Personal Branding Techniques for Real Estate Agents and Brokers

A key principle of marketing is to find something unique about what you offer as the basis of your sales message. Even if what you offer is a commodity, there is always one thing unique in your business — you. A big error made by many Real Estate Agents and Brokers is to try to develop an institutional image like most big companies. People do not like to do business with institutions; they like to do business with people. In advertising terms, branding is the "image" created in the minds of people when they see or hear a name, product or logo. Companies invest a lot of money in creating and maintaining their brand, but the Internet has sparked a new trend called "Personal Branding". Personal branding isn’t only important for promoting a product, business or political cause, but also for promoting yourself for advancement within your own organization. It involves developing your personal reputation. Branding can be done to any product, or any person. Before undertaking an exercise in personal branding, however, consider your distinctive strengths and abilities and what they offer the market place. Traditionally personal branding was for sporting celebrities who gained enormous coverage and following through their sporting prowess. Movie stars have also had celebrity status and association since movies began.
A personal brand is about creating strong, favorable associations in the minds of people that you encounter. If you don’t actively do this, they will still make associations. Therefore, it may be better to be proactive and undertake the branding exercise for yourself, you cannot control what they think but can give them some information to assist with the associations.
WHY BRANDING OURSELVES?

Places you in a leadership role
Enhances prestige
Attracts the right people and right opportunities
Adds perceived value to what you are selling
Earns recognition
Associates you with a trend
Increases your earning potential
Differentiate yourself from the competition
Position your focused message in the hearts and minds of your target customers
Confers top of mind status
Increases authority and credence of decisions

HOW DO WE BRAND OURSELVES?
Like any branding exercise, the key to personal branding is having a good product, one which you understand and pitch to the right market. The first step in personal branding is knowing who you are, find out what strengths your brand possesses and how these strengths can help you. Personal branding is not about presenting a façade to the public; a poor product will not stand up to market scrutiny. This is also a choice of brand elements, people you deal with, the look that you have, and how you conduct yourself. Once this has been done, determine what you are going to offer. As a product what do you do, what need does the product of you satisfy in the market. Next figure out the position you will take in the audience of your mind. What unique space do you wish to occupy and what unique associations do you want people to recall when they think of you? Finally, once you have established the first three steps, manage your brand over its lifecycle. That is keep visible, be consistent and be yourself. According to Montoya, the well-known personal branding guru, the key to managing your personal brand is word-of-mouth (WOM), the most trusted form of communication.
How does one go about building a personal brand? Recognize your personal strengths and gifts! Think about how you best connect with people, consider what your target audience needs and wants, identify the value you deliver to meet those needs and wants, and communicate in a way that reaches your constituents in their hearts and minds and via the channels that work best for you
Functional associations are important such as timeliness, quality, dedication; as are emotional associations like inspiring, leadership, being an innovator.
The three C’s of personal branding are clarity, consistency and constancy.
Clarity deals with being honest about yourself and your strengths and promises of value attached to your personal brand and being clear in the way you communicate them. Often, for simplicity, you must focus on one or two aspects that are most vital and focus on communicating them. Think about the things you associate with prominent artists or mangers, and they are unlikely to be complicated.
Consistency is keeping things consistent for the customers. This does not mean staying stuck in the past, but just not undertaking drastic changes. Coca Cola have had a consistent message for 50 years; the message evolves continuously and is not stagnant but is consistent. Artists like Madonna change every three or four years, but there is a consistency to the change.
Constancy means being visible with your brand and maintaining an on-going level of awareness in the marketplace. Oprah Winfrey is visible constantly, and although most of people do not have the visibility or exposure of Oprah, they can still be visible in a smaller audience. There is no point trying to build a brand image quickly to coincide with a new exhibition or performance you may have coming up brands take time to build in consumers minds.
A FREE PERSONAL BRANDING TOOLKIT FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS
NetReal.net, a company noted for its template-based Real Estate Web design solutions, offers a Winter Holidays Gift for Real Estate Agents and Brokers the Personal Branding Toolkit: netreal.net/personal_branding.php The Personal Branding Toolkit contains the “Essential Marketing for Real Estate Professionals” ebook and 17 Real Estate Reports and the tools to personalize them with your name, contact info and photo.
NetReal’s editorial team put together the top 25 highest- rated Real Estate marketing articles of 2004, and created a must-have e-book – “Essential Marketing for Real Estate Professionals”. The ebook covers Marketing 101 , Network marketing, Personal Marketing, Customer acquisition and retention, Telemarketing & Direct Mailing, E-marketing. You can personalize this e-book with your data and send it to your contacts, absolutely free of charge. This is a great way to offer a helpful gift to your colleagues and partners.
The “17 free Branded Reports” allow you to create your own branded Real Estate reports (for buyers, sellers, investors, movers) with your contact info and photo/logo and an exquisite design. Distribute them to your prospects or clients as e-docs or printed materials, or upload them on your website. Show your professionalism with these great tools to acquire new clients.
The Personal Branding Toolkit for Real Estate Professionals (netreal.net/personal_branding.php) is free for everyone.

How to Get Some of Paris Hilton’s TV Time

When your book is mentioned on television, sales go up. Immediately people start looking in book stores and on the internet to find out how to buy it. The more people hear about it, the more they want the book. When several shows are talking about the book, it become a best seller. Look at the success of Oprah’s Book club, The Today Show’s Book Clubs and all the other shows that feature a writer and their book. Sometimes the writer is interviewed but sometimes the writer doesn’t even have to be on the show in order to sell books.
It made Mark Victor Hansen, the Chicken Soup book author multi- millions. They have published over 85 books.
But how do you get your book on TV if you do not have a large budget for a PR company? Who can you call to get that first break? How can you get a tape of a good interview so other producers will take a chance and book you?
How do you show you are a good guest even though you are new? It takes a lot more than an simple email or phone call saying that you have a book and would be the PERFECT guest.
First- Look at your book and then look at the current news headlines. Is there anything in your book that can relate to the current news? If so, you have a reason to call TV shows and pitch getting on the show. If you are current with the news, you have an excellent chance of getting on. People are already talking about your topic. You can work your way in and then talk about the rest of your book
Second- Make a list of the show you would like to be on. Make sure they are shows that would want to have you. Don’t try to get on a cooking show if you are talking about cars. The Shows have to want to talk to you about your subject. Your subject matter should be on target with what the show is about.
Look at TV shows, and shows on the web. Watch them and actually see what kinds of books and topics they talk about. Watch the style used.
Third- prepare your pitch. This is where you write out what you want to say when you speak to a producer or leave a message over the phone. Plan what you are going to say. You only have a few seconds to get their attention. Sound solid in your voice and on target. Tell them WHY their viewers will want to see you , don’t just say you will be a good guest and they need you on the show. Tell them what is special and unique. Let them know if you give away books or any items when you appear. Leave your phone number 2 times for clarity. Make a list of who you called and what show they were with. Wait and wait for a call back. You can do a follow up call but wait a few weeks.

7 Profit Producing Reasons Why Every Successful Service Professional Needs A Web Presence

Your business website is a critical aspect of being able to start and continue conversations with potential clients. It’s the ultimate self-service window for potential and current clients who come to you interested in your services and/or products.
Every service professional needs a web presence. It’s almost impossible to find a successful service professional who doesn’t have one. Here are the top 7 reasons why:
1. Your website positions you as an expert.
Perception is everything on the internet. Having your own website increases your visibility, credibility and trust.
2. A strong web presence adds to your brand identity.
Your website represents you and your business in the marketplace.
3. Your website expands your reach into the global marketplace.
If you have a product available on your website you’ll expand your geographic marketplace from local neighborhoods where your product sits on a shelf, to the entire world via your website.
4. A website creates a 24/7, passive revenue, profit machine.
The internet never sleeps which means that you can literally turn your computer and website into a cash register around the clock, and many, if not all, of the processes can be automated.
5. Your website instantly increases the effectiveness of your sales cycle.
The sales cycle is especially critical for service professionals. A website with an opt-in incentive allows you to build your database, while building rapport with prospective clients. By offering something of value, like a free report, e-course, or audio file, in exchange for an email address, your visitors begin to see your offer and your services as an investable opportunity.
6. Your site filters out clients who aren’t well-suited to your services.
All of your marketing materials should direct potential clients to your website, where you can save precious time by allowing them to familiarize themselves with you and your services. This allows them to determine whether or not they feel they’d be well-suited to you.
7. Your web presence is a fantastic vehicle for bold self-expression and learning.
The site is an extension and representation of who you are and what you offer. To get ahead of the curve as a service professional you will need to understand how to master the advantages of technology. And the best way to learn this is by expressing yourself through your website.
And always keep in mind the Award Winning Web Course mantra: “The effectiveness of your website is directly proportional to how solution-oriented your offers are with respect to your target audience.”
Visit awardwinningwebcourse.com for a simple, step-by-step guide to developing highly effective websites.
By Michael Port, best-selling Author of Book Yourself Solid, The 7 Keys To Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle and Beth M. Lyons, the Techie Coach.

Super Bowl Ads… Winners & Losers

Well, Super Bowl XXXIX is history. Too bad for the folks who consider themselves the always-pullin’-for-the-underdog type. The Bandwagon team won.
But, as far as Super Bowls go, the losers played well. For those who care, the Eagles actually covered the 7-point spread. T.O. is the deal, too. At least on the field, anyway.
They had a chance late in the game, but poor field position and bad clock management did them in. Scoring from 95 yards out with 48 seconds left? That’s a tall order.
So is getting/maintaining ad recall 48 hours after the final gun. Whose $80,000 per second ad was worth it? Who would’ve done better by writing me a fat check for $2.4 million?
Read on, and find out. True to school yard rules: Suckers Walk. Losers are up first.
Losers:
Sorry, Donovan, but your three picks lands you in with GoDaddy.com, Quizno’s, and Silestone. I don’t care if you were ill.
GoDaddy.com had a decent concept that quickly went bad. OK. Boopsie talking to a Senate subcommittee on C-SPAN about indecency. Good start- if they cut out any hint to last year’s halftime debacle. But… they couldn’t resist. So the buxom wench wearing a GoDaddy.com t-shirt has a near wardrobe malfunction. One of the craggy senators has to hit the oxygen mask.
This ad was supposed to run again, but Fox pulled it mid-game. Good idea. I bet their stomachs were in as many knots as Donovan McNabb’s.
The Quizno’s ad was mediocre at best. This talking baby concept is tiresome. As clich as it may be, it’s still 80% less annoying than those whack rodents in pirate hats from a couple of years ago.
The one stinky Bud Light ad was one that the ESPN crowd really dug – the parachute-less pilot heading out the door for the six of Diet Bud. Dumb. The desert island one with Cedric the Entertainer was iffy, too.
Speaking of stinky… what was up with Napster’s ad? Ugh! It could wind up doing more to shut them down than the Supreme Court.
This bad concept was in stark difference to their introductory spots featuring Flash animation based around their logo. Those were well-designed and entertaining. This one was as fat and ugly as the seven shirtless blops they decided to show with a letter on each of their overdeveloped beer guts to spell N-A-P-S-T-E-R. It was done in house and, boy, did it show.
The manufactured “reality” of the game and its atmosphere was lame and no one bought it. An ad taking place at the Super Bowl should be IN the Super Bowl- done real time. And… trying to take on Apple’s iTunes on price? That was the second dumbest decision of this ad. No wonder it finished dead last in likability and recognition.
Now… Silestone. Valiant effort of an ad featuring Chicago sports legends. Voice over was good. It was shot nicely. But, it was a little too jumpy in the cuts to get the whole picture the first time through. The quick cut style hurt the name recognition of the line of counter tops.
Silestone and Diana Pearl are not exactly household names. And Dennis Rodman slurred his line. It sounded like “Dinah Pearl, rather than, “Diana Pearl.” I’m sure the director or writer got dissed when they said, “Uh, Worm… it’s ‘Di-A- na’.”
“Sure. Dinah.”
As a side note, why were only Chicago Bears in it until Dennis Rodman at the end? No Scottie Pippen or Slammin’ Sammy?
On to the good ‘uns…
Winners:
This year, the game was nearly as good as the ads, as there were a surprisingly good number of breaking spots. Leading the pack was Career Builder, FedEx, Mastercard, and Anheuser-Busch.
FedEx likes to make ads relating to advertising on advertising’s biggest stage. They did it again – patching together 10 “tried and true” Super bowl ad conventions to great results.
Career Builder put a great spin on a stale category with the best work since Monster’s “I Wanna Be…” [a brown noser, forced into retirement, etc.] from ’98. Three ads featuring a hapless chump working for chimps managed to put their name into mind share largely dominated by two others.
MasterCard got a bunch of animated branded food icons together for a meal and a nice touch of nostalgia. Ad fans and agency folks dug this one.
A-B hit emotional hot buttons with a near-public service ad saluting troops retuning home. Yes, they were real military – not actors. Their uniforms just did not have any insignias, so the common soldier would be represented. For their light beer category, the ad with the head on the wall and the designated driver spot were the best for Bud Light.
Pepsi’s second year of an iTunes promotion kicked off well. They ran a humorous spot featuring people opening winning bottles for a free song. When the bottles were opened, a song reflecting the drinker’s taste in music would play. Although the spot was humorous and worked, Pepsi could’ve really hit a home run by involving the older “authority figure” more into the ad. But, keeping with brand tradition, they kept the focus young.
AmeriQuest had two entertaining spots revolving around the themes of misunderstanding and jumping to conclusions. Their message was, “We don’t prejudge.” The ad featuring spaghetti sauce, a cat, and knife will certainly make some Best Of” reels this year.
Decent work also included Honda’s new pickup/SUV product introduction. Good detail with benefit highlights. Left the “Honda” out until the end. Cadillac and Volvo had solid ads. Volvo should have bought another ad, if not two, as many people missed the early run. The audience also may have missed the details on their unique contest. But they did follow up with some net portal ads the day after. Ford’s F-150 Biker spot was OK. Their line that “it makes YOU tough,” really undercut the effectiveness.

Public Relations. A Free Lunch?

Seems like everyone is looking for the proverbial free lunch these days, particularly when it comes to marketing communications. Well, I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but there’s no such thing. However, there are ways to stretch your budget and marketing public relations (PR) is one of them.
By MARKETING PR I mean publicity that is directed towards your marketing target audience and carries marketing messages. (It’s not the same as investor or employee relations.) Marketing PR can generate inquiries, economically extend the reach of your advertising and direct mail programs, boost your company’s credibility and enhance its standing as an expert.
There are three basic marketing PR tactics for you to consider:
NEWS RELEASES
Does your company bring new products or services to market? Improve existing products or services? Publish literature? These are all great subjects for news releases. Send releases to editors at relevant publications. One release a month is a good goal.
CASE HISTORIES
These can highlight your company’s problem solving abilities. And well-written case histories are in demand — by readers and editors alike. You can work with a single publication to place a case history or broadcast it to many publications.
TECHNICAL FEATURES
Getting a technical article placed in the right publication can enhance credibility quickly. To be successful this tactic must be backed with careful research and planning to ensure the topic is timely. Usually you’ll work with a single publication to place a feature.

How To Survive Speed Networking

Get More Clients From Networking Follow The Rules Of Dating.
If you’re a business owner, you probably spend quite a lot of your time at networking events. In fact, it may be the main way you try to get new clients. But do you ever feel that you could get more from these meetings? Do you actually get the results from your networking to justify the amount of time you put into it?
If you don’t find you get a lot of interest from the people you meet, it may be that you’re going about things the wrong way. You may need a new approach.
My own view is that you can’t go far wrong if you think of networking more like dating. The two activities have a lot in common ( although, I must admit, I’m relying on distant memory here ). Here are some things you need to think about.
1. What sort of person do you want to meet?
If your answer is ” anyone ” you risk wasting time talking to a lot of people who just aren’t going to be ” the one “. You also sound a bit desperate, to be honest. Not everyone is going to be your ideal client. Once you know who that is, you can be more choosy about who you talk to.
2. Where are you likely to meet them?
There are lots of places to meet people, but where will you find your ideal person in a club, at evening classes, at the Bingo? Don’t just go to the first place you find, pick the event where you know the person you’re looking for is most likely to be.
3. Think about joining a dating agency so you can look through details of the other members.
Look at the members list of any group before joining if you can get hold of it ( ask for photographs if possible ). Also, look at the list of attendees before a meeting so you can make a beeline for the people you want to talk to.
4. Accept that it takes time to build a relationship.
Don’t expect too much too soon. People will need time to get to know and trust you and, in this case, you’re looking for a long term relationship, not a one night stand.
5. Think of something interesting to say about yourself.
If someone asks you ” What do you do? ” don’t just say ” I’m a Financial Adviser ” or ” I’m a Consultant ” and expect them to swoon. Tell them what you do for people, how you help, the problems you solve. But don’t make things up to impress them, you’ll be found out sooner or later.
6. Don’t spend the whole time talking about yourself.
One secret for getting people to like you is to ask them about themselves. Be a great listener, not a great talker. People love talking about themselves, they don’t want to listen to you telling them how wonderful you are. Stop talking before they lose the will to live and ask a question. Prepare some good ones in advance so your mind doesn’t go blank. Avoid ” Do you come here often? ” or ” So what line of business are you in? ” Try to find something you both have in common.
7. Don’t be too pushy on your first date.
Just because someone shows an interest doesn’t mean you can bombard them with information about all your products or services. You’ll look too needy and that puts people off.
8. People always say they’ll ring, they never do.
Sad but true. Don’t rely on other people ringing you, make sure you get their number so you can call them. It’s much more important to get someone else’s business card than to give them your own. It gives you the initiative.
9. Keep your numbers in a little black book.
Set up a contact management system so you don’t lose the details of the people you meet. This might just be a card index or it might be sophisticated software. Whatever it is, have a system which you know how to use.
10. Keep in touch.
Do contact them again if you got on well, they want you to really. Call or write, refer back to your conversation and mention something they said. Send them an article about an interest they mentioned, it will show you were listening and you care about them. It’s amazing how many people go to networking events, then never follow up with the people they meet. Don’t expect ” love at first sight “, it takes several contacts before someone is likely to do business with you.
I hope that’s given you some ideas. Of course, you still have to remember the basics, such as dressing up a bit and cleaning your teeth, but that’s down to you.
And, of course, there is one big difference between networking and dating with networking, you’re allowed to see lots of people at the same time!
Good luck.

Does Your Brochure Pass the Test ?

Your prospects will decided if they want to read your brochure in the first 5 seconds they look at it. What kind of message are you communicating in that five seconds? Will you make a favorable impression with your prospect? Will you move your prospect closer to the sale?
There are really only two key elements that will determine how well your brochure is received by prospects. These two elements will ultimately make the difference in your brochure being a tool that makes you money, or just something else that costs you money.
What are those two all-important elements: 1. the Image or look 2. the Message
This is part 1 in a two-part article. In part 1 we will discuss what you need to ask for from your printer to make sure that your brochure looks top notch.
Here are 5 things you should keep in mind when you are evaluating your layout and your printer.
1. Choose Offset Printing. Offset printing is a type of printing that causes the ink to become a part of the paper. Offset printing creates a rich, vibrant look that digital printing can’t touch. Offset printing isn’t all that common because good Offset printing presses cost in the millions of dollars.
2. Choose Thick Paper preferably 100# Glossy. If your brochure is too thin or too light-weight it might appear cheap. You don’t want that impression to be transferred to your business. The most common paper weights are 70# and 80#. 100# is a little less common which makes it stick out. Plus, 100# feels heavy and high-quality. Glossy paper takes the look of quality up a notch.
3. Add Aqueous Coating. While this isn’t the industry standard, aqueous coating adds a layer of style to your brochure. Plus it causes the colors to “jump” off the page so to speak. It makes the whites appear whiter, and so on. Ask your printer if they offer aqueous coating. If it doesn’t cost very much to upgrade, it’s worth it. There are a few printers out there that offer aqueous coating FREE.
4. Use Full Bleed. Full Bleed is a print term that simply means the colors run to the edge of the page. Some printers charge extra for full bleed, some don’t. If your brochure is not full bleed it will leave a border of white around the edges that looks a little amateurish.
5. Ensure a Consistent Look. Your brochure should fit into a well designed marketing campaign. It should have a similar look and message as your postcards, flyers, reports, business cards, etc.
In part 2 of this article we will discuss the all important issue of the message.

6 Must-Have Element of an Effective Brochure

Most brochures that businesses put out today end up doing little to impact the sales of that business. By applying the 6 must-have elements listed below you will transform you brochure from trash can lining into a powerful sales tool.
1. A Benefit-Filled Headline. On the cover of most brochures you’ll usually find nothing more than the company name, logo, and maybe a quick slogan like “committed to excellence”. This isn’t horrible, but there is a much better way to enhance your brochure. If you want to turn your brochure into a powerful sales tool you need to grab your prospects attention immediately. You do that through a benefit-loaded headline. A benefit-loaded headline is a headline that clearly and powerfully communicates a desirable benefit that your product or service offers your customers. For example a benefit-loaded headline for a heating and cooling company would be “How the New XYZ System Can Shave $800 Off Your Utility Bill This Year”. This headline is clear, specific, and powerful. If a customer were in the market for a new heating or cooling system this headline would draw the prospect into the brochure.
2. Educational Content. Prospects read brochures because they want to make the best possible buying decision. Usually when someone reads a brochure, they are hungry for knowledge about your product or service. Make sure your brochure is written in such a way that your prospects will know more about your product or service after they read the brochure than they did before.
3. Unique Selling Proposition (USP). A USP is something that separates you from your competition. To be ultimately effective you want your brochure to cause prospects to lean toward your company instead of your competitors. Your USP is a statement that either your competitors can’t, or aren’t saying. A popular old USP that you’ll recognize is “Delivered in 30 Minutes or It’s FREE!” This USP was effective because nobody else was saying it.
4. Proof. Anytime you make a statement regarding the benefits that your product will bring, you need to back that statement up with proof. Testimonials, quotes, charts, graphs, pictures, endorsements, and articles are great ways to prove your claims and cause your prospects to believe what you are saying. Remember that most people are skeptical initially, but you can overcome that skepticism with proof.
5. A Low-Risk Offer. After a customer has read your USP, your educational content, and your proof, you need to encourage them to take the next step in the buying process. The next step could be to make a purchase, to call for more information, to set an appointment, or whatever. Whatever the next logical step is you need to invite your prospect to take it, and make them feel comfortable about taking it. If you want them to make a purchase, mention a money-back guarantee. If you want them to call for more information, reassure them that they won’t be pressured. You need to try and remove all of the possible barriers that would prevent a person from taking the next step.
Incorporate as many or these elements as you can to ensure your brochure leads your prospects closer to making a buying decision.

Proofreading for Profits

How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibility
You’re probably already familiar with the spell checker built into your software. Some work automatically as you type, others only run when you activate them.
Spell checking is just the start of your proofreading tasks. Don’t let simple grammatical errors, or text omissions, sabotage your message. Here are some things to check for that go beyond the capabilities of your software program’s spell checker.
But, spell checkers are not infallible! Know what yours checks and what it doesn’t check. Does it check text imported from other programs? Does it flag words containing numbers?
Spell check limitations
Monitor your spell checker’s recommendations. Make sure each suggested replacement is a correctly spelled version of the original word, and not an inappropriate substitution. Double-check the spelling of proper nouns and industry-specific terms. Use care adding them to your custom spell check dictionary, or they will be misspelled forever!
Grammatical errors
Watch for homonymsтАФcorrectly spelled, but misused words such as to, two, and too, or affect and effect. Most spell checkers are not context sensitive. Watch for singular nouns paired with plural verbs, and vice versa. Make sure you have used correct punctuation, like Em dashes (тАФ) to indicate duration, instead of two hyphens (- -).
Check all dates, times, prices
Have someone else verify dates, times, and prices. It’s both costly and embarrassing to send out information that you have to immediately correct.
Pay particular attention to numbers. Transposed numbers, i.e., 1,324 instead of 1,234, etc., are very difficult to notice. Before submitting a proposal, posting web content or distributing a newsletter, call telephone numbers, visit web sites and send e-mails and faxes requesting return confirmation.
Make sure you have included all ordering information necessary for recipients to respond. Order your own product, to check autoresponder performance.
Widows and orphans
Check for subheads and the first lines of new paragraphs, isolated at the bottom of a column or page. Ideally, at least two lines of a new paragraph should appear together at the bottom of a column.
Likewise, edit or rewrite to eliminate word or sentence fragments isolated at the top of a new column or page.
Hyphenation
Check that you have not hyphenated headlines and subheads. These look awkward and are hard to read. Make sure body copy has been hyphenated. In justified text, i.e., lines of equal length, hyphenation eliminates awkward word spacing. In flush-left/ragged-right text, (i.e., lines of unequal length), hyphenation eliminates alternating long and short lines.
Double-check hyphenation to make sure that words like “therapist” have not been split into “the rapist.” Use non-breaking hyphens to keep proper nouns from hyphenating.
Word breaks
Check that you have used non-breaking spaces to keep first names and last names, or dates, together on one line.
Working links
When creating Adobe Acrobat PDF files, check that all links perform properly. Just because URLs and e-mail addresses appear in blue and are underlined doesn’t mean that the links are working properly! Recheck links when you edit your original publication file and create a new PDF.
Updating information
When publishing a newsletter, check that issue date and/or issue number information are correct. Double-check headers, footers, captions, and pull quotes.
Formatting and spacing
Check for correct headline, subhead and body copy text styles. Watch out for short paragraphs that should be formatted as subheads. It’s very easy to inadvertently change styles during editing. Watch for extra spaces between words and sentences. It is also easy to inadvertently add unwanted space when copying and pasting text. Use Find and Replace to replace two spaces with one.
Duplicate or missing text
Read text out loud to locate awkward or redundant words and phrases as well as omitted words that your mind inserts because it “knows what you meant.” Watch for overflow text in text frames at the ends of articles. Often, hidden text is only indicated by a relatively small icon.

The 3 C’s of Getting Your Foot in the Door of a Prospect

Are you frustrated with cold calling because of all the rejection, phones slammed in your ear and being told to never call again? Wondering how some sales professionals seem to always be at the right place, at the right time? Feeling like you just can’t seem to get your foot in the door of any new prospects? You’re not alone. These seem to be universal concerns for many sales professionals.
Getting your foot in the door of a prospect often reaches beyond what most have been taught in sales training seminars and books. It is a state of mind, emotion and action.
As you think of prospects you want to meet and connect with consider the followinggetting your foot in the door takes courage, creativity and consistency.
Courage It has been said that courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to identify one’s fear and walk through it anyway. Where does the fear come from when you try to get your foot in the door? Perhaps it is fear of rejection. Maybe it is fear the client is too busy. Perhaps one fears the client won’t want or need the product or service that is being offered.
A powerful way to overcome fear is to take action. The action can be to gain a greater understanding of the client’s needs and situation. Perhaps you need to know more about your product or service. Maybe it is simply to pick up the phone and make the call. It is in the willingness to take action the fear will lift.
Creativity Many people read a book on the “skills” of cold calling and selling. Do Step A and you get Result B. Fact is, there will be times getting your foot in the door is about trusting your creativity.
How often have you gotten an intuitive thought or a feeling to try something different? And how often does reason take over intuition? Some of the most successful sales professionals trust their intuition and inner knowing to lead them to step through the door of the unknown.
It is in the willingness to explore unique methods for approaching any given situation the magic of selling will occur. The next time you “get that feeling” be willing to explore the creativity of your idea and watch the magic happen.
Consistency Success is often not the result of big actions, but rather one tiny action at a time. It is in the consistency of our actions on a daily basis; making the call, following up on a regular basis, inputting the names into the database, and having a system that allows us to free our minds of unnecessary concern and clutter. When the mind is clear, there is more opportunity to be creative and walk in a place of courage. This allows for truly serving the needs of your customers and clients.
Selling is not about closing the deal. It is about the desire to serve others through the products and services we provide. Serve well.