Have you noticed that business today is facing a bit of a challenge?   With costs of doing business changing every day, today’s businesses are overwhelmed, overloaded and stressed to find new ways to save money, time and streamline efficiencies. If you are struggling to figure out what to do and are looking to pump up your real estate sales, here are a few key activities that can help you begin to take action:

• Start with an attitude shift! Studies prove that whatever you focus on becomes your reality and positive thinkers usually get positive results. Abrupt change opens the door to seek more creative solutions, so focus on how to enthusiastically embrace new innovative approaches to what appears to be obstacles.  Begin with identifying the possible positive outcomes which will spur creativity.  Every change reveals new opportunities that would ordinarily be lost in the mundane and routine!
• Investigate your Options:  More millionaires are born in a challenged economy than in a robust one.  When markets get tough, the tough go back to basics, get creative and become intensely focused in every aspect of how their business functions to discover new ways to deliver their products and services.  When sales stall, we’ve got a window of opportunity to re-design, re-work and re-ignite new processes in our service, delivery and fulfillment that would not have ordinarily been discovered.  When things are down like they are today, it is a great time to turn up the heat and initiate new relationships and seek new solutions.
• Use new tools! Get in the game and learn about and invest in the latest tools and programs that help you be the expert your customers and clients expect!
• Embrace Adaptability!  Studies prove that flexibility is the vital key to thriving and surviving.  It is critical that when we reinvent service and communication processes that we focus on engaging the 4 different generations who make up today’s consumers.  GenX is rapidly advancing and dominates the buying public. Their core preferences and values differ greatly from Boomers and Civics. Responding and resonating with their preferred mediums for information and service open the doors to compete and win.
• Marketing Message Makeovers:  Forget the self-aggrandizing message touting years of experience and impressive sales numbers. Today’s generation is not interested in an experienced provider, so much as enjoying a good buying experience.  Learn to utilize words and tools that speak to your target audience so that you can guarantee a more successful return on your marketing investment. 
• Use new tools to engage GenX and Y using social media channels like Facebook, YouTube and TWITTER.  Incorporate more TEXT messaging in your cadre of communication tools.  Start posting tips and information 24/7 posts on social networks that link back to your blog site to provide interaction and participation.
• Get a Web Makeover:  Successful web sites have migrated from being an informational to interactional destination. Add tools that integrate a social platform that allows you to interact or “speak “with the consumer.  Incorporating social interactive tools like blogs, video and podcasts provides the medium for participation that promotes creating more of a “community” online and ultimately drives more traffic and adds “stickiness” to your web visits and pumps up search engine optimization.
• Learn to sell Value! – In today’s competitive environment, learning what is valuable to the end user is the key to repeat and continued business, which is ever changing.  We need to seek new ways to deliver our services and products more efficiently that excites and delights our customers and clients.  When the value of our products and services is combined with strong relationships, high integrity and authentic care, price becomes a lesser issue.  Focus on delivering high quality services and your customers will insist on working with you.

Change is inevitable and how we handle the challenge makes for winning or losing.  Don’t try and tackle everything at one time, as making micro changes will be easier and less intimidating. But whatever you do…stop whining, take action and start winning!

Bio: Terri Murphy,  speaker, and communication consultant, and e-Strategist.  She is the author of 5 books, including one with Donald Trump. She is the Pres. of MurphyOnRealEstate as CIO of U. S. Learning in Memphis.  email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com

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Agents often sabotage themselves when it comes to pleasing their sellers.   We’ve all experienced those sellers that have been “picky” about how they think their properties should look in photos on their virtual tours or their brochures….and of course… the photos featured in multiple listing profiles.

Well some agents don’t realize that quality pictures make their sellers happy, and also better engage prospective buyers!  In today’s ever changing technology world, snagging the attention of a buyer in a noisy, overcrowded and confusing market place takes some simple but smart strategies …and taking great pictures to make both buyers and sellers happy is KEY!

So here are a couple of tips to help you go from “Pictures to Picasso” without breaking the bank!

·         TAKE BETTER PHOTOS: One of the easiest ways to engage prospects is to take better quality pictures of properties than your competitors provide… and that is easier than you think!  Unfortunately, too many agents today just settle for “pictures” when today’s savvy consumer is looking to be enchanted by more realistic and higher quality pictures that invite them to want “more”.

·         SAVE TIME WITH EZ UPLOAD OPTIONS: Get help without paying for an assistant! Don’t settle for just any camera!  Invest in a camera that not only takes great photos and can double as a “personal assistant”.   Save yourself time and money by choosing a camera that incorporates an “easy one button” loading of your pictures or video to YouTube, Facebook and FLICKR….and can immediately email those photos to prospective buyers.

·         USE A WIDE ANGLE LENS: Produce better quality photos with a camera that has a wide angle lens to capture those tough to photograph large rooms, high ceilings and wide exterior vistas.  Standard lens cameras won’t come near capturing the impressive views inside or out without that wide angle lens option.

·         SAVE ON BATTERIES: And finally…Choose a camera that doesn’t need a boatload of batteries so you can take a ton of pictures without running out of batteries or burning up your wallet.   There are many camera options out there, but my favorite choice is the Kodak EasyShare M580.  It has everything I need to take great photos. The “Easy Share” button option makes it simple (even for me!) to load photos and video to YouTube, FLICKR and Facebook and I don’t have to worry about battery life with the in-camera rechargeable battery.

So impress your sellers with the immediate uploading of photos and videos of their property to multiple popular social networking sites…Then dazzle them again by emailing those great photos directly to prospective buyers, and you are on your way to “out match” and “out perform” your competition! 

By providing engaging photos, and a more impressive representation of properties coupled with immediate connection…you create great differentiation in your marketplace and a higher level of service to your buyers and sellers.  Start taking better photos and…get a GREAT camera to do the work for you!  

Terri Murphy is a Social Communication Strategist and e-communication consultant. She is a speaker and author of 5 books, including her latest with Donald Trump. Terri is the founder and Pres. www.MurphyOnRealEstate.com and serves as CIO of U. S. Learning in Memphis-Email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com – And for more info visit: www.MurphyOnRealEstate.com

What do you think is worse?   The person who wears you out with hourly phone calls and multiple emails…or the person who seems to never return a call or email? 

It’s a real life story for sure!  Surveys show that one of the biggest reasons that sellers get frustrated with their listing agent and buyers move on to get the services of another Realtor® is often due to the lack of communication.  An important tenet of any relationship is the interchange and connection that is fostered through purposeful and relevant communication.

 I work with several top producing, very busy professionals that often WOW me with instant or quick response.  And if for any reason they are even remotely delinquent, I get a solid apology and acknowledgement…. and that makes people feel valued and important!

But so often in any business, tardy or non-existent responses can set a negative tone.  No response is considered a severe rejection, and if that is not your intent, then get better at communicating.  Use multiple mediums and never forget that document always trumps conversation, so take good notes in any interaction and clarify so everyone is sure that all parties are clear and informed.

 There are hundreds of historical examples of how miscommunications caused wars; deaths and family break ups…so why don’t we be more purposeful when communicating?

Here are a few thoughts for you to ponder

1) Simply ASK your client, customer, prospect, friend, spouse, or partner how they prefer to receive their communications from you.   Do they prefer email, text, phone, letters, or is Facebook their favorite medium? In any case, using a medium that is their preference does increase the probability that they will in fact respond to your communications.

2) Have a system in place that makes it easy for you to connect. If you use a smart phone, then communication using text and email can be more easily exchanged. If they prefer Facebook, then get a Facebook app for your phone to save time.

3) Email is still a popular medium, but in general we all suffer from email overload.  A smart move is to not assume that your communication actually went through.  Spam filters, and email fatigue contribute to lost connections and if your email was not read or was lost in a junk file, your lack of response can easily be misinterpreted that you are not interested, don’t care, or are unwilling to communicate.

4) Don’t mistake using a singular medium as the only type of interchange. Good old fashioned voice connection should be included in your communication strategy periodically.  Letters, postcards and voice mail can still support the exchange of information. But hearing the tone, inflection and timbre of a voice tells you more than any flat medium can provide.

5) Always confirm what you think was transmitted.  Clarify. Ask Questions. Confirm….all are important to keeping the conversation clear, understood and validated.

6) Be cognizant of the 4 generational dynamics of age and behavioral styles when communicating. People are always more comfortable when you speak to their core values and preferences and through a channel of their choosing.

No matter what you are doing with any one person or group, communication is the KEY to relationships and clear responses build ongoing referrals, trust and confidence.  Pump up your awareness and get better at communicating!  Now…who should you call…right now?

Bio: Terri Murphy, is a Social Communication specialist is an author, speaker, communication consultant, and author of 5 books, including her latest with Donald Trump. She is the founder and Pres. of WomensWisdomNetwork.com  www.MurphyOnRealEstate.com and serves as CIO of U. S. Learning in Memphis and Email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com – And for more info visit: www.MurphyOnRealEstate.com

First impressions are almost always irreversible and can make or break your connection in a matter of seconds, and how you connect on and offline will make determine if you will win or lose!

What can you do differently than you have been doing?  Are you relying on the same old things, systems, and habits…. or even more concerning, doing the same things your competitors are doing?

Today’s savvy consumer knows what they want, and are not willing to pay for services that do not meet their need. The largest buying segment of housing is GenX, and they are especially good at finding another professional who is willing to do it “their way” and fast!

So, how about tune up for your presentation program?  Whether you are presenting to a buyer or seller, creativity, expertise and delivery will boost or beat your chances.

Here are 3 key tips on how to fine tune your connection:

1) Speed of Response:   How fast are you responding to your lead requests?  If you don’t have systems in place to respond in a nano-second, your prospects are moving on to the next agent who does have a method to  respond  in real time with targeted information …and that is what it takes to make a first WOW impression!

2) When you are meeting face to face, have you revamped how you personally “go to market”?  Are you “market” presentable? Are you fully focused on your client? Have you anticipated their every need?

Before your meeting, are you equipped with a with deep needs analysis pre-written questionnaire that demonstrates you are prepared, interested and focused to authentically discover and fulfill their real objectives? 

Unfortunately, this is an area where many of us have slacked off. Having left a fast and furious marketplace, we didn’t have the luxury of time or the need to build trust bridges with our prospects. 

A slower market is loaded with multiple opportunities to engage, connect and earn the right to provide our services to those in need and a great time to demonstrate strong differentiation from our competitors.  As an example, if you are still running a paper CMA from your local MLS and showing up with a worn out one size fits all presentation, you might need to start looking for another job! 

NAR reports that in 2009 that 34% of the properties sold were purchased by GenX. Translated that means they are driven by their own core values and preferences.  Those preferences include real time response, deep expertise and real accountability.   Think about investing some time in a marketing makeover and don’t wait another minute to re-design how you go to market while you still can! NAR’s Learning Library offers some free and almost free online webinars to help you do just that.  Check them out at: (http://budurl.com/MurphyMktgMakeover)

3) Get rid of the old tools and get good with the NEW ones!   You are right to be confused, frustrated and downright stubborn about trying to figure out what’s in what’s out/what’s hot and what is not, but that is no excuse. 

You might be able to connect with prospects, but keeping all the updates consistent and valuable takes help from techno tools.  Set aside some time or ask the experts what tools are recommended to help you service 24/7 without working all those hours.  

Learn how virtual tours like OBEO.com will do the reporting on activity to the seller automagically for you and engage an interested prospect with interactivity on the tour. 

Your time is your money, so employing automated, customized drip systems that offer opt-in/opt-out options integrated with your IDX information is the only way to provide real time information as it is listed to prospective buyers or sellers considering to market their home. 

NAR reports that approximately 98.9% of prospects search for properties on the Internet BEFORE engaging an agent. Surprisingly only 60% of agents even have a website!  Do the basics, but do them right. Get a full web marketing website that does the work for you. Check out  www.RealProSystems.com  and get the whole enchilada:  Podcasts, blogs, drip systems, automated campaigns, back end training and the list goes on.  You can’t afford to be the jack of all trades, so figure out what systems can best support your goals and go for the gold. 

We’ve heard if you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always gotten…and that’s just not true anymore!  We know we can no longer do what we’ve always done to even stay even with what we’ve generated in the past!   If you are truly serious about making money by leveraging your time and expertise, get with the program.   Very few customers or clients say I don’t want to work with that professional because they are too good at what they do, too eager to help me get exactly what I want and too much of an expert at their craft….just ask them!

Bio: Terri Murphy, Communication specialist is an author, speaker, communication consultant, and author of 5 books, including her latest with Donald Trump. She is the founder and Pres. of WomensWisdomNetwork.com and serves as CIO of U. S. Learning in Memphis and one of NAR’s GAME CHANGER 2010 Coaches. Email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com - And for more webinar resources visit: http://budurl.com/NARFREEWebinars. For more information on how to book Terri for your next event call 877-211-6472

Okay… The holidays are over and we are at the half way point of the first quarter of a new year…..So the question is…What has changed in how you are doing (or not doing) your business to make real money?

We are all prisoners of our habits, and especially after a certain age, it is tough to “change”.  It’s been said, that if we keep on doing what we’ve always done, we’ll keep on getting what we have always gotten….but that is not true anymore!  In today’s competitive marketplace we may not even be able to survive doing the “normal”.  Today’s market requires innovation, creativity, and execution, using new tools, systems, strategies and the biggee: A willingness to CHANGE! 

If we don’t change who is going to notice?  From losing that extra five pounds to adding another day of exercise, or making more money…unless you have a plan and a coach to help you stay focused, there are no real outside consequences.

We are in a world that requires dollars for sustenance, survival and comfort, not to mention that money has been the measure of success.  So with that said, there are several experts out there that offer us a new path to create more guaranteed profits at this time next year if we are willing to embrace a few small changes.

Don’t have time??? Not an excuse anymore! With NAR’s FREE Realtor University Webinars, you can learn from top experts anytime, anywhere. Al l you need is the willingness to learn, a computer and a little willingness to CHANGE!  Here are some great resources:

Follow a Plan - Expert coach, author and speaker Carla Cross offers the best first step, and that is to have an effective business plan.  She did a brilliant job presenting what you need to know in the Realtor University free webinar last month available on line.  http://budurl.com/BizPlan2010withCarla

List for More $$ - More expertise to increase your bottom line with listings comes from super coach, author and speaker, Bernice Ross.  Bernice’s webinar offers solid direction on how to list more properties at higher commissions in 2010 by developing a premium marketing plan and use Web 2.0 strategies to get the listings signed up, priced right and sold!  Her million dollar information is offered FREE. Click here to get one on one direction:  http://budurl.com/ListMore4MoreMoney

Be the First Agent they call - Did you know that an NAR survey shows that 60-80% of consumers work with the first agent who responds to them?  If you are not up to speed on the latest applications that the top agents are using to out respond and out communicate their competitors, you need to get with it!  Expert and social media instructor Amy Chorew offers an information-packed power hour on the PDA applications top salespeople all over the world are using to respond, engage and connect with hot prospects. Get the scoop by clicking on: http://budurl.com/AmysKillerAps4U

There is a WEALTH of information available to agents that are sick and tired of not making the money they want.  The choice is yours to take advantage of these valuable online webinars that are guaranteed to take your profits from dull to dynamic! WARNING: It does require CHANGE on your part!

Are you ready???  Then check out these and others at: http://budurl.com/FreeNARWebinars4U

Do it! And we’ll see you in the winner’s circle…same time next year!

Bio: Terri Murphy is an author, speaker, communication consultant, and author of 5 books, including her latest with Donald Trump. She is the founder and Pres. of WomensWisdomNetwork.com and serves as CIO of U. S. Learning in Memphis and one of NAR’s GAME CHANGER 2010 Coaches. For more information or to book Terri Murphy for your next event call 1-877-211-6472 and for more webinar resources visit: http://budurl.com/NARFREEWebinars