Category Archives: Marketing / Communication

nike mercurial vapor Ix fg black and red air max 2012 womens shoes sales in store

Marketing / Communication,

The Nike Dunk SB Low Custom Pigeon

Nike Dunk SB – Tie Dye is nike mercurial vapor Ix fg black and red a shoe color without apology, one in which almost all colors of the rainbow make an appearance. There was lack of interest among people for air max 2012 womens shoes sales in store this nike shox houston outlet 290 map game and this turned out to be a major setback for Nike dunks at that particular time air jordan 13 sales in shops interval. Nike was sort of left behind as it was still trying to persuade the industry with the same old shoe form. Nike bounced back with the new brand of shoes namely Nike dunks SB in the year 1998. Moreover, Nike dunks are available at totally affordable prices along with multi colored designs that enable each nike free 3 0 v5 sales factory one to select individual color. Nike dunks are available at around 65 to 99 US dollars at every Nike outlet or other leading shoe stores. The Nike dunk has a combination of dull and bright colors, both incorporated into a stylish pair.

The stability and low profile sole of Nike dunks SB is what improves the grounded performance of sports men and hence makes it popular. One of the most remarkable features in the Nike Dunk High Premium SB Mork and Mindy, as the name suggests, is its height – as this is a truly towering shoe. nike free tr fit sale online cheapest For a tying mechanism, Nike seems to have opted to go the traditional/classic shoe-thread way in the Nike Dunk High Premium SB Mork and Mindy. This sport gained momentum during this time and Nike SB again took this as a challenge and specially designed shoes for skateboarding sportsmen and lovers of skateboarding.

The Nike Roshe Run NM Woven is the latest Roshe remix out of Beaverton, offering fans of the franchise a shoe that combines the casual comfort incumbent upon all Roshes with the luxe, dressed-up looks of woven leather.

Working Unusual Hours–Turn Your Idiosyncracies Into a Marketing Plus

Customer Service, Marketing / Communication,

A while back, I noticed a clip in an online legal service I subscribe to which indicated that a real estate customer was suing her realtor for harassment because the realtor sent this client emails in the middle of the night. I never found out what the outcome of this litigation turned out to be. My only thought was that this suit was a perfect example of how deeply enmeshed our country is in litigating anything and everything. It is my fervent hope that this customer did not prevail in this lawsuit.

Like many Rainers, I work strange hours. I don’t sleep much, and when I wake up in the middle of the night, I am just as likely as not to go to my computer and fire off a few emails as to return to bed. I have some thoughts and solutions for some of my clients. Why shouldn’t I write them down and get them in front of the people I am trying to serve?

To me, the beauty of email is just what I described. I can write an email any time I please. My client can read it any time he or she pleases. For me, email has cut down my phone conversations considerably. More than that, it has permitted me to put down in writing often complicated solutions to questions, in print, so that my clients have a better chance of understanding what I mean because they see it in words rather than hearing it from me, and perhaps, not quite understanding everything I have said.

My clients often say to me “Don’t you ever sleep? What are you doing sending me an email at 3:45 AM? I usually respond that I was thinking about a solution for their situation, and I thought it made sense t get it down in writing so they could have an opportunity to review what I was thinking. My sense is that, deep down, there is recognition of effort and commitment on my part, and these two qualities can only enhance my standing with clients.

I can’t really control how much I sleep. Fortunately, none of my clients have sued me for sending emails in the middle of the night. My sense is that my sleep deprivation syndrome may be a marketing plus. I would be interested in hearing your reaction to this analysis, and whether, you, too, use middle of the night emails.

–Demonstrate your commitment to your customers–An “E” for effort matters!!!!

Customer Service, Marketing / Communication, ,

A while back, when I was just starting my practice, I read an article about a survey done in Missouri (not my home state) concerning impressions that clients had of attorneys whom they had previously retained. The point of the article was that most respondents said that their attorneys were competent; they knew the law. What made most people decide whether an attorney was good or bad, at least for them, was the clients perception of the amount of effort that their attorney was devoting to their matter. Did the attorney specifically ask his secretary to “hold all calls” during our first meeting? Did the attorney make a phone call or phone calls while the client was in the office after a first meeting to demonstrate that this is an important enough matter for him or her to get started on, right away? Did the attorney send copies of ALL correspondence to the client, so the client was kept informed on progress on his or her matter?

We now have tools which speed up communication. it is easier to keep clients informed with emails and cell phones. But, have these means of communication really assisted us in communicating? The answer to that question depends on the professional. We can do a better job of communicating now, and show the effort that sets us above the ordinary, if we are not lazy or hesitant. People use our services because we are experts. The way we show this is by representing them imaginatively and consistently. It doesn’t help if we have a cell phone if we don’t return calls. What good are unresponded emails?

After more than 40 years of practicing law, I am just beginning to get it. Your clients and customers want to feel important. They want to feel cared for. You have the tools; you need to apply them and let your clients understand just how very talented you are and why they are so lucky to have you on their side.

The $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Credit–If Your Clients Have Already Closed on their Purchase, They Can Get the Credit Back from Uncle Sam Right Away

Marketing / Communication, Uncategorized,

For all of you who have clients who qualify for the First Time Home Buyer Credit, there is great news from the IRS. According to IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman, “this special tax feature can put money in their  (the “Buyers”) pockets right now rather than waiting another year to claim the tax credit. This important change gives qualifying homeowners cash they do not have to pay back.”

The amount of the credit will “phase out” to taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is more than $75,000 or $150,000 for joint filers. This still leaves a large universe of eligible people who can get cash back as soon as their amended 2008 return is processed.

For those readers of this post in Massachusetts, please be aware that I have located a reliable Massachusetts-based tax accountant who will prepare an amended 2008 Tax retrurn for eligible individuals on favorable payment terms. Contact me if you wish, and I will put you in touch.

This immediate opportunity for your Buyers to get cash right away seems like a great chance for you to re-connect and give your Buyers the good news. We always say we will do this, but this is a golden opportunity that should not be overlooked.

If Your Posts are not “Singing in the ActiveRain”, there is Only One Solution–Write Some more Posts

Marketing / Communication, ,

I have been writing posts for ActiveRain since February, 2009. I have had a few featured posts; I have had many more which did not evoke any reader interest. ironically, the posts I wrote which became “featured” were not what I considered my best, or even most original. Others, which I absolutely thought would get people making comments,proved to be duds. My observations on this phenomena, and on my involvement with ActiveRain in general,  are as follows:

     1. ActiveRain Nation is one diverse group of people. A lot of you practice real estate in states where attorneys are not very much involved. Accordingly, some of my comments about situations I have experienced are not of much interest to you.

     2. The posts which you have responded to most actively involve situations where strategy is involved. Strategy and planning are two aspects of our profession which people relate to. So if I discuss some of the marketing initiatives our firm has instituted, or the virtues of “walking away” from transactions, you responded actively and with many interesting comments.

     3. There are a lot of smart and motivated people logging in to ActiveRain every day. I enjoy other people’s posts, and I believe been able to learn a lot from them.  In terms of the posts which I have written, some of your comments have been somewhat “anti-attorney”. Most, however, have been helpful and constructive.

Bottom line to all of you, I intend to keep sending in posts and trying to keep them lively and on point.I do not have the luxury of having something tangible to sell, like a piece of real estate whch I have listed. I just need to come up with ideas that are new and appeal to you. i welcome the challenge, and thank those many of you who have been responding to my better efforts.

Golf as Life–Things 18 holes in the sunshine can tell you about yourself and those you play with

Marketing / Communication, ,

I am an avid golfer, and I have been so since the age of six years. My fondest memories of my youth are the late afternoons and early evenings I spent walking around the golf course with my dad, who taught me how to play, and how to behave on a golf course. As I developed a career as an attorney specializing in real estate law in Massachusetts, I have continued playing golf and using golf as an opportunity to network with current, and hopefully future, clients. These are some of my observations about golf as a marketing tool which I want to share with you:

     1. I never, ever talk real business matters on a golf course. If I am playing with you, I have committed to giving you a rest from the hectic business life you lead. I may speak about your family, or your job, but I do not discuss mortgage, or purchase and sale agreements, or anything that can be viewed as self promotion.

     2. Four hours on a golf course with a group of people you do not know well can tell you a lot of things about these people. Do they count all their strokes? What kind of losers are they? Can they make a bad shot and put it aside? Do they realize that other people are on the course to have fun, too, and not just themselves? I also find out what kind of winners they are. Do they gloat? Do they try to teach others when they really are not equipped to do so? I can learn a lot about them, and they won’t really know why I have chosen to pursue them as clients or associates after the round.

     3. Most important of all, I have found out a lot about myself on the golf course. My golf game, when I was a six handicap, used to be all about me. Now, especially, as my skills have diminished, my golf game is about the others in my group enjoing themselves and enjoying my company. This has been a profound lesson, and has helped to shape me as a person.

I am sure many of you have differing golf experiences,  which i would be interested in hearing about. Suffice it to say, I have been able to use my love of golf as a way to advance my life goals, and that is a bonus that I never anticipated.

Perfecting Your Persona–Being Different Is Not Enough

Marketing / Communication, ,

While acting as a real estate professional, working on purchase and sale agreements, leases, real estate closings and the like, has been interesting, I must admit that nothing in my over 40 years of practicing has been elevated to the status of “earth-shattering” or even unique. What I do every day is generally routine; many other people are able to do the same things that I do. There is no question about that.

So, sometimes I ask myself why is it that I have been able to achieve a fair level of success here, while some others have failed. I have reached the following conclusions:

1. You must do something in your profession that makes people remember you. It sounds simple enough, and most times it is. In the past few years, I have taken to wearing bow ties. It is not that I look particularly good in bow ties. It is just that I am becoming known as the lawyer “who wears a bow tie.” That small thing sets me apart from other attorneys, which, essentially, has been my plan. I know a mortgage originator who brings a pie, which she has freshly baked, to every real estate closing in which she is involved. She has, naturally, started to be known as the “pie lady.” The connotation is positive; she brings sweet things to her Buyers. Another person I work with always wears a special hat to her closings. Gradually, she gets herself noticed, and commented about, when she changes hat, and it is a discussion item.

2. Once people remember you, you need to be “good“. Obviously, something that makes people remember you is what drives new business to your door. But, now, comes the important part. You need to make that initial reaction have some substance. If you are a practicing attorney, you need to be the one who returns “every” phone call, who schedules closings not for his or her convenience, but for the convenience of the client. You need to always be the person who stays calm when others are frazzled, who always offers solutions when none seem apparent, who never gives up until the deal is closed and the deed on record. If you are a loan officer, you need to be the person who always looks for alternative ways of structuring the deal, who shows up at the closing in case there are last minute glitches, who is always positive and never “kills” a deal that can be rescued. If you are a realtor, you need to have a reputation as being a “deal maker” not a “deal breaker”. You need to work ceaselessly to find solutions when there is an impasse. In certain circumstances, you need to be willing to make concessions on your own fee to make the deal happen. You need to be totally loyal to your client.

As I have said, if you can combine the “persona” you have established with a reputation that is postive, you will set yourself above the rest. People will seek you out, and just you.It is great to be on the first page of Google; it is even greater to have a flock of “raving fans” who go out of their way to refer business to you. Your “positve persona” is the key to success; we all can improve ours through hard work and creative thinking.

Vendor Inclusive Marketing (“VIM”)–Using your tested referral sources to explode your business

closing, Marketing / Communication, ,

Vendor Inclusive Marketing (“VIM”) is probably not new to most of you. You are probably using many elements of VIM in your everyday practice. Because you are a cutting age professional, you understand the worth of knowing the very best electrician in your market. The guy who will show ip promptly at a customer’s home, do an effective diagnosis of the problem,  provide a reasonable estimate for the work to be done and then deliver his services, on time, at the price which was quoted.

Knowing who this person is elevates you in your customer’s eyes, and, realistically, provides a ready source of referrals for you the next listing, next legal engagement or next mortgage application which comes before that artisan. It is just common sense that the person to whom you have given solid, quality referrals will think of you the next time work in your line of business is available. Who knows, your VIM person may go out of his way to promote your services without even being asked.

Given the effectiveness of VIM as a marketing concept, I am making a view suggestions here which cannot help but increase your VIM score and drive business to your door:

     1. Assemble a VIM List of reliable vendors. Your professional experience may have you pretty far along the way on this list already. What you need now is to organize your referrals and get them in a document, or on your Web Page, so you can easily reference them.

    2. Deliver the “VIM List” at what you consider the appropriate time. Because my time to perform is at residential real estate closings, I deliver my VIM List in conjunction with the Notebook given to every Buyer at a closing I conduct (See my post “The Closing Table–An opportunity for marketing”). I put a plastic page for business cards in the last section of my Notebook. I tell my Buyers that the people who are in my book are tested sources. I, and my clients, have used them and they are solid.

    3. See if you can get your VIM List people to give discount certificates you can give to the Buyer. In these days of required penny-pinching, f you can give solid referrasl, at discounted prices, to your Buyer, you are doing something. Not only will your VIM List people do everything possible to give you referrals, the Buyesr will, as well.

In prior posts, you have commented on my ideas and given me new ideas to build my marketing efforts upon. For instance,one of you suggested that I place a 2010 Calendar, with my firm’s name on it, in the ever-present Notebook. I got my printer to prepare same for free,and he puts his information on the reverse of te calendard, which I place in the insert infron of the Notebook. Win-win for both of us, and a tool to keep our firm’s name in front of the client.  “Drop” marketing,if you will. Please share any of these enhancements with me. We are all working together to develop a better mousetrap. TOGETHER WE CAN!!!!!! (Sound familiar).

The Closing Table–A Venue for Marketing!!!

closing, Marketing / Communication, ,

As a Massachusetts title attorney with over 40 years of closing experience, I am often shocked at the number of missed opportunities for marketing that the closing table presents. For my own part, I view the closing table as a chance to market my law firm and to provide the Buyer with an array of services my firm offers. This not only includes helping their friends and relatives with their next real estate transaction; it also includes explaining why home ownership presents a need to bring their estate plans up to speed and to make sure their insurance coverage is adequate. After all, they have just signed up for a large liability in their mortgage, and they want to make sure that if something happens to them, their home (and children) will be protected.

There are several other things I do at each closing:

     1. I always give the Buyers a small gift. Sometimes a special bottle of wine, other times an umbrella with my law firm’s name emblazoned on it.

     2. I have now taken to preparing a large loose leaf binder with the name of the Buyer and the property address. I tell the Buyer to place a copy of the HUD-1 Settlement Statement and a copy of their Owner’s Policy of Title Insurance as the initial entry into the binder. Thereafter, I advise them to place a copy of each and every invoice relating to their home into the binder. If they are diligent in doing this, they have created a wonderful marketing book for you, the real estate professional, to sell their home when that time comes. recently, I have inserted a plastic sheet for business cards. i place mine in the sheet and urge the selling broker or buyer’s agent to place theirs in the sheet, as well. I am a member of a BNI Group. I also place the cards of those BNI Members in whom I have confidence into the binder.

These are the marketing opportunities I have observed for other real estate professionals:

     !. Realtors. A realtor in attendance can often firm up future business by being at the closing and being helpful. I have seen realtors bring small gifts, as well. Many seasoned realtors also backstop suggestions I make to the Buyer, and in general serve as liaisons in the process. It is akin to bringing home the girl you brought to the dance, and the sense of closure is important.

     2. Mortgage Professionals. I am surprised at how few appearances these people make at closings. To me, this is a perfect opportunity to market only to the selling broker or Buyer’s agent who almost certainly in attendance. On many occasions, the listing agent appears, as well. Closings take an hour or so, and there is a lot of dead time for the realtors. What a great chance for a mortgage originator to make a captive sales call. He or she can answer questions, speak about new programs to people who have no choice but to listen. Maybe a new deal sprouts from this initiative!!!

Perhaps, many of you have found closings to be boring chores foisted on you by your superiors. As this post indicates, I view them quite differently, and I urge you to give some thought to some, or all, of the marketing ideas I have shared herein

Virtual Homes—Take a look at the future world of Buyer transactions

Marketing / Communication, ,

I need to start this post by saying that I do a lot of legal work for the realtors at Virtual Homes, and I am extremely friendly with some of the principals of the Company. One principal, Lynda Longmire, and I have been friends and business colleagues for more than thirty years. All of that being said, I am literally knocked off my feet by the website, www.virtualhomes.com. It is my belief that the approach developed in this website is a template for virtually all Buyer transactions in the future.

The Virtual Homes website is powerful because it furnishes would-be Buyers with a plethora of information about a community in which they might have interest. This not only includes statistics about the town in question, but also recent newspaper articles concerning real estate. The maps of current listings really give a potential Buyer a great sense of what is available and where.

The reason this website works is that it uses the age old networking concept that “givers gain”. Virtual Homes provides so much information, assists so much in the pre-selection process that a person who uses the site is more than willing to work with Virtual Homes agents to finish the transaction. The “trust” which we are all seeking in our professional endeavors is established early in the game.

I urge all of my Active Rainmakers to look at this site and tell me you have seen a better initial presentation of real estate anywhere in the United States. I certainly have not!!!!

Elliott Topkins

www.topkinsandbevans.com