Your biggest asset
I was talking to someone a while ago who said this: “Pulling the plug on my personal marketing was the dumbest thing I ever did in my career.” Whoah! Actually, recognizing where things went wrong and trying to fix them is actually quite smart. But he’s right to say that stopping his personal marketing was…
The power of local
If you’re ever in Banff, in the Canadian Rockies, and you need a taxi, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself in the back seat of Mike’s cab. It’s not that he’s the only taxi in town. But he is the most helpful. And the most creative. Here’s what he does (a tip of the…
A newsletter – your personal range extender
Oh what fun it is to set up a home wireless network! It’s even more fun when you need an extra router to extend the network’s range. So many boxes and flashing lights. So many things to go wrong. But it got me thinking… Your newsletter is your own range extender! Just like the range…
Baby resolutions
I don’t make New Year resolutions. Yes, I do spend time planning my next year and next quarter for the business (that’s what I have been doing this week.) But resolutions? No. Because I don’t think they work. People make big, hairy resolutions in the shiny first days of January. But more often than not,…
Daring to be different
It’s a while ago now, but I remember one thing about being a kid. I just wanted to be the same as the other kids. To wear similar clothes. To watch the same TV. To have the same things in my lunch. The reason? If you were different, you were picked on… … for being…
Helpful vs. bragging
I was talking on Friday with a new client. Love this client. She totally gets it. Here’s what she said: I want to provide information that is helpful to people. What most of my competitors do is say how great they are – how many awards they have won or that they’re the top producer…
Newsletters – off-peak
On New Year’s Eve I was in the grocery store I love to hate. Imagine a shop were the aisles are just two feet wide, where the containers of blueberries are piled so high that a sneeze topples them, and where the line to the deli is three bodies thick…and no-one will tell you where…
Cliffs, volcanoes and sidewalk cracks
I was walking along a beach one afternoon. The tide was coming in, and in the surf I saw a tennis ball. I’ve always fancied myself as an English Rafael Nadal, so I stopped to pick it up. …and saw it was covered with tiny little shellfish. They were very much alive…moving around, poking out…
Making relationships count
As the holiday season ends, one thing is clear. It’s relationships that count. Relationships with people. You can take away lots of things, but don’t take away the relationships with people I care about. The same thing is true in real estate, of course. It’s our long-term relationships with our clients that are the most…
From Downton Abbey to your newsletter
Cora: “I hate to go behind Robert’s back.” Lady Grantham: “That is a scruple no successful wife can afford.” Attention Downton Abbey fans – it’s back in the New Year. If you watch it, I’m betting you have a favorite character. And I’d wager big that it’s the Dowager Duchess, Lady Grantham. Maggie Smith…
Cold cards, boiling shoppers
‘Tis that time of year. I was at the mall yesterday. Frenzied shoppers were lining up outside some of the stores because there was no room inside. Meanwhile in my mailbox was a greetings card from a real estate agent. It was beautiful. Thick cardstock, nicely printed. But… It was a waste of this agent’s…
Who’s stealing your acorns?
The other day I watched a TV show about woodland creatures. One of the stars of the show was the humble chipmunk. Now…you know that chipmunks have a thing for acorns. Crazy about them, they are. Cheeks stuffed like carry-on baggage on a plane. The whole nut fetish isn’t because the chipmunk is greedy; it’s…
Be and show
I was talking with one of our clients a while ago. Among the free bonuses we offer when you join our newsletter service is a consultation about coming up with a USP. A USP – Unique Selling Proposition – is, in my opinion, the most important thing you can do to market your business. Basically,…
Someone worth listening to
We Brits are famous for being hard to read. Sometimes, it’s difficult to know what we think about anything because we’re so indirect. When a Brit says an idea is “interesting,” what he often means is that it’s the worst idea he’s ever heard. Maybe we don’t want to offend. It’s that uptight politeness thing…
Getting a jump on 2015
It’s a funny time of year. Our calendars are packed with holiday parties and year-end business stuff. It’s hard to get things done. But… …. Now is the perfect time to get a jump on your competitors next year. Why? Because most people don’t get going on things until the second half of January. The…
Leader or follower?
There’s not much difference between the seven-year-old schoolchildren of today and those of my time, 35 years ago. For instance, they still are told to walk in snakes, holding hands two by two, following a leader. They need that leader if they hoping to get somewhere. Otherwise it would be chaos. Lost gloves, grazed knees,…
Noise, juggling – and showing up
Yesterday I was at the supermarket checkout, behind someone who was on her cellphone. An important conversation, I guess, because she was so engrossed in it that it took her five minutes to check out with her credit card – so many mistakes, so many miscommunications. She was trying to multitask – but failing. And…
Local is where it’s at
I’ve been away from home for a few weeks – and now I’m back. And it’s nice! (Despite the cold weather). Why? Because home is what matters. It’s where my friends are. It’s where my community is. … Local is where it’s at. It’s why I encourage people to edit their newsletter to make it…
Could your newsletter get you publicity?
Here’s an interesting side effect from sending a newsletter. A real estate agent in Iowa got himself quoted in a local business publication last week. And it’s all down to his newsletter. The article – about what’s happening in local real estate – talks about a market analysis in this agent’s newsletter. The website version…
Facebook vs Newsletters
The thing about free things is… they’re either too good to be true, or they never last. A couple of weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook would make it harder for you to add promotional posts for your business. They want you to pay to advertise instead, you see. So, you can…