You Can't Tell Me You Have Nothing To Talk About
I notice that there are many people online who have set up their profiles, gotten their blogs ready and then failed to blog. I wonder, is it for lack of something to say? I can't imagine that real estate agents could ever be without something to talk about. I remember distinctly a cross-country trip that I took with a friend of mine. We stopped in to see another friend in Houston who was also a real estate agent. We went to a buffet lunch where all of us got up for seconds and my friend, as we were driving away, pointed out that even when one of us was up getting a second helping, she still hadn't managed to get a word in edgewise. I realized she was right. We had consumed two plates of food each and still never stopped talking. So it can't possibly be for a lack of something to say.
Over-Committed?
Perhaps it's that you're already feeling over committed and you just can't face even one more task in your day. Believe me, I can understand this one. This is why, out of the four different blog platforms I've had over the years, Active Rain is the one that I use regularly. You know why? Because it doesn't feel like work. It feels like a game to me. You see, I have points. There are people ahead of me in line. A few days ago I was number 17 in Massachusetts and that just didn't suit me. So I did the math. I added links to my blog from all of my social networking sites and finally submitted the existing link on my webpage to AR. And I posted something like six posts in the last three days. And today, they reviewed all of my links and posted 3600 points to my account. That, combined with all of the extra posting, put me up at the number 14 spot in MA. Woot! I win! And I do. Not only have I gone up in ranking (which as a trainer doesn't really get me anything except the satisfaction of knowing I'm there), but I've added valuable links to my social media sites. I've created more ways for people to find me. So don't look at it as another commitment. Think of it as a great big fun game and play to win!
Forget To Play?
I thought that the other reason that you might not be blogging is that you forgot to. This is really an issue. So I went back and sent friendly reminders to all of the people I invited who accepted the invitation but haven't blogged yet. And guess what? I got no response. Sigh. I don't think it's that you've forgotten. But, if you're worried about forgetting, then add it as a recurring entry into your contact management system or your Outlook tasks. That will help you remember to come back. But once you're posting regularly, all of the comments you receive will be more than enough of a reminder to come back again.
It's Getting Very Quiet
So here's the deal. This is Thanksgiving weekend. And if I know agents at all (and I think I do), it's likely that you won't be able to keep yourself away from the computer. This is a perfect time to get that blog started. Talk about the holidays and what they mean to you, complain about your relatives, tell us all about the turkey dinner you cooked and how many friends came to eat. It doesn't matter what you talk about, we just want to get to know you. Share your holidays with us. We'd love to read along.
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Kelle Sparta, author of The Consultative Real Estate Agent, is one of the top innovators in the industry. She thinks outside of the box and she does it with style, which is how she managed to sell 25 houses her first year in the business in a market just like this one in an area where she had no sphere of influence! Kelle's innovative techniques took her to the top of the market in 1993 and they can take you there now. Kelle has coached agents from around the country who have been producing as much as $45 million per year in gross volume. Now she brings her unique style of real estate to you. Her dynamic presentation skills, high energy approach, and brilliant new ideas are sure to be the highlight of your day. Kelle is the founder of Sparta Success Systems, a real estate training company that provides products, coaching and training to empower agents and brokers to create lives and businesses they can love. For more information, visit her website at http://www.spartasuccess.com/. © 2008, Kelle Sparta.
Maybe quiet is a good thing...maybe I should do more meditation thank blogging... there is a lot of static out there, don't you think? Happy thanksgiving!
Dear Janice,
If you read my blog regularly, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of taking downtime (hence the reason it took me so long to respond to your comment). But for those who haven't started blogging, there is no time better than right now to get started. If you put it off again, you just won't get to it. Speed of implementation - that's the key to success.