Industry Visionary Interview

Toni Nelson is the Division Vice-President of Marketing and Training for the Houston Division of Coldwell Banker United, Realtors.  

Ms. Nelson currently serves as an NAR Director, Regional Vice-President of the Texas Association of Realtors®, Vice-Chair of the Risk Reduction Committee for TAR, and is Chair-Elect of HAR.

“This is the most fascinating time ever to become Chair of HAR! The industry is in a major paradigm shift and we must change our course or suffer serious consequences.  I always choose change over extinction!”

Toni can be reached at tnelson@coldwellbankerunited.com

Click to listen to Toni's personal invitation to join her in Houston at her Installation Luncheon and hear Tom Peters.

A telephone survey was completed in August of 2004 to a random sample of C.A.R. statewide membership. The purpose of the survey was to determine and track current trends in technology used by REALTORS®. The survey was also designed to gauge proficiency in technology and their incorporation of technology in their real estate practices. The survey asked REALTORS® questions on topics ranging from their computer and technology usage to their Internet needs and usage within their real estate business.  Results of the survey.

Key Conclusions

• All REALTORS® own one or more personal computers for their real estate business
• 38% of REALTORS® claim their most important technology upgrade in the last year was a new computer
• 53% of REALTORS® have a personal website
• 45% of REALTORS® use Email as their primary form of communication with their clients
• 82% of REALTORS® have a high-speed Internet connection at home
• On average, 24 percent of real estate business is generated from the Internet

Source: California Association of REALTORS®

Dawson Financial Services Helps You Retain and Recruit the Top Staff Team

FrogPond.com welcomes Dawson Financial Services as a new Sponsor of our site. We’re really excited because we believe they have excellent products and services to help associations, MLSs, brokerages, and businesses effectively recruit and retain the best possible staff teams. 

Today’s employees want to be empowered to make decisions, want goals tied to incentive compensation and they want marketplace competitive benefits such as 401 (K) retirement plans.

If your association, MLS, brokerage or business is looking to add or upgrading its existing retirement plans, take a close look at Dawson Financial Services’ The ChamberPlan for Retirement 401 (K).  Here are some points you will want to consider:

• The ChamberPlan, a complete 401(k) plan tailored to meet the needs of small- to medium- sized businesses, has the exclusive endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce^.  The good news is The ChamberPlan is available to U.S. Chamber of Commerce members and non-members alike.  The endorsement of the U.S. Chamber was an important element to us.
• The ChamberPlan has the strength of AIG SunAmerica behind it.  The guarantees in The ChamberPlan are backed by AIG SunAmerica Life Assurance Company which is independently rated as one of the strongest and most financially secure insurers.
                             Standard & Poor---AAA
                             Moody's Investors Service---Aaa
                             A.M. Best Company---A++
• The ChamberPlan contains a one year guaranteed fixed account paying 3% interest for employees who do not wish to place all their investments in the market.  This is a very positive benefit in light of the low interest rate currently paid on savings and money market accounts.
• The ChamberPlan protects the employee's beneficiary by guaranteeing a death benefit equal to the total amount the employee contributed to their account, less adjustments for withdrawals, fees and expenses.  This protects a spouse or other beneficiary from major market events that could erode their inheritance.
• The ChamberPlan offers the employee excellent diversity and a wide range of investment choices managed by eight world-class money managers: Alliance Capital Management, Davis Selected Advisors, Federated Investors, Putnam Investments, AIG SunAmerica Asset Management Corp., U.S. Bancorp Asset Management, Van Kampen, and Wellington Management Company. Your staff will get excited about having access to such an impressive group of  well-known and respected money managers.
• The ChamberPlan makes it easy for the employee to invest and keep track of their investments online or by calling an automated telephone system toll-free. Online the employee may review account holdings, view transaction history, evaluate investment options, perform transfers among investment options, rebalance asset allocations through automatic account rebalancing, access the prospectus and learn more about the performance history and portfolio characteristics of the investment options and link to retirement education and planning tools.
• The ChamberPlan's full-service 401(k) recordkeeping is provided by ADP, Inc., one of the largest 401(k) recordkeepers in the U.S.  ADP prepares the Plan documents, performs compliance testing and regulatory services, including signature-ready IRS filings, and acts as Trustee of the Plan, all at a highly competitive fee.
• The ChamberPlan allows your staff team to use the power of tax deferral to accumulate a retirement nest egg much faster as the money that would otherwise go to pay current income taxes instead remains in their account growing for the future. 

Your employees will see you as providing them one more true WOW!

 
Doug Gachman, financial representative for the Houston Association of REALTORS®  Plan, can review your current 401(k) plan or help you set-up a new 401(k) plan and show you how The ChamberPlan can help you recruit and retain the best possible staff team.

Doug Dawson
Dawson Financial Services
713.461.9800 office
713.461.9802 cell
doug@dawsonfs.com

Doug Gachman
Dawson Financial Services
713.266.0775 office
713.542.8948 mobile
doug.gachman@nmfn.com

3 Ways to Save on your Print Marketing and Advertising

Part of the page may be all you need.
When it comes to print advertising, it pays to "dominate" the page. Does this mean you have to run a full page ad? Not necessarily. In a tabloid format you may only have to run a 2/3 page ad to get noticed first on the page. Review the formats in the publications you use. You may be able to save some money.

Make 'em read on.
Make sure that your 2-page sales letter gets read from start to finish. End the first page of copy in the middle of a sentence so that the reader must turn the page.

Postcard mailing savings.
Do monthly postcard mailings? Save some money by purchasing postcards that are pre-stamped. You pay for the postage and get the postcard thrown in for good measure. This can save you card stock costs when you have the postcards printed.

Five Selling Questions

Here is a short questionnaire. 

1. If someone were to ask you "Why should I do business with you?" how do you reply?

2. How do you quantify a customer's pain?

3. How do you discover who the key decision makers are and what their decision making process is?

4. What information do you need to know to determine that the person you're speaking to is NOT a prospect?

5. What are the KEY pieces of information you need to know to determine whether or not you've got a prospect?

If you weren't able to answer these questions in less than 30 seconds you need to read Jeffrey Mayer's newest training manual "Closing More Sales By Asking Better Questions."

Find a File, any File

Save time and get rid of your frustrations when hunting a file on your computer. Stop opening up folder after folder hoping your file is there.

The problem has been solved with Google's new and free Desktop Search tool. Once installed, it indexes the files on your computer. It can be used to search your e-mail, along with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and text files.

After downloading, the free program can take several hours to index your computer. So you can't use it immediately. But once the indexing is done, you will love this new way of finding what you need on your computer.

Google Desktop Search works only with Windows XP or Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 or later. It will use about 500 megabytes of hard drive space.

Check it out http://desktop.google.com/

What makes good cents in marketing these days? Consider Creative Joint Venturing.

Here's an example:

Sara is a REALTOR®  targeting women business owners. She belonged to a couple of networking groups that she attended faithfully.

She understood the power of publicity and was having success writing business articles about her marketplace. She did periodic postcard mailings to past, current and prospective customers. She also sent out email newsletters twice a month filled with lots of industry trends, news and neighborhood information. But, Sara still wasn't getting the results she desired.

She analyzed her customer base and noticed they were women business owners who had been in business five or more years.  Sara took a deeper look at who else was working her same target market.

Sara concluded that CPAs, lawyers, certain nonprofit associations and professional groups, bankers and upscale ladies' retail shops were all trying to attact the same targeted group.

She thought of the benefits to the customer if she could unite efforts and expertise of two or more non-competing service providers.  She would have a broader reach to market her services to with the combined databases. She began by contacting the CPA, banker and an upscale ladies' retail shop owner in her networking group.

Sara's first action plan was for her new joint venture partners to offer free CMAs as a "thank you" gift to their customers. She would do the mailing simply thanking them for their business, especially with Thanksgiving approaching. She would create a certificate, write a letter on her partners' letterhead and pay for all the associated costs of the mailing. Sara's new partners would look like heroes without spending a dime.

Sara mailed to 3,000 new prospects. She anticipated 20% would take advantage of her offer instantly generating new leads. These new leads would certainly turbo-charge her business as well as her new partners'. So the expense was well worth it.

Who can you joint venture with to jumpstart your sales?

The media is looking for great human interest stories...stand out as an award winner!

Corporate or business awards are an excellent way to celebrate business achievement. Take your small business to new levels by entering corporate awards. These awards programs are operated by various profit and non-profit organizations to honor and recognize small business. I bet there are several awards programs in your community. Call your local Chamber of Commerce for information.

Use the the awards and contests as a marketing strategy. Even if you don't win, you can benefit from lots of PR as a title nomination because awards celebrate achievement and hardwork. A few additional benefits are attracting savvy employees and agents that want to work for the best companies and magazines and reporters are on the lookout for experts for insightful information, commentary and human interest stories.

Simple Steps for Increasing Travel Safety

Each year, more and more Americans travel abroad, but according to the U.S. State Department the sharpest increase is among women traveling alone. Whether they are on a business trip or a vacation, women traveling alone are more likely than men to encounter problems in certain cultures.

Every country and culture has its own views of what is appropriate behavior for women, and the reaction to violations of those standards can range from quiet disapproval to criminal charges and punishment. For example, in Laos it is illegal to invite a Lao citizen of the opposite sex to your hotel room, and in Saudi Arabia foreign travelers have been arrested for “improper dress.”

While few Americans would agree with these views or the double standard for women, it is obviously in your best interest to become familiar with the laws and customs of countries you plan to visit and to abide by them once you arrive. It’s also a good idea to check the U.S. State Department Consular Information Bulletins to see whether there are any travel warnings for countries where you intend to go.

Following a few simple tips can help make your trip safe and rewarding.

1. Passports and Visas: Make sure your passport is still valid or, if not, apply for a new one 3-4 months before you plan to travel. Make sure you have any other necessary travel documents or visas for the countries you plan to visit.

2. What to Leave Behind: Leave your detailed itinerary and photocopies of your passport's identification page and your flight and ticket information at home with a friend or relative. Include names, addresses and telephone numbers of every place you will be staying.

3. Don’t Carry Valuables: Leave all valuables, such as extra credit cards and jewelry, at home. Even costume jewelry poses an unnecessary risk to your safety, because thieves aren’t likely to know it’s not the real thing until after they steal it.

4. Health Insurance: Make sure you have adequate health insurance coverage for your trip abroad and that your coverage includes medical evacuations. If your policy does not cover you overseas, you may need to purchase supplemental traveler's insurance.

5. Medications: If you take prescription drugs, make sure you have enough to last the length of your trip, including enough extra medication to keep you supplied in case of delays, and bring along your prescription information and the names of the generic equivalents in case you need them. Always carry your prescriptions in their labeled containers, because many countries have strict laws against drug trafficking and may be suspicious of pills in unlabeled bottles.

6. Safety and Security: Stay alert, use common sense, and be aware of your surroundings. If you think you’re being followed, step into a store or another safe place and wait to see whether the person passes by. Don’t be embarrassed to ask someone to make sure everything is safe before you venture out again. If you’re still unsure, call your hotel for assistance.

7. Be Confident: Looking, acting and moving as though you know where you're going and what you’re doing will prevent you from looking like an easy target and may help you avoid potential danger.

8. Ask for Directions: Before you set out from your hotel, ask the concierge or other hotel staff for directions to the places you plan to visit each day. This will help you avoid unsafe areas and also prevent you from looking confused and potentially vulnerable. If you get lost, ask directions from a family or a woman with children.

9. Hotel Safety: Choose a hotel where security is good and public transportation or taxis are readily available and close by. Once in your room, check to make sure that all of the doors and windows have working locks. If you feel uncomfortable, ask hotel security to escort you to and from parking lots or your room at night. Always use your peephole before opening your door.

10. Clothing: It’s always best to dress conservatively and inconspicuously when traveling. Whenever possible, take your fashion cues from local women. In some cultures, what you consider attractive casual clothing may be seen as provocative or inappropriate, even offensive, which could spark harassment. In addition, your style of dress, or the amount of makeup and jewelry you wear, could make you a more likely target for thieves.

Source: US State Department Consular Information

How to Work with Your Spouse

Entrepreneurial spouses have a double whammy challenge: the challenge of working with a business partner and the challenge of working with your spouse. Two books to read if you are considering working with your spouse: Kathy Marshack is author of "Entrepreneurial Couples: Making It Work at Work and at Home"; Azriela Jaffe is author of "Permission to Prosper: What Working Wives Crave From Their Husbands, and How to Get It".

Here are some of their ideas to ponder:

1. Plan no-business weekends. Go on actual dates. Make rules. Don't do it by accident. Go into business with your spouse only if the two of you have mutually planned it, says Jaffe, "not because other options have failed."
2. Acknowledge competitiveness. Recognize that in a business you're always competing, even with your spouse.
3. Be prepared for business to get personal.
4. Don't get stuck in typical gender roles. At the office and at home, start with a clean sheet of paper.
5. Establish a real separation between work and home.
6. Fight the business's unfair pull. Every entrepreneurial couple claims the relationship is their first priority -- but then the phone rings. Learn not to answer it.
7. Get a counselor or a coach. And it must be one who can sort through the business and the marriage simultaneously. A bonus: The simple act of deciding to use one is a powerful reminder of the marriage's priority.
8. Keep asking the right questions. Am I being true to myself? Am I helping my partner be true to himself or herself?

Source: Inc. Magazine

Content Surpasses Communications in Time Spent Online

Autumn is a great time of year to visit a national park. Hiking in the brisk cool air is the best! If you're lucky, the trees are still displaying a variety of colors.

Here is the link to The National Park Service, http://nps.gov

The site has a wealth of information for all of their parks. You can search for a park by name or geographic area. Each park has its own page with information on hours, accessibility and activities. Some have hard-to-find detailed maps.

So go out and start exploring!  And, share this great site with your clients or prospects.

If you are unable to get your flu shot this year, it is more important than ever to be vigilant and take some simple steps to help prevent the spread of the flu. Below are suggestions from the American Lung Association:

• Wash your hands often. The most common way to catch the flu is to touch your own eyes, nose or mouth with germy hands. So keep your hands clean, and away from your face.
• Keep your distance when you are sick or if you are around someone else who is sick.
• Keep it to yourself. One gift you can give others is to help prevent other people from catching your flu. We highly recommend that you stay home from work, school and public places when you are sick. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

Remember, you can still spread germs up to 7 days after getting sick. Following these simple steps for up to a week after getting sick will help to reduce the chances of spreading the flu. Set up additional sick days for employees so they won't be penalized by trying to spare the rest of your office from their flu germs.

The information in this newsletter represents the views of the author and/or contributing authors and their interpretation of events. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy, profitability or legality.