Corky's Blog

Are You Making PowerPoint Videos to Market Yourself & Your Properties?

Corky Hyatt — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:57:00 GMT

If you're not creating your own videos from PowerPoint, why not start today! It's an easy process using software like Bytescout PowerPoint to Video, which you can try free.

Here are the steps:

Create your PowerPoint presentation of whatever topic you wish to present by video: marketing yourself or your listings, educating consumers, or promoting your business.

Download the software to convert the PowerPoint to video, such as Bytescout for the free trial which they offer. Once you've determined you wish to continue using the process, you may purchase the software reasonably.

Using your speaker, headset with a speaker, or -- as I did -- your iPhone earbuds with speaker and record your comments as you proceed through your PowerPoint presentation.

Once you're happy with your final product, you'll have a publishable video which can be loaded on your website, in your blog, saved to the media of your choice and share with your customers and clients!

Good luck with your PowerPoint videos. Here's my first shot at it which will encourage you to know that if Corky can do it, anyone can!

Thanks and go for it!

http://blog.corkyhyatt.com/2010/03/03/are-you-making-powerpoint-videos-to-market-yourself--your-properties.aspx

Leaders & Leaders-in-Training! Are you "Reading" John C. Maxwell's Leadership Tools?

Corky Hyatt — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:34:00 GMT

Looking for ideas, tools, and programs to develop the leader within you? It's time to "read" [read or listen to!] John C. Maxwell's leadership guides including

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You!

Developing the Leader Within You

Leadership 101

The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow

In addition, John has created workbooks for these excellent resources. Don't forget that you can find these at your public library in both book and compact disk format as well as on www.Amazon.com and other book sources on the internet.

However you gather these tools,they'll not benefit you unless you read/listen to them and then work your way through them, making a list of specific action you are taking to apply them in your person, business, and family life!

Start today!

REALTORS! Check out what Matt Ferrara's Talking About!

Corky Hyatt — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:20:00 GMT

If you're not following Matt Ferrara, start today! You can find his website at www.MatthewFerrara.com and you'll find a number of his presentations on www.YouTube.com!

To get our attention, Matt reminds us that only 50% of real estate licensees use smart phones and 50% close few than 10 transactions per year. Is it working?

I especially enjoyed two videos on YouTube that he's added in the last 90 days. See what you think! Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGPLayY8qXA for his current Video Blog and to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2xnUdT9ASE for a panel he facilitated at a Sotheby's conference about using social media and videos in your business. They're excellent information! Let me know what you think...

Howard Brinton, a Prince of a Gentleman & a Giant in our Real Estate Industry!

Corky Hyatt — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:41:00 GMT

To a bigger than life person ... may God bless Howard Brinton and grant him peace and grace as he faces aggressive bone cancer. From the first time I had the opportunity to hear Howard speak and receive one of his famous hugs, I've been his enthusiastic fan.

In the first year of Starpower, I suggested he interview my good friend Judy Johns and was tickled that he did! Recently he featured another gentleman, top businessman and leader from our board, Michael Maher. He shared the expertise of his stars with all of us in a way that made success attainable to any student of our business. I feel sure that being a Howard Brinton "star" has been one of the most productive honors his experts have received.

Since the beginning, Howard's conferences, tapes, CD's and other tools have been the best available for building not only real estate businesses but real estate stars -- whether or not his multitude of "stars" ever participated in Howard's panels, conferences, or tapes. Underneath all the tools, making them special, was Howard himself. He is truly one of a kind! For me as a trainer, I must admit that I've had the honor of standing on the shoulders of a giant, our Howard Brinton. No other real estate educator, motivator, or coach has had a greater influence on me and through me, my clients.

Howard's zest for life and his generosity set him apart; but being a true gentleman, he has never failed to recognize and appreciate all of us, his audience. God bless you, Howard, and all those who love you ... until we meet again.

Spencer Johnson's "Peaks & Valleys"

Corky Hyatt — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:38:00 GMT

Spencer Johnson's Peaks & Valleys

If you haven't read Dr. Spencer Johnson's Peaks & Valleys, it's time! Just like his "Who Moved My Cheese?" it's a smart little story with a message far larger than the size of the book! In this political and economic environment, far too many business people find themselves in a valley from which they can't find their way. Dr. Johnson points out that our valleys are seldom as deep as they seem when we're mired in them. Our next peak frequently awaits only our change in perspective rather than any change in geography, whether physical or emotional!

Go to your favorite bookstore like my husband Jim and I did at the University of Chicago campus bookstore and find this little gem! Let me know if you agree that it's a message for our times!

Social Network Your Way to More & Better Referrals!

Corky Hyatt — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:42:00 GMT

Have you ever tested your website to see how many clicks it takes to send you a referral? Do your past clients know your cell phone number so they can contact you in real time? Is your face in front of your raving fans every time they “talk” with their friends?

If your answer is no, consider how social networking sites can add these benefits to your business:

1. Give your raving fans 1-CLICK access for sending referrals!

2. Put your face on their screen when they network with friends via Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, or Twitter!

3. Be in “1-Click” range of your key people!

As a coach and consultant, I’ve discovered that many top REALTOR® websites don’t provide 1-click referral sending to business ambassadors or even 2 or 3-click access! Often consumers must wade through a questionnaire to send an email from your site and they frequently click off at these roadblocks. We’d love to believe they have our numbers and addresses readily at hand when a friend or colleague needs a REALTOR, but do they? Do they have you as handy as their friends on their favorite social network?

Consider “FaceBook” for 1-click referral contacts! Here are the stats[1]:

More than 250 million active users
More than 120 million users log on at least once a day
More than 2/3’s are out of college
Fastest growing demographic is those 35 years and older
More than 30 million active users access Facebook via mobile devices.
Mobile users are almost 50% more active on Facebook than non-mobile users.

When your business ambassador hears about someone needing professional real estate service, he can open FaceBook on his smart phone, 1-click you from his list and send the referral in real time! However, if you’re not there, the lead either dies or goes to some other CRS who’s there, positively “in his face!” 51% of American web users visit or maintain a social networking profile and usage by individuals under 35 years old is virtually universal! [2]

How do we start using social network sites to build referrals? Let’s get started.

1. Choose the best site for your market. Talk to your key ambassadors and determine where they network. Statistics tell us that FaceBook surged past MySpace last year to the top position and has the largest number of users while Twitter, the newest star, soared from 22^nd in 2008 to 3^rd in 2009![3] In I’m On LinkedIn, author Jason Alba states that the average age of a LinkedIn user is 41, his household income is $109,703, and 64% are male.[4]

2. Take advantage of “branding by association[5]”! When you’re linked to key people in your market area, you benefit from that relationship. A double edged sword, this means that you must tightly control your linkages to avoid problem people but also gain credibility relating to those positive-image clients whom you’ve served.

3. Add a appointment to work your social network daily! Just like your other lead generation tasks, social networking must be slotted into your schedule and controlled. It’s easy to let time slip away when you’re networking, so take command of this task but don’t avoid it because it might consume too much time.

4. Practice demographic smarts! Know your market, your raving fans, and your center of influence by age group so that you’re covering the types of networking that produce leads from your key people. If you’re heavily into under 35 year olds, then text, instant message, and Tweet. If your COI is heavily business-person oriented, then LinkedIn might be your best bet and use it to offer consumer research on your marketplace. Know your people and their preferences!

5. Add videos, photos, & testimonials! Today’s consumers want not only speedy responses and thorough information, but they want the human touch[6]! Give them easy access to photos, videos, and testimonials from raving fans through your social networking.

According to NAR’s annual consumer surveys[7], your best referrals sources are your past clients, friends, and family. Stay in front of them--easily approachable and 1-CLICK reachable--and collect quality referrals using smart social networking!

[1] Check out the statistices yourself at http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics [2] According to a Forrester Research survey conducted in May 2009. See the article at ComputerWorld’s site: http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=57E1E8C4-1A64-67EA-E49B6AB8E175EC75. [3] Social network rankings by www.Compete.com in 2009. [4] Jason Alba, creator of JibberJobber.com and author of several books on social networking can be found at www.JasonAlba.com. [5] A good read! Branding Bog by Dan Schawbel on August 10, 2009, can be found at www.personalbrandingblog.com/branding-by-association-is-the-single-most-powerful-idea-in-personal-branding/. [6] Consumers Want Human Touch www.bizreport.com/2009/08/consumers_want_human_touch_even_online.html. href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Corky%20Hyatt/My%20Documents/CRB%20CRS/Social%20Network%20Your%20Way%20to%20More%20&%20Better%20Referrals%20-%20article%20-%20090309%20-%20Word%202003%20compatible.doc#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" title="">[7] Now a free download, use NAR’s annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers available at www.REALTOR.org!

Brand New! Missouri Association of REALTORS eGRI 409 - Business Planning 2009 & Beyond!

Corky Hyatt — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:28:00 GMT

Brand New! July 14th & 15th! John Mayfield and & I are presenting the Missouri Association of REALTORS' first eGRI 409 by Webinar!
If you're a prospective GRI candidate or a current GRI participant who hasn't yet taken the Business Planning Course, this is your opportunity. If you miss July 14th & 15th, we'll be offering it again in November.
Email Corky@CorkyHyatt.com or John@RealEstateTechGuy.com or call Terry Murphy, Director of Education for MAR, to get more details!

Keys to Communicating with your Associates & Staff from "21 Mistakes Real Estate Brokers Make & How to Avoid Them"

Corky Hyatt — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:46:00 GMT

Thank You's!

Thanks to all the real estate professionals who made our course in Kansas City on June 9th such a success! Thanks too to John Mayfield, my favorite "team teacher!" Lastly, a huge thankyou to Terry Murphy, Director of Education for the Missouri Association of REALTORS and a special thank you to Rob Curtis and First American Title for co-sponsoring our course!

Keys to Communicating with Your Associates & Staff: Verbal Communications

In many ways, verbal communications must be more exact then written communications because when a member of your sales team or staff receives any type of written message, they have the opportunity to read and re-read it until they’re clear about the meaning. Statements, except recorded messages, are heard once and probably often misheard! When you speak with a colleague, there are two parts to reliable communication, your speaking and their hearing. Speaking alone isn’t communication, it’s merely noise. Hearing alone isn’t communication without listening, observing, and understanding.

How often have you made a quick statement in passing which you believe communicated something important to a salesperson or staff person, only to discover later that the hearer totally misunderstood the message? When you have something important to say, be sure that the following elements occur:

Focus on the listener. Make eye contact with the person to whom you’re speaking, being sure that they are listening and are undistracted by other voices, sounds, and activities.
Speak clearly, making your point succinctly but effectively.
Ask a question to determine that they not only hear but understand your statement
If the information is critical and you are concerned about their feelings on the topic, ask how they feel about it.
Close with confirmation if a follow-up activity is required.

When you are the receiver of an important statement, question, or comment, consider the following:

Focus on the speaker! Make eye contact and illustrate an open, receiving body language.
Listen for more than the statement, hearing emotion, and seeing their physical message as well as the spoken word.
Restate the speaker’s statement, question, or comment in your own words to be sure that you understand.
If unsure, ask if you’ve got their point and ask what they would like for you to do in response.
Remember that not every statement, question, or comment from an agent or staffer demands action on your part!

In “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus,” author John Gray, PhD., tells us that each gender speaks and processes information differently.

“…the two biggest mistakes we make in relating to the opposite sex: men mistakenly offer solutions and invalidate feelings while women offer unsolicited advice and direction…While Martians [men] tend to pull away and silently think about what’s bothering them, Venusians [women] feel an instinctive need to talk about what’s bothering them [Source: New York Times bestseller, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray, PhD., Harper Collins Publishers].”

Have you formed your Mastermind Group?

Corky Hyatt — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:32:00 GMT

Wanting to grow your business in this atmosphere of turmoil and challenges? One of the best techniques available to all of us in the world of sales, management, or business ownership is to either join or form a Mastermind Group!

If you haven't recently re-read Napoleon Hill's classic Think and Grow Rich, you might want to do so, get the book on CD or on your iPod or phone. If you don't want to make time for those ideas, simply go to the Napoleon Hill Foundation website and read the "scrolls" taken from Hill's book. You can find the "Success Scrolls" at http://www.naphill.org/points/scrolls/

My favorite tool for stepping up and out in a tough market is the Mastermind Group based on the concept of synergism or 1 + 1 = 3. It provides the "third mind" to even two motivated, passionate business professionals who share ideas. The new ideas, new twists on classic systems and programs, activate you and help you take a "step up" to high performance, more productivity, and the resulting increase in your profitability.

Get your mastermind group going and have a outstanding 2009!

Corky Hyatt
www.CorkyHyatt.com
Questions? Post them here or email me at Corky@CorkyHyatt.com!

How Can We Real Estate Brokers Employ Social Networking in our Recruiting & Re-Recruiting Systems!

Corky Hyatt — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:08:00 GMT

Well, Real Estate Brokers, we know that our first "job" is recruiting and re-recruiting (retention)! However, just like our sales associates, "prospecting" often falls behind our other tasks of training, managing for profitability, and administration.

How can we use "social networking" to keep in touch with and assist both our own associates and our potential associates.

Here are several suggestions for employing social networking in these important tasks. Remember, too, that what you do for one group (potential associates), do also for your current team of agents! How many times have we heard agents say "My Broker forgets to dance with those of use who brought him!"

Set aside a specific time period at least once a week for your social networking contacts – remember these are ongoing conversations not one-time efforts!

Check out your own associates as well as your “target list” on Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Twitter… Keep track of who’s there so that you know whom you can contact and with whom you can carry on conversation
Post positive, recognition comments on their site like “congratulations” and “thanks for showing/selling our listing.”
Watch for opportunities to share positive feedback!
Find out about social networking successes and recognize your own associates when they make connections with prospects, clients, and referral prospects using social networking -- use this recognitioin to encourage those who haven’t worked it yet.
Blog what you’re looking for in new, “toddler,” and experienced recruits such as values, vision, technology experience, presentation skills, follow-through, and more.
Remember to post, blog, and communicate to their generation, personality style, and interests! It's essential that we all remember that ONE SIZE STILL DOESN’T FIT ALL! We have to consider our associates' and our recruits' generation, personality style and interests in choosing how and when we communicate with them as well as how we recognize them and their efforts and successes.

Please share your ideas and suggestions and let's keep our ideas growing!

Okay, I Admit It! I've been a poor blogger! My Commitment is to Communicate Regularly! Help!

Corky Hyatt — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:57:00 GMT

They say that recognizing a problem is the best start to solving it. So, here I am, a real estate trainer, coach, and author, who writes daily -- creating courses, writing emails, coaching, and more. Yet, I've let my blogging fall through the cracks and it's time to fix that.

Anyone else had the same problem! If you have good suggestions for me, please let me know. I'm open to suggestions as to how to keep all these priorities going.

I'm a planner, follow my priorities, work smart, long, and hard but can't get it all done. Ideas? Help? I'll be sincerely grateful!

Corky Hyatt, CRB, CRS, GRI
www.CorkyHyatt.com

Real Estate Cyber Convention! Excellent!

Corky Hyatt — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:59:00 GMT

2009's Real Estate Cyber Conventon is the best yet! Spending time in the "convention" with new video courses, enhanced graphics, an experience much like the live real estate conventions all made the '09 offering a huge improvement over previous year's events.

Top national speakers including Matthew Ferrara, Bill Barrett, Dan Richard, Randy Eager, and so many more offered current, timely, and creative "sessions" plus the opportunity to pause and restart as needed. Whether you attend in your office, your home office, or in your PJ's, it's worth your time! It's an amazing experience to attend a training event with excellent instructors in the comfort of our own office or home.

Thanks Real Estate Cyber Society for the best "convention" yet. We're really looking forward to your 2010 convention!

Corky Hyatt, CRB, CRS, GRI, Corky Hyatt Seminars
www.CorkyHyatt.com

A Day with Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair!

Corky Hyatt — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:44:00 GMT

What a great day we shared this week! From the sales meeting with the Coldwell Banker Griffith and Blair team in Topeka, Kansas, to individual training, their excellent Chili Lunch with all their agents, and some one-on-one coaching, I thoroughy enjoyed the day! Thank you John Green, John Ringgold, and all the CBGB REALTORS!
We talked about how to deal with both the opportunities and the challenges of our current real estate market. REALTORS asked about how to better utilize email, text messaging, their smart phones, and web sites to keep in touch with their "Raving Fans," past clients and customers as well as their current sellers and buyers.
I reminded them to set themselves apart in everything they do!

Get their priorities straight, beginning daily with what needs to be done for their upcoming closings, then for their current clients, and then for new customers!
Generate leads daily -- it's Job # 1 for all producers.
Do more with less! Don't spend money when you can do it better for less or free! "Face-to-Face" contacts cost nothing but are priceless!
Utillize the excellent tools available through their firm and their Coldwell Banker network!
Expand consumer's options by knowing more about financing, foreclosures, short sales, REO's, tax benefits and programs, and their market than anyone else!

We discussed using the best tools available from smartphones to laptop and tablet computers, digial still & video camers, GPS's, presentation tools like animated PowerPoint presentations. We discussed the hot topic, social networking, as a tool not a time-eater! Use the best social networking tools to facilitate conversations, provide information, and make referrals easier to place than ever before.
Thanks, Coldwell Banker Griffith and Blair for an excellent day!

Corky Hyatt, CRB, CRS, GRI, Corky Hyatt Seminars
www.CorkyHyatt.com

Lead Generation is My Job # 1!

Corky Hyatt — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:26:00 GMT

Waiting for business to email, call, or walk into your office? The majority of real estate licensees suffer from passivity! They wait for business to happen. They complain when they don't get their share of relocation leads. They always believe that their broker is handing out leads to others! Use what I affectionately call the 180 degree approach to lead generation. What ever these average licensees are doing, do the opposite, 180 degrees opposite! If they're being passive, use action approaches to lead generation. If they're mailing, visit. If they're waiting for suspects to walk into the office, hold professional open houses and meet prospects!

A profitable real estate business is built on an engine that generates leads daily. Is your engine running? If not, here are some quick, simple, painless, and free lead generation techniques:

Generate listings by developing and using an expired seller system: research expireds in your focus area, prepare your materials, and visit expired sellers in your target market area daily, five days a week. Don't have a packet of materials, go to the internet and build one. www.REALTOR.org offers excellent expired seller materials. David Knox's video on expired sellers is the best I've used. Research David's tools on www.DavidKnox.com.
Talk to at least ten members of your Center of Influence daily, five days a week. Don't know what to say? Look for scripts on the major real estate trainer sites including Mike Ferry and Howard Brinton.
Ask your COI (Center of Influence) members if they'd like to know what their property is worth on an ongoing basis. Use your MLS prospecting system to send "Solds" to your COI members once you've received their permission to send them sold data for their area.

There are three simple, direct, and basically free methods of contacting potential prospects! Now, get busy!

Am I Really Planning or Simply Writing Goals?

Corky Hyatt — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:16:00 GMT

Are you simply writing goals for your business annually, perhaps at the direction of your broker, manager, or company owner? Do you know what to do today to accomplish your goals? Have you written a strategic business plan and do you review it daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually?
A business plan contains a number of elements: your mission, your vision, your assumptions, your goals, the strategies which will accomplish your goals, the action steps which make the strategies work, your budget, your evaluation process, and your accountability process.
The internet offers countless resources for business planning tools. Here are just a few: www.microsoft.com offers small business planning tools. The Small Business Administration, www.sba.gov, provides education, forms, and techniques for business planning. A number of the national real estate trainers provide planning resources, such as Howard Brinton (www.gostarpower.com), David Knox (www.DavidKnox.com), Mike Ferry (www.mikeferry.com), and many more. For a longer list, check out the Resources section of www.CorkyHyatt.com!