In Search of the Elusive Office “Drama” Antidote
I work from my home office. I have since 1994 when FrogPond was founded. At first glance, I missed the noise, the sharing, the laughter, the camaraderie’s…
…Not the infighting, the negativity, the jealousy, the getting into your car in the wet, cold mornings to find the street heaving heavy traffic…you get the picture.
It was easy. I wasn’t afraid. I had myself! All I needed was a computer, phone, dial-up connectivity, printer, stationery, stamps, 800#, business cards, a desk with a draw for pencils, a chair and a trash can. Oops! Almost forgot the coffee and mug with my logo.
WOW! Life was good and I knew it! Today’s even better. High speed wireless allows me to sit anywhere, go anywhere, like Starbucks if I want the noise, really great coffee and colleagues. I’m not restricted to any place or thing. Ideas have no boundaries, no negativity. My productivity soars.
Life and work are good by design. I enjoy my quiet office with a grand window over-looking the bayou. Interruptions to my peaceful quiet are inbound calls or the sightings of blue birds or cranes walking along the edge of the water; sometimes I watch two alligators sunning on the sandy banks. My binoculars sitting on my desk at arms’ reach.
I can be dressed up for a conference Skype call or very casual in my flip flops and shorts. What matters most is how my environment lends itself so beautifully to my success. I accomplish my daily goals; my attention is keenly focused on what needs to be accomplished. I’m available to callers; I can react gracefully to any situation or need.
I work with my tech team, my programmers and designers in Pakistan, at first light each morning. Some go to the gym. I have my coffee in one hand and the other is typing out Chats; I share my screen; I work collaboratively.
It’s perfect! It’s paradise! It’s how I like it! It’s today!
I just read an article, “7 Steps to a Drama-Free Office” by Kaley Klemp and Jim Warner. Kaley and Jim aroused a deep concern. It got me thinking how much time is wasted by energy-draining behaviors in the brick and mortar offices. I worry how much negativity becomes an influencer embedding disbelief in our friends and co-workers. I’m curious how much of the “drama” accounts for lack of productivity; declining sales.
I worry about the brokers. Are they aware of the “drama”? Are they seeking an antidote to keep the disease at bay? Far away; out of their offices?
What steps are being taken to fortify the office culture against this dangerous strain of lethargy; inactivity?
Are the brokers exploring ways to eliminate energy-draining behaviors and create an environment of fun and productivity? Are the brokers blaming loss revenues only on difficult economic times? Do they see this crazed threat?
I know I don’t have answers to why these dysfunctional office environments hold human potential from gaining traction. I ask, “How to isolate the discord and let it die?”
Kaley Klemp and Jim Warner‘s article, “7 Steps to a Drama Free Office” provides a glimpse of the problem and a guide to survival.
Time will tell whether office “drama” will cause some to close their doors; some to seek solitude. There’s not a better time to take Klemp and Warner’s assessment survey to determine if “drama” has sucked the “S” out of “Success” in your office. Think of it as a House Call!
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“Gettin’ Off the Highway and Into Their Driveway(TM)” Brings Happiness
When you’re view is from 30,000 feet high or 30,000 feet down the way, you might be missing the point. The point is Micro Local Marketing. It’s what the consumer wants. It’s why the consumer removed the gatekeeper; why the consumer is so accessible.
Micro Local Marketing is “What’s in it for me” on steroids. Consumers are smarter than ever, but want someone who can interpret what the data means to them. Micro Local information is the what and why in the consumers community, neighborhood, and street.
Give them the housing numbers, the information on new shopping centers, little community theater auditions, where commencement’s being held, what new road is being expanded, new corporation headquartering in their community, remind them of flood insurance and routes out of town for immediate evacuation, and all things relevant…give them the knowledge to select you as their trusted adviser, housing consultant, REALTOR.
Gettin’ Off the Highway and Into Their Driveway(tm)” engages the consumer, builds relationships and results in happiness.
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Are You Letting 70% of Your Leads Slide?
Dan McDade in an article in SMS says that “70 percent or more of leads aren’t being followed up by sales”. He doesn’t fault marketing or sales executives, but he continues to say, “ The responsibility rests with C-level executives and other senior managers who fail to understand or act upon the real problem.”
Being both Sales and Marketing in my company, FrogPond, as well as C-level executives, as independent contractors tend to be, I thought you would enjoy this article.
Click Here
Source: SMM, Sales and Marketing Management
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March Case-Shiller Shows Double-dip in Home Prices
I read an article by Greg Robb, MarketWatch, May 31, 2011,”U.S. Homes Prices in Double Dip Recession…Case-Shiller”.
Robb stated, “The prices of single-family homes in 20 major cities fell for the eighth straight month and confirmed that there is a double-dip in the housing market, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index released Tuesday by Standard & Poor’s.
Home prices fell a non-seasonally adjusted 0.8% in March. Prices have moved down 3.6% in the past year. Home prices declined in 18 of the 20 metropolitan areas tracked by Case-Shiller in March compared with February. Washington D.C. and Seattle were the only markets where home prices increased in March.”
As I read I began to think about all the home buyers and sellers reading this report, I wondered how the continuation of negative news affects them. I thought about if they worried whether their homes would continue to lose value, or are they so despondent that they no longer believe their homes will ever sell? I could almost feel the acid building in their bellies with worry.
I asksed myself, “What would I do if I was still selling homes?” I’d blog, email the Housing Trends eNewsletter with a” buy now” personal message, post my opinions on all my social media sites, and call everyone I know to say that “it’s time to buy a home, time to stretch your dollars to spend less and buy more. Times are good for those with credit.”
Successful REALTORS are savvy enough to inform the consumer what their reading in the news has positive benefits for them. Reliable information is an opportunity to examine, study and explain the market trends to consumers.
Here’s what I’d do:
Interest rates are still very low, but all indications point to an increase. With good credit the consumer is in prime position to purchase more home in move up neighborhoods with better schools by buying now.
Use this example of the increase in interest rates. According to an example in Houston Chronicle by Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market survey (05/31/2011)
Loan Amount: $200,000
Interest Rate Principal & Interest Monthly Payment
4.75% $1,043
5.00% $1.074
6.00% $1,199
7.00% $1,331
“If you are the Seller, you will be able to take advantage on the Buying side if you act while interest rates are down. Low interest rates mean more available buyers in the market to buy your home. Plus, every day you linger in your home debating your selling decision, your asset, your home, loses value, but costs you the same amount to maintain it each month.”
According to Clifford Crabtree, CEO, First Continental Mortgage, “Mortgage rates aren’t expected to spike tomorrow. But as the economy improves and if inflation begins to affect more segments of the economy, rates should start to tick up.”
Agents, you should also learn about your state and local down payment assistance to assist your buyers and sellers. Watch for more information on Down Payment Assistance Programs.
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FrogPond.com Takes Giant Leap as Online Hub for Real Estate Professionals
40,000+ subscribers nationwide utilize FrogPond products, services
HOUSTON, TX – May 27, 2011 – Showcasing a wide range of publishing, software, and communications and marketing solutions for the real estate industry, FrogPond.com has relaunched with updated graphics and multimedia features. The site contains 3,500 free reprintable articles, profiles of industry leaders, videos detailing current marketing trends and tools, and a link to the Housing Trends eNewsletter, which has more than 40,000 subscribers nationwide.
“Content is King! FrogPond.com has always been about providing outstanding free real estate content for the industry. Today, the consumers are driving the market with their desire for housing information. FrogPond’s Housing Trends eNewsletter was designed for the real estate professional to provide the ‘numbers’ from a national to micro local perspective to help the agent stay front and center with the consumers” , said Susie Hale, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of eFrogPond Inc.
FrogPond.com began in 1994 as a site for booking real estate and motivational speakers and later was where agents could “cut and paste” articles aimed at homebuying and selling consumers. Today, reprintable, royalty-free articles are aimed at agents, brokers and other business owners, with information on sales and marketing strategies, personal excellence, customer service and business planning.
Agents who want timely and accurate information to send their past clients, homebuying and selling prospects now subscribe to the Housing Trends eNewsletter (HTEN). Hale launched HTEN in 2010 as a monthly, free-subscription publication containing timely and accurate consumer-oriented content on national and regional housing sales, economic trends, mortgage rates and calculators, home improvement and maintenance, taxes and insurance.
The electronic publication is customizable for the subscribing agent’s franchise colors and logos and includes a personalized messages section. Agents can e-mail the newsletter or post it on their Facebook page or Website. It has been very successful – today having more than 40,000 subscribers across the spectrum of real estate franchises and brokerages. Those subscribers are many of the long-time – as well as the new – readers of FrogPond.com.
Other new features on the redesigned FrogPond.com Website include “picks” from the well-read Hale for motivational and real estate books, as well as a sidebar showing her Twitter feed and entries from the Housing Trends eNewsletter Facebook page.
Hale has a 23 year career in the real estate industry, with wide and deep experience as a licensed residential agent, a title company marketing officer, a mortgage broker and a mortgage banker, prior to her founding eFrogPond. Known as “The Frog,” Hale’s insightful technology and communications solutions have earned her the respect and affection of real estate professionals at all levels across the country. In 2008, she was named one the Top 25 Most Influential Women in Real Estate Leadership by the Active Rain online community for real estate professionals.
NEWS from eFrogPond.com
Contact: Susie Hale, President/CEO
101 Westcott, #102,Houston,Texas77007
(o) 713.880.1010 (c) 832.428.8482
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Fight Tough Times with Tough Attitude
Special Wisdom’s of Dottie Walters
· When in doubt -take a survey
· Listen to the great conversation of mankind
· Never sell one when you can sell 2-3-4- or a subscription
· Look at the marks on your fingertips. You have been programmed to accomplish great things.
· When the angel knocks and yells at the door of your heart.-open it! The bolt is on your side. Then arise and go forth!
· Bill Marriott told me, ‘Failure? I never encountered it.. I just stumbled over a few temporary set backs.’
· Earl Nightingale told me when I was feeling low: ‘Arrogance is Gods’ gift to shallow people. Move on!’
· Mark Victor Hansen told me: “When they say ‘no!’, just say ‘next!’”
No one else knows what you are capable of.. put your fingers on your wrist and feel the beat of your own heart.
Dottie Walters passed away Feb 14, 2007. She was the world premier sales and motivational speaker, author, and consultant. She is perhaps most famous as the author of Never Underestimate the Selling Power of a Woman (Wilshire Book Co.), the first book ever written by a woman for sales women. Also, “Speak & Grow Rich” with Lilly Walters, (Prentice Hall-Simon Schuster); this book was selected in an industry wide survey – by an overwhelming majority – as THE most valuable book ever written for professional speakers.
Thank you, Dottie!
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Please Do Not Disturb My Green Space
Sometimes the hardest thing about working at home is getting uninterrupted time in
which to take care of business. Here are some five tips for setting up some boundaries to increase your productivity.
Make your office your office only. Don’t take your work into your home or bring your home into your office. Set yourself up for a block of time by preparing your coffee, water and snacks prior to going to the office. Remember to recycle coffee cup or water glass.
Schedule your office hours and stick to them. Publishing them on your website and advertisements keeps you on track. Make sure your friends and family know these hours and encourage them to support your success by honoring them. A “Do Not Disturb” sign for your office doorknob can be helpful as well. Designation specific work times eliminates leaving your office equipment plugged in and waiting energy.
Do not allow yourself to be interrupted by a doorbell. Pretend that you are not at home when a solicitor rings the bell and do not even check to see who it is unless you are expecting someone. Conserving your energy is important to your concentration.
Make a communication space at your front door so people can leave messages. A small box with a notepad and pen can work just fine. Use recycled paper.
Resist the temptation to take calls when the phone rings. Screen your calls on both your land line and cell phone if you use either for both personal and business purposes. Remember to unplug your cell phone charger when not in use.
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The Power of a Case Study
Most average newsletters and websites have several testimonials sharing the greatness of the product or service offered. That’s all well and good, but the way to really capitalize on your superior offering is to highlight a detailed example of a job well done through a case study.
A case study is a mini-article that is two to three short paragraphs long and includes two or three pictures. The pictures may be the ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparisons and a photo of the person. The text can describe the problem in the first paragraph, the solution you provided in the second paragraph and a quote from the satisfied customer in the third paragraph.
Case studies tell the story of your business brilliance. They are a much more effective way of saying how great you are because someone else is saying it. Including a single case study in each newsletter is a savvy way to keep people interested in your product and offering satisfied customers a way to show off their wisdom in choosing your product or service.
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What Can You Give Them That They Don’t Already Have?
Your ezine or email newsletter can be one of the best and most effective branding and marketing tools you have. The trouble with most of them is that the all tend to blur together. Very few businesses take advantage of the opportunity to distinguish their product, services and people through this dynamic medium. Determine what you have to offer that will delight your reader and make them look forward to getting your message in their in box and actually reading it rather than deleting it.
Here are four fabulous facets to include in each issue:
An interesting tip- It should be related to your business, but not at all technical. The best tips are ones that include a statistic in one sentence that can be easily shared at a party or over a lunch.
People stories- People like reading about what other people are doing. They like doing business with people they know and even though they may never meet a single person in your company, highlighting a member of your team will make your readers feel like they know them.
News they can use- Include one article that talks about your product or service that educates your reader about your business. This positions you as an expert in your field.
Good looks- Make sure your newsletter has a consistent look that appeals to your readers. They will remember you through that look as much as through the content. Let a high quality company like FrogPond Publisher help you craft the perfect look for your newsletter. That consistency will make your reader comfortable about reading each issue.
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How to Reel in Your Readers
Now that you have your subscribers to your e-Newsletter or e-Zine, how do you get them to read it instead of immediately hitting the delete key when they see it among a hundred other emails?
The answer: Give them a terrific product!
Here are six steps to success for making your e-zine and/or
e-newsletter one of the ones your subscribers look forward to reading:
Make it look good. Balance text with visuals. To decide if you have the right look, email yourself a draft and just look at it with out reading anything. Does it appeal to your eyes?
Know what is most important. Use graphic elements to direct readers to the most important message in your e-zine.
Give them information they can use. Make sure there is some meaty material related to your industry that ties into your product or service. That will keep your readers coming back to you as an information source.
Include people. As much as readers like new information and facts they can use to better their business, people like to read about people. Include at least one story about an individual’s success either in the company or with your product or service.
Make it short. Write about only one topic per article and keep the paragraphs short, using no more than three sentences per paragraph.
Solicit feedback. Ask for comments on articles and perhaps even submissions from subscribers of articles.
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Sustainable Corporate Communications
On January 6th, AdAge.com posted a 3 Minute Ad Age video about Sustainability as a 2009 Marketing Issue.
Don Carli, Institute for Sustainable Communications shares his thoughts about the issue and the importance of adding it to your marketing strategy for 2009.
Copy and paste the the link to view video
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid6460719001
What are you doing to create sustainable communications within your companies?
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Green Marketing Tips
Going Green Business Tips
Historically, print was the only way to establish your brand and persuade your consumer to call. Print still looks the same; it hasn‘t changed, including the font size. The consumer is immune and unable to unwilling differentiate your message from your competitor’s. TV advertising has always been a leaders, but the consumer has wised up to its intrusive nature and turns down the sound of the screams or TiVos through the ads quickly.
What can you do right now to influence your consumers with an informative, but gentler feeling message while incurring a generous savings to your budget?
Here are some immediate actions you can take to make simple, cost-effective additions to your marketing before your competitors do.
1. Do not print and mail press releases. Email your press releases to all media sources, many are free. A list of free media sources can be found at MarketingwithArdynnMedia.com.
2. Create a podcast of all press releases and add them to your website.
3. Create videos of your company CEO’s message, product tours and testimonials of your exceptional service.
4. Send the media your news related videos. You’ve done the work for them of capturing footage to add to their stories.
I’d like to hear about your Go Green to Make Green marketing ideas.
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Want to share videos with Family Members Stationed Overseas in the military?
With the Defense Department banning soldiers from using YouTube because of national security issues, military families are wondering how to share videos.
The military has launched its own video-sharing site, http://www.trooptube.tv
Videos posted to TroopTube are screened by Pentagon employees. They’re checked for copyright violations and taste, as well as national security issues are also considered.
Share your holiday wishes with family members stationed overseas.
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Greetings from Space
Google Maps is a where you go when you need to find businesses or locations. The satellite imagery is incredible when you think you can view satellite images of locations all over the world.
Here’s a new twist on the traditional greeting card. http://www.GeoGreeting.com lets you type your message and the letters are snapshots from Google Maps of aerial views of buildings from around the world. The site has an email function to send your message. Try it and have fun!
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Go Green To Make Green
As a long time crusader for going green, and a Frog, I try to stay a few hops a head of the real estate industry. My thoughts on why I believe going green is a key survival strategy?
Let me start be saying that I’m here in Houston where we are rooting for the Longhorns football team, currently #2 in the Big 12. Here’s a shoot out for my team… Hook’em Horns!!!
Succeeding in an economic downturn is like the University of Texas being number 2; it just isn’t good enough. Going Green to Make Green is a new initiative FrogPond is launching in 2009 to help brokerages not only survive, but thrive. I’m pledging to teach everyone how to go green while going green with just a few easy steps.
1. With the economists predicting that 09 will not just tough, but a sluggish year, brokers need to attack rather than react to these market conditions. According to Steve Murray, Brokers should consider reducing office space by minimum of 50% and outsource all non-core staff services.Houston Buyers & Sellers, 85% of Sellers visited 1 time or less to brokers’ offices and 79% of Buyers visited 1 time or less to brokers’ offices.
In recent survey of Houston Buyers & Sellers, results showed an amazine 85% of Sellers visited brokers’ offices 1 or less times and 79% of Buyers visited brokers’ offices 1 or less times.
Today top agents have home offices with all the bells and whistles and realize selling in a tough economy requires extra effort, better planning, more control of your sales cycles and tenacity. The top 2% of all salespeople automatically turn up their activity a couple more notches when things get tough. By doing so, they’re the ones who’ll be standing tall when the economy turns around.
Characteristics of these agents are:
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they are true competitors and hate to lose
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they have been in this position before and learned what it takes to win in an economic turndown
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they refuse loss of income
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they will reinvent themselves
2. Office space once was about attracting agents. Today office space is about attracting consumers.
Smaller retail space can offer positive experiences like an expert coffee bar where consumers can go to get questions answered, MLS search stations which consumers use themselves in comfy chairs with agents nearby to answer questions only if needed by consumer, set up showing appointments by agents, and give guided walking tours around the neighborhoods on large plasma displays- no reception desk as gatekeepers to information, experience staying open in the evening for visitors to wander in after dinner for a warm homey experience of watching home movies, but of other peoples homes and imagining their new homey experiences in your listings.
3. I believe that Brokerage should strive to becomes a paperless office enivronment saving millions of trees. Did you know in this decade, it is projected that Americans will throw away over 4 and a half million tons of office paper and nearly 10 million tons of newspaper. Almost all of this material could be recycled.
Efax, email, and online transaction management systems save brokerages money and time by reducing paper and postage costs, being more efficient in managing transactions while saving talk time with customers and everyone involved in closing process.
Here’s my 5 second commercial: FrogPond Publisher is my brokerage software solution to easily create online magazines and newsletters enabling then to stay in contact with consumers, prospects and retain and recruit agents. It’s a cut and paste simple tool that anyone can use, we host and support and provide content, graphic designers and writers if needed.
For as little as $499 per month compared to the average open house ads space in Sunday’s newspaper you can have your branded platform of your news and information about your brokerage, agents and your communities with an added robust search engine, an online calendar, a poll with instant results to get your consumers and agents opinions, news and information through article and press releases posts, online training, revenue generating advertising and self-promoting banners. Not only are you saving lots of money on printing and postage costs, your making money on advertising and going green by saving trees.
4. Did you know Brokerages and agents can save 26% of energy bills by turning off leaking electricity resulting in being green by saving energy?
Turning off your computer system when not in use (nights and weekends at work; overnight at home) can reduce your energy consumption, decrease your monthly utility bill, extend the life of your equipment, and increase the security of your system – they all reduce your carbon footprint. This includes computers, printers, cell phone charges, plus all digital equipment you don’t realize are in stand-by mode. Take the test of turning off the lights and see how many little red and blue lights still shine. It’s easy to correct if you plug all your office and computer equipment into surge protecting power strips that have one off and on switch.
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