The Pond Report -- June 2013


Dear Valued Subscriber,

Highlights:
Read what Glade Jones, Industry Visionary, has to say about the industry.  Joan Docktor, Voices of Women, shares her personal journey to the Top. Plus Best of Breed:  Hear first hand what Broker 'Trendsetters' Sam Rader and Agent 'Rainmakers' Julie Tetsworth are implementing to ensure continued success. Enjoy the interviews.

 

  IN THIS ISSUE
 Why Target Women? Because They Hold the Purse Strings Print

A new Nielsen report assets that women have tremendous spending power in America today … and it’s growing. In fact, women will control two-thirds of the U.S. consumer wealth over the next 10 years.

They handle the bulk of purchasing decisions for consumer goods AND influence or manage big-ticket purchases such as homes, autos and furniture.

In addition, women watch more time watching video on TV and on the Internet, in addition to being more active on the Web than men.

The Center for Media Research’s article, “U.S. Women Hold the Purse Strings,” says findings from the Nielsen research are crucial for marketing and advertising messaging. Specifically, the first step toward intent and brand loyalty is attention to women, whose brains create a very specialized customer.

The second step toward loyalty is retention, considering her emotional and rational sides as well as attention to detail. The final step is to maintain social harmony by not focusing on negative comparisons or associations.

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 Stop Going to So Many Meetings Print

How can you get any work done when you’re in meetings all day? You can’t. But instead of griping, be more discerning about which meetings you go to.

Before saying yes to an invitation, ask yourself, “If I was sick on the day of this meeting, would it need to be rescheduled?” If you answer “no,” then decline the meeting and try one of these less time-intensive alternatives:

  • Get an agenda. Ask to look at the agenda ahead of time so you can pass on your comments to the meeting organizer to share on your behalf. (Bonus: This may force him to actually make an agenda!)
  • Delegate. Send someone else from your group to communicate your team’s perspective.
  • Ask for notes. If someone is going to share important information but you’ll just be listening, request a copy of the meeting notes after the fact.

Source: Adapted from “Break Your Addiction to Meetings” by Elizabeth Grace Saunders.

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 Get Customers to Advocate for You Print

When deciding whether to give you their business, prospective customers trust one source of information above all others: their peers. To sell more, you need to get your current customers marketing and selling – advocating – for you.

First, find the core customers who are passionate about your company. One way to do this is by asking the “net promoter” question: “How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?” Then, for those who respond with “highly likely,” make it easy for them to do so right then. Give them the option to easily post a recommendation to their Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections, and Twitter followers.

Try giving them the tools to write a product review on a site important to your market. Or make it simple for them to upload a video singing your praises.

Source: Adapted from “Memo to the CEO: Customers Are the Key to Growth” by Bill Lee

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 Make Social Media Work for You Print

      7 Reasons why FB posts don’t get comments
Whew – I thought it was just me! Turns out there are 7 simple reasons why that great post on Facebook didn’t get any comments … and the fixes are rather simple. And if your posts aren’t even getting “likes” – much less comments – you can now learn 10 reasons why. Then you can do posts that lead to engagement.

      Advice on social tact
As a real estate agent or broker, your professional response to something posted on a social media site can make or break your business reputation. A new survey teaches about
ways to respond to stressful social interactions. Along those lines, did you hear about the Facebook “train wreck” when a Scottsdale, Ariz., restaurant reacted to bad reviews and a negative profile on “Kitchen Nightmares.” Whew, juicy!

      3 Tools to improve your social media results
Struggling to learn how to
judge your Facebook page’s effectiveness beyond just the “likes”? I started using one of these free tools immediately to improve my page’s performance – LikeAlyzer – and I’ll soon be looking at the other two tools.

      9 Social-media metrics that really matter
Here are even more
ways to help you get more results from your numbers on Facebook or Twitter. Learn about metrics vs. influencers, virality vs. likes and relationships – what you’re really shooting for.

      What’s new for businesses on Facebook
Bookmark this page or like the Facebook Marketing Page to learn about Facebook news and updates. For instance, if you manage pages from your smartphone, you really need to download Facebook Pages Manager App v2.0.

      6 Tips to grow your Twitter followers
Strategic following, guest blogging, hashtags don’ts … all are discussed (plus more) in this
essential article from someone who regularly shares with his 149,000 Twitter followers.

      21 Social media facts, figures & stats for 2013
The “conversation” over social media has moved on – Facebook is part of our Web lives, everyone watches YouTube, and we are now obsessed with Pinterest. Click for
awesome stats on the chief social media venues.

      5 Don’ts and 8 do’s of Instagram to build your brand
Real estate brands are getting active on Instagram, but it can be tricky to
avoid annoying its active users. Don’t be the one who posts too often or overusing #hashtags. Instead, look at the 8 Instagram do’s – many of which are perfect for real estate! (You will sign in with Facebook to view this article.)

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 3 Magical Phrases to Get People Listening Print

by David Greenberg

“Let me share with you the history of our company” was how Mark started his presentation. From there, he continued with a barrage of facts and figures that would have bored any audience to tears. If this was delivered in a high school classroom, surely someone would have interrupted Mark by asking, “Will this be on the exam?”

Whether you are speaking in a high school classroom where the students are often more honest about their feelings or in a business environment, where many people pretend to listen, the reality is that most listeners are thinking, “Why do I need to know this?” “Who cares?” and “What’s in it for me?”

Here are three simple magical phrases to use in your presentations and conversations to keep your listeners interested and understanding exactly why they should care:

      Magic Phrase #1: “So that you...”
Example: “Let me share with you the history of our company so that you feel comfortable doing business with a proven leader.”

      Magic Phrase #2: “What this means to you is...”
Example: “Our company provides round-the-clock technical support. What this means to you is that your potential down-time is significantly decreased compared to your current situation.”

      Magic Phrase #3: “The reason this is so important is...”
Example: “I’ve been conducting these programs for 20 years. The reason this is so important is that you are receiving time-tested materials, proven in the real world over and over again.”

As you prepare and deliver your presentations, put yourself in your listeners’ shoes. Any time there is room for doubt as to how the information impacts the listeners, use magical phrases like those above and your listeners will indeed be listening and not wondering “Will this be on the exam?”

Reprinted from: Communication Strategies from David Greenberg’s Simply Speaking, Inc.®, Forget Your Title, We’re All in Sales!® For information about their Simply Speaking® workshops and private coaching programs, click http://www.davidgreenberg.com

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

©2013, David Greenberg. All rights reserved.

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 Essential E-News Print

      Workforce mobility improving with housing

When a friend left for his dream job in a small Texas city, he was concerned his wife and kids would be stuck for months selling their home. No worries – his home in Katy, a suburb just west of Houston – sold in a week and a half.

When homes weren’t selling, the ability for Americans to leave one job for a better one in a different location was seriously affected. Since the housing market has improved, relocations can commence and both job-seekers and real estate professionals can rejoice.

Click to “Insight: Housing improvement may herald return of U.S. workforce mobility.”

      Workplace gender differences are real

With women making up 50 percent of the U.S. workforce, learning how men and women look differently at business and operational issues is more crucial than ever. A new book talks about the 4 gender “blind spots” that could damage your office culture, including differences in communication and decision-making styles. This article reports on the book, “Work With Me,” saying it’s important for companies to recognize those differences and “take action to make teams and systems operate more effectively.”

      New Google Maps more like a portable navigation device

Want traffic info delivered to your phone so you can take a different route? The new Google Maps for Mobile will do that and offer dynamic rerouting as well. Your tablet will find it easier to search for things like shopping and restaurants with the new Google Maps features.

Take a tour with the video below. 

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 Ideas for Smart and Easy Travel Print

      Where to cash in your frequent-flier miles
Your odds of getting a free ticket with your frequent-flier miles has more to do with what airline they’ve been earned on.
A recent survey gives “thumbs-up” to United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways.

      Easier security checks for some international travelers
Have you heard about Pre Check, the TSA program allowing certain travelers to have an easier time going through security? Well now the program will apply to some international trips as well. Learn the whole story from this Wall Street Journal article.

      Be more productive with these travel gadgets
Don’t be left out on the road or in an airport down without these chargers or Wi-Fi gadgets. Here’s a list of
5 must-haves to be more productive. And here’s another list, of 8 solar-powered smartphone chargers.

      Survival guide for summer air travel
U.S. airports will be a real mess this summer. Between downsized TSA staffing at security points (because of the federal sequester), add-on charges for carry-on bags and ticket changes, and storm-related delays – you better be prepared! This article tells you how.

      5 Fees worth paying
Baggage fees and other add-ons have become quite the irritation when flying. However, according to travel advisor Christ McGinnis, there are
5 fees you WANT to pay when you fly or stay in a nice business hotel.

      Dream on & they will come by to wake you
“Oh no, forgot my travel alarm – I’ll just use the hotel wake-up call instead.” If you’ve ever said that, you might be in for a pleasant surprise when you travel because some
high-end hotels send actual people by your room to wake you!

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 Awesome Apps to Share Print

10 Must-have smartphone apps
There are well over 700,000 apps in both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Tech expert Kim Komando has put together a starter kit of 10 apps you’ll use every day.

Rich DeMuro’s favorite apps
KTLA-TV (Los Angeles) tech guru Rich DeMuro shares his five essential apps. (And they’re different than Komando’s.)

5 Tips for Evernote
Evernote in an app that lets you save notes: text-type notes, photos, voice memos or documents you upload. Thanks to Cyndee Haydon for telling us about “Get Organized: 5 Tips for Evernote.”

Apps for your summer travels
Find Wi-Fi, rain, golf and same-day discounted plane tickets via these apps for your summer travels.

$12,000 per year savings by using apps
This blew me away! Smartphone owners who use mobile apps save up to 88 minutes per day, yielding as much as $12,000 in savings, says a recent survey. The next time you’re told you spend too much time on your smartphone, use the stats in this article.

10-Must-have apps for advisors
Yes, consider yourself an investment advisor and look at these apps for productivity, client meetings, business-building and staying informed.

Keep track of mileage: Milebug
The Tech Byte’s Kim Wood says figuring out your mileage deduction is so much easier with the Milebug app. Available for Android, iOS and Windows 7 smartphones, Milebug has GPS integration and keeps track of the miles you’ve travelled. Now for your 2013 taxes, you can get a calculation of your work miles with one push of a button.

P.S. The IRS deduction rate for mileage is now 56.5 cents/business mile.

Are you one of the smart 61 percent?
Consumer Reports has found that 39 percent of smartphone users don’t secure their phones … and that’s scary! Just think what a thief could gain from that mini-computer/lifeline that fits in your hand. Check out some of the excellent ideas on protecting your smartphone.

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Hugs, The Frog

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

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