealing but your post spurred to go delete everything and start over. Maybe my new one is not perfect, but its much better than what I had and a little more persona. I'm thinking of getting rid of that suit and tie photo for something a little more relaxed now. Thanks for the motivation.

OCT

2007

Jason - I love the new profile! I do prefer a less formal look, but everyone has different preferences. Great job!

Rob, Rob, Rob... you're way too nice of a guy to be dorky! Your profile doesn't suck at all, but yeah, it wouldn't hurt to spice it up a bit. Just put some more YOU in it... and keep me updated.

OCT

2007

Jennifer,

Thanks for the post. I hope I'm not dorky. Maybe if I continue to smile that would make up for it. :)

Dave

OCT

2007

I am not thrilled with my profile one bit. I just don't know where to start. As far as Jeff O goes I have emailed and badgered him and can't get him to blog.

OCT

2007

Hi Jennifer,

I probably have a dorky profile, but am try to let my personality show through. Just am fairly new to blogging and active rain.

DEC

2007

Jennifer, your post on Agents Online and this blog inspired me. Could you take a look at my profile and let me know if it's good or dorky? LOL

Karen, karen, karen... your profile is so non-dorky, I don't know what to say. I wish I'd included it in the original blog! Seriously it's dead-on PERFECT!!!!!!!!! Can I post it on AOL as an example of a great one?

Jennifer, don't feel bad!!! I JUST CHANGED IT TODAY!!! LOL!!! You didn't include it before because it WAS dorky then!! hee hee! And you have my grateful permission to use it any way you see fit!

SEP

2008

HI JENNIFER!

I read this post because I was refered by Karen Rice. I love the yawning pic! Got me wondering about my own profile. I'm going to reevaluate it. I definitely don't want to bore anyone!

All the best,

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