Detroit Free Press Goes Part Time.
Yes, The Detroit Free Press is cutting back. Way Back. They will no longer have a daily home delivery. Instead they will only be delivering three days a week, on those days that traditionally carry the most advertising.
In the words of Robert Zimmerman, "The Times They Are A Changin'".
And not only the Times. The Tribune and the Free Press are changing too. The printed word has had a great run. Johannes Gutenberg had a great idea way back in 1440. The Gutenberg printing press was developed from the technology of the screw-type wine presses of the Rhine Valley.
It was there in 1440 that Johannes Gutenberg created his printing press, a hand press, in which ink was rolled over the raised surfaces of moveable hand-set block letters held within a wooden form and the form was then pressed against a sheet of paper. Many tears later newspapers were mass produced using technologies that evolved from Gutenberg's rather crude press.
For many years, the newspapers were a wonderful medium for advertising items for sale, including real estate. As real estate agents we promised our clients lots of newspaper advertising. We sold the newspaper as a wonderful and effective way to sell homes. We knew it to be true and we made sure everyone else knew it. And then it happened. The world as we knew it began to change. Al Gore invented the internet and we were off and running with a brand new way to sell homes. The only problem is that we did such a good job of selling the newspaper as a great home selling medium that our clients still expect a lot of newspaper advertising, especially those that are past the age of acne.
In just two short years our own Grand Rapids Press has gone from two rather robust news paper sections to a rather anemic and thin single section, even though there are as many or more homes on the market now as there were then. Admittedly, some of this is due to the economy of tough times but mostly it is because most of us realize that the web is where the buyers are and we must go to them. For some, the internet and everything associated with it can be overwhelming. It can seem that there is so much to learn and so much to do if we are to take advantage of its power. For those, and me, we need to look at it like eating an elephant.
All at once, eating an elephant is daunting but one steak at a time is not so bad. We can all improve our skills, each at our own speed. The key is to simply take that first step. Just do it. One step (steak) at a time.
And, for those of you who were wondering. Robert Zimmerman is the real name of Bob Dylan.
I just finished reading a wonderful book entitled Live, Learn, Lead by Don Solderquist, one of the top officers in the Wal-Mart organization for many years. Don tells of the time that another officer had somehow come into the possession of a competitor's Profit and Loss statement and had placed it on Don's desk to 
do with as he saw fit. Although this information could give Wal-Mart a big competitive advantage, he tossed it in the wastebasket without reading it. Although it was the ethical thing to do, Don later realized that in doing this, he had failed. He failed because he didn't tell the person who gave it to him what he had done and thus lost a chance to share a valuable lesson in integrity. Amazingly, on two other occasions Don had P&L statements similarly given to him. ( Some companies will pay big bucks for these ) The first time, one of his regional managers gave it to him and said "Look what I've found", as he presented the stack of the competitions monthly and annual performance reports. Don explained that he couldn't use them and mailed them to the president of the other company with the assurance that the reports were neither copied nor read. The president of the competing company, of course, thanked him profusely. Don explained to his regional manager why it would be unethical to use these reports. A great improvement over the first time this had happened and yet Don knew that he could have still done better. Wouldn't you know, lightning struck again. This time Don was fully prepared. He had the person who gave him the report call the president of the other company and also send the reports. The lesson about doing the right thing was much stronger to Don's subordinate because he had done it himself.
It is sometimes easier to do a right thing than it is to do THE right thing.
Our world is changing. The financial markets are in turmoil. None of the rules seem to apply any more. Sadly, this is affecting many folks on an individual basis. Due to circumstances beyond their control, many people today are unable to make their mortgage payments on time. Good, hard working people who always have been faithful in making their payments are falling behind and, in some cases, having to choose between food, heat and shelter. Some will get a little relief from the recent actions of the federal government. Some will get some help from the banks. Most, however, will not get the boost that they need. And.... most have absolutely no idea what to do about it.
There is an excellent resource available online with a huge amount of information and advice about what to do if you are having trouble making your house payment. If you are having difficulties you can visit the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's web site " Guide To Avoiding Foreclosure ". There is a lot of helpful information there about how to work with the banks, how to avoid scams and much more. If you are having payment problems check it out and if you know someone who needs this information, please feel free to forward this information to them. If the above link does not work for you, copy and paste the following into your browser. http://www.hud.gov/foreclosure/ .
Good luck and may God bless,
That's right. I quit. I have had enough. It just isn't working.
I quit procrastinating
I quit avoiding the unpleasant calls that have to be made.
I quit avoiding technological advancements.
I quit missing opportunities to hear educational speakers
I quit missing opportunities to hear motivational speakers.
I quit listening to the car radio instead of training CDs
I quit missing office sales meetings.
I quit not getting enough exercise.
They say that quitting is a lot easier if you have a quitting partner. Won't you join me?
I saw that phrase again the other day. We all have heard it. We all have a good idea what it means. Under promise and over deliver. It's easy to say. But is it easy to do? In the real estate business, it is so very easy to go on and on to our potential clients about all of the wonderful things that we are going to do. It is not quite so easy to follow through on all of our promises.
What a wonderful place this old world would be if everyone, in every instance, concentrated on adding value to the other person. In a world where so many people seem bent on calculated benefit to themselves, only doing things that they perceive will bring value back to them, it is always refreshing to run across someone who operates differently. Someone who asks questions like "How can I help you?" or "What can I do to make your day better?", without thinking about what they might get in return.
I challenge you to remember someone in your life who asks such questions. Think about how it made you feel. Has that person enhanced your life? Have you wanted to give back to them?
Please share the story.
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