Q&A: Which Deals Are Worth My Time?
Use data to drive decisions

Q: How do I know which sorts of deals are worth my time?

A: In order to make informed decisions, you have to start tracking information.

If you’ve been “going by your gut” on which transactions have been the “best” for you, you’re probably working too hard for too little money. (What is “best”, anyway?) The only way you can objectively begin determining which deals have been your most profitable is to begin tracking data about your transactions in a central location, (such as Excel spreadsheet) where you can evaluate the pros and cons of particular segments.

Many agents have found out that in their market, certain types of buyers or price points have seemed lucrative, but over time have not been worth the effort. By tracking the type and number of deals which have gone through versus ones which have fallen apart, you may begin to notice trends that help you understand which deals are better for your business.

Data you may consider include:

• Days to close
• Marketing expenses
• Cash buyers vs. non-cash
• Buyer budgets (if you’re working the buyer side)
• First time vs. repeat buyer
• Net income on the deal
• Neighborhoods / zip codes
• “Perceived difficulty” working the deal

Set up a column for each criteria in an Excel spreadsheet and begin keeping track of what’s going on in your business. If you can, go back and see if you can gather data for past deals you’ve worked. You don’t have to be an MIT statistician to start spotting trends and testing your “gut feeling” against hard numbers.

Most people don’t like selling. I used to be one of them. However, as entrepreneurs, we need to sell stuff all the time. We just don’t have a choice. So the question is how can we overcome the fear of selling?

Sell a Great Product
This might sound like an obvious answer, but it’s not. Unless you have an amazing product that you really believe in, calling someone to sell it to will always be hard.

Understand What Rejection Really Is
Have you ever walked into a store, a salesperson asked you if they could help in any way and you said, “no, thank you. I’m just looking.”?  This happens all the time. It doesn’t mean you don’t like the salesperson; it just means that at that given time you didn’t need or want that given product. That’s what rejection is. It’s not personal. Some people want your stuff and others don’t. You don’t buy everything that is offered to you, so don’t expect your prospect to do it.

Be an Adviser, not a Seller
A seller would try to sell you something whether or not your need it. An adviser, on the other hand, will answer your questions and make a recommendation based on what he thinks you need. If you think as a seller, you’ll be thinking about the outcome (the sale) and you’ll forget about your customer needs. If you think as an adviser, you’ll realize that your customers have questions and you’re there to help them. This takes a lot of pressure of the buyer’s shoulders because he doesn’t feel you’re trying to sell him anything (believe me, people can smell a seller a mile away).

The funny part is that the harder you try to sell, the fewer sales you’ll make. I know this because I’ve experienced it myself several times. When I started to think of myself as a helper instead of as a seller, my sales increased immediately.

Liberate Yourself from the Outcome
The wrong way to think about sales is this: “If I closed the deal, it was a great call. If I didn’t close it, it was a bad call.” This is not true. Sometimes very motivated buyers will buy from you even when you do a terrible job. Sometimes a client really wants your product but he needs his partner’s approval and that’s why you didn’t close today. Focus on delivering value and helping your clients; sales will follow.

Get Rid of Excuses
We all have the perfect excuses not to call people: “my phone’s reception isn’t good here”, “he’s probably at lunch now”, “it’s the end of the month so I’m sure she’s really busy today”, “I don’t know where I put her phone number”, etc.

What you need to do is identify the excuses you give yourself and do something to eliminate them. For example, if your phone’s reception is not good where you are, you know that you need to be somewhere else (a quiet place with good reception) to call people. You should go there after lunch so lunch excuses can’t stop you. You should get a good phone with unlimited minutes and store all your contacts there.

There you go. Now you have run out of valid excuses. So, start calling your prospects and remember that your mission is to help them. If they need your product, they’ll buy it. Otherwise, they won’t. Either way, calling people is what you think it is. If you think it’s the world’s most awful nightmare, then that’s what’s going to be. If you think talking to others is fun, that’s exactly how you’re going to feel. Now pick up the phone, help some people and have some fun.

]]> http://trelg.com/blog/how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-selling/feed/ http://trelg.com/blog/how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-selling/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TRELG/~3/qLgmitkGWiU/ http://trelg.com/blog/mold-in-the-home/#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:15:05 +0000 steve http://trelg.com/blog/?p=1142

Is mold hiding in the home you’re selling? As a real estate agent, toxic mold is something you should take the time to learn about. Even if you’re not a real estate agent, knowing the warning signs and risk factors of mold in the home could be beneficial, even potentially save the health of you and your family members.

Mold is everywhere! However, there are a few types of mold that can cause serious health problems and even structural damage to a home. Mold can grow between walls, in ceilings, under floors, attics, basements, or any other dark damp area. Mold can produce allergic reactions or even asthma attacks in people allergic to mold. People could also suffer from many other serious symptoms and illnesses such as chronic bronchitis, learning disabilities, mental deficiencies, heart problems, cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple chemical sensitivity, bleeding lungs and more.

The best way to detect mold is to simply see it and smell it. However, as previously stated mold can grow in areas that aren’t visible. There are many, do it yourself home mold test kit’s on the market that can be purchased on-line, at your local hardware or home improvement store. There are also professionals that you can hire to come to the home to perform a mold inspection.

As a buyers agent or a homebuyer you may want to discuss having the seller disclose mold issues, and negotiate around any mold problems that come to light in the course of the sale.

Below is a link to frequently asked questions about mold.

http://www.realtor.org/realtororg.nsf/pages/moldfaq

]]> http://trelg.com/blog/mold-in-the-home/feed/ http://trelg.com/blog/mold-in-the-home/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TRELG/~3/hREhrvIU6Fc/ http://trelg.com/blog/basic-social-media-terms-you-should-know/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:19:02 +0000 steve http://trelg.com/blog/?p=1140  

For those of you who do not regularly engage in social media, the terminology can be overwhelming. Here are a few definitions of basic social media terms that you may read or hear about on a daily basis.

(some definitions provided by Wikipedia)

Widgets: In computing a web widget is a portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation. They are derived from the idea of code reuse. For example, take a look at the Recent Visitors widget on the left hand side of the TRELG Blog.

RSS Feed: RSS is short for Really Simple Syndication. This allows you to subscribe to content on blogs and other social media and have it delivered to you through a feed. This is a great way to read all of your favorite news websites and blogs through one website. For an example of an RSS Feed, take a look at Google RSS feeder.

http://www.google.com/reader/view/

Twitter: is a social networking and microblogging service, owned and operated by Twitter Inc. that enables its users to send and read other user messages called tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page. Twitter is a great way to reach out to your current clients while increasing your exposure over the internet.

Social Networking: The interaction between a group of people who share a common interest; Using social contacts to network; Using internet’s network groups (such as Facebook and Twitter) to network and communicate between consumers and businesses.

Threads: Threads are strands of conversation. On an email list or web forum they will be defined by messages that use the use the same subject. On blogs they are less clearly defined, but emerge through comments.

Tags: Tags are keywords attached to a blog post, bookmark, photo or other item of content so you and others can find them easily through searches. Tags are generally chosen informally and personally by the item’s creator or by its viewer, depending on the system.

Digg - Digg is a social news website that allows members to submit and vote for articles. Articles with the most votes appear on the homepage of the site and subsequently are seen by the largest portion of the site’s membership as well as other visitors.

Foursquare - Foursquare is a social network in which friends share their locations and connect with others in close psychical proximity to each other. The service uses a system of digital badges to reward players who “checkin” to different types of locations. 

Hashtag - A hashtag is a tag used on the social network Twitter as a way to annotate a message. A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a “#”. Example: #RealEstateinMaine. Hashtags are commonly used to show that a tweet is related to a specific topic.  

Email signatures are so easy to do well, that it’s really a shame how often they’re done poorly. Many people want their signature to reflect their personality, provide pertinent information and more, but they can easily go overboard. Why are email signatures important? They may be boring and the last item on your list of things to get right, but they affect the tone of every email you write.

Email signatures contain alternative contact details, pertinent job titles and company names, which help the recipient get in touch when emails are not responded to. Sometimes, they give the recipient an idea of who wrote the email in case it has been a while since they have been in touch. They are also professional: like a letterhead, they show that you run a business (in some countries, you’re required to do so). Here are some tips on how to create a tasteful signature that works.

[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing eBook Series? Book #1 is Professional Web Design, 242 pages for just $9,90.]

Be Concise

First and foremost, the sender’s header (the “From” field) should have a name, and you should use a company email address if you can. If someone sees stevies747@hotmail.com, they’ll suspect it’s spam. If the sender’s header reads, “Steve Stevenson – Mister Stevenson Design Company” <steve@misterstevenson.com>, they’ll know it’s a professional email from Steve, their trusted designer.

Start by making your website a link. Many email clients convert email addresses and websites into links automatically, but not always. When you’re creating the HTML for an email, make sure the link will appear by adding writing it in HTML. And instead of linking text like “My website,” type out the URL, which will be useful for those who want to copy and paste the address.

An email signature shouldn’t double the email’s length, so make it as short as possible (three lines is usually enough). Don’t get into your life story here. The purpose of a signature is to let them see who you are and how to get in touch with you.

Make Sure to Include…

• Your name,
• Your company and position,
• How to get in touch with you.

No need to include 10 different ways to get in touch with you. As in website design, less is more; and then they’ll know which way you prefer to be contacted. Go to two or three lines, with a maximum of 72 character per line (many email applications have a maximum width of 80 characters, so limit the length to avoid unsightly wrapping). An optional fourth line could be your company address, but use caution if you work from home.

--
Steve Stevenson, Web Designer
www.misterstevenson.com | steve@misterstevenson.com

Short and Concise, but Check the Rules

In some European countries, laws dictate what items you must put in your email signature if you are a registered company. For example, UK law requires private and public limited companies to include the following:

• Company number,
• Address of registration,
• VAT number, if there is one.

You can be fined for not including this information on all electronic correspondence and on your website and stationary. Many freelancers and small businesses have ignored these rules since their inception, risking a fine. For more information on UK rules, go here. Do some research to find out what rules apply in your country.

--
Steve Stevenson, Web Designer
www.misterstevenson.com | steve@misterstevenson.com
55 Main Street, London, UK, EC2A 1RE
Company number: 12345678

Don’t Include…

• Personal Twitter, IM or Skype details;
• Your home phone number or address (unless you want to be called by international clients early in the morning);
• The URL of your personal website;
• Random quotes at the bottom;
• Your entire skill set, CV and lifetime achievements in point form.

Random quotes are fun for friends, but you risk offending business associates with whom you don’t have a personal relationship. Unless you want clients contacting you while you’re watching Lost, don’t share your home details far and wide. Also, don’t share your personal contact information with your corporate partners. They certainly won’t be interested in it, and you may not want them to know certain details about you. However, mentioning your corporate Twitter account or alternative means of contact in your signature might be useful, in case your correspondent is not able to get in touch with you by regular email.

	Steve Stevenson, Web Designer web: www.misterstevenson.com blog: blogspot.celebritiesneedhelp.com email: steve@misterstevenson.com
	home: 613.555.2654 home (wife): 613.555.3369 work: 613.555.9876 cell: 613.555.123455 Drury Lane Apartment 22 Ottawa, Ontario Canada twitter: @stevie_liverpool_fan skype: stevie_the_man messenger: stevie_mrstevenson I specialize in: Web design Graphic design Logo design Front-end development UI design “Flying may not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price.” -Amelia Aerheart

Don’t do this.

Images And Logos

Let’s get this out of the way now: your entire signature shouldn’t be an image. Sure, it will look exactly how you want, but it is completely impractical. Not only does an image increase the email’s file size, but it will likely be blocked before being opened. And how does someone copy information from an image?

Any images should be used with care and attention. If you do use one, make it small in both dimensions and size, and make it fit in aesthetically with the rest of the signature. 50 x 50 pixels should be plenty big for any logo. If you want to be taken seriously as a business person, do not make it an animated picture, dancing dog or shooting rainbow!

Most email clients store images as attachments or block them by default. So, if you present your signature as an image, your correspondents will have a hard time guessing when you’ve sent a genuine attachment.

The best way to include an image is to host it on a server somewhere and then use the absolute URL to insert the logo. For example, upload the logo to http://www.example.com/uploads/logo.gif. And then, in your email signature’s HTML, insert the image like so:

Don’t Be A Fancy Pants

Use vCards With Caution

While vCards are a great, convenient way to share contact information, in emails they add bytes and appear as attachments. It is often said that you shouldn’t use a vCard for your email signature, because as helpful as it might be the first time you correspond with someone, receiving it every time after that gets annoying. Besides, the average email user won’t know what it is. Look at the example below. Would an average user know what that is?

---
Steve Stevenson, Web Designer
www.misterstevenson.com | steve@misterstevenson.com

If you do want to provide a vCard, just include a link to a remote copy.

What About Confidentiality Clauses?

If your emails include confidential information, you may need to include a non-disclosure agreement to prevent information leaks. However, good practice is never to send sensitive information as plain text in emails because the information could be extracted by third parties or forwarded by recipients to other people. Thus, including a non-disclosure agreement doesn’t make much sense if you do not send sensitive information anyway.

Keep in mind, too, that the longer a confidentiality clause is, the more unlikely someone will actually read it. Again, check your country’s privacy laws. Some big companies require a disclosure with every email, but if you’re at a small company or are a freelancer and don’t really require it, then don’t put it in. The length of such clauses can be annoying, especially in short emails.

---
Warm Regards & Stay Creative!
Aidan Huang (Editor)
-------------------------------------------
Onextrapixel
Showcasing Web Treats Without Hitch
web . http://www.onextrapixel.com
twi . http://twitter.com/onextrapixel
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely
for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have
received this email in error please notify the sender. This message contains
confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you
are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this
email. Please notify the sender immediately by email if you have received this
email by mistake and delete this email from your system. If you are not the
intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or
taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly
prohibited.

--
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential. If you have received
this email in error please notify the sender and then delete it immediately.
Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those
of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Company.

The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence
of viruses. Company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus
transmitted by this email.

Company may regularly and randomly monitor outgoing and incoming emails
(including the content of them) and other telecommunications on its email
and telecommunications systems. By replying to this email you give your
consent to such monitoring.

*****

Save resources: think before you print.

Don’t Be Afraid to Show Some Personality

Although your email signature should be concise and memorable, it doesn’t have to be boring. Feel free to make your email signature stand out by polishing it with your creative design ideas or your personal touch. Using a warm greeting, adding a cheeky key as Dan Rubin does or encouraging people to “stalk” you as Paddy Donnelly does, all show personality behind simple text.

The key to a simple, memorable and beautiful email signature lies in balancing personal data and your contact details. In fact, some designers have quite original email signatures; most of the time, simple ASCII is enough.

--
h: http://danielrubin.org
w: http://sidebarcreative.com
b: http://superfluousbanter.org

m: +1 234 567 8901
i: superfluouschat

k: h = home, w = work, b = blog, m = mobile, i = aim, k = key

Paddy

--

The Site: http://iampaddy.com
Stalk Me: http://twitter.com/paddydonnelly

--

With optimism,
Dmitry Belitsky
http://belitsky.info

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/// Matthias Kretschmann     ///   krema@xxxxxxxx.xx            ///
/// freelance designer &     ///   www.kremalicious.com         ///
/// photographer             ///   www.matthiaskretschmann.com  ///
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/// media studies / communication science & art history         ///
/// MLU Halle-Wittenberg                                        ///
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

--
With greetings from Freiburg, Germany,
Vitaly Friedman (editor-in-chief)
-------------------------------------------------
Smashing Magazine
http://www.smashingmagazine.com - http://www.twitter.com/smashingmag
online magazine for designers and developers

HTML?

If you can, stay away from HTML formatting. Every Web designer knows the pain of HTML newsletters, and while HTML is supported for email signatures, you’ll likely have problems with images and divider lines in different email clients. Some nice ASCII formatting may work in some cases.

--
carole guevin . editor
//// design + digital culture magazine
//// http://netdiver.net

--
Min, Tran Dinh
Chief Creative Designer - Frexy Studio

Website: http://frexy.com | Blog: http://min.frexy.com | Email: info@frexy.com
Cellphone: (84) 012 345 678

- --
Rene Schmidt -- Berater für Web-Entwicklung & eCommerce,
Linux-Webserver-Systemadministration & Web-Programmierung
Vordamm 46, 21640 Horneburg; http://www.reneschmidt.de/
Tel: 0123.456.7.890; Skype: reneATreneschmidt.de
Steuernummer 43/141/09180; USt-IdNr 219014862
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (MingW32)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/

iEYEARECAAYFAktit8sACgkQucSanG9drm2ZYACggIeQST/C226LIsd/czEmrnrR
TjUAniVPXI2lkA68fy3n+nUawdAE1nJ/
=+vZR
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

---
Geoff Teehan
Teehan+Lax
Web Platforms  |  Digital Campaigns  |  Mobile Applications  |  Strategic Consulting

T: 416 123 4567 x 890  |  teehanlax.com  |  twitter.com/@teehanlax

----------------------------------------
Dmitry Dragilev

ZURB | Marketing Lead
getstarted@zurb.com
http://www.zurb.com
------------------------------------------

Follow our blog at:
http://www.zurb.com/blog

Follow us on Twitter: @zurb
http://twitter.com/zurb

Check out Notable - Easiest way for teams to
provide feedback on websites.
http://www.notableapp.com
------------------------------------------

______________________________________________

Website: www.webdesignerdepot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DesignerDepot

Regards,

Matt Ward
Echo Enduring Media

Web - http://www.echoenduring.com
Blog - http://blog.echoenduring.com
Twitter - @echoenduring - Follow me!

--
Dan Rubin
Sidebar Creative { Director of Training & User Experience }

mobile: +1 234 567 8901
http://sidebarcreative.com

--
David Leggett
Tutorial9 Founder
555.012.34567
@theleggett
Tutorial9.net

Gareth Hardy
Graphic Designer | Down With Design

www.downwithdesign.com
gareth@downwithdesign.com
+44 (0) 0123 456 789

Grant Friedman
www.colorburned.com

Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/colorburned
----------------------------------------

Many thanks,
Yaili.

yaili.com | webdesignernotebook.com | londonchronicles.com
+44 (0) 1234 567890
skype: inayaili

Thanks!
Jonathan Cutrell, Editor
FuelYourInterface.com | @FuelInterface | @jCutrell

--
All the best,

Rob Bowen
Copywriter | Designer | Creative Consultant

Co-Founder/Editor @ Arbenting
& Dead Wings Designs

http://arbent.net/blog

http://deadwingsdesigns.com

Arseny

--
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
---
Arseny Vesnin
http://designcollector.net
Calendar: http://2010.designcollector.net
Profile: http://designhub.ru
Twitter: http://twitter.com/designcollector
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/designcollector-6
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/channels/designcollector
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/designcollector

Warm regards,

Dipti Kankaliya
{ dipti.kankaliya@studiomarch.com }

Studio March Private Limited
12 Moledina Road Camp Pune 1 India
Phone: +91-20-26334002
{ http://www.studiomarch.com }

MarchCast – The Studio March blog
{ http://www.studiomarch.com/mc }
--
This is an official email from Studio March Private Limited and is protected
by a disclaimer. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, please
visit: http://www.studiomarch.com/legal/email.

Of course, if you’re really keen to use HTML, keep it simple:

• Make sure it still looks good in plain text.
• Use black and standard-sized fonts, and stay away from big, tiny and rainbow-colored fonts.
• Don’t use CSS. Inline HTML formatting is universally accepted.
• Use common Web fonts.
• Including a logo? Make sure the signature looks nice even when the logo doesn’t load or is blocked.
• Check how it looks when forwarded. Do all the lines wrap correctly?
• You may want to load your company image as your gravatar from Gravatar.com as Joost de Valk does.
• Feel free to experiemnt with your e-mail signature: Jan Diblík uses a signature with dynamicaly changed promo image.

–

Steve Stevenson, Web Designer www.misterstevenson.com | steve@misterstevenson.com

Separate Signature From Content

Your signature should clearly be a separate entity. Wikipedia explains the correct way to separate the signature:

“The formatting of the sig block is prescribed somewhat more firmly: it should be displayed as plain text in a fixed-width font (no HTML, images, or other rich text), and must be delimited from the body of the message by a single line consisting of exactly two hyphens, followed by a space, followed by the end of line (i.e., “– \n”). This … allows software to automatically mark or remove the sig block as the receiver desires.”

There are other less standard ways to separate your signature. While not automatic formatting, a line of —–, ======, or _______ or even just a few spaces will visually separate your signature from your email.

--
----------------------------------
Dan Oliver (editor)
.net magazine (www.netmag.co.uk)
----------------------------------
Twitter: danoliver
Email: dan.oliver@futurenet.com
Phone: 01234 56789
----------------------------------
Address for deliveries:
.net, Units 1 & 2 Cottrell Court,
Monmouth Place, Bath, BA1 2NP
----------------------------------

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Elliot Jay Stocks
Elliot Jay Stocks Design Ltd.
Registered in England & Wales #1234567

http://elliotjaystocks.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

###

Cheers,
-Dan

Vennlig hilsen
Lars Bæk
Byråleder & Tekstforfatter
...................................................
JØSS!
Storgata 15, 2408 Elverum
Mob (+47) 01 23 45 67
xxxx@joss.as | www.joss.as

----------------------------------------------
Information Architects Inc.
Tokyo Zurich

Oliver Reichenstein, Founder

http://informationarchitects.jp
http://webtrendmap.com
http://twitter.com/iA
----------------------------------------------

Wrestling With Your Email Client

Offering general advice on signatures is easy, sure. But anyone who has tried to implement automatic signatures in Outlook, Gmail or Yahoo knows it’s not always that simple. Here are some resources to help you get yours right every time.

Outlook
Changing Outlook’s signature is a real pain, but here’s a guide that teaches you a few things. If you use Outlook 2003, here’s another tutorial on custom signatures.

Entourage
Microsoft’s mail for mac works differently. Here’s a tutorial on how to set it up.

Gmail
Want just one basic signature? Here’s how to change the text. You’d think Google would allow you multiple signatures, links and a bit of formatting. If you’re looking for something a little more designed or wish to choose between multiple signatures, here are five ways to do it in Firefox.

Hotmail
Tips on custom images and more for Hotmail (Oh my!) can be found here. If you use Windows Live, here is a tutorial on adding images and HTML. The detail is helpful, even if the images are awful.

Yahoo
After a bit of research, I found that Yahoo used to support HTML signatures, but no longer. Here’s how to change your signature using rich text.

Apple Mail
Here is a pretty decent tutorial, with some inline HTML for formatting. It then explains how to implement it in the application. You even get some hints on how it will look on the iPhone.

Palm Pre
Learn how to customize your message on your Palm Pre here.

iPhone
Customize your “Sent from my iPhone” message here.

BlackBerry
Some information on how to change your message on BlackBerry smartphones here.

Resources

• The 4 Personalities of Poor Email Signatures
• 20 Tips for Creating an Effective Email Signature
• About the Signature Block on Wikipedia
• Email Signature Etiquette

If you’re utilizing social media websites to promote your business you will want to create a Facebook Fan Page or Group. Facebook gives you the option to create either a fan page or a group. Fan pages and groups have several similarities and differences that you may want to know about before you choose one over the other. So, how do you know which one to choose? Below is a list of the pros and cons of each option, so you can make an educated decision.

Fan Page vs. Group Page

Fan Page

·         Discussion Hosting – Host discussions via status updates.

·         Indexed by Google – Search Engine Optimization

·         Targeted Stream Posts – Select which members can view your posts and status updates based on location.

·         Messaging to All Members – Send messages to your members and/or fans about upcoming events or news. (via Updates)

·         Support For Applications – Fan Page tab customization. For example, you could create a custom “View my Listings” tab.

·         Promotion With Social Ads – Ad creation promoting your page or upcoming events.

·         Vanity URL – Create a custom URL to promote your page. For example: http://www.facebook.com/TRELG

Group

·         Discussion Hosting – Host discussions via status updates.

·         Indexed by Google – Search Engine Optimization

·         Messaging to All Members – Send messages to your members and/or fans about upcoming events or news. (via Private Updates)

·         Membership Restrictions – There are three options. Open groups are visible to the public. Closed groups are private and only visible to members. Invisible groups are only visible to those that have been invited to join the group by the group administrator.

·         Event In-Box Messaging - Group administrators are able to send private in–box emails to all members.

Facebook Groups offer more privacy while restricting the amount of available customization. A group might be the right choice for you if you would like to interact with your members on a more personal level. Groups are best for communities, local causes, local groups and clubs.

Fan Pages offer more options, but limited privacy. Pages are best for businesses that want to interact with their fans and customers while having more flexibility when it comes to page customization.

Sometimes we get so carried away by new tools, trends and advice from business gurus that we forget to do the most basic things. Think about it: When was the last time you called one of your customers and asked him about his experience with your company? When you lose a prospect to your competition, do you call her to find out why she didn’t choose you? In this article I share some of the questions I ask my clients - the clients that leave and the prospects that decide to go with our competition.

What You Should Ask Your Clients
• When you decided to hire us, have you considered other options? If so, why did you choose us?
• How satisfied are you with the way you performed in that area? (If they tell you they chose your company because of its customer service, ask them how they would rate your customer service.)
• If we could do one thing different to increase your satisfaction level, what would this be?
• How likely are you to recommend us to your friends and colleagues?
What You Should Ask Leaving Clients
• Why did you decide to stop working with us?
• What could we have done to prevent this?
What You Should Ask Clients that Seemed Interested But Went with Your Competition
• What did you like about our proposal?
• What didn’t you like about it?
• In what areas was the proposal from Company XYZ better?
• What were the top factors that made you choose Company XYZ over us?

Be Courteous
Remember that these people have better things to do than answer your questions, so ask nicely. Explain that their input will mean a lot to you and if they agree to answer your questions, don’t be pushy and let them know that they don’t have to answer all your questions if they don’t want. If they help you, send them a thank you letter or a small gift.
Why This Is Important
Think about it: how much could you improve your company if you knew EXACTLY WHY YOUR CLIENTS DO BUSINESS WITH YOU AND WHY OTHERS DON’T? You can spend a few years figuring it out by trial-and-error or pick up the phone and just ask the right people.

successful Real Estate career.

CREATE A BRAND FOR YOURSELF -

• Start by finding ways to differentiate yourself from other real estate agents.
• Develop a strong tag-line so when consumers think of real estate they think of you.
• Market yourself to other agents from across the country to send you referrals in your market.
• Network. Social Networking websites are a great way to network with others in your industry. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals!
• Identify your strengths and what strengths are important to potential clients. Once you’ve identified these strengths you can think about ways to successfully market these to the public and utilize them in your branding campaign.
• Make sure you truly represent what your brand identifies you with.

CREATE A BUSINESS PLAN-

• Think about how you will prospect for clients, as well as how you will reach these prospects through your marketing plan.
• Create a financial budget, budgeting is critical. How much of your financial resources will you spend on marketing and professional development?
• Establish your sales goals. Keep in mind that as a new agent it may take up to 6 months before you make your first sale.

FIND A MENTOR –

• Find a mentor in your office that has similar professional habits as you.
• Look for a seasoned real estate professional that knows the ins and outs of the industry.
• The right mentor can help you focus on what’s important to help the commission checks start rolling in.
• A mentor can help you steer through some of the known “peaks and valleys” of the real estate industry.
• A mentor can also help you learn to close a sale and prospect for new clients.

UTILIZE THE INTERNET-

• Developing an online presence is extremely important. Have your own website and create social networking profiles. Make sure that your social networking profiles and website are consistent with the brand you’ve created for yourself.
• Have a website that is user friendly and easy to navigate.
• If you’re looking for help with your online marketing campaign, ask your mentor for advice.
• Always carry a digital camera. A digital camera is a great way to take photos of listings. A digital camera will allow you to easily upload photos of listings to your website and various social networking websites.
• The internet is constantly changing. Keep yourself abreast of the latest internet marketing tools and techniques.

The Matthew Ferrara Learning Network is a subscription-based, online TV broadcast network that delivers comprehensive business and technology training services to real estate professionals and companies.

The learning network is comprised of four online TV channels – Matt [Live!], “TechTV Channel”, “Social Media TV” and the “Matt TV Channel.”  Together, these channels deliver live interactive presentations, weekly TV shows, special news reports and over 150 instructional training videos for social networking, technology, marketing and business management practices.  Individual and company membership subscriptions will be available.

“This is, by far, the largest initiative in the history of our company,” said Matthew Ferrara, CEO and President.

“We have been developing hundreds of videos and preparing for our live TV broadcasts for over a year. We believe that online video training – including live events and on-demand video – is a popular choice among agents and a cost-effective option for companies to provide quality education and training.”

During the week of June 28^th, real estate professionals and organizations can join Matthew Ferrara & Company to celebrate the grand opening and enjoy free WebTV broadcasts from the learning network. The free, live WebTV broadcasts are thirty minutes each and feature:

· Monday June 28, 12:00 pm/EST – “Secrets of social Networking”

· Tuesday, June 29, 11:00am/EST – “Video Marketing Power Tips”

· Wednesday, June 30, 2:00 pm/EST – “Working with Gen X Consumers”

· Thursday, July 1, 12:00 pm/EST – “Recruiting the Next Generation of Agents”

· Friday, July 2, 12:00 pm/EST – Social Networking Tips and Tricks”

To attend a live session, viewers can visit http://www.matthewferrara.com/mfln-trial/ and register to receive access to our broadcast website.  Once registered, users will have access to all the live, WebTV broadcasts during the week of June 28th.   The recorded sessions will be later hosted on the Matthew Ferrara Learning Network for members.

During the grand opening, the Matthew Ferrara Learning Network will also host a special “two-week only” 25% discount. Please visit http://www.matthewferrara.com/mfln-preview/ to learn more about the promotion.

This post has been reprinted with permission of Scott Levitt. Scott Levitt is the President of Oakley Signs & Graphics (http://www.OakleySign.com)

Scott’s Thoughts: Fewer Ideas, More Follow-Through
Good ideas aren’t “great” until you act.

“Life is not long, and too much of it must not pass in idle deliberation how it shall be spent.”
–Samuel Johnson

Way back when I founded my first internet company in 1996, I hired a bright kid right out of college to help build the business. He was creative, eager to learn, and had been working on computers almost his entire life. In the interview, he seemed to have a ton of enthusiasm, and offered many promising ideas.

As he worked with me, I realized he did have a lot of great ideas. Too many, in fact. Too many ideas? Sounds impossible, right? Most employers would kill for bright, forward-thinking people in their organization who had a lot of ideas to offer.

So what was the problem?

The problem was this: He was great at coming up with ideas “on the back of the napkin,” but when it came to making those ideas happen, he lost focus. It wasn’t long until a new, shiny idea came along that took up all of his attention. He was always running on to the next big idea, while the last big idea sat there, barely started.

Ideation, the process of brainstorming and coming up with ideas, can be a lot of fun. The real challenge is following through with the idea, through the muck of implementation, setbacks, changes in direction, and (occasionally) failure.

One idea well done is better than twenty ideas well said.

The next time you see yourself drifting away from any formerly “great” idea, ask yourself if you’re drifting for good reason, or if you’re simply feeling the resistance of trying to take an idea to completion.

Don’t give up! Press forward and carry that idea– whether it’s marketing, self-education, or simply sticking to the nuts and bolts of a client relationship strategy.

]]> http://trelg.com/blog/fewer-ideas-more-follow-through/feed/ http://trelg.com/blog/fewer-ideas-more-follow-through/