Zap negativity, tap distribution
Part 2: Recipes for online success
By Bernice Ross, Sunday, April 12, 2009.For example, one new hire at a major technology company complained about the choice between the fat paycheck vs. the long drive and the stupid work. It took only a few minutes for the message to reach the top levels of his company. Needless to say, he was fired.
Another common mistake is to use social media to "pitch, pitch, pitch." Last century's marketing messages are no longer effective in today's social networking environment. Instead, people expect you to engage in the online conversation as a person, not as a real estate agent trying to drum up business.
4. How to handle negative posts
One of the challenges that almost everyone faces is what to do when someone posts something negative about you. Marilyn Wilson of the WAV Group and Darity Wesley of PrivacyGurus.com recommended using Google Alerts to monitor what is being posted about you or your company online.
When someone does a negative post, not engaging may be the best policy. To lessen the impact of that post, be aggressive about getting testimonials from past clients. Wilson suggested going through the Quality Service Certification as a means to control your online reputation.
There is also a new program from MyFrontSteps.com that can assist you in pushing negative comments to the back pages of a Google or Yahoo search. Wilson suggested that agents and brokers sign up for the "Step Rep" program, which allows you to monitor, manage and build your online reputation through social networking. Step Rep tracks posts on all major social networks, along with video content and photo tags. Step Rep allows you to categorize what you want posted and what you want to bury. They also provide a widget that lets you publish positive information across the Web with a single click.
When it comes to implementing new technology, take it one step at a time. The key is to discover what you will do on a regular basis. Even more importantly, be yourself, contribute to the conversation, and remember what your mother used to say, "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything."
Bernice Ross, CEO of RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, trainer and author of "Real Estate Dough: Your Recipe for Real Estate Success" and other books. You can reach her at Bernice@RealEstateCoach.com.
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Submitted by RK Ruthman on April 12, 2009 - 4:45am.
Control negativity, control information, control individuals....as the web grows whether through a post, a twitter or a comment, there is a sense of losing control. Keeping the herds of real estate professionals and consumers is a little more difficult now.
Even if one chooses to read a post from a rogue real estate professional or Barney "I Love You - You Love Me" and does not leave a comment, the post has nonetheless been read.
There is some value in negativity. Why would we have have surveys asking for information if we were afraid of a little negativity? Knowing where we need to improve makes our business better.
---You know, Yin and Yang.
What is the impact of the information going to have on consumers?
What would happen if a contrary idea caught on but had positive results for many?
Uh-oh, but maybe not for you, and maybe not for a company.
Sprouting ideas are considered weeds if not controlled.
So, do you think real estate blog websites that are not independently owned would bury posts that they perceive as negative?
(Bernice - Great article to think about)
Submitted by Ned Carey on April 12, 2009 - 9:05am.
>Responding to those who are highly negative will result only in escalating the situation.
That depends on how you respond. I give patient rational responses. If they respond it is usually incoherent rambling which makes them look the fool or they just give up and go away.
Ned Carey
http://baltimorerealestateinvestingblog.com/
http://commercialrei.com/
Submitted by Marilyn Wilson on April 15, 2009 - 4:23am.
Very interesting questions posed by RK Ruthman. There is a ton of consumer data that suggests that a few negative comments actually make the information more credible and influential. If every review is glowing sometimes consumers become suspect. They would rather see a range of comments which truly help them understand the value of a product or service.
The more information about past transactions we can share the better. Giving consumers the ability to contribute to the conversation encourages them to become more engaged in the real estate transaction process.
We recently conducted consumer focus groups and we asked them about their interest in reviewing feedback from fellow real estate consumers. The response was overwhelming. All types of real estate consumers responses favorably. Consumers who received an agent referral from a friend said they would look to the consumer feedback as a way to "check their math". The more interesting feedback came from FSBO customers, though. About a third of the FSBO clients we talked to said they would seriously consider using an agent if they could find one with strong ratings from past clients. If ratings can help even one FSBO customer to work with an agent, it seems like a worthwhile endeavor.
We need to stop being afraid of feedback and start shouting it from the rooftops. The real estate business is based on referrals. You don't get referrals with providing exemplary customer service and happy customers. Take credit for it and watch your business grow.