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Archive for August 2011

Great Realtor Tips for Weathering Tough Times: Roman Pavlik

August 26th, 2011 by REVStaffing

Earlier this week, REVStaffing had the inimitable pleasure of hosting an open webinar with Roman Pavlik P.A., Team Leader and Operations Director of the Pavlik Real Estate Group. Roman is both a marketing expert and a visionary strategist. He’s the mentor, trainer and inspiration for “The Pavlik Process,” his renowned home selling system.

Webinar participants are sure to agree that it was one of the best hours they spent in front of their computer all summer! Roman opened the floor to the audience and asked that each person share their current greatest real estate challenge. Given the marketplace, you can rest assured that no one was lacking for subject matter. Barely pausing for breath after each query, Roman adroitly responded with clear, concise and often clever solutions to even the most ponderous issues.

Here are some of the great bits of wisdom shared by Roman. You’re sure to find many useful tips and tricks; feel free to use them and share them with your friends:

  • First and foremost, recognize and accept the fact that you’re never going to be all things for all people. Decide (or acknowledge) what you do best; it’s probably the thing that you LIKE doing most. Then focus your energies on being the person who’s the very best in your field at that particular thing.

  • Your primary goal is to become the local expert in your market. Sound like a tall task? The answer is “targeting.” Focus on a small niche in your market, and target all of your efforts on that area. Don’t worry about expanding your personal market until you’re gaining income from that small sector, then expand to the next niche market.

  • Set easy-to-use Google alerts to help you farm your target markets. First and foremost, add YOURSELF to your alert list! You can also cull local tax records for the names of owners; when they experience noteworthy events, you can send them a card, or initiate some other form of personal contact.

  • Create and disseminate a weekly “Best Buy” list (easily generated from your MLS). You can post a sample on your website (ask us how!), and add a sign-up form to capture interest. The key to this incredibly savvy tip is that you must be prepared for this to be a long-term project: You’ve got to send the list consistently. But, to summarize one of Roman’s terrific shared anecdotes about his Best Buy list, here’s the secret: If you send them, they (buyers) will come.

  • Clean up those communication skills – it’ll help cultivate referrals. One easy way of communicating is to acknowledge the fact that people really do live on Facebook. Success will flow from budgeting and investing your time the social media outlets where your customers reside. You should also keep yourself up to speed on the literature; Roman and REVStaffing’s social media team highly recommend Michael Maher’s book, The Seven Levels of Communication.

  • Finally, Roman strongly urges Realtors to use virtual assistance. That’s a solid recommendation – Roman Pavlik uses REVStaffing’s professional real estate virtual assistant services!

We can help you to implement any (or all!) of Roman’s suggestions to grow and nurture your successful business. We encourage you to give us a call for a free needs analysis; we’ll be happy to discuss your unique business needs! Be sure to visit our website, and “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RevstaffingVAs.

You can bookmark this page to return for updates. If you need assistance in the meantime, please contact us by email at info@revstaffing.com or phone at 855-738-7821, extension 703.

©REVStaffing, 2011

Categories : FAQs, Real Estate Tools, REVStaffing, Uncategorized, Virtual Assistant
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Are You a Content Creator or a Content Curator?

August 24th, 2011 by REVStaffing

Here at REVStaffing, our clients utilize our professional virtual assistants’ abundant social media skills in a variety of ways. When we talk with clients, the question often arises as to whether their social networking should take the form of original content, or that of “curated” content from other sources. It’s a great question, and one that deserves further discussion.

Recently, the I’d Rather Be Writing blog addressed the subject. They quoted Scott Abel, who put it perfectly: “In order to develop an active and engaged audience, you have to publish as much interesting and informative content as possible — as often as possible!” Scott noted the incredibly short shelf-lives of tweets and blog posts. The fact is, you have to keep publishing all the time:

“… Add to the mix the sheer volume [of information] on socially-enabled sites around the digital globe, and you’ll soon realize the best strategy for getting noticed is to publish as often as possible, 24 hours a day, especially if you are trying to reach a global audience.”

So how do you decide? First, you need to understand the difference in terms. A content creator is someone who identifies their audience’s needs, then moves to meet those needs by creating original and highly relevant content. This can be a listing blog, or it can be an informative narrative blog. When you create useful and valuable content, that content is not only absorbed and appreciated, but shared and re-shared – driving your readers right back to you.

A content curator is someone who sifts through the Web to find and deliver the most relevant content for their intended audience. A thoughtful content curator is more than just a broadcaster of information. In our marketplace, a content curator can regularly broadcast status updates – information about their market that’s useful and informative to their target audience.

The idea is to position yourself as a trusted resource online. Start by formulating a content strategy. Whether you are creating or curating, you can be sure that the content you share is valuable and useful to your intended audience.

When it’s time to choose your mode of operation, take your time and be open to the possibilities. Our social media specialists at REVStaffing can show you how you can expertly balance created content with curated content. Remember, the more you share ANY valuable content about your market, the faster your reputation as your market’s trusted adviser will grow.

REVStaffing‘s virtual assistants are professionals users of a vast array of CRM tools. If you’re not yet a client, give us a call for a free needs analysis; we’ll be happy to discuss your unique social media needs! Be sure to visit our website, and “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RevstaffingVAs.

You can bookmark this page to return for updates. If you need assistance in the meantime, please contact us by email at info@revstaffing.com or phone at 855-738-7821, extension 703.

©REVStaffing, 2011

Categories : FAQs, Real Estate Tools, REVStaffing, Uncategorized, Virtual Assistant
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What Do YOU Think of Top Producer for CRM?

August 19th, 2011 by REVStaffing

Last week, we discussed the use of Facebook as a customer relationship management tool. Remember the definitions we used for those three crucial terms? Here they are:

  • Customer: There’s got to be data in the system that represents a customer.

  • Relationship: There’s got to be data in the system that represents the relationship between the customer and you.

  • Management: Business processes and objectives are baked into the way the system works.

You can easily surmise, then, that proper and efficient maintenance of accurate client records is the decisive measure of your success in real estate agent. That’s a big statement, and a big job! Because of the importance of CRM to the ultimate success of your career, you must find the best way to accomplish this essential work.

Virtually all of REVStaffing’s client base outsources their CRM work to our professional real estate virtual assistants, and a majority of them are using Top Producer. Why? Simply put, Top Producer offers cutting edge, innovative solutions for Realtors who want superior CRM capabilities to increase their revenues and results. Our PREVAs love Top Producer because it allows us to manage your client records simply and cost effectively.

We also really like the fact that our clients can take advantage of marketing via social media directly from within Top Producer 8i. 8i’s social media features make it easy – for our clients and us – to seamlessly manage their contacts and marketing strategies in 8i, while making use of the power of Facebook and Twitter to distribute your marketing messages! Just drop in your social media login information, and you’re ready to roll!

REVStaffing‘s virtual assistants are professionals users of many CRM tools; we are a Top Producer Certified affiliate, and all of our VAs are well-versed in the program’s functionality and best-practice uses. If you’re not yet a client, give us a call for a free needs analysis; we’ll be happy to discuss your unique customer relationship management needs AND your social media needs, too! Be sure to visit our website, and “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RevstaffingVAs.

You can bookmark this page to return for updates. If you need assistance in the meantime, please contact us by email at info@revstaffing.com or phone at 855-738-7821, extension 703.

 

REVStaffing 2011©

Categories : FAQs, Real Estate Tools, REVStaffing, Uncategorized, Virtual Assistant
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Does Facebook Work as a CRM Tool?

August 12th, 2011 by REVStaffing

Every day, our REVStaffing blogging team scours the Internet for the latest – and only the greatest – social media news and tools for Realtors. This week, we found a terrific piece by Gahlord Dewald over at Thoughtfaucet, and it’s definitely worth sharing. We are huge users and supporters of social networking sites, including Facebook, and we believe that every tool has at least some utility for some people. So let’s take a look at his idea.

Dewald maintains that social networking sites like Facebook are not customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Why does he suggest this? Because, he says, “they lack any sort of direct business intent or business process system.” We hold, and DeWald agrees, that Facebook IS useful for business; “[It's] a great way to communicate with people, [and] to listen to people.”

But DeWald makes an incredibly valid point; read his proposed scenario:

“You log in to get some business task accomplished, post a bit of content, respond to a customer, make a connection of some sort, and within 15 minutes you’re tagging (or untagging) photos of yourself from the latest party or conference you attended. You’re blown off course.”

You may be thinking that this doesn’t happen to you, but guess what? It does. Why? Because, as DeWald points out, “Social networking sites are designed and built to get you playing with media created by people you like about people you like (most often, yourself).”

A traditional customer relationship management tool is different, and it’s what a lot of us in the real estate world are accustomed to handling. We like DeWald’s explanation of the three components of any CRM system, derived from the name:

  • Customer: There’s got to be data in the system that represents a customer. You’d probably argue, as we would, that Facebook has LOADS of data about customers.

  • Relationship: There’s got to be data in the system that represents the relationship between the customer and the organization. We hold that Facebook provides adequate info about the relationship between you and your customers, and that you can extrapolate positive points from and about that information that anyone else might find lacking in meaningfulness.

  • Management: Business processes and objectives are baked into the way the system works.

And while we also agree that “The barrier to entry for a customer to “friend” an organization on Facebook is quite low,” you do retain the ability to calculate the true business value of anyone who “friends” your Facebook business page. You also determine the persistent viability of those “likes.”

For those in the real estate field, we assume that people will continue to “like” you, even after they’ve sold their old house and bought their new one. The viability of Facebook as a CRM tool (not the only, or even the ultimate, solution) is that it provides you with an easy and advantageous way to maintain your “likability.” It’s one of a variety of one-stop ways in which you can stay in touch, either individually or en masse, with old, new and prospective clients.

And in that way, you actually do derive benefits from Facebook to fulfill the “management” part of the CRM definition. At the bottom line, we agree with Dewald’s final assessment that, “Social networking sites are a good way to deliver satisfying customer experiences. They are not…a good way to manage your strategy for delivering satisfying customer experiences.”

Tune in next week: We’ll be discussing the viability of Top Producer as a CRM tool!

REVStaffing‘s virtual assistants are professionals users of a vast array of CRM tools. If you’re not yet a client, give us a call for a free needs analysis; we’ll be happy to discuss your unique customer relationship management needs AND your social media needs, too! Be sure to visit our website, and “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RevstaffingVAs.

You can bookmark this page to return for updates. If you need assistance in the meantime, please contact us by email at info@revstaffing.com or phone at 855-738-7821, extension 703.

©REVStaffing, 2011

Categories : FAQs, Real Estate Tools, REVStaffing, Uncategorized, Virtual Assistant
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Have You Made Facebook Your Friend?

August 9th, 2011 by REVStaffing

You may have noticed that lately, REVStaffing is writing a lot of blogs about Facebook, and you may be wondering why. It’s pretty straightforward. Social media is the happening thing in the world of marketing right now. Blogging, as we’ve said before, is a great form of marketing. Put the two principles together, and you’ll conclude that we’re regularly blogging about Facebook because it’s an essential marketing tool for virtually all of our clients.

Facebook is the all-time best tool for the free marketing and promotion of your business. It allows you to instantly connect, and determine (in real time) the needs and wants of your target market. We think you’ll agree that these are all great points. But don’t be lulled into a state of complacency! As easy as it is to connect and “work” your market for free, it’s also easy to make some very simple – and very costly – mistakes. You don’t want to make mistakes that could ultimately turn people away from your business or, worse, keep your message from getting out to those who most need to hear it.

There are some common mistakes which are far too easy to make but, fortunately, very easy to STOP making. Read on to learn the tweaks you can make to stay on track, growing your reputation as the Realtor of choice in your market.

Are you using a picture of your pet or your child as your profile image? If so, it’s a mistake. Nobody wants to connect with your dog, your bird, or your kid. And a picture of yourself as a child doesn’t make you easily recognizable on Facebook. You need to use your own mug. People want to see what you look like, because that allows them to feel that they “know” what you’re about. Folks need to be able to recognize your face, either from seeing you in other places on the Internet, or from meeting you in person, in order to connect with you. You want people to like you and to trust you, and a nice head-shot with your very own beautiful smile is the best way to begin building that rapport.

You know that “rush” you get when you log into Facebook and you’ve got 42 friend requests? Admit it – everybody feels that way! And while it’s nice to be wanted, you need to understand that Facebook success isn’t (contrary to what a lot of people think) all in the numbers. Adding random people that you don’t know just to boost your numbers isn’t going to create success. Yes, there really ARE people on Facebook who have 3,000+ “friends.” You don’t necessarily need to be one of them. Be sure that the people you accept as friends on your business page are really interested in your real estate business.

A final note to remember: If you took the time to create a business page, take time to engage with people on Facebook. Focus on getting to know people and building relationships. Send messages, and comment on peoples’ updates. Make time to say thank you – it’s a way of letting people know that you’re interested in them. If someone shares your content, send them a note and thank them. If they comment on something you post, reply back to them and thank them for the comment, and answer any questions they ask.

The most important thing you can do with Facebook is to build communication and develop relationships with people. Make it part of your online marketing strategy by scheduling it into your daily routine.

REVStaffing‘s virtual assistants are Facebook professionals; we can make you one, too! If you’re not yet a client, give us a call for a free needs analysis; we’ll be happy to discuss your unique online marketing needs. And be sure to visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RevstaffingVAs.

You can bookmark this page to return for updates. If you need assistance in the meantime, please contact us by email at info@revstaffing.com or phone at 855-738-7821, extension 703.

©REVStaffing, 2011

Categories : FAQs, Real Estate Tools, REVStaffing, Uncategorized, Virtual Assistant
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