Virtual Views - The View From Here : August 2008

In our tech savvy world, if you want to be fashionable, you need to be fast.

Like the automobile, the Internet has changed the world. Like the automobile, the Internet means being able to "get there faster".
 
The Internet began as a wonderful tool to get information. Then, we discovered the Internet never sleeps and we could get what we wanted (information wise) when we wanted. And we could get it - FAST!
 
The Internet introduced us to emails (fast), instant messaging (faster) and text messaging (fastest). Instant gratification has a whole new meaning.
 
To survive in today's fast-paced world of real estate, you must be able to provide some instant gratification to on-line prospects. If you don't respond to their queries, quickly, you will lose them. The fastest Realtor® wins.
 
Now, this puts you in quite a dilemma. How do you give the client in front of you your full attention without losing the prospect who has just emailed you? How to do you show customers property or handle escrows, when someone wants information and they want it fast? You know you can't sit in your office or front of your computer all day waiting for the next email.
 
The practical answer is simple: Hire someone to do it for you.  Hire someone who does sit in front of a computer all day. Hire someone who sits in the office just waiting to be of service. Who, you say - well, a Virtual Assistant, of course!

There are Virtual Assistants who offer on-line lead management. They will respond immediately to any email or text message received; freeing you to manage other aspects of your business.
 
You can never be too fast when responding to an on-line prospect.  So, when there isn't enough of you to go around, seek the help of a someone who is always there waiting to assist you, a Virtual Assistant.
 
Fast is the fashion statement of the business world today and Virtual Assistants are the accessories to make a perfect match!

    
 

Subscribe in a reader

 

Pamela Cendejas

Don't you just love referrals? What a compliment it is when someone feels that your services are so outstanding that they have recommended you to a friend or family member.  Actually, that is how I became a virtual assistant and built a very successful business; by referrals, one satisfied client at a time.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog, "How To Toot", in which I commented on some ways that you can "toot your own horn" via the internet. In this blog, I am going to tell you one of the ways you can get others to "toot your horn", leading to referrals of a sort.

Be sure your site has a Testimonial page. This alone should impress a website visitor since most Realtor® websites do not post a testimonial page. You can call the page anything from "Testimonials" to "Kudos". I call mine "Opinions Count".  Be creative and grab your reader's attention.

You can post quotes from various thank you notes and/or letters you have received throughout the years. Include testimonials from agents that you have worked with in the past. It is always notable when someone in your own field remarks on your capabilities.

Call past clients (you been meaning to do that anyway) and ask them if they would be willing to help you by writing a short piece about you and your services.

Send out an email or "snail-mail" request or survey. If you choose to send a "How Am I Doing" survey, be sure to include an area for comments. Also, as a courtesy, ask for permission to post the comment and the clients name on your website.

Dress up the page with a picture of the house or the client next to each post. Somehow, a face beside the testimonial gives the reader a sense that a "real" person has written it. Be sure to post the name of the client. A last name is not necessary but use it if you have the client's permission.

Don't be stingy with your posts. This is not a case of "less is more". Your website visitor may not read them all, but they will be impressed (negatively or positively) by the number of testimonials you post. I know of a Realtor® that has over twenty testimonials listed on the testimonial page. It is very impressive  to read the comments regarding her professionalism and expertise in the real estate industry.

Now, I started this blog talking about referrals, so let me end by saying that a well put-together testimonial page with meaningful comments can lead to new business. Your past clients can refer new business to you through the testimonials they give and can impress and convince a website visitor that they have found their perfect agent - YOU!

Check this out: KudosWorks.com (a fee based website for obtaining kudos from your clients and peers).

    
 

Subscribe in a reader

 

Pamela Cendejas

Success and career coaches advise a person to find what they love to do and then think of a way to get paid for it.  Another way to put this is - If you never got paid for the job you did, what job would you do?

I am going to assume you are doing what you love - real estate. So, let's take this principle one step further. What aspects of your business do you love? Which do you "hate"?  You know all those tasks that you just keep putting off until tomorrow?

Make a two column list; one side says "love it" and the other says "hate it". You have just created your "delegate it" list. Everything on the "hate it" side is the task that you would be wise to delegate to an assistant. In-house or virtual, an assistant allows you the time to do what you love doing.

The hate it column represents all the things that steal your excitement, energy and satisfaction. Instead of excitement, you feel heavy hearted. Instead of energy, you feel tired and experience dread. Instead of joyful satisfaction and accomplishment when the task is completed, you feel a sense of reprieve until the next time.

Eliminating the items on your "hate it" list has several benefits. The first is quite obvious.  You now have the time to do what you love to do. Another benefit is energy.  When you "love" doing what you are doing, you look forward to it. You feel excited and energized. When you do what you love to do, you will often finish the task in record time, allowing yourself the luxury of basking in the enjoyment and satisfaction of a job well done.

Excitement, energy, and satisfaction produce more productivity. Productivity produces more excitement, energy, and satisfaction. And, so begins the upward cycle to a life of excitement, energy, satisfaction, productivity and success.

Now, that was easy, wasn't it?

    
 

Subscribe in a reader

 

Pamela Cendejas

Tooting your own horn is very necessary to those in the real estate industry. You must convince prospects that selecting your services and marketing techniques is the wisest choice they can make.

The internet provides a marvelous way to toot your own horn in a big way.

Begin tooting at your home base, your website. Talk about you, what you do, and why you do it better. No one is going to believe you provide better service or skills if your website does not provide better information than your competition.

Visit your competition and then do it better. Most of us are very good at critiquing; so play real estate critic "for a day". Visit websites, blogs, real estate articles and press releases and then simply do it better. Become a virtual buyer or seller and choose "your" agent based on their internet presence and the quality of their website. Who did you choose you?

Toot your horn on your blog. You do not have to be blatant.  Just share what you know, what you do and what you love best - real estate. Talk about the community, the real estate industry and homes and neighborhoods.

Toot your horn by writing articles that will be published on the web. This is a great forum for making a positive contribution to the industry and to show off your expertise and knowledge.

Toot your horn with a press release. Press releases via the internet are much different than those that come off the printing press. A printed press release is released once and then quickly disappears. The internet offers longevity to a press release; so take advantage of it. There are free internet services that you can submit a press release to. However, most of the time you get what you pay for.  I would advise using a company that specializes in this type of service.  Go to Google and type Online Press Releases in the search box.  There's a ton to choose from.

Do you believe that if there were more agents like you that the industry, clients and customers would be better served? Do you believe that you would be a great example for others to follow? Do you believe you would be a great mentor?

Then toot your horn! Make your toot heard all over the net!

    
 

Subscribe in a reader

 

Pamela Cendejas