This post has been reprinted with permission of Scott Levitt. Scott Levitt is the President of Oakley Signs & Graphics (http://www.OakleySign.com)

Q&A: Which Deals Are Worth My Time?
Use data to drive decisions

Q: How do I know which sorts of deals are worth my time?

A: In order to make informed decisions, you have to start tracking information.

If you’ve been “going by your gut” on which transactions have been the “best” for you, you’re probably working too hard for too little money. (What is “best”, anyway?) The only way you can objectively begin determining which deals have been your most profitable is to begin tracking data about your transactions in a central location, (such as Excel spreadsheet) where you can evaluate the pros and cons of particular segments.

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This post has been reprinted with permission of Zeke Camusio. Zeke Camusio is the owner of The Outsourcing Company

Most people don’t like selling. I used to be one of them. However, as entrepreneurs, we need to sell stuff all the time. We just don’t have a choice. So the question is how can we overcome the fear of selling?

Sell a Great Product
This might sound like an obvious answer, but it’s not. Unless you have an amazing product that you really believe in, calling someone to sell it to will always be hard.

Understand What Rejection Really Is
Have you ever walked into a store, a salesperson asked you if they could help in any way and you said, “no, thank you. I’m just looking.”?  This happens all the time. It doesn’t mean you don’t like the salesperson; it just means that at that given time you didn’t need or want that given product. That’s what rejection is. It’s not personal. Some people want your stuff and others don’t. You don’t buy everything that is offered to you, so don’t expect your prospect to do it.

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Is mold hiding in the home you’re selling? As a real estate agent, toxic mold is something you should take the time to learn about. Even if you’re not a real estate agent, knowing the warning signs and risk factors of mold in the home could be beneficial, even potentially save the health of you and your family members.

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For those of you who do not regularly engage in social media, the terminology can be overwhelming. Here are a few definitions of basic social media terms that you may read or hear about on a daily basis.

(some definitions provided by Wikipedia)

Widgets: In computing a web widget is a portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation. They are derived from the idea of code reuse. For example, take a look at the Recent Visitors widget on the left hand side of the TRELG Blog.

RSS Feed: RSS is short for Really Simple Syndication. This allows you to subscribe to content on blogs and other social media and have it delivered to you through a feed. This is a great way to read all of your favorite news websites and blogs through one website. For an example of an RSS Feed, take a look at Google RSS feeder.

http://www.google.com/reader/view/

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This Blog has been re-posted with permission of www.SmashingMagazine.com.

Email signatures are so easy to do well, that it’s really a shame how often they’re done poorly. Many people want their signature to reflect their personality, provide pertinent information and more, but they can easily go overboard. Why are email signatures important? They may be boring and the last item on your list of things to get right, but they affect the tone of every email you write.

Email signatures contain alternative contact details, pertinent job titles and company names, which help the recipient get in touch when emails are not responded to. Sometimes, they give the recipient an idea of who wrote the email in case it has been a while since they have been in touch. They are also professional: like a letterhead, they show that you run a business (in some countries, you’re required to do so). Here are some tips on how to create a tasteful signature that works.

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If you’re utilizing social media websites to promote your business you will want to create a Facebook Fan Page or Group. Facebook gives you the option to create either a fan page or a group. Fan pages and groups have several similarities and differences that you may want to know about before you choose one over the other. So, how do you know which one to choose? Below is a list of the pros and cons of each option, so you can make an educated decision.

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This post has been reprinted with permission of Zeke Camusio. Zeke Camusio is the owner of The Outsourcing Company

Sometimes we get so carried away by new tools, trends and advice from business gurus that we forget to do the most basic things. Think about it: When was the last time you called one of your customers and asked him about his experience with your company? When you lose a prospect to your competition, do you call her to find out why she didn’t choose you? In this article I share some of the questions I ask my clients - the clients that leave and the prospects that decide to go with our competition.

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Here are a few tips to help you jump start your

successful Real Estate career.

CREATE A BRAND FOR YOURSELF -

• Start by finding ways to differentiate yourself from other real estate agents.
• Develop a strong tag-line so when consumers think of real estate they think of you.
• Market yourself to other agents from across the country to send you referrals in your market.
• Network. Social Networking websites are a great way to network with others in your industry. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals!
• Identify your strengths and what strengths are important to potential clients. Once you’ve identified these strengths you can think about ways to successfully market these to the public and utilize them in your branding campaign.
• Make sure you truly represent what your brand identifies you with.


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Matthew Ferrara & Company has announced the launching of its new, revolutionary online platform, The “Matthew Ferrara Learning Network,” during the week of June 28^th, 2010. The week-long, grand opening celebration will feature free daily WebTV broadcasts that focus on today’s top real estate issues, trends and topics.

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Great ideas are fun, exciting and seductive but as Scott Belsky says in his book Making Ideas Happen, great ideas are only 1% of the journey.  The sub-title, overcoming the obstacles between vision and reality, tell the rest of the story.  At some point in life you realize that everything comes down to the hard work of making it happen.  It’s all about focus, determination and discipline.

This post has been reprinted with permission of Scott Levitt. Scott Levitt is the President of Oakley Signs & Graphics (http://www.OakleySign.com)

Scott’s Thoughts: Fewer Ideas, More Follow-Through
Good ideas aren’t “great” until you act.

“Life is not long, and too much of it must not pass in idle deliberation how it shall be spent.”
–Samuel Johnson

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