Matt Nuzie

Networking is the lifeline to the success of our business.

The more people you know, the better chance you have of getting new business. That being said, I go to every networking event I can. I shake hands, pass my card around and give my 30 second elevator speech to anyone that will listen.

My "professional opinion" -those in attendance don't care about me. Sure they appear wide eyed and friendly when you mention you may have a friend or family member that can benefit from their service. 99% of the time they will converse just enough to see if they can benefit from you. Once they conclude NO, they move onto the next "networker."

I came up with two great ideas that enable me to network in a less threatening manner;

1) I carry a money clip. Don't you hate it when you're in line behind someone with a money clip? They take 5 minutes to remove the rubber band, and then they have to sort through their driver's license, birth certificate, insurance card just to get to the cash. Then they flip through their dollar bills (Money Clip 101: wrap one $20 or $100 bill around dollar bills for a full look). By the time they have the money ready, the line has built up and the cashier fell asleep.

What does this have anything to do with ME? (I know your thinking that at this point)

I organize my money clip in a way that my business cards are batting first. By this I mean; I immediately remove my business cards (from money clip) and place them on the counter by the cash register. Allowing everyone around to see the big RE/MAX Logo. I then take my time to gather the necessary cash and proceed with my purchase. I cannot tell you how many times; a customer/employee has glanced at my card and struck up a Real Estate related conversation.

What a great time to say, "Please take my card, if nothing else, I won't hold up the line next time!"

Hopefully the conversation isn't, "oh my sister is a real estate agent." If it is, at least you've learned not to go back to that store!

2) My next alternative networking idea is not gender specific. I hate to stereotype, but I haven't seen too many women carrying money clips these days! Tip number 2; Carry spare change in your pocket. Again this networking tip will take place at or around the cash register.

As customers; we strongly dislike (hate is too harsh of a word) getting 98 cents back when our purchase comes to 12 dollars & 2 cents. Although our parents always said, "coins are the same as cash, if you don't want the quarters, give them to me."

After my purchase, I linger around the cash register. If the next customer doesn't have exact change, I will reach into my pocket and provide them with the exact change needed. You are probably thinking to yourself, big deal; you wouldn't have to spend more then 99 cents. True, but it's the thought and the convenience that people appreciate. No one wants the change rattling around in their pocket all day.

My experience in helping people pay with exact change has been remarkable. It strikes up a conversation and you have provided an item of value to them. It is a great time to say,

"Aside from giving away spare change, I help people save/make money when buying or selling Real Estate. Here's my card, call me if I can ever be of service to you." (Or give me my change back)

Make it a Great Day!

While I was writing endless amounts of blogs the past few months; I often found myself questioning, WHY? I could be making phone calls, writing personal notes or prospecting for more business. Nope, I was spending hours writing to an online community of Realtors. The same Realtors that were out previewing properties & writing offers, while I was typing away on the keyboard. I put allot of time and effort into my blogs that were meant to benefit my competition. (Insert conflicting comment on competition from a EXTREMELY friendly Realtor here).

I would tell co-workers, friends & family that I was really enjoying writing my blogs. Their immediate question was, "Are your clients enjoying them too?" After admitting that I was blogging to other Real Estate Agents, they immediately questioned, WHY? If you're going to "waste" your time blogging, shouldn't it be to potential buyers & sellers? That is a fair statement, but nope, I enjoyed blogging to a group of individuals that I've never DIRECTLY benefited from.

Obviously, this blog has a happy ending, so I will move on from the NEGATIVE WHY & start to tell you the POSITIVE WHAT. As in what happened and why I will continue to blog to the "competition."

As I would participate in the Active Rain Blog-O-Sphere, I would read the featured blogs (why waste your time with anything less). Active Rain has a unique eye in deciding what blogs get featured. My goal was to pin point why a blog was selected. I started increasing my Real Estate IQ at an extremely fast pace. I would read other professionals experiences, helpful hints & ideas. I found myself talking more about real estate and coming up with creative ideas to grow my business.

If I needed material for a mass e-mail or mailing, I would search through Active Rain and find pertinent information to pass along. Pertinent meaning -information that is more useful then telling your client that interest rates are down & you should buy now, because I said so. The e-mails I send have actually generated responses which have led to a more active client & REFERRALS. Yes, when you stay top of mind and provide useful information, there is a chance that your client may refer you to their co-worker that has been sitting on Realtor.com the past 3 months.

Although no one has given me a direct referral via Active Rain (Don't you want to be my first?) I contribute the success I've had over the past few months in part to the Active Rain community.

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

While I was writing endless amounts of blogs the past few months; I often found myself questioning, WHY? I could be making phone calls, writing personal notes or prospecting for more business. Nope, I was spending hours writing to an online community of Realtors. The same Realtors that were out previewing properties & writing offers, while I was typing away on the keyboard. I put allot of time and effort into my blogs that were meant to benefit my competition. (Insert conflicting comment on competition from a EXTREMELY friendly Realtor here).

I would tell co-workers, friends & family that I was really enjoying writing my blogs. Their immediate question was, "Are your clients enjoying them too?" After admitting that I was blogging to other Real Estate Agents, they immediately questioned, WHY? If you're going to "waste" your time blogging, shouldn't it be to potential buyers & sellers? That is a fair statement, but nope, I enjoyed blogging to a group of individuals that I've never DIRECTLY benefited from.

Obviously, this blog has a happy ending, so I will move on from the NEGATIVE WHY & start to tell you the POSITIVE WHAT. As in what happened and why I will continue to blog to the "competition."

As I would participate in the Active Rain Blog-O-Sphere, I would read the featured blogs (why waste your time with anything less). Active Rain has a unique eye in deciding what blogs get featured. My goal was to pin point why a blog was selected. I started increasing my Real Estate IQ at an extremely fast pace. I would read other professionals experiences, helpful hints & ideas. I found myself talking more about real estate and coming up with creative ideas to grow my business.

If I needed material for a mass e-mail or mailing, I would search through Active Rain and find pertinent information to pass along. Pertinent meaning -information that is more useful then telling your client that interest rates are down & you should buy now, because I said so. The e-mails I send have actually generated responses which have led to a more active client & REFERRALS. Yes, when you stay top of mind and provide useful information, there is a chance that your client may refer you to their co-worker that has been sitting on Realtor.com the past 3 months.

Although no one has given me a direct referral via Active Rain (Don't you want to be my first?) I contribute the success I've had over the past few months in part to the Active Rain community.

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

If you think the movie is going to be bad, guess what you? It will.

If you think the waiter is going to mess up your order? They Will.

If you think you are going to get stuck in traffic? You will.

IF YOU THINK YOUR TRANSACTION WILL FALL APART? IT WILL.

"What the mind can perceive, the body will achieve." This quote sounds great, but in a sense it is a double edged sword. Every once in a while when we set goals, visions & have dream of success. We kick back and say ahhh, " what the mind can perceive the body will achieve." On these rare occasion we may visualize the success we wish to attain, the happiness we desire and the financial freedom we long for. We feel great, we are allowing our mind to perceive greatness, therefor our body will achieve it.

WRONG. This visualization process may account for less then 1% of our daily thoughts. What are we filling our mind with the other 99% of the time?

Case & Point: Many of us can perfectly recite the Friends theme song by The Rembrandts. How many of us, sat down and studied the lyrics line by line? No one, however, we filled our mind with countless episodes of Friends and without our approval, have committed the song to memory. This may seem harmless, but what if were subject to bad information & negative thoughts & . Without our approval we would commit to memory thoughts & ideas that can prohibit our success and enjoyment of life.

YOUR ATTITUDE CAN DO WONDERS

Father: I want you to marry a girl of my choice
Son: "I will choose my own bride!"
Father:"But the girl is Bill Gates's daughter."
Son:"Well, in that case...ok"
Next Day Father approaches Bill Gates.
Father: "I have a husband for your daughter."
Bill Gates: "But my daughter is too young to marry!"
Father: "But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank."
Bill Gates:"Ah, in that case...ok"
Finally Father goes to see the president of the World Bank.
Father: "I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president."
President: "But I already have more vice- presidents than I need!"
Father:"But this young man is Bill Gates's son-in-law."
President:"Ah, in that case...ok"



Moral: Even If you have nothing, you can get anything. But your attitude should be positive

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

I am relatively new to the Blog-o-Sphere, however I feel as though I am on the fast track to learning the tricks of the trade. I had a revolutionary idea to send a link of my blog to my states major newspaper. Not sure what the reaction would be. I was contacted by the editor and they are currently setting me up with a blog on their website. SCORE.

Initial Problem; I cannot blog for personal advertisement (i.e. Real Estate). However, I have a hidden talent. I was the starting place kicker for the UConn Huskies from 2002-2006. I was a hero as well as a zero throughout my career. A roller coaster career creates allot of headlines for local newspapers. Readers digest version; I have been asked to BLOG about UConn Football and my career/experience.

PROBLEM- I cant blog about how it is a buyers market, interest rates are down and I am the best Realtor on the gold coast.

EVERY PROBLEM/CHALLENGE LEADS TO A NEW OPPORTUNITY..BLAH..BLAH..BLAH

This leads me to the informational and real estate related portion of my Active Rain Blog (Not to be confused with my UConn Football Blog) & ultimately the reason Active Rain will feature my blog (thank god, its been way too long). People want to work with those they know. "People they know" DOES NOT mean that you sent them your glamor shot every week for 6 months and a letter that says you specialize in selling houses like theirs. NEWS FLASH: They see you in the same light as a used car salesmen.

All though blogging about UConn Football has NOTHING to do with Real Estate, in the long run my business will benefit from this. My name(brand) will be exposed to the public in a less intrusive fashion, UNLIKE, cold calling or knocking on their door. They will learn about my life outside of business and laugh while doing so---> Insert Quote about Laughing Here <---- "If you can make a girl laugh you can make her do anything" - Marilyn Monroe (Not true, but sounds good).

Sure there are nay sayers out there that think football is a barbaric, male shovenistic sport and that blogging about it will do nothing but feed my ego. I will never change your mind & wont try to, next thought.

Play to your NICHE market. If you are a world class chef, blog about your skill. Write articles for local publications. Whatever your passion is, outside of Real Estate, market to those that share the same interests. All of our marketing effort does not have to be to a farm neighborhood, sphere of influence or a random condo complex. Market to those that have the same hobby, interest & PASSIONS as us. If anyone needs the mailing list for the State Prison, let me know. Bad joke, my apologies, GOOD LUCK!

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

P.S. STAY TUNED FOR MY UCONN FOOTBALL BLOG!