by Nancy Stampahar

If you think you are working too hard and still unable to complete all the tasks on your various lists, you're probably right. It has become a very common way of working and living in our society today. Most people are being asked to do more with less - less resources and less training.

“Just get it done!” has become the mindset. This mindset has jeopardized quality and morale at work, and at home.

Applying time management techniques and setting priorities are critical if you want to sustain your performance, and if you want to maintain your sanity.

       What it takes to succeed

Set Boundaries – if you struggle with saying “no,” delegating and being in control, you’re probably taking on more than you need to because you have not learned how to take care of yourself by setting boundaries. Your need to be in control to make your life and the lives of others perfect is taking up too much of your time and energy. Letting go of such self-induced pressures, will greatly increase your time and decrease your stress.

Set Priorities – if you struggle with knowing that your task pile is getting higher and higher, you're probably feeling overwhelmed and procrastinating because you have not learned how to get started on the most important tasks first. The key is to not accept a request as status quo; the key is to ask questions.

Ask the requestor probing questions like:

• What is the purpose of this activity?

• What are your desired outcomes?

• What is your timeline?

• Who else needs to be involved in this activity?

• What activity has the highest priority?

The more you understand and are clear about your priorities, the easier it will be to set boundaries. The more you understand why you and everyone around you must be perfect, the easier it will be for you to let it go. It's never too late to take care of you.

Nancy Stampahar is a sought-after organizational development consultant, trainer, and speaker, with a degree in human resource management, and the author of peace, love and lemonade®: a recipe to make your life sweeter. Stampahar owns and directs Silver Lining Solutions, a consulting firm that specializes in adversity/change management, assertiveness/conflict resolution, empowerment, leadership, and team building. Visit: http://www.silverliningsolutions.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Stampahar

(Flickr photo by fdecomite)

FrogPond invites you to the 2009 HAR/SIOR Commercial Expo on Wednesday, April 15, 4-8 p.m., at the InterContinental Hotel – Houston.

“Please join me at Commercial Expo 2009 on April 15,” said The Frog, Susie Hale. “The Expo has a new floor plan and look this year … less trade show and more networking!”

Tickets for the Expo are $50 in advance by April 8, $75 at the door. The InterContinental Hotel is located at 2222 West Loop South, in Uptown Houston just one block north of the Galleria. Visit www.har.com/commercialexpo for more information.

2009 HAR/SIOR Commercial Expo: Gain Exposure!

Wednesday, April 15, 4-8 p.m.

InterContinental Hotel – Houston, 2222 West Loop South

To see more details and to RSVP, click here for the event’s Facebook page.

About half of all real estate professionals in the United States and Canada rely on MarketLinx® software and services every day. You too can learn about its “future-proof” systems for your brokerage at the upcoming REALTORS® Midyear Trade Expo:

REALTORS® Midyear Trade Expo, May 13-15 in Washington, D.C.

MarketLinx: Booth #316

MarketLinx is the foremost provider of real estate information technology solutions for agents, brokers, real estate boards and REALTOR® associations. Its full array of capabilities streamlines the real estate listing and closing process to increase your efficiency and profitability.

Choose the functionality that addresses your business needs and let MarketLinx put into action an integrated system for your brokerage:

·          AgentAchieve™ is the agent’s virtual office with integrated tools that automate meaningful client interactions to create client loyalty and convert leads to commissions. AgentAchieve includes ProspectCheck^SM, a real-time qualification of a prospect’s likelihood to buy or sell.

·          RealQuest Pro™ makes it simple to find and use the latest data for customer prospecting, risk management or investment purposes.

·          Document & Transaction Manager provides you with the ability to share documents across geographically dispersed offices quickly and easily.

·          Lucero Summit™ is a complete front and back-end office system, managing everything from floor calls to complex commission calculations.

Unlock the power of information technology. See MarketLinx at the Midyear Trade Expo, or contact sales@agentachieve.com to find out how to build your business with technology and business intelligence from MarketLinx. For more information on MarketLinx, visit www.MarketLinx.com.

Mitch Ribak leads a 22-agent team in Brevard County, Fla., the “Space Coast.” Even in a tough market, his unique approach to Internet lead generation and conversion – in addition to his positive attitude and sincere desire for agent development – has positioned his firm as the area’s number-one buyer brokerage.

Click here to read his interview.

Linda Reiss and Debbie Sanders were the first members of the Mitch Ribak Real Estate Team, formed in January 2004. Learn how their unique backgrounds positioned them for successful careers in real estate. Also read how a fun sales effort ties into their office's charitable program.

Click here to read their combined interview.

Real estate professionals have a new tool to help generate new business: the 2009 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, part of the recent stimulus package.

There has been some confusion regarding the 2009 credit because it followed closely on the heels of the 2008 credit that must be repaid.

In addition, the homebuyer population that may qualify is not getting the message. That’s where YOU as a real estate professional have the opportunity to get the word out!

The National Association of Realtors®, trainer David Knox and others have put together free Webinars and video training sessions about the credit. So be sure to take advantage of this expertise available to help your business.

     IRS clarifies filing for tax credit

Taxpayers who qualify for the first-time homebuyer credit, who purchase a home in 2009 before Dec. 1, can claim the credit either on their 2008 tax returns due April 15 or on their 2009 return next year.

Qualifying first-time homebuyers can get up to $8,000. Click here for the Feb. 25 IRS press release detailing the updated information. Click here for a PDF of the IRS Form 5405, which has instructions on the credit and who can and cannot claim it.

      Federal Reserve advice to troubled borrowers

According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, scam artists are attempting to make money off troubled borrowers trying to take advantage of the President’s foreclosure-prevention plan.

The firms charge fees for what they tell borrowers will be quick and effective negotiations with banks. In most cases, the firms take the homeowners’ money – often more than $1,000 – and do nothing.

The Federal Reserve recently issued this advice for people seeking to modify their mortgages:

• Work only with HUD-approved nonprofit counselors (see http://www.hud.gov/)
• Don’t agree to pay a fee before you are provided with the promised service
• Beware of people offering “guaranteed” results
• Don't sign blank forms or documents you haven't read

Mortgage-help site and 
call-in number go live

The U.S. Treasury Department went live on March 19 with its Making Home Affordable program, which aims to help homeowners refinance or modify their mortgages.

The campaign includes a Web site at makinghomeaffordable.gov as well as a telephone hotline number at (888) 995-4673.

The federal government is targeting 9 million homeowners whose loans are held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

You have permission to reprint this marketing tip in your publications. Please include the following Resource Box:

©2009, FrogPond. All rights reserved. FrogPond offers you More Royalty-Free Reprintable Articles at FrogPond.com

To request information about royalty-free articles and publishing your online magazine and newsletters, call 800.704.FROG (3784) or e-mail Susie@frogpond.com today. Take the Tour

Reflecting its goal of being the most reliable real estate listings search site, HomeFinder.com has launched a national print-advertising campaign – the first since its recent rebranding effort.

Trumpeting “Let Homes and People Find Each Other” and featuring strong house-owner symmetry images, the ads will run weekly in the real estate sections of more than 130 major publications across the country.

“The ads not only communicate the breadth of our site, which offers more than three million home listings, but also allows us to connect home buyers and sellers at the most trusted source for local real estate – their neighborhood newspaper,” said HomeFinder.com President/CEO Tim Fagan.

The campaign introduces consumers to the new HomeFinder.com brand, while reinforcing the site as the consumer resource and destination for finding one’s dream home. The campaign will run throughout 2009 and will partner with a strong brand presence at key industry tradeshows and events. The site transitioned from the Homescape name in January.

HomeFinder.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by five leading media companies: Belo Corp., Gannett Co. Inc., The McClatchy Co., Tribune Co. and The Washington Post Co.

A FrogPond sponsor, HomeFinder.com also offers online marketing solutions for real estate agents, brokers, builders and others.

In an effort to raise awareness of the plight of amphibians, the scientific community has declared April 28, 2009, the first annual “Save The Frogs Day.” On this day, the Save The Frogs! organization encourages the appreciation and celebration of amphibians by people from all walks of life.

Please get involved and help spread the word!

Frogs are disappearing, and amphibian conservation efforts will not be successful until amphibian declines are common knowledge. Think of how long it has taken for any political action on global warming to occur! Politicians rarely act until the public demands action.

Save The Frogs! is an international team of scientists, educators, policymakers and naturalists dedicated to protecting the world’s amphibian species. Its goal is to make the amphibian extinction crisis common knowledge by 2010: you can help make it happen.

Post this flyer at your school or office: http://savethefrogs.com/spread-the-word

Save The Frogs Day is a perfect time for teachers and students to focus on amphibian conservation, learn about amphibian extinctions, and discuss ways that all can contribute to amphibian conservation efforts.

Click here to find out how you can get involved.

The recent AFIRE (Awesome Females in Real Estate) conference held in Savannah, Ga., featured some of real estate’s most talented women. Inman columnist Bernice Ross featured our own – The Frog, Susie Hale – in an April 6 article about tech tips from women at the conference.

Here is Susie’s personal Recipe for Online Success:

Ingredients:

1 cup Content

1 cup Conversation

1 cup Passion

Mix together till it thickens into Trust. Spread Carefully and Consistently in baking pan. Bake at 360 degrees till your Traffic begins to rise.

Serve immediately with keys, a heaping spoonful of congratulations and a sprinkle of “Thank You” notes.

------

Susie also talked about her 95-5 Rule, “Spend 95 percent of your time contributing to other people’s conversations, sharing relevant information and having fun.

“Limit your business discussions to 5 percent of your posts. In other words, build relationships by interacting and contributing to others.”

by Arnie Goldberg

Top Ten Dos for Using Facebook

1.  Do create relationships by adding friends both personal and business

2.  Do update your profile daily

3.  Do have a personal aspect to your social identity

4.  Do join groups, selectively

5.  Do go on the offensive

6.  Do engage in discussion board and wall conversations in groups

7.  Do become a fan of Nutella if you truly are a fan of Nutella

8.  Do immediately change your security settings to fit your preference

9.  Do create a fan page

10. Do create a group for your office, other groups or neighborhood

The Top Ten Don’ts of Using Facebook

1.  Don’t boast about your numbers, or add just for the sake of adding

2.  Don’t forget others can see your friends, groups and content

3.  Don’t SPAM other users’ walls

4.  Don’t release personal or confidential information

5.  Don’t submit and run

6.  Don’t alter your social identity with inappropriate pictures

7.  Don’t talk to masses when you’re intending to talk to just one

8.  Don’t take open source, open identity, open Web to mean unfiltered tone

9.  Don’t send automated messages, ever

10. Don’t assume everyone cares about real estate

Arnie Goldberg, founder of MKTGUSA.com, is an author, speaker, consultant, trainer and entrepreneur. You can see an example of his social networking on the Smaller Indiana site.

In this era of information overload it's not surprising that important messages often get lost. To manage over-stuffed inboxes, busy employees scan e-mails and delete unread messages that don’t appear critical.

Cut through the noise by using e-mail wisely. Include important information in the subject line — it may be as far as readers get.

When the information is important, send several messages using different channels. E-mail is a good first step, but follow-up with a phone call and post your message on the company intranet as well. The redundancy may seem annoying but if you vary your message, people will not only hear it, but remember it as well.

This Management Tip was adapted from "The Secret to Getting Your Message Across," by Rosabeth Moss Kanter.

Click here to read the full post.

Part two of a five-part series, "Roadmap to using VOWs in your business"
by Victor Lund, Partner, WAV Group

Looking for ways to make your Web site and the Internet work harder for you? A Virtual Office Website or VOW is a great solution to consider. It is an excellent way to create and grow relationships with consumers that will lead to future transactions.

Why do VOWs make sense for today’s real estate consumer?

According to the Swanepoel 2009 Trends Report, “It’s crucial to make sure that your customers trust you before you try to sell them anything." “The goal is to create an on-going, non-pressured dialogue with the prospect." “This is best accomplished by not providing just the basic information they can get from any number of other sites.”

VOWs are a great method for accomplishing this important goal. Historically, in agent-consumer relationships the flow of information was one-way – the agent would find the information for the client and send an e-mail or a link. You can differentiate yourself using a VOW to provide many high-touch services. With a Virtual Office Website, the flow of information is bi-directional. VOWs can help create a conversation with consumers.

Think of your VOW in the same way as you think of your IDX Web site. The only difference is that it requires registration to get access to the deeper level of information like listing history, tax data and sold listings.

Virtual Office Websites allow an agent to create a “conversation” with a customer using automated tools. We know that registration requirement rule is the top “no-no” of a successful online strategy, but access to this deeper level of listing information is the tradeoff for the consumer.

According to one agent interviewed by WAV Group: “My VOW helps me build a relationship with a potential customer without lifting a finger.”

VOWs keep the real estate broker and agents at the center of the transaction by only allowing the MLS data to be displayed to registered users.

With a Virtual Office Website, you may invite potential clients to gain access to the same accurate, comprehensive and timely MLS information that Realtors® use to provide their services. This level of information includes everything in the MLS other than confidential information that protect the privacy and security of the seller.

This depth of information is only available through a VOW, and consumers can only access it through their Realtor®.

One agent using a VOW told us, “Clients really appreciate the ‘insiders look’ at the MLS data. They like to educate themselves about the market and VOWs allow them to do this with the best information available.”

Understanding this, the goal of a Realtor® is to offer access to this richer information when they first come in contact with a potential client. Consider your VOW as the “ultimate call to action” in all of your communications.

       Encourage telephone inquiries to register on your VOW

Anytime you answer the phone or call a potential client, offer them access to your Virtual Office Website and explain the benefits. “By accessing the local MLS information through my Virtual Office Website, you will be able to see the most accurate, comprehensive and timely property information – the same information that I review as your Realtor® to find listings for buyers and to prepare home valuations."

Be sure to combine your offer of access to this property information with your service offering. Explain that you will always be on hand to answer any questions that they may have, schedule a showing, provide your opinion of the pricing relative to location, and support them in making an offer or marketing their home.

After you invite them to access your VOW, request all of their contact information, including their e-mail address, and offer to send them a link to set up their profile. Offer to configure their search criteria for them and tell the customer they can add additional criteria or modify their search anytime.

One agent who is currently using a VOW told us a very interesting story.

“I had gotten an e-mail inquiry from a potential client which I had not yet responded to. He then called me and told me he really wanted me to register him so that he could get as much information as his neighbor was receiving from me. He told me if I did not sign him up immediately he was going to find another agent to work with. That was the first time I had a customer begging me to register to receive more information from me! I like VOWs a lot!”

VOWs are also a great way to “watch a listing.”

A VOW product like Listingbook™, for example offers an automated method to attract new customers through its Prospect Manager. Buyers and Sellers, regardless of their “move status” can view listing history to understand price changes, days on market and other information that will show trends in the marketing of a home. This feature enables agents to manage many more prospects because it gives consumers the information they want while the agent stays in control. Seeing the prospect’s activity allows agents to react at the exact right time to interested prospects.

In today’s information-starved society, real estate information is attractive to everyone. From nosey neighbors to serious buyers, all of the MLS data is available for agents to gift to their prospects. This is a very exciting way to engage a customer in a conversation using your VOW.

       Promote your VOW on every public Web site you can

Agents and brokers use a variety of Web sites in the marketing of their services today. Make sure to offer registration to your Virtual Office Website on every public Web site, blog, or post that you can.

To get started, send an e-mail to every registered client who is getting listing updates from your IDX Web site. Explain that deeper information is available on your Virtual Office Website – information like pricing history, sold listings, tax information, lot dimensions. The differences in IDX data and VOW data will vary from market to market. Ask your MLS for a list of the differences.

Make sure to add language to all of your virtual tours as well. Note to visitors that your Virtual Office Website is available to allow them to get more information about the property from the MLS database that is only available to Realtors® and registered users.

If you syndicate your listings to third-party Web sites like Realtor.com®, Trulia®, Zillow®, Cyberhomes™ and others, make sure that you place information in the remarks that the most comprehensive, accurate and current information about this listing is available on your Virtual Office Website. Serious potential clients on those listing sites will surely enroll in your VOW.

Today, there are also a variety of new online marketing options like Craigslist, blogs and social networks. If you are not using these tools in marketing your property today, get started now.

At the very least, join Facebook and post your listings. When you do so, include a link to your VOW and explain that more detailed information like pricing history, etc. is available.

       Promote your VOW everywhere you can

By now, you should have a sense on how to get started on the road to using your VOW to develop contacts into new customers. In the marketing of your services, there are a variety of other touchpoints where you can offer VOW access.

Accessing all of the non-confidential information available from the MLS is a tremendously powerful offer to consumers. Be sure to offer access to your VOW at every open house, every mixer, every time you door-knock, on every listing flyer, on your business card – on everything.

Make it your goal to have a VOW available for new customer generation as soon as you possibly can. Brokers and agents who are quick to respond are likely to get the most number of registered users and generate the most amount of word-of-mouth advertising as people begin talking about it to their friends and families.

This is the second part of a series of articles on Virtual Office Websites, or VOWs. To view Part 1 of this five-part series, click here. To view the entire series on the WAV blog “Waves,” click here. The series describes how VOWs can help real estate professionals secure new clients, work more effectively with buyers and sellers, and help secure clients for life.

Office workers spend an average of 25 percent of their time each day sending and receiving e-mail, according to a December 2008 survey by the Radicati Group.

Respondents to the survey send an average of 38 e-mail messages and receive an average of 102 e-mail messages, 17 percent of which contain attachments, per day.

SOURCE: The Radicati Group

It’s bad enough that 10 well-known major daily newspapers are likely to either close or only print online. But what’s worse is that a recent report says that fewer than half of Americans feel the loss would greatly hurt civic life in their community. And most wouldn’t even miss reading the local paper.

Ouch.

A recent Research Brief from The Center for Media Research looked at recent reports from 24/7 WallStreet and Pew Research for these startling statistics.

Newspapers in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Miami, Detroit, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Fort Worth and Cleveland are the 10 dailies that are most likely to either shut down or go totally digital sometime in the next 18 months. Denver and Seattle have recently lost newspaper operations.

Pew Research found that regular newspaper readers would personally miss their newspaper and that its closure would hurt the civic life of the community “a lot.” However, about two-thirds of people get their local news from local television stations or TV station Web sites, so they say they wouldn’t miss the paper.

According to Pew Research, only 27 percent of Generation Y (those born in 1977 or later) had read a newspaper the previous day. And only 23 percent of Americans younger than 40 say they would miss the local newspaper if it went away. That compares to 55 percent of Americans born prior to 1946, known as the “Greatest Generation.”

A Reverse-Image Search Site: http://tineye.com/

Search sites like Google™ make it easy to find just about anything online. But Google isn't the solution to every problem. Sometimes, you need to seek out specialized search sites.

For example, maybe you want to see if Web sites are “borrowing” your photos. Or, maybe you downloaded a photo. Now, you want to remember where you found it.

Head over to TinEye. You can upload an image from your computer. Or, simply enter a Web address for a photo.

TinEye will scour the Web for similar copies of the photos. I was amazed by how well this site works.

I tested it with several images. It certainly found exact reproductions of the images. It also found derivative works!

This is a great way to monitor the use of your photos online.

Shrink Your Bills to Size http://www.billshrink.com/

I'm a firm believer in comparison shopping. Before I buy anything online, I visit price-comparison sites. By comparison shopping, I always save at least a few bucks. Often it is more than that. The savings add up over time.

But comparison shopping isn't just limited to products you buy. You should also compare prices of services.

BillShrink is a handy site for that. For example, you can compare credit card rates and cell phone plans.

Just answer a few quick questions. The site will help you find a card or plan that suits your needs. You could save hundreds of dollars a year!

You have permission to reprint this marketing tip in your publications. Please include the following Resource Box:

©2009, FrogPond. All rights reserved. FrogPond offers you More Royalty-Free Reprintable Articles at FrogPond.com

To request information about royalty-free articles and publishing your online magazine and newsletters, call 800.704.FROG (3784) or e-mail Susie@frogpond.com today. Take the Tour

Once you represent that you are available for a media opportunity, do not change your mind because the producer or journalist moves immediately to finalize the media placement on their end.

If you pull out you upset the booking process and you leave the producer or journalist in a tough spot.

Never do anything to jeopardize the trust the media has in you.

When you make a commitment, stick to it, even if something comes up that you feel is more important.

Your word should be worth gold in this industry.

Hugs, The Frog

Susie Hale, President
Frog Pond
FrogPond Publisher
800.704.FROG (3764)
susie@frogpond.com

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