Realtors Do You Support Promotions that Create Goodwill for Your Business?

Imagine a real estate business model where the customer names their price. Call it a“Pay-what-you-want-house” and you might have an interesting idea. That is the idea behind the new Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen. Check out this promotion merely to see the cool website.

Why Do People Love Promotions?

1. Added Value: is it such a bad idea to create promotions in a such dreary economic times? Even if you can’t give away the store, isn’t there an item or service you can give away? Now more than ever, bartering one of your services in some fashion would be a welcome relief to some people who need help. People want and need added value in anything they buy, more than ever today, whether it is a service or a product.

2. Consumers Remember: more economic pressure, job loss, and belt tightening is in store for 2009. Now more than ever, if you help someone by providing a promotional “prize” or service that gesture is often remembered and past forward via word of mouth. When people give under the toughest circumstances (economy), that is truly the measure of our willingness to help.

Job Seekers How Do You Organize Your Day?

Foxbusiness.com published this deansguide article 2-03-09

If you are currently a job seeker, how do you organize your day? Do you have a plan? What tasks make up the plan that you execute on a daily basis? Do you have enough to do so that your job of finding a job is a fulltime job?

Is This You and Your Job Search Effort?

1. You are utilizing a resume as your #1 marketing tool

2. You are not utilizing social media

3. You are utilizing social media without an understanding of the strategies

4. You are email spamming your network with requests

5. You only respond to job listings or word of mouth aka “response mode”

6. You attend networking events without doing research to understand the organization, who may attend, or what the expected etiquette demands from each event

7. You are working less than 8 hrs per day on your job search and can not imagine having enough tasks to perform to fill a full work day.

8. You do not give value first

9. You are not delivering your value first before your resume

10. You are not learning and adding new skills to your current skill set

If you recognize any, a portion, or all of this list as what you are currently doing in your job search, then it is time to consider a change. Unless what you are doing is working for you, stay tuned as I will  outline and describe a job seeker’s day in the world of social media.

Realtor’s Twitter Strategy: 4 Mistakes to Avoid By Communicating

FoxBusiness.com published this deansguide article 11-16-08

Reuters.com published this deansguide article 11-16-08

ComputerShopper.com published this deansguide article 11-16-08

Free Twitter Strategy Chart courtesy of Paul Gram’s Websitesuccessdoctor.com

Twitter.com is quickly becoming one of the most useful, fastest growing social media tools available today. Anyone from entrepreneurs to large corporations can utilize twitter to gain exposure, push out their message of value, research, learn, and network. Yet a large number of twitter advocates are making the most basic mistake in social media which is costing them valuable opportunities and slowing their desired results.

#1 Mistake to Avoid: Collecting Numbers

Stop collecting and start connecting! Too many people view twitter as a place to collect followers or create impressive numbers. This syndrome is not exclusive to twitter as many people make the same mistake on Linkedin. The collection of connections has no depth, no meaning, and no value unless you create communication leading to relationships.

#2 Mistake to Avoid: Staying within Your Own “Tribe”

Many Realtors, from my observations on twitter, are guilty of staying within the “tribe.” Simply put many Realtors fail to communicate or investigate outside the sphere of real estate. Instead they tend to limit the majority (if not all) their communications to other brokers or Realtors.

#3 Mistake to Avoid: Stop Hard Selling

Realtors have been trained, and ingrained, to push features and benefits with an ongoing hard sell sales strategy that has worked for decades–up to now. In today’s information rich, Web 2.0 savvy world, the hard sell is dead. Today’s most influential and successful Realtors understand that they must provide valuable information on an ongoing basis without a sales pitch attached. Instead of A-B-C tactics of “Always Be Closing” fame, today it is all about giving value.

What does this mean to Realtors on Twitter? A: If you only provide listing links and links about you, people will quickly begin to stop paying attention to your messages. Which brings us to the next challenge.

#4 Mistake to Avoid: Narrow Focus

This dovetails into #3 mistake to avoid because delivering the same narrow focussed message over and over is not compelling. If you are a Realtor and the only subject and strategy you employ is to leave links to your listings or to your website-blog people will begin to tune out.

Then What is the Strategy?

Like any social media community, twitter is most valuable when you engage other members in meaningful communication, provide valuable information to the community, and then collaborate when given the opportunity. Antidote to the 4 Mistakes:

1. Stop collecting numbers by communicating with people, show you care, and get involved.

2. Go outside your real estate community and make new connections with people from other career paths. Also consider people with similar hobbies and interests as viable networking partners.

3. Stop Hard Selling and become a provider of valuable information. By doing this people will perceive you as a valuable resource and somebody to be read and respected.

4. Widen your subject matter for a more well rounded approach to your messages. Personalize and humanize by providing information about things other than your business. Create value for your business connections as well as your networking partners who have no business ties to you.

Silicon Valley Code Camp: Incredible Developer’s Event Nov 8-9

Peter Kellner Silicon Valley Code Camp organizer

Reuters.com published this deansguide article 11-2-08

The 3rd Annual Silicon Valley Code Camp is one of the most intriguing and value filled events in the Valley. It is a free boot camp style event which runs November 8-9 in Los Altos Hills, California. Billed as “Put together by software developers for software developers, the Silicon Valley Code Camp is a great opportunity to learn, share, and connect”, the camp is a fantastic example of what is possible when people decide to give value and give it often.

Date-Time & Location

November 8-9 Saturday 8:00am to 8:00pm and Sunday 9:15am to 4:00pm
Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road (Parking Lot 5), Los Altos Hills

Conference Subjects

1. Software Development: in many languages and many platforms

2. Cutting Edge Technologies: sessions include the “hottest technologies in the industry from top vendors ton sessions introducing people to introductory concepts and languages.”

3. Open Source and Proprietary: products from Google, Microsoft, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems

Cost and Networking

The event is free and organized by volunteers. Lunch is provided both event days with a Saturday night Barbeque so that attendees and volunteers can network

Camp Schedule and Curriculum

Code Camp will offer over 100 sessions for attendees. For a list of sessions

Volunteers-Opportunity

For the opportunity to give back and actively network with the staff consider volunteering for this great event

Code Camp Manifesto: 6 Points

1. Code Camp is by and for the developer community

2. Free, always free

3. It is community developed material

4. No fluff – only code

5. Community ownership

6. Code Camp will never occur during working hours.

For More Information

Go to organizer Peter Kellner’s blog PeterKellner.net

Email: peter@peterkellner.net

Social Media Networking Strategy #1: Be a Social Media Anthropologist

Brian Solis Principle of “Future Works” and Social Media expert

Anthropology is the study of humanity. Within this discipline lurks the often maligned and always second guessed social anthropologist. Social anthropologist examine cultures, dissect cultures within cultures, and attempt to posit and theorize answers to why a society or people live within a structure of their making.

Brian Solis’s, no nonsense Social Media expert, article “Will the Real Social Media Expert Please Stand Up” is an in depth valuable assessment of social media systems landscape. According to Solis:

“Social media is about sociology and the understanding that with the new social tools available to us, we can more effectively observe the cultures of online communities and listen to and respond directly to people within the communities.”

Strategy to Engage

1. Stop pushing your sales pitch, thoughts, or agenda at people

2. Start listening to the conversation within a Social Media community

3. Contribute and talk to people within the Social Media community you wish to engage

4. Assess what the conversation involves, how to contribute, and what to listen to within the community

5. Give your value, contribute this value to the conversation

6. Monitor the conversation and watch for acceptance and response to your value give

7. Respect, honesty, and support will lead to trust within the community for you and your contributions

8. Become a Sociologist. Understand the group aka community. According to Solis “everything they (community) do is reflective of those they want to engage and embrace”

Networking Skills Workshop CSIX Connect September 30: Learn How To Market Yourself Through Networking

Communicate your need.
State your goals.
Improve your networking skills.
eXchange Job leads.

CSIX’s mantra

Tuesday September 30 I will be facilitating a workshop “How to Market Yourself Through Networking” for CSIX Connect employment group at the iRestaurant in Cupertino, CA. The meeting begins at 10:30 and runs until 1:00. The admission is $12 which includes a wonderful lunch, networking opportunities with a group of experienced and expert Silicon Valley job seekers, and information on real world networking.

For my friends and the friends I have just not met yet on Active Rain: If you like this workshop or any of the individual subjects covered, I am more than willing to provide links. If you have questions please contact me at dean@innerarchitect.com or call me at (415) 410-7524

The Program Will Cover

Definition What does Networking Mean?

1. The #1 Biggest Mistake in Networking: The Hard Sell

2. The #1 Method For Networking Success: Giving

3. The 5 Benefits of Giving: Referrals, Relationships, Evangelists for you, Reference Point, Mentor

4. Exercise: The “Give” How to identify your value give aways and outline a plan on how and where to deliver this value

5. 8 Tips to Engage: How to Make a Connection

6. Listening Is a Skill That Requires Strategy

7. Procrastination: 5 Tips to Help You Follow Through

8. 10 Reasons Why You Should Maintain An Ongoing Networking Campaign During Your Career

9. Etiquette Do’s and Don’ts of Networking

10. The Secret of Networking Success: Get Your Connections to Benefit First

11. 5 Tips to Branding “You”

This program is designed to be a two hour program. I am going to blast through this program in one hour with the promise of providing more information to those people interested.

If you are interested in this information, consider the fact that I have written about every subject here on Active Rain on this blog. You can simply go back and “mine” my archive of posts to find ea article that matches the subject matter. If I can be of assistence, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Blogger’s Guide to Expertise: Lorelle VanFossen’s “Blogging Tips: What Bloggers Won’t Tell You About Blogging”

Reuters.com published this deansguide article September 24, 2008

I never push my readers to read or subscribe to someone’s blog or website. I feel it is their choice, their time, and their preferences that are most important. But I am going to break that rule this one time. If you are about to establish a blog, a beginning blogger, an intermediate blogger, an experienced blogger, or if you think you know everything about blogging–you MUST check out Lorelle VanFossen.

Why Lorelle VanFossen?

Complex strategies made simple, hands on help made easy, effective and valuable guidelines made accessible, and the energy to continuously deliver fresh valuable content without asking for anything in return. Lorelle is an incredible resource.

Lorelle Van Fossen was a presenter at WordPress’s Word Camp 2008 in San Francisco and she made a huge impression on the audience. She is an expert on WordPress, how to stretch that platform to it’s limits, and everything blogging. On top of those facts, Lorelle is very giving of her time and energy to help people–she’s one of the good ones.

Authority and Substance Factor

Lorelle VanFossen is one of the leading experts on WordPress software, techniques, strategies, and writing. Her blog Lorelle.wordpress.com is a massive treasure chest full of help and answers. Lorelle’s blog mantra:

“Helping You Learn More About Blogging and WordPress Every Day With Help, Tips, Advice, and Techniques For Blogging and Using WordPress, and WordPress.com. The Blogging Help You Need. Now”

Must Read For Any Blogger

Although it is a beginner’s guide to blogging, “Blogging Tips” has many very valuable tips and strategies for the intermediate and advanced blogger. Yes all of the type of information Lorelle has outlined exists for free online–if you are willing to research each author’s reputation, compile the information, and then organize it from ground zero to advanced techniques. For a sample chapter and the chance to see what I am raving about go here for your free chapter

Why This Book?

1. It is organized extremely well leaving out nothing for chance

2. The text is simple and easy to digest

3. Bullet points, well thought out examples, and commentary lead the reader at their own pace on a learning expedition

4. Lorelle addresses your motivation. Do you blog for fun, to write, or for business. She approaches each with strategy and useful advice

5. Succinct style as this book is 92 power packed pages

6. SEO tactics

7. Blogger Rights section with copyright information

8. Community Building strategies

9. Blog Management and Administration

10. Work-Book Size and Index section make this an easy book to cross reference

Analysis

People are curious animals in that many of us do not want to take the time to buy a book. If it’s free we can find it online. Yet when push comes to shove, we don’t always find the right information. We don’t spend the time to investigate, and we don’t make the learning process a priority.

Suggestion: The Best $12.95 You Will Ever Invest

Invest in yourself, your blogging, and your education. Buy Lorelle’s book as it is the best $12.95 I have spent in years! At the very least subscribe to Lorelle’s blog and begin to reap the benefits!

Networking Newsletter Gold: Gitomer and Montana’s Gift To You

Courtesy Scarfaceinthefall.jpg wiki

“My gift to you” was one of the famous, yet subtle, lines uttered by Al Pacino aka Tony Montana in 1983’s blockbuster hit “Scarface.” It’s a story about a small time refugee who makes it big as an “entrepreneur.” Tony was a relentless worker, a non-stop marketing genius-how can you not love that globe, and he understood brand recognition.

My Gift to You

My gift to you is a link to sign up for Jeffrey Gitomer’s newsletter “Sales Caffeine” Link

http://www.gitomer.com/sales-magazine/Sales-Caffeine.html

1. It’s free

2. It’s the best networking tips and concept available

3. It includes sales strategies based on creating a “connection” first

4. Each issue has a “Self Test for Success” poll

5. Each issue includes one youtube style video tip about sales, networking, engaging, influencing the influencer and a bundle of other subjects

Today’s Main Focus is on people of influence and how they are successful. Included in this are 7 characteristics of a influencer.

Reading this newsletter will make you smarter!

5 Steps To Discovering Your Value Give Away For Networking Success

Hard sales tactics adopted and utilized by most people in their strategies to network online and in the real world fall decidedly flat in an effort to create business relationships that lead to referral business. The 30 second elevator pitch, the blatant sales pitch, the product and services feature-benefit dump, a lack of listening skills, and the “work the room” mentality are giving way to a new much more effective strategy: giving value. Below is an example of the “work the room” business card treasure hunt modeled after a bad speed dating session seen on “Sex and the City.”

Before you can give away something that others value, give it often, give it continuously, and give it without asking for anything in return, you must first understand how to identify what you have to offer. The following should help you get started in identifying your value to others:

5 Tips To Finding Your Value “Give”

1. Make a List of Your Accomplishments: don’t be shy in this exercise. Give a full list with details

2. Make a List of Your Contacts of Influence: prioritize this list by who you know best and who KNOWs you

3. List Your Skill Sets: again do not be shy. Provide everything that is important to building your career

4. From the First Three Lists: analyze and choose what you believe to be the most valuable things you can give to your potential networking partners

5. Create a Plan on How To Deliver: will you utilize a blog or begin a public speaking platform to help benefit your potential networking partners? Identify all of the channels in which you can deliver your value

Bodega Bay Seafood, Art & Wine Festival 2008 The Greatest Entertainment Value of The Summer

Chicago Sun-Times and Beacon News published this deansguide article August 23, 2008

The good people at winecountryfestivals.com bring you the 2008 Bodega Bay Seafood, Art, and Wine Festival from beautiful-rustic Bodega Bay, California beginning August 23-24. This is without a doubt the best family value in summer entertainment in California. To make this possible, the festival has a number of great sponsors including Comcast, PG&E, and Kleenex. The sponsors page

The beneficiaries of this event are the Bodega Bay Volunteer Fire Department and non-profit Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods an organization that works inconjunction with the Parks Department.

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Where: Watts Ranch 16855 Bodega Highway in Bodega Bay, California

Times: 10:00am-6:00pm Saturday and 10:00-5:00pm Sunday

Admission: Adults $12; Seniors over 60 (I’m not there yet) $10; Ages 12-16 $8 and under 12 is Free

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Featured Artist page includes jewelry, dolls, painting, sculpture, and photography

Food Vendors list and here is a taste of their awesome menu:

Barbequed Oysters; Fish Tacos; Crab Cakes; Coconut Shrimp; Salmon Cakes and you get the idea!

Entertainment Main Stage on Saturday includes 4 bands with the headliner The Tommy Castro Band

Sunday’s Headliner Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88’s

And of course because it’s California there is going to be a whole lotta this: Smiling Faces