RealtyTechBytes.com » Rants

Shame on zipLogix and Docusign!

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:00:36 +0000

Recently I was asked by a local real estate agent to help her set up her new iPad 2. We loaded on all of the usual apps that most agents would want like a calculator, Pages, Walk Score, Where, AroundMe, Dragon Dictation, Google Search, Bing, Penultimate, GoodReader, Realtor.com, Trulia, and Zillow.

Then we created icons on her “desktop” for the MLS, Facebook, LinkedIn and a few others.

Finally, she asked me how she could create contracts on her iPad and get the contracts into Docusign so that while she was traveling she could handle any transactional events that might arise.

Easy enough I thought. We’ll just go to zipformonline.com and login with her zipForm account information. Not so fast! CAR and zipLogix feel that it is necessary to charge an additional $9.95 a year for the privilege of accessing this member benefit on a mobile device!

OK, so maybe they want to recover their development costs of porting the program over to a mobile device, and if you buy this right now it’s prorated down to $4.12. But, really???

Once the payment was made we were able to log in to zipformonline.com and create documents from the C.A.R. forms library. It works a bit differently than the the desktop version, but ultimately you can create forms on your iPad or iPhone.

Then we went to the app store and downloaded the FREE Docusign app for the iPhone and iPad (Did you notice the FREE price tag C.A.R.?)

Then the fun began. There is no way to get the document from zipForm to Docusign on the iPad! (without relying on a desktop computer). There is no eSign button in the zipForm mobile version! In what universe would you create a mobile version without a way to get the document to an online signing program such as Docusign?

On the Docusign side of the street, they have several ways that things could be brought in including Google Docs, Box.net (But not DropBox!), Templates and Drafts. After much time was wasted, I stumbled upon a solution that I will give to you. While on your iPad, create a document in zipForm. Get all the forms together that you need for the transaction and then email it to the address that you use to access Docusign (This is critically important). Then once you have done that, open up the email that you received from zipForm and FORWARD it to drafts@docusign.net (Also critically important!).

Once you have done that open up the Docusign app on your iPad and Start a new envelope. When you are asked where to get the documents for the Envelope, select Drafts. Voila! If you carefully followed these instructions, the documents that need signatures will be available. just select the file and proceed with completing the signing envelope. And the entire process can be completed on the iPad!

Thanks zipLogix and Docusign for turning what should have been a seamless process (Like the desktop versions) into an arcane trip down the rabbit hole. I expected more from two industry leaders such as yourselves.

Realtytechbytes.com by Jerry Kidd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.Realtytechbytes.com. Did you know that I have arranged for readers of my blog to receive licensed software for free? And that there is something new everyday? Click on the link to go to the blog and look for Give Away of the day in the sidebar.

Shame on zipLogix and Docusign!

Are you a real estate dinosaur?

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 02:00:29 +0000

As this post is being published I am in the final week of my vacation. I sure hope that I am having a good time!

I hope that you are having a good time too, but how about taking a few minutes to check and see if you are exhibiting dinosaur behavior or not! Here are two posts that are linked to that topic.

http://realtytechbytes.com/rant-are-you-a-dinosaur

http://realtytechbytes.com/3-ways-to-avoid-being-a-dinosaur-in-real-estate

So, which are you? A dinosaur, or a highly adaptable being that is going to survive whatever changes come upon our industry?

Meet your replacement!

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:00:38 +0000

I met the future of real estate agents today, and I have to say that I am impressed.

I’ll tell you about it shortly, but first, a little background on how I came to make this statement. For the last few months I have been under contract with a local real estate association to visit members’s real estate offices and train their agents on how to use a new transaction management platform. The association has been under fire by a very loud and vocal contingent of agents who have resisted the implementation of transaction management and I have been retained to show them how to actually use the system to their advantage.

Much of the problem that I have seen agents have with the system stems from two areas. One, the computers that most of them are using are too old. I have seen Windows 2000 systems being used. Windows 2000? Since that came out, Microsoft has released Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. Seriously folks, Windows 2000??? (And lest you think that’s only one agent, let me tell you that I found an entire office using Windows 2000!)

The other area is that almost all the agents that I have met while doing this are simply not up to speed on how to use a computer. Concepts like opening a browser, tabbed browsers, un-blocking pop ups, updating Windows, drag and drop, right clicking and much more are simply foreign to almost all of them.

Much of the dissatisfaction with the product can be laid squarely at the feet of old or outdated equipment and agents who have not kept their computer skills up with the times. Once I help them understand how to use their computers as more than an email machine, I can then show them how to run the software.

So that’s the background. Now, let me tell you about the agent I met today, and why I believe that she represents the future. We have an old belief in real estate that teachers and those from the caring professions often make the best agents because of their ability to relate to home buyers and sellers. They seem to be able to connect with their clients on a deeper level and can demonstrate empathy better than agents from other backgrounds. But, as is often the case, “relationships people” can often have trouble with systems and the discipline that it takes to work the systems, software and hardware that we find ourselves using these days.

The woman I met today was (and still holds) an RN. With ER experience. Think about that for a moment. What greater stress is there than caring for people in a life or death situation? (And we wig out over short sales!) Yet she was warm, friendly, intelligent and engaging. And young.

She also had total command of how to use a computer. She breezed through the instruction on how to use the software platform. She has been in the business for only a few weeks and has yet to open her first escrow, but I sense in her the makings of a great real estate agent. (For much of my 25 years in the business I was responsible for finding and training agents, so I think that I know a good agent when I see one)

To the agents who have excellent people skills, but poor computer skills, I can only say that it’s time to up your game, because I am certain that there are more like this agent out there, and they will be a force to reckon with as they learn how to find clients using social media with their modern computers (She had the latest MacBook Air!) and their up to date computer skills…coupled with their excellent people skills.

If it is your plan to be in business five years from now, what are you doing to upgrade your infrastructure and your skills? Or are you just going to fade away…?

It’s no longer cool to not be technology literate

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 02:00:35 +0000

As if it ever was, but these days knowing how to use technology is a requirement for real estate professionals.

Yet, in my daily travels I am constantly running into agents who tell me that they really don’t have a clue how to do even the most basic tasks. Oh sure, they can operate email…AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail and maybe even their company’s Exchange server email via Outlook.

But ask them to get in to their email on any other computer other than their normal one and they are lost.

Ask them to right click, double click or drag and drop with a mouse and they are lost.

Ask them to open a browser window and they are lost.

And the list goes on. Why are so many agents proud of their technology ignorance? I have no idea, unless it is a coping mechanism.

So, enough is enough. You REALLY need to know how to do these things. Why, you might ask? Because the new generation of software and hardware requires it. And even more important, the new generation of home buyers and sellers knows how to do these most simple of computer commands…and they expect that you will know it too.

You can’t hide behind the comment “my clients don’t do that” anymore because yes they do.

And while we are at it, why don’t you have a smart phone? I don’t care if it is an Android, iPhone, Windows phone or whatever, but you need to be able to access the MLS, handle contract signings, show pictures, take pictures, take videos, calculate net sheets and on and on while on the go. Your clients don’t want to wait until you get back to the office.

If you are not able to create contracts online, create digital signings and use a transaction manager to it’s fullest you will not be able to compete in the near future.

The generation of people like you who are your clients is shrinking…and the generation of people who are fully comfortable with these most basic of technologies is growing. If you can’t relate to this growing, technologically conversant (I’m not even claiming savvy for them, just conversant) how will you ever hope to find them let alone convince them to work with you?

I’ve collected a few links to help you get with the program. Of course I realize that the people who need this post the most probably aren’t reading it. So, if you have somebody in your office who could use this advice, please print this out for them!

http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/
These courses introduce you to some of your computer’s applications and how to use them. Plus, learn some basic Mac tasks, including installing and updating …

http://www.mouseprogram.com/
Practice using the mouse on your computer. Learn clicking, double clicking, moving, and more.

http://www.mesalibrary.org/research/mouse/page01.htm
More mouse training.

http://www.internettutorials.net/
Tutorials on how to do things on the web. Once you go through these you will know how to search the web to find more tutorials.

http://www.top-windows-tutorials.com/windows-7.html
Tutorials to help you with Windows 7

You are your own worst enemy!

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 16 May 2011 02:00:12 +0000

You are your own worst enemy!

Pretty bold statement, but I felt like I needed to get your attention quickly. I am of the opinion that the real estate industry is masterful at shooting itself in the foot. We have a number of ways that we do this, many because of national and state association policies, to say nothing of MLSs that refuse to come in the 21st century.

But the way that I am referring to is our stead fast refusal to pay even the most basic attention to our computers.

Let me explain. For the past few weeks I have been visiting real estate offices to train them on some fabulous software that they get as a member benefit from their association. The association has hired me to visit these offices and work one on one with the agents who cannot get the software to work. Without exception, I have found that the number one reason that they can’t get the system to work for them is because their computers get in the way…the very computers that they depend on for their livelihood defeat them before they can get started.

Here is a small sampling of what I found:

Computers running Windows 2000 … really? I mean come on folks, Microsoft hasn’t supported that for years. A Windows 2000 machine on the internet is like a breeding ground for viruses and mal-ware as it is likely unprotected.

Other computers running Adobe Reader 7…seriously? Older versions of Adobe Reader have serious security flaws that have been addressed in version X.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6…oh come on now. Why are you even running Internet Explorer in the first place, let alone Version 6? Friends don’t let Friends run Internet Explorer at all, but if you have to run it because your MLS is so far out of touch with modern day computing that you must, at least upgrade to version 8. Even the most backward MLS system can handle that version. If you don’t have to run Internet Explorer, don’t. Opt for Firefox instead.

These three issues alone have been the reason why the agents of that association hated the new system. Once we upgraded Adobe Reader to version X, and moved them to Firefox, they fell in love with the new system.

Here is some action that you can take:

First of all, go here and read this article: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/windows-update which will you understand how to keep your Windows computer updated. Then go here to get the free Adobe Reader Version X: http://get.adobe.com/reader/. Then go here to get Firefox: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/new/

Mac users, click on the Apple logo in the upper left of your screen, then click on Software Update. That will check all of the software on your Mac and allow you to upgrade anything that has a newer version. You can then update Adobe Reader by following the link above. No need for you to grab Firefox unless you want to, because the browser that comes with your Mac (Safari), is also an excellent browser.

I can hear you now, though: “I’m not running that software and I am not having any problems”. Really? You could be having issues with old and antiquated software and not even be aware of how much your computer is slowing you down. Best to take a few minutes and check things out. In fact, why not calendar this as a “To Do” every few months.

Give your computer a little attention and it will stop fighting you! (You can thank me later!)
*** This Just In*** Life Hacker just posted this video on how to do updates on your computer! http://lifehacker.com/5802139/how-to-update-software-for-beginners

Happy New Year!

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 03:00:26 +0000

Happy New Year!

It’s the time of year that we run around wishing each other happiness for the new year. I love this custom because it’s one of the dates in the season of many religious holidays that I think that we can all agree upon.

When I say Happy New Year to you, I am truly hoping that the coming year is filled with things that bring you happiness…like health, family, friends, prosperity, fun, laughter, and any other thing that will lighten your load and make your life more enjoyable.

Another thing that I like about this time of year is that we all seem to refocus our efforts on attaining goals. Commonly referred to as New Year’s Resolutions, many of us set lofty goals that we’d like to achieve in the coming year, like losing weight, quitting smoking, saving money and so on. Most of us don’t make it to 100% completion of those resolutions, but in my mind, it’s the setting of goals and setting out to achieve them that is at least as important as achieving them. The simple act of setting a goal underscores the need for some change. Even if we don’t complete the goal, we have raised our own awareness of the need for change. That raised awareness often stays with us, and over time we eventually do get to that place of change. Not always, but as I look back over my life, I see that when I have set goals and moved towards them, I was able to eventually effect change.

So, all of this is a preamble to what I wanted to talk about today. Some of your goals might include upgrading your technology tools. And good for you if you do. New tools almost always bring greater productivity, increased efficiency or some other positive benefit.

But they also come with a downside. And that downside is the fact that a new tool often causes the retirement of an older one. In the past, the old equipment was tossed into the trash without another thought. Today, we are painfully aware that that older technology tools often contain hazardous waste. Tossing these items into the trash will introduce hazardous waste in the environment. Not only is that harmful to the environment, it may also be illegal!

There is a solution that the State of California has provided (Other states and countries may have similar resources in place …try a Google search on e-waste and the name of your community) at http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/electronics/Collection/RecyclerSearch.aspx

This site will let you determine if what you have is classified as e-waste and if it is, it will help you locate a way to properly dispose of the waste. When I checked for a local facility in my County that I could use to dispose of batteries, I found 7, one of which was within walking distance of my office! That pretty much removes the objection of inconvenience doesn’t it?

So here’s the deal. Let’s all resolve to upgrade our tools this year, but more importantly, let’s properly dispose of the old ones.

Happy New Year!

Nero fiddled as Rome burned…

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:00:00 +0000

On Friday, November 5th, the National Association of REALTORS® will kick off it’s annual love fest. This year it is in New Orleans. Billed as NARdiGras 2010, the event will feature 4 days of speeches, lectures, classes and exhibits all designed to educate REALTORS®, fete REALTORS® and separate REALTORS® from their money in the Exhibit Halls.

I am not a fan of events like these, but I can see that they provide some value for many who attend them. The website http://www.realtor.org/convention.nsf/ has links to the educational offerings as well as links to the trade show exhibitors. If you are going, you may want to take a peek at the site and pre-plan your activities.

As I look at the schedule, I can’t help but think “that Nero fiddled as Rome burned”. I say that because if this year is like previous years, most attendees will be wandering the exhibit halls loading up on tchotchkes when they should be in the classrooms loading up on some much needed knowledge.

Here’s my reasoning:

The 2010 NAR Member survey had this to say about REALTOR® technology usage:

Only 52% of REALTORS® are using social media in any form
The October 2010 NAR Technology Survey claims that 84% are using social media.

That’s a huge disparity. Who knows which one of these recent surveys is correct so from my own observations, I would say that only a few percentage points are actually using social media in any business sense. Just having a Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter account doesn’t count.

This year’s celebration will have over 25 workshops and classes on social media and other business technology topics. This is an unprecedented opportunity for attendees to get up to speed quickly…if they would only attend them.

All of that is well and good, and maybe some will come away with a resolve to start using the tools, but I fear that it is already too late. Here are some numbers from the NAR 2010 Survey of Home Buyers and Sellers which will be released on November 5th:

The very first step taken by 36% of all buyers (who responded to the survey) is to look online for information on the home buying process.
Only 19% contacted a REALTOR® for that information. Last year that number was 36%…

With so much information about listings available on the Internet, it’s only natural that consumers go there first. But what hasn’t been universally available is information on what it is like to ACTUALLY live in the neighborhoods that a consumer may want to live in. That was information that was really only available from people who lived in the neighborhood, or from someone who specialized in the neighborhood. Like the REALTOR®.

Typically a REALTOR® would disseminate that sort of information during showings as they drove the consumer from house to house on a home hunting tour.

Some forward thinking agents do try to duplicate this experience through photos and videos of the neighborhood on their blogs, but most REALTORS® have been content with just posting information on their websites relating to properties or their own achievements.

It was only a matter of time until an entrepreneur saw the inefficiencies here and decided to do something about it. That day has come. Enter NabeWise. Although they are only in San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Chicago and New York at the moment, they have plans to expand. Here is what they have to say about their service:

NabeWise allows you to understand any neighborhood as if you’ve already lived there, so you can explore the world on a local level, discover new places, and find the neighborhoods that are right for you.

People moving in particular want to find a place that fits their identity, lifestyle, and values. The average American moves every five years, and while choosing a neighborhood is as important as choosing a home, there has been no resource that helps people easily understand neighborhoods.

There are over 80,000 neighborhoods in the US alone, and they are all distinct in their people, setting, and culture. Many people want to know what different neighborhoods are like including, people moving, people traveling, and even curious locals.

In other words, they propose to do some of what REALTORS® do.

All is not lost though if you are a REALTOR®. They go on to say that they recognize that you need better tools to help you educate buyers, so they have made a widget available for you to put on your website. How nice.

But, couldn’t you have done the same thing? Couldn’t you have been shooting neighborhood videos, videos interviewing local merchants and video interviewing residents and placing those videos along with pictures on your blog or website?

Or is it more important to go to NARdiGras and load up on tchotchkes?

3 ways to avoid being a dinosaur in real estate

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 02:00:40 +0000

A few weeks ago I attended a real estate BarCamp in Redwood City. Don’t ask me why it’s called that. Instead, go to http://rebarcamp.com/ and learn more about what BarCamps are all about.

While I was in a session that was talking about marketing yourself online, the presenter was talking about how his team uses social networking as part of their overall marketing plan. About 10 minutes into his talk one gentleman in the audience was quite vocal that sites like Facebook were “dangerous” and “could crash your computer”. He went on to make a few more heartfelt, but erroneous statements.

At first I was annoyed by his lack of knowledge. In other words, he had absolutely no idea of what he was talking about. Yet, he was passionate in the defense of his indefensible position. Then I realized that I was listening to the voice of fear. He could see that the market was moving away from his comfort zone. He knew that he did not know how to keep up, and so he attacked.

He was present in several other sessions that I attended that day and he was equally incorrect in his understanding.

Here is my take away from this experience, when you find yourself in a learning opportunity (as all BarCamps are), leave your ignorance at the door. Instead, bring your curiosity and be prepared to learn. Had he done that, he would have walked away with at least four new ideas of how he could adopt the new tools to grow his business.

Point one is this: Do not engage in contempt before investigation.

If you can’t attend BarCamps, learn how to find information on line. You may not be aware of the fact that YouTube is the second most searched entity on the Internet, second only to it’s parent, Google.

What this means is that there is probably a video on YouTube that will walk you through ANYTHING that you want to learn. Spend some time there and look for (and watch) some videos on marketing, prospecting, Facebook, Twitter and yes, even videos on how to use YouTube.

Point two is this: Learn how to use the FREE resources to learn how to do anything.

Most of us have web sites that don’t bring us the type and amount of business that we would like. We were sure that if we built it they would come. But the evidence (closed transactions directly attributable to our web sites) just isn’t there for the majority of real estate web sites.

SEO gurus tell us that it’s because our sites can’t be found on a search. While there is some truth to this, I think that your site may be getting traffic right now. But, the problem is that the traffic isn’t targeted traffic and when someone does land on your web site, where is the incentive for them to take action? In other words, are the RIGHT people finding your web site, and if so, when they get there, does the site “speak” to them?

Probably not. Go back and read last week’s article http://realtytechbytes.com/rant-are-you-a-dinosaur/ and this time click on the link contained in point four…and read it!

Point three is this: You MUST know who you are trying to reach. Once you have identified them you can build a web page that resonates with them when they arrive. And then you can ask them to take action.

Finally, consider giving up that web site in favor of a blog that you can change at will. Consider setting up a Facebook business page with tabs that speak to your different niches. Consider the whole concept of personal marketing NOT from the standpoint that YOU are the number one REALTOR®, but instead consider personal marketing from the standpoint that you have the solution to the pain that your ideal client is experiencing.

Once you do that you will have taken giant steps up the evolutionary ladder and will avoid extinction.

Or, just keep on doing what you are doing. The choice really is your after all.

Rant: Are you a dinosaur?

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 02:00:00 +0000

According to the USGS, the dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago. (Here is the link http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dinosaurs/extinct.html)

That same source claims that they had a good long reign of about 165 million years. That’s certainly long enough that if there were any sentient dinosaurs then they probably believed that they would be around for another 165 million years. As far as the average dinosaur was concerned there was nothing to worry about.

Oh sure, there was the daily grind of escaping from predators and finding enough food and water to sustain themselves (we haven’t found any evidence of pre-historic fast food joints as far as I know), but for most of them it was business as usual I am sure.

Then it all ended. If it was by a gigantic cataclysm, then they never knew what hit them. But, maybe it was a climatic change that occurred over several years. In that case our sentient dinosaurs would have been worried about the future. Maybe there were even some far thinking dinosaurs that sounded the alarm, trying to get others to prepare for a new way of living. I’ve heard both the cataclysmic theory and the climate change theory. It doesn’t matter, the dinosaurs are gone. They either didn’t or couldn’t adapt.

There is a lesson to be learned here for us.

In February of 1908 the National Association of REALTORS® was founded according to NAR (http://www.realtor.org/library/library/fg002) so that means that organized real estate has been around for 102 years and will celebrate 103 years in February. I am unable to determine when the first real estate license was issued, but lets just for the sake of argument assume that we have been doing real estate essentially the same ways today as we did over 100 years ago. You know, brokers, agents, listings, yard signs and so on.

One could almost assume, like our sentient dinosaur, that things could go on this way indefinitely. But, if we assume that, I think we face the same fate as the dinosaur. Extinction.

Oh yes, we have survived Bill Chee’s “Hungry lion coming over the hill” but not without much posturing over ownership of listings and big brokers vs. small brokers and who knows what else.

But there is so much more that is worrisome to me. Here are a few:

Most of us fight technology adoption.
This used to puzzle me. But, I kind of get it now. We just don’t want to spend the money or the time it takes to acquire and learn the new tools because it has been proven to us that in short order we’ll have to go through the process again. We forget that the clients of the future will be using these tools because for them they will be the tools that they grew up with and are comfortable in using.
We don’t get training even when it is free
This one still puzzles me. Why doesn’t every agent have a CRS, GRI, ABR, SRES, ePro, LTG and so on? Why doesn’t every broker have those same designations/certifications AND a CRB? Why do agents sign up for classes and fail to show up?
What do we do with our time?
I’ve been at this since 1986. I was very successful as an agent after a slow start. Things got better for me when I got better. In other words, I learned a system that produced leads for me and then I got good at presentations. Then I got good at negotiation, then I got good at problem solving. Then I got stupid and took a job as a manager. (Sorry, had to toss that one in there) As a manager, I saw very few agents that were willing to do all of that, consequently, few made 6 figure incomes. Yet, they were always “busy”. Doing what? What do you do all day? I know that it isn’t prospecting for new business…
We aren’t listening to consumers
Do we really believe that the consumers care about our new listing? Do we understand that they care about the listing that is important to them and not our latest project? When I ask agents who their ideal client is, I get a variety of reactions ranging from blank stares to “any one who wants to buy or sell a house.” To get a sense of why this is wrong, read this article by Carrie Gable on Mr. Internet’s blog: http://blog.onlinedominance.com/finding-your-real-estate-niche/ (Well done Carrie)
We want the magic bullet.
Folks, there is no magic bullet. There is no tooth fairy and there is no Santa Claus. Success in our business is going to come from a variety of things that include but are not limited to: technology adoption, honing our skills, listening to consumers and then spending the time it takes to deliver the right products and services to the right consumer.

Are you up for it? Or will your bones be dug up and placed on display in some future Museum of Natural History as a fine example of that extinct species known as a real estate agent?

If you are still a reader, come back next week and I’ll have some ideas on what I think you can do.

Social Media Marketing Interactive

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 02:00:14 +0000

Unless you have managed to avoid turning on your computer, television and radio for the past several years, you already know that social networking is probably the biggest thing to hit the web since AOL popularized the online experience in 1996.

Some of the most talked about social sites are Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. Facebook claims to have over 500 million ACTIVE users worldwide, LinkedIn claims 75 million, Twitter claims over 125 million, and YouTube claims to be the second largest search engine, just behind it’s parent, Google.

In all probability, you are a member of Facebook and probably LinkedIn too. I am sure that in the last 30 days that you have viewed at least one YouTube video, and you may even have fired off a tweet or two.

But, like many, you may not be aware of the tremendous marketing opportunities that these social sites offer to you.

If you are a real estate professional or a small business owner, you already know that business has dropped off considerably these past few years because of the economic mess that has caused many consumers to put purchases and moves on hold.

Yet traditional advertising is expensive and doesn’t yield the results that it used to in the past.

Here is where your adoption of social media advertising and marketing can save the day. With so much of our population on Facebook, and so many people viewing YouTube videos (Over 2 billion views per month according to YouTube) it’s imperative that you learn how to utilize these methods.

There is a caveat however, improper use of the tools, coming on heavy handed and failing to be attentive to the “conversation” can work against you quickly and decisively.

You need a coach, a pathfinder if you will, to show you the way. That would be me.

In the Fall of 2007 I started evangelizing the use of podcasting to the management of the large, nationwide real estate company that employed me. The concept was so new, and my understanding was imperfect, and I failed to sway the company. Like many companies, they did not see the change that was coming and persisted on redoubling their efforts on methods that had worked in the past. They kept chasing fewer clients by spending large amounts of money on traditional advertising methods. Ultimately, they sold the company and are no longer in the residential resale business. I still believe that they would not have left the real estate business if I had been able to be more persuasive. By now they could have been the leader in real estate in using social media because they would have attracted some of the best minds to help them get there.

Fast forward 3 years and there is no question that social networking has become mainstream. The only question is whether or not you will pick up the tools and use them to your advantage.

Because my own personal social media marketing journey that was more of a hit or miss experience, I started a new service which I have placed on line at http://www.SMMinteractive.com. My hope is that the lessons, techniques, processes, failures and ultimately successes that I have learned can be useful to you.

Please go there and look through what I have online. See if it makes sense to you and then please click the Facebook “Like” button there and if you have a Twitter account, please click the Tweet button as well and help me get the word out.

Here’s what’s in it for you: Your understanding and use of social media marketing can be the difference between being in business in the future, or learning how to ask “Would you like fries with that?”

I can help you promote your business on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter in an ethical, responsible and effective manner. You already know what to do when a customer shows up, let me help you get them to show up!

Three years from now you don’t want to be looking back at the Fall of 2010 and saying to yourself “I wish that I had taken action…”