Below is your bi-weekday “Get To The Verb!” (GTTV!) tip.  The focus is on Professional Development.

Topic:

Professional Development

Quick Explanation:

Use attention-grabbing headlines and videos on your site.

How It Helps You:

Utilizing powerful headlines and video will allow you to not only get the attention of your visitors, but it will also allow you to better retain their attention.

Below is your bi-weekday “Get To The Verb!” (GTTV!) tip.  The focus is on Market Knowledge.

Topic:

Market Knowledge

Quick Explanation:

When learning about an area, be sure to talk to the people who live in it.

How It Helps You:

If you want to learn about an area, the locals will be able to provide you with detailed information that you may not be able to get from other resources.

In light of reviewing a survey conducted by BIGresearch and and the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, I thought it would be a relevant time to discuss the human element of marketing.  Yes, I deliberately said “marketing” instead of “social marketing” in that last sentence, which is the focal point of this post.

In their survey, they focused on the influential factors between social media users and average adults for wanting to learn more about a product or service.  The chart below provided by eMarketer depicts how various communication channels from this survey arouse social media user and average adult interests in the US.

Out of 11 different communication channels, social media elements come in as the sixth, seventh and eighth most influential factors that cause social media users and average adults to want to learn more about a product or service.  While social media is an extremely cost-effective medium to influence these kinds of users (potentially free, depending on your objectives), there are other, more influential mediums that should be used as well.

If cost is an issue, then the second, third, fourth and fifth most influential factors may be of little interest to you.  Luckily, for all of us, the most influential factor that impacts the interest of both social media users and average adults is (technically) free:  face-to-face communication.

Your Words Can Have A Very Influential Impact

Face-to-face communication is not only the most influential medium, but it can also have synergistic effects as well.  Think about it: let’s say you go out and meet a potential client face-to-face.  You spend 1 hour with them and just completely ‘wow’ them with your services and expertise.  You’re certain you left a very influential impression with this person, but that may just be the beginning.

This person may end up discussing their meeting and impressions with you throughout their various social networks and media.  That means not only have you used the most influential communication channel on this person, but that person is now potentially using the sixth, seventh, eighth (and maybe even the ninth and tenth) most influential communication channels to tell their friends and peers about you as well.

Why This Is Important To You

For many of us, social marketing can act as a great way to develop relationships with people without ever meeting them in person.  It can make lead generation more anonymous, thus making us feel less reluctant to move out of our comfort zone.  While that may be the case, it’s important to remember that face-to-face communication establishes a unique level of credibility and trust in business.  Social media marketing is extremely important to use, but as cliché as it may be, you shouldn’t put all of your eggs in that one basket.

Diversify your resources and take the time to meet with people face-to-face.  Even with technology making leaps and bounds in the communication spectrum, face-to-face is still the preferred way to communicate.

Below is your bi-weekday “Get To The Verb!” (GTTV!) tip.  The focus is on Prospecting.

Topic:

Prospecting

Quick Explanation:

Set up an information booth at Bridal Shows geared towards promoting the advantages of owning a home and the buying process.

How It Helps You:

Even though people attend Bridal Shows to wedding-oriented affairs, there may be brides attending the show interested in thinking about life after their wedding.  This is a great opportunity for you to provide them the information they need and establish a trusting business relationship.

Below is your bi-weekday “Get To The Verb!” (GTTV!) tip.  The focus is on Professional Development.

Topic:

Professional Development

Quick Explanation:

Think like your visitors and figure out what they would want out of your website, then provide it to them.

How It Helps You:

Providing tools and services that no one else has will make visitors to your site more likely to work with you compared to your competition.

Yesterday, Mike Sachoff wrote about an HR study conducted by Toolbox.com and PJA.  The focus of the study was to determine the role of social media for HR execs.   As one could probably expect (since I am writing about it here), the results were very indicative to the potential of social media.

One of the things I found interesting was the HR execs spent more time on social networks than they did with editorial media (CNN, Wall Street Journal, etc.) or vendor-based content.  On average, they spend 3.77 hours per week viewing social media, which equaled 43% of the total media content they consumed.  Here are some other interesting results worth noting:

• Respondents state the most important uses for social media are to stay updated with what is going on (78% of votes) and connecting with peers (71% of votes).
• Over 50% of the respondents say they have answered a question by a peer within an online community.
• Almost 50% of the respondents state connecting with peers allowed them to build their personal knowledge networks.
• Having deep experience is considered the most valuable facet of a social media expert.  Other important factors are having thoughtful and detailed responses.
• Almost half of the respondents say having a social media presence increases their value as a job candidate.
• Over 50% of the respondents claim that to build your brand, it is important to utilize social media.

What Does This Mean For Real Estate Professionals And FSBOs?

Just because HR is a different from the real estate industry doesn’t mean you can’t get valuable information out of this.  In this study, HR execs found that social media has been, and continues to be, a primary mechanism to give and receive information, establish network connections, stay informed, and build their personal brand.  What is preventing you from using social media in the same way?

Social media can have an amazing impact on building your credibility and trust as a real estate professional if used properly.  This doesn’t mean that you just sign up for accounts with Facebook, Twitter, etc. in hopes that hordes of people will rush to you.  It also doesn’t mean that you just post random and useless content.  I have seen many people fall in these categories and wonder why social media is not working for them…

To utilize social media as a real estate professional in the ways HR execs are using it, it takes time and effort. It can be very intimidating, but just remember: everyone starts from zero at some point.  You need to be active, participate in what others are discussing and provide quality and relevant content to your audience.  If you do this and make a habit out of doing it consistently, then within time you will be able to achieve similar rewards as the HR execs have from this study.

Below is your bi-weekday “Get To The Verb!” (GTTV!) tip.  The focus is on Prospecting.

Topic:

Prospecting

Quick Explanation:

Renter’s who file tax returns and don’t have property ownership benefits can be great prospects for you.

How It Helps You:

Renter’s who don’t have property ownership benefits on their tax returns can be losing out on a good chunk of change.  Spotting these deductions can establish a level of trust with a renter that could be difficult to forge otherwise.

Below is your bi-weekday “Get To The Verb!” (GTTV!) tip.  The focus is on Prospecting.

Topic:

Prospecting

Quick Explanation:

Your Prelisting Package should include the following: a cover letter, an outline of your skills, a personal marketing brochure, short biographies of your team members, testimonials from past clients, press clippings about you and your work, and a property disclosure form.

How It Helps You:

Contrary to what some may think, the primary goal of a Prelisting Package is to establish your credibility with prospects.  It gives them a solid understand of who you and your team are, what you do, your credibility and your marketing approach.  It also tells you about the prospect’s property to give you an idea of what you will be working on.

If you are interested in buying a product or service, chances are you do some research before making the purchase. To get a clear insight on a product or service, you probably end up checking reviews, ratings, and testimonials.

So, what makes testimonials so special?  Well, there are a few things that make them powerful:

1. They provide credibility to a product or service.
2. They allow potential customers to get unbiased opinions from owners.
3. They provide “social proof”. In other words, people tend to believe what other people believe (especially if they are well-known and respected).

Why Would I Want To Write Testimonials For Others?

This is a good question.  After all, the goal is to help boost your business and personal brand, not someone else’s.  So how can this be done with testimonials? Well, let me give you a little situation to explain the marketing benefits you can achieve from giving testimonials to others.

You discover that some real estate guru released a product that revolutionizes the real estate marketing industry.  You also notice that people are talking about it: in forums, on social networks; everywhere.  The product has generated a lot of buzz and continues to generate it quickly.

Before you know it, you see this product being talked about everywhere; not just within communities and networks, but throughout all their affiliates and different advertising mediums as well. Respectable niche authorities are discussing it among their email lists; numeous PPC, CPA and CPM campaigns have been built around it; videos and other viral marketing campaigns have been developed and shared with the masses: the people behind this miracle product are pushing it in the market, and pushing it hard.

Now imagine if you wrote a testimonial that was put on this product’s sales page, which included your business and website information.  That would mean all of the traffic coming in from the social networks; the affiliates; the advertising mediums; and everywhere else would have the opportunity to read about who you are and what you do. In other words, you are able to piggyback on all of the marketing efforts done by this guru and all of their resources to spread the word about you and your business.

What’s even better is not only will the guru be happy to do it, but they will probably also include a photo of you as well as your name, title, location and a link to your website.  They will more than likely include this information about you as well because it gives your testimonial extended credibility to their product.  It’s a win-win situation.

How To Write A Killer Testimonial People Will Want To Use

Just because you write a testimonial for someone’s product or service doesn’t mean they are going to use it.  You need to be descriptive and speak out to their audience by saying how their product or service has improved your life, made something easier, solved a problem, or whatever the goal of the product or service achieves.  Here is a simple step-by-step process to help you write a killer testimonial that people will want to use.

Step 1: Your Problems Prior To Buying The Product/Service

To start your testimonial, think about your situation before buying the product or service.  What problems were you having? What situation were you in? This should be one to two sentences and should lay the foundation as to where you were in life before you bought the product or service.

Examples: “I didn’t know anything about creating an opt-in list”, “I couldn’t figure out how to use social networks for business”, “I was down to my last $150″

Step 2: What Did You Do About Your Problems?

Once you have discussed your problem, talk about what you did next.  This should be one to two sentences and brings the product or service into the story.

Examples: “I came across [product/service] site and learned about what they could offer me”, “My friend told me to check out [product/service]“, “I listened to [guru's name] webinar about real estate marketing”

Step 3: What Happened After You Bought The Product

Here, you discuss the positive impacts that occurred to you as a direct result of buying the product or service. This can be a couple of sentences and should provide specifics.  The more specific the testimonial, the more convincing it is to readers. The more convincing it is to readers, the more inclined people will want to put it on their sales pages.

Examples: “After 30 days of using [product/service], I grew my opt-in list to 5,187 subscribers”, “Within 2 months, I grew my Twitter list to 21,517 followers”, “I ended up making $518.55 after my first week of using [product/service]”

Step 4: Where Are You Now?

Close off your testimonial by discussing where you currently are with using the product or service.  This can be a couple sentences long and discuss future predictions, goals, achievements or anything else that discusses your successes.

Examples: “By the end of next year, I expect to quadruple my list of clients”, “In 2011, I plan on breaking my all-time sales record”, “I am on my way to becoming the top producer in our company”.

Closing Thoughts

Now that you have a general outline on how to make a killer testimonial, here are a couple of things you should think about when constructing your testimonials:

• Be Honest: Don’t make any outrageous claims just to try and get your testimonial posted.  If your testimonial is doesn’t sound legit, it won’t be posted.
• Have Experience With The Product/Service: Don’t try to make a testimonial without buying the product or service.  This can lead to false claims and prevent your testimonial from being posted.
• Discuss Your Business: If you can blend in your business or you expertise in your testimonial, try to do it.  Make sure it is relevant to the product or service though.
• Don’t Use Blatant Sales Pitches: Testimonials are to educate people on your experiences with with the product or service, not to deliberately promote yourself and your business.

Below is your bi-weekday “Get To The Verb!” (GTTV!) tip.  The focus is on Time Management.

Topic:

Time Management

Quick Explanation:

If you have redundant jobs that can be made easier through a system or by tools, invest some money or time into buying or creating them.

How It Helps You:

While doing this will take up more of your time up front, it has the potential of saving you a ton of time in the long run.