About Walworth County, WI

Half of American households can afford a home value of 200,000 today due to low interest rates and declining home prices. I have three wonderful homes in Lake Geneva that fit that 200K target price. Want to know more? Visit my website at www.margaretcanfield.com and check out what great pricing is out there for your family. http://rismedia.com/2009-04-07/with-affordability-up-home-buyers-return-to-the-market/

Why don't people blog? They just don't want business. They are scared. They are antiquated.

Polished to Perfection? I hope not. I'm a REAL person and this is my BLOG

Yesterday I held a seminar for a local real estate franchise, Keefe Real Estate in Walworth County Wisconsin. The seminar, "Community Equals Profitability" was about building a strong community using social networking, blogging, and yes, belly-to-belly offline marketing strategies.

During the seminar I explained how there's more then one method a real estate agent can use to become a content provider. We discussed blogging, podcasting, microblogging, and the "dreaded" vlogging. I encouraged the agents to give it a try by going on Facebook and recording a quick message for a friend.

BUT....there was something missing. I hadn't really given vlogging a whirl yet, but I realized the power of this multimedia tool enough to introduce it as a viable option in my seminars. Enough to post about it on my blog in my New Year's Series,

"New Year's Consideration: Vlogging in 2009" and receive this comment,

"I'm still trying to get a handle on blogging! Is vlogging in your future?

I said yes. I continue to preach, but I haven't yet practiced anything but the art of procrastination when it comes to vlogging. I don't wear yellow feathers very well so here I go and what I want you to notice is,

• I am not saying anything earth shattering.
• Not the best lighting and no retouch on the makeup
• No staging of my messy office space

In other words, it's not perfect, but it is really me.

I recorded this yesterday afternoon. I had to mess around with some software and then decide where I wanted to upload the video to. I am truly a novice at vlogging but it was kinda fun.

I'll still blog than vlog more often. I enjoy writing the unspoken words. It fits MY business needs and I can do it comfortably, anytime of day, even in my pajamas.

So no more yellow feathers, maybe a few stray hairs:-)

Polished to Perfection? I hope not. I'm a REAL person and this is my BLOG.

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Here's my motive. It's much more fun to exercise with friends. Stretch your blogging limbs, get your oxygen flowing, and contribute to this Social Media Marketing Madness by commenting below with a link to a post about any of the social media marketing methods you have blogged about.

Yes, I am saying self promote. So holla at this blogging girl and send a little link love back to your blog in the comments below. As part of my cool down I might just follow up with a post that lists ALL of the contributions listed in this post.

Time for a social media marketing exercise on hump day. On your mark, get set, GO.

Browsing through the pages of my blog today I am happy to find that I've met my ultimate goal after having surpassed 100,000 points. I can honestly say that I shook the old skool sales devil from my shoulder and have been able to turn my blog into an archive of information and motivation. These were not the sales tactics taught to me.

Here's the cliffnotes of my real estate story.

When I first entered the real estate industry 17 years ago I worked for a real estate attorney. I fell in love with helping people move into their dream home. Contract to closing was rarely easy and the deal was never done until you closed at the table.

Most of the time I won the table and the few times I didn't I tried like hell to go another round. These weren't betting games but people's lives and dreams. Those days my paychecks were extremely small but the gratitude I received was overwhelming. There was a rare end of the month when I didn't receive cards, smiles and hugs and showers of appreciation.

The best gifts were the feelings of self accomplishment. The knowlege I had done my job and done it well.

I went from a B2B and B2C real estate business into the world of online real estate. In order to keep up with the industry I had to devour real estate magazines and books to maintain the same knowledge I was able to have during practical application because my hands were no longer digging in the real estate dirt.

During those eight years of working for online real estate advertising companies I was taught to sell the sale. In the world of online real estate advertising and lead generation the one call close and guilt tripping were applauded, the consultative sale was frowned upon.

I did well selling in my own way, but in most of my positions (bar one I can think of) I went against the grain of push selling and marketing. When other sales associates wanted to learn how I was getting sales they were told to speak to other more pushy sales people. Management wanted dope pushers and high rollers, not sales people who wanted to give value and sell based on the actual needs of the customer. Everyone was a candidate for the product in many cases. No one should be turned away because they weren't a fit or the product didn't fit their needs.

I did turn some customers away because they weren't a good fit to be customers. That wasn't well received-----at all.

I soon became a miscreant. My shiny red nose was transparent. I couldn't join in the company's sales games so I had to leave the company I kept.

That brings me to now and my journey of 100,0000 points and reaching my goal of becoming a source of information and motivation. Everyday I blog I strive to put something up that will help someone in someway. I have been perceived by colleagues sometimes as giving away the store but I know better. My store is stocked chock full of ideas and practical application.

Everyday I learn something new that I apply to my business and my client's business and often in doing so I get an "ah ha" moment, some of which I share, some of which I stock my shelves with to help my clientele. I know better than to think that everyone is my client.

• Some real estate professionals are working with other marketing consultants.
• Some real estate professionals like to D.I.Y (do-it-yourself) every project.
• Some real estate professionals are curious but non-committal.

Anyway you look at it I win.

I win when I provide a value that grows my community by growing my readership.

I win when D.I.Y real estate professionals refer colleagues to me.

I win by getting direct business from the curious who turn committed.

I win by partnering with like-minded marketing consultants for referral business.

I win when consumers ask me for real estate advice because they feel I am approachable (of course I DO make appropriate referrals).

I feel like I have returned to my roots. I get to give freely and I've gotten so many virtual and real hugs and smiles (and a paycheck:-)) in return. I feel like I am back digging in the dirt.

People have asked me if I am worried. Why should I be? I could be naive.

I believe in Karma and I like to pay it forward. Beyond that all I have to say is I've got more. The window dressing is my blog, my storefront holds so much more.

I would rather shake the devil off my shoulder who says to push value through guilt and fabrication than to push value by being transparent and honest....by actually caring.

I don't want to look over my shoulder or go cross-eyed looking sideways. I won't lock up my know-how wares.

Screw CYA... for the next 100k points and beyond I want to strive even further to be more opensource.

**If you enjoyed "The Journey of 100k points: Meeting the Goals to be more OpenSource" check out these real estate marketing posts:

• Be Your Own Leader. Success in Business and Life IS Personal
• Let the Information Flow Through you and PULL Clients To You
• You Can Become the Heavyweight Champion of Real Estate