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Showing Up —Outrageously!

Michael J. Russer, COO (Chief Outrageous Officer) — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:45:20 +0000

Talk is cheap. Perhaps that explains why there is an abundant supply of it in the world. It’s so much safer to talk about what we are going to do than actually doing it and risk failure of it not happening. Lasting success comes from consistently showing up and outrageous success comes from showing up outrageously –here’s why.

Showing up is about taking action despite circumstances, for example:

Moving forward towards an objective even if you don’t feel secure in your ability to achieve it
Attending an important meeting even though you are dog-tired and would rather be doing anything else
Not waiting for everything to be perfect before you make your move
Sweating the small stuff even when you hate the small stuff (enough small stuff eventually adds up to big stuff)
Picking yourself up one more time even when you feel totally defeated
Taking one more step toward the dream everyone else is telling you is a waste of time or fool’s errand
Doing those things that no one else is willing to do, that still need to get done anyway

Now let’s explore what most people do to undermine “Showing Up”:

Complaining – either do something about it or accept what is, complaining is just a willing relinquishment of your personal power and ability to show up
Perfectionism – procrastination’s moral support
Blame – the silver platter upon which you so graciously deliver your personal responsibility to others
Giving up – the grave in which so many vibrant dreams are buried

One more thing. How you show up needs to be commensurate with the size of your dreams and goals. If you plan on being the top performer in your office that is one thing. If you hope to change the world, you better be showing up outrageously…

4 Social Media Tips You Don’t Want to Miss!

Carrie Gable, Real Estate Virtual Assistant — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:28:04 +0000

As Real Estate Virtual Assistants, we often give tips on engaging with social media as we feel it’s an important part of any growing business! We’re all aware that Facebook and Twitter are no longer a passing phase as we may have once thought; but are here for the long haul.

In wanting to put everything you’ve got into growing your real estate business, you’ve no doubt plugged in to both of these mediums. Which is great! Engaging past, current and potential clients through social media is essential to staying in the game.

But it can become easy to get in the mindset of “posting just to post.” We’ve all probably been there at one point or another. You recognize the need to be active on Facebook and Twitter, so you log in and post the first thing that comes to your mind. Or you see others posting multiple times a day and feel pressured to follow suit.

So, before you keep on this frenzied pace; let’s take a few minutes to review four key points, or code of ethics, as pointed out by Curt Finch founder and CEO of Journyx- a time management and resource management software company. Finch referred to Twitter in his recent article, but we think these same rules apply to Facebook as well!

1. Think Quality over Quantity- If you’re consistently posting to simply get noticed; people will catch on and will eventually unfriend you or stop following you. Your posts or tweets should be engaging and spark conversation. If you don’t think others will care about the post; don’t post it.

2. Be Clear About Who You Are- Branding your business is not just a matter of having a matching logo, website and blog. You can just as easily brand yourself by your communication. Social media is a great way to showcase the personal side of your business; so make sure you’re giving off an accurate impression of who you are and the type of business you have.

3. Don’t Be Robotic- Automated tweets and posts can seem “canned” and will turn off viewers. Don’t be afraid to interact with your followers on things they’re posting, you’ll be more relevant. Also, make sure your responses when people follow you or comment on a post are genuine. Nothing is worse than a robotic response.

4. Definitely Be Useful- This goes along with quality posts, but making sure your posts or tweets are useful can make all the difference. People will enjoy reading what you have to say if they know it will be useful to them! Whether you’re posting about a community event or a pertinent real estate market fact; ensuring its usefulness to your audience will ensure a successful social media endeavor.

We hope these tips help you hone in on things you can do to enhance your audiences’ experience with your social media, as well as help you grow in this avenue of engagement.

Have an awesome day!

Carrie Gable and the team at RealSupport, Inc.are our “VA Quick Tip” columnists offering expertise in real estate marketing, technology and more. RealSupport’s office and team of 9 full-time staff members is located near Chicago, IL. Their successful team works virtually for many top real estate agents and brokers nationwide. Pioneers in the Real Estate Virtual Assistant industry, RealSupport offers marketing, branding, website and logo design, listing marketing, lead generation, technical support, transaction management, social networking, blogging and much more… Just ask!

Contact Carrie
Visit us Online at RealSupportInc.com

The Three Letter Word That Will Rock Your World…

Michael J. Russer, COO (Chief Outrageous Officer) — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:03:24 +0000

Everyone goes through life filtering their experiences through the use of one of two words. Which one you primarily use will determine how successful, fulfilled and alive you feel. Here it is and why it is so important to get into the habit of using it most of the time.

Saying “YES!” to Possibility

Chances are you consider your self to be an individual with a very upbeat look on life. Look closely however and you will be surprised at how strongly embedded the urge to say “No” is within the very fabric of each person. Here are some common examples of how most people say “No” without even realizing it:

If you take the same route home each day from work, you are saying “no” to the possibilities that await you if you took a different route each time
Avoiding starting a conversation with a stranger says “no” to the endless possibilities of what may transpire
Not acting on something new you learned says “no” to what could be if you had said “Yes!”
Following the same routines day in day out says “no” to the adventures that could happen otherwise

There are endless other examples, but you get the idea. The default setting for most people is to say “No” so they don’t have to risk the uncertainty that comes with the “Yes!” It is sad that most people do indeed prefer the certainty of their misery rather than risk the misery of uncertainty. Or worse, they say “No” out of fear of what others may think.

Living, working and playing Outrageously is all about saying “Yes” a lot more often than saying “No”. You want to continue to live and play small, keep saying no. Otherwise say “Yes!” to the infinite possibilities that await you.

5 Tips for Being a Positive Reflection of Your Business!

Carrie Gable, Real Estate Virtual Assistant — Fri, 04 May 2012 21:37:22 +0000

When it comes to business, most of us are aware of the part that our personal appearance and presence will play in people’s opinions of us. Whether we like it or not, how we portray ourself gives off a strong first impression and can end up making or breaking whether a potential client decides to work with us.

Imagine this: you’re looking to sell and set up a time to meet with an agent who wants to list your home. You’re waiting at a local coffee shop and arrived early to make sure you didn’t keep them waiting. Five minutes go by… then ten. Finally, the listing agent arrives seemingly flustered and looking disheveled. They sit down and rustle through papers as they attempt to get organized. They don’t seem prepared and act distracted throughout the entire meeting. Now, when it comes down to it, do you feel confident they’ll be the best choice in getting your home sold? Probably not.

Many of us can think of positive and negative examples when it comes to personal appearance and presence. Here are just a few key things you’ll want to focus on to ensure both of these things reflect your business.

1. Clothing- You don’t have to be up on all the latest trends or have the name brand labels to appear put together. Work with what you have to show that you care how you present yourself to others. No matter if your community accepts suits or shorts as professional attire; you’ll want to make sure your clothes fit well, are clean, ironed if needed, and your shoes are free from dirt or from looking too worn. You get the idea!

2. Body Language- While correct posture may seem old fashioned, how you carry yourself can be very telling! Standing tall can give an image of confidence and can gain trust, while slumped shoulders or crossed arms can give off the impression of insecurity.

3. Eye Contact- Eye contact is important in showing confidence, gaining trust and showing that you truly care about the person! Constantly shifting your eyes can make it seem that you’re distracted, and can make people feel rushed or that you’d rather be somewhere else. It may take practice to maintain eye contact as it may be uncomfortable at first, but it can make a huge difference!

4. Smiling- In a rushed or competitive business atmosphere, it can be easy to forget to smile. While you want to appear serious about your work and that you can get the job done; smiling can go a long way in creating relationships! Your clients want to feel you enjoy your job and that you’re approachable.

5. Grammar- While most of us have a solid working knowledge of the English language, you want to be as professional as possible in how you communicate with your clients. Whether you’re talking with them, writing an email or blog post; good grammar is still an important part of your overall presence. And, although you want to make your clients feel comfortable with you; make sure you maintain professionalism in the things you say, your humor and how you talk about others.

While these tips may just be a review for you; I hope it’s a good reminder in the importance of how we present ourselves in business. It is a direct reflection of the work that we do!

Contact Carrie
Visit us Online at RealSupportInc.com

How to Get More Done In 24 Hours Than Most People Do In a Week

Michael J. Russer, COO (Chief Outrageous Officer) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:16:19 +0000

My Dad had an expression that I’ve never forgotten: “Some people have years of experience and others have experience in their years.” As an entrepreneur he was referring to the kind of people you want to hire as you build your business. However, I have recently come to realize that there is a much more powerful interpretation of this that literally changes one’s notion of time and what can be accomplished.

Hypertime

At the end of each day I am simply amazed at what was accomplished. Days seem like weeks, weeks feel like months and months, well… let’s just say the last 8 month feel like 10 years. This is not just a feeling, we are talking real rubber meeting the road getting things done. And, these “things” are not just task oriented, in most cases they are implementations of highly strategic initiatives –real business transformation. And best of all, I’m having more fun than I ever have in my entire life.

So what does it take to consistently live, work and play in “Hypertime”? I’ve given a lot of thought to this because it is not entirely intuitive. In any case here are the things I’ve identified that appear to be the necessary conditions:

Think big, really big – most people work and play way too small. The bigger your vision the more excited and passionate you will be and the more you will “lose yourself” to your vision. It wasn’t until I chose to pursue my vision of global transformation that I started to experience hypertime productivity. This is reflected in my new company Outrageous Movement.
Maintain childlike wonder – more than once I’ve been accused of acting like a juvenile which is a side of mine I happen to really like. That’s because I tend to see things with the eyes of a child full of wonder and free of judgement. In addition to exposing yourself to otherwise invisible opportunities, getting “lost” in wonder is a quick way to transcend normal conventions of time.
Take action immediately – dreamers are a dime a dozen, those that consistently act on their dreams however are the few that seem to have super-human capabilities for getting significant things done.
Surround yourself with like souls – my Outrageous Movement business partner shares all of the above characteristics with me and we are frankly quite “dangerous” being in the same room together. We are very playful and egg each other on which of course just puts us more deeply into hypertime productivity. Also, we tend to attract others who share these same characteristics which multiplies the effect.

You know you are NOT in hypertime if you feel things drag out, you are frustrated all the time or tend to be so uninspired by your life / work that boredom would be a welcome respite. It doesn’t have to be this way, you have a choice – always to create the conditions under which you experience life in a whole new dimension.

Business Etiquette: Back to Basics

Carrie Gable, Real Estate Virtual Assistant — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 22:18:21 +0000

Being seasoned real estate agents, you know proper work etiquette and practice it daily. But wait – do you? When you’re young, straight out of college or fresh on the working scene, you put on your best suit and attitude to make a great professional impression on your colleagues and superiors. But as time goes by, things get more casual and you might lose your grasp on what’s appropriate and what’s not in the working world.

With the growth of mobile and cyber communication, it seems like “professionalism” has toned down a notch. Instead of scheduling a meeting (whether it be with a client or coworker), you can discuss projects and plans of action via phone, email, text or social media. But if you take a step back to look at the big picture, those concrete concepts of business etiquette still exist.

Don’t Judge: We learned this on day one of life. Don’t judge, and don’t criticize others. We all have our flaws, and there is always room for improvement. While we may not agree with the way a coworker or our boss handles a situation, the only person you are responsible for is yourself, and it’s not our job to form opinions about others based on what we think is right. If you approach everything and everyone with an open mind, there is less room for unnecessary turmoil.

Say Thank You: When was the last time you wrote a “thank you” note? Now, I don’t mean a “thank you” text message or a “thank you” email – but an actual note on paper or a card. This is business etiquette at its simplest. After an interview or a visit with clients, take the time to write a note. It will make you stand out above the crowd and also increase the credibility of your entire company. I don’t know about you but I love getting things in the mail. It’s so personal, and really makes you feel appreciated.

Remember Names: If you work in or manage a brokerage that has a lot of employees, it’s probably easy to lose track of who’s who.

Example:
Salutation: Hey, Bill!
Response: Hey…you…

Sound familiar? Whether you’re the champ of remembering names or on the verge of forgetting who you share an office with, it’s extremely important to know your peers or employees. Make it a point to reach out to people in the office regardless of their title and become familiar with what they do. Every single person in the office works hard to make the business run smoothly, and should be acknowledged for such. Besides, it’s never bad idea to form a new relationship; you never know where it will take you.

Eliminate Distractions: I mentioned right off the bat how much of an impact the social and mobile world has had on today’s work ethic – this remains especially true when it comes to meetings or presentations. How annoying is it when you’re in a meeting and you look over and see Joe Schmo smiling down at his phone? While you shake your head I’ll bet we’re all guilty of this – I know I am. While our mobile devices are convenient for us in many ways, including work-related, it’s so easy for them to become distractions during an important meeting or presentation. Try turning off your devices before going into a meeting – any text message, voicemail or email can wait. Whether it’s during a conversation, meeting, seminar, or whatever it may be, make yourself fully present. You will thank yourself afterwards.

All in all – sometimes the basic fundamentals (pre Blackberry and iPhone) are just what we need to get us through the day. So go out there and put them to use!

Have an awesome day!

Contact Carrie
Visit us Online at RealSupportInc.com

Why Some Miracles Aren’t the Ones You Need

Michael J. Russer, COO (Chief Outrageous Officer) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 17:12:44 +0000

Just seven days ago I wrote about how my friend “Christine” used her highly focused intention (and her precocious cat) to miraculously manifest the man of her dreams, her “Other”. He had shown up on her doorstep all the way from Vancouver just six days prior after only a few days of exchanging emails, txts and Skype calls. Literally just two days after I wrote the previous post, Christine could not stand having this man in her space any longer and insisted he return home early. Here’s what happened and what we can all learn from it.

What Went Wrong

Most people go through life taking things as they come and often complain why they seem to always get the short straw. Christine however is a take-charge type of person who knows exactly what she wants and will accept nothing less. When “Mr. Wonderful” showed up at her door, he fit nearly every check box there was in her Dream Boat Journal. He was her Prince, she was his Princess. The only thing was, this “Prince” was more of a pauper because he barely had a dime to his name. In fact, Christine had to pay for everything during his stay and he even had to borrow money for the ticket back to Vancouver.

Actually she saw this as a minor irritation that could be fixed with some business coaching. After all, everyone is human and besides, he fit all the other check boxes! And, this guy is a master wordsmith. He spoke and wrote things that would make my friend swoon to the point her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. The only problem was, how he “showed up” (i.e. his actions) was hardly consistent with his words. He was at times moody, defensive and shut down. These are deal-killer traits as far as Christine is concerned and are what caused her to send him packing.

Allow the Universe Some Breathing Room

I had the privilege of observing this (mostly amusing) drama from a safe distance. In the process of doing so I received an insight that could apply to anyone who has a burning desire for a certain outcome. On one end of the spectrum there are people who have no intentions, signalling to the Universe they really don’t care, and thus receiving a commensurate response. Then there is my friend Christine who is way, way on the other end in that she leaves nothing to chance in describing exactly what she wants. And for the most part, the universe delivered in an extraordinary way.

Now it could be argued that she should have been even more specific to avoid this latest relationship “hiccup”. However, I have another take on it. Somewhere between not taking responsibility for one’s life and exerting uber control over the desired outcome is a happy medium. Think of it as outrageous intention with a surprise in every package. Imagine being very clear about what you want and open to being regaled by what the universe sends your way. Frankly, I think the Universe is a lot smarter than I am. Also, when it comes to relationships, I like to think my “Other” is someone that will enthrall me every day with things I never knew or even suspected about her and vice versa.

Life and business can be a wonderful journey of discovery. Of course you want to have a clear idea as to where you want to go, but also be open to the serendipity of the route you end up taking. By doing so you may find yourself enjoying a far richer experience than if you planned every step of the way.

3 Ways to Stand Out From the Competition!

Carrie Gable, Real Estate Virtual Assistant — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:51:33 +0000

As real estate agents, you know all about helping your clients make their home stand out from other homes on the market. You provide sellers with tips on making their home move-in ready and you create a personalized marketing plan for their home that will wow potential buyers. However, while you’re making sure your clients are providing that great first impression of their home; your own “wow factor” may be fading.

Sound familiar? It’s easy to get so involved in your day to day demands with trying to give the best to your clients that you forget about trying to market and grow your own business. So, I thought it’d be great to give a few ways to boost ingenuity to allow your real estate business to stand out from the competition.

Even if you just try one of these, you’ll find the change invigorating- which can be just the thing you need to draw in more clients!

1. Try something new- This may seem obvious, but it’s easier said than done. Oftentimes, you get so comfortable with the way you’ve done things with marketing that it can be hard to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Whether you take on real estate blogging, a customized listing presentation, Facebook ads or try teaming up with a local business in your city to put on an event; the new endeavor can bring life to your brand!

2. Add a creative service- Getting creative with what you have to offer can be just the thing to create buzz around your business. Consider things like offering a free cleaning service for your seller once they move out, giving those relocating to your city a grand tour and dinner at your favorite restaurant, or buyers a choice of a house warming gift once they close on their new home. Any of these things can give buyers and sellers that extra reason they need to use your services, and the referrals will come naturally!

3. Keep it up- Whatever you choose to do to energize your marketing and services; keep it up! Consistency and a firm belief in what you’re doing is imperative to making it a success. If you’re not 100% behind your idea or let it fall to the wayside in a month; it will be hard for others on your team or even your clients to believe in what you’re doing or any new endeavors you take on. Of course that means not biting off more than you can chew! No matter what you take on, make sure it’s manageable long term.

We hope these tips help you get back in the groove of improving your business!

Have a great day!

Contact Carrie
Visit us Online at RealSupportInc.com

The One Key to Having Miracles Happen

Michael J. Russer, COO (Chief Outrageous Officer) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:26:48 +0000

A few days ago I witnessed what only could be described as a true miracle. As much in the way it occurred as what happened itself.

Uber Intention

A very dear friend of mine, who I’ll call “Christine”, is in her early 30′s and has never been married. Not for lack of beauty or personality because she has an abundance of both. However she is very, VERY particular about the kind of man she wants to spend the rest of her life with and frankly, few men could ever measure to her standards. In her efforts to manifest (i.e. cause to appear) the man of her dreams, she went as far as creating an extensive journal dedicated to her future mate to be read to him when she finally meets him. And in this journal are all the characteristics that this man would have, described in painstaking detail.

I remember her sharing parts of it with me and thinking that this gal is really clear about what she wants, and good luck in finding Mr. Impossible :) Fast forward to about two weeks ago when things get really interesting, in fact, borderline freaky weird. Christine is an entrepreneur who spends a fair amount of time on her computer out of her home. She happened to be on her Facebook page when she got up to get something from the kitchen. Just as she left her workstation her cat jumped up on the desk which she often does.

However, what her cat has never done before is click the mouse with her paw (I know, why wouldn’t a cat play with a “mouse”). Well it just so happened that for some reason, the cursor was over a random “recommended friend” that Christine had never even noticed. By clicking the mouse, her cat effectively sent a friend request to this other person who immediately accepted the request. When Christine returned to her computer she saw the accepted friend request and couldn’t understand why she received it, never having sent it.

After concluding that her cat must have done it (she was still on the desk smiling as much as a cat can smile) she started reading this “friend’s” profile and her jaw literally dropped. Not only was he “gorgeous” (her words :0), but more importantly his profile was as if her “Other” were speaking directly to her –she was stunned! When she breathlessly shared his profile with me, I had to admit this guy seemed to fit all the check boxes of what she was looking for.

Now the fact that he lives 1200 miles away didn’t stop the two of them from instantly connecting in a very powerful way. So powerful in fact that after just five days of messaging, emails, phone and Skype, he booked a flight out to visit her for two weeks to see if indeed they were destined to be together. A visit that is still happening as I write this.

So why is this such a miracle? First because of the way it happened and also because what both of these beautiful people were looking for was so specific and unusual as to eliminate most other possibilities. In other words it was like two needles in two different haystacks that found each other because of a playful cat.

The more important question is why did it happen at all. I believe that my friend’s razor-precise intention and focus was the key to making it a reality. This was not just some wish or desire, it went way beyond that to the point she would often have conversations with “him” before any of this happened –now that’s intention! And you can use this same approach (probably sans the cat) to achieve anything you set out for. Start with a burning desire followed up with precise intention written down in a way that it becomes as real as possible in the present moment. Then act as if it had already happened every day.

Each and every one of us are truly very powerful beings capable of manifesting the seeming impossible. However, there is just one more thing. Getting what we “want”, even through miraculous means, doesn’t always mean you get what you need. And that my friend is a topic for another post…

Create A Compelling 2 Second Impression of Your Website!

Carrie Gable, Real Estate Virtual Assistant — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:27:42 +0000

Your website can be a powerful tool for catching an audiences’ attention and spurring them on to take action. Sure, in our social media driven age, it can be tempting to rely solely on your interactive approach, but there’s something tried and true about having a compelling website that will drive leads to become clients.

Interested in learning if your website has what it takes? Read on!

According to a recent study by the Missouri University of Science and Technology, participants were asked to on two simple factors: visual appeal and design. They were asked to rate 25 different websites, spending an average of 20 seconds on each site.

We know, it doesn’t sound like enough time to get a fair assessment of a site… but guess what? It is! In fact, it takes less than 2 seconds for a viewer to form their first impression of you’re site.

You’ll need to capture your audience quickly and peak their interest to ensure they stay on your site long enough to find out more about who you are and the services you offer. Creating an enticing first impression can make all the difference in making sure viewers stay on your site rather than finding a more intriguing site to view.

Let’s take a look at the break down of this study and what sparked the most interest:

•Logos: Visitors spent about 6.48 seconds focused on this most identifiable portion of a site.

•Navigation menus: Users spend almost as long (6.44 seconds) studying the menu on a webpage.

•Search box: This area kept visitors’ attention for more than 6 seconds.

•Links to social utilities: The fact that participants in the study focused on social-media icons for 5.95 seconds reveals just how important it is for your business to offer opportunities for customers to engage with your brand and other customers.

•Primary image: Visitors perused the main photo or graphic on the page for 5.94 seconds.

•Written content: This element took up 5.59 seconds of their time.

•Bottom of the page: That’s where users ended up, engaged for about 5.25 seconds in that location.

It’s clear that every aspect of your real estate website is important! If you’ve been so focused on your logo that your content has taken a back seat; now is the time to focus in on those weaker elements of your site.

Have an awesome day!

Contact Carrie
Visit us Online at RealSupportInc.com