Square Foot Advisors

Do you embrace brands?  That’s what my friend asked me the other day.  After I was done chastising him for using his Marketing mumbo-jumbo vernacular with me I thought about it and had to say yes… in fact I am with my company now because they are great brand ambassadors.  They use their position in the market place as a cornerstone of their identity; 100 years old, billions in transactions, 10’s of thousands of transactions per year… these are the building blocks of trust that I get the job done. 

Another example, a referral for a doctor who graduated from Columbia.  Well I need to know whether they mean a medical school in Columbia or from Columbia University School of Medicine…. big difference. I know a little extreme, but it proves you need to embrace your brand.  No offense to those doctors, but I would prefer to use the Columbia University doctor.

My brand is part image, part reputation. I look forward to you recognizing the Square Foot Advisors’ stellar service as its brand, more specifically, it becomes what you recognize and associate my group with.  

In his inauguration speech, President Obama paid homage to entrepreneurs. The path to greatness, he rhapsodized, has been paved by “the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things—some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.”

Almost three years later, it’s clear he was spot on. Entrepreneurship has been one of the precious few bright spots in a terribly gloomy economy, and this new generation of entrepreneurs, both intentional and accidental, has taken it upon themselves to keep things chugging along. At the same time, starting a business gained serious cool cred.

Consider American Express’ slick ad campaign featuring Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard; foursquare’s founders as models in glossy Gap mag ads; and the cults of celebrity surrounding “the Zuck” and the late Steve Jobs. Even A-list stars like Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga added headlines to their clip files from startup-centric blogs like TechCrunch and Mashable.

“Entrepreneurship has become sexy in a lot of ways,” says Clay Newbill, executive producer of ABC’s Shark Tank, which features people pitching their dreams to a panel of deep-pocketed investors, including Mark Cuban.

Entrepreneurship has never been more practical, either. According to the Kauffman Foundation, 565,000 new businesses were created in 2010—the most in 15 years—as many new ‘treps were forced into it by the downturn. “Young people know that there’s a high likelihood they’ll have to make it on their own,” says Thomas Knapp, associate director at the University of Southern California’s Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. USC has seen a 13.2 percent year-over-year increase in students taking entrepreneurship courses at the school.

Here, 10 sectors to get in on while they’re trending up. Plus, one trend to watch. Reposted from Entrepreneur.com—Jennifer Wang

I just read a really fun article in Realtor Magazine about the future of real estate.  They took a creative approach to linking technology and the job I love. 

Robots, Holograms, Space and Time Travel… this article has it all.  I can just imagine it now; my robot-self can take my customers touring open houses and my hologram-self can answer all of their questions while taking them on tours, but never really leaving the room they are in.  They reference the “holodeck” from star trek… this is a room that can be transformed through holograms to anyplace anywhere; how cool would that be? 

And what about space exploration… as the article says… “where there is space travel, there is space vacations and of course space vacation homes”… Would that be “Upper-Hampton”???

Finally, and what I really loved, was the time travel.  That’s what we all need don’t we?  The article talks about information being sent back in time… but I’m sure sending people will be close behind. 

Beam me up Scotty!

I have recently been visiting http://www.urbandigs.com/.  This is the first site I’ve found that will allow me to make an immediate and qualified recommendation to my clients.  Just check out their home page.  They provide a quick reference of Active, Pending and Off Market activity… This is really incredible stuff.  If you remember just a few years ago we waited almost a month before data was available and unless you were an MIT Professor you couldn’t figure out the methodology.

This information is really amazing.  It opens up the Manhattan real estate market like it has never been before.  There is transparency and ultimately and better working relationship between all parties.

How do you feel about this?  Leave a comment I’d love to know.

I Googled “Time Management” and got “About 1,020,000,000” results…. in .16 seconds, btw… the inter-tubes were fast that day, my friends… Anyway, I’m trying to get better at time management and goal setting and I came across a couple of techniques I liked.

The W.H.Y. S.M.A.R.T. criteria for goal setting  - Written, Habit Forming, Yours, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistically High and Time Driven, clearly demonstrates the value of time because its position is last.  I get it.  If I don’t have time I can not do these other things that lead to success.  So how do I find the time to even get started, was my next problem; which brings us to my next discovery, and I love this, identify the 3 D’s (Do It, Delegate It, Dump It).  Try this for a day with your email or whatever it is that throws a wrench in your day… telephone, meetings etc… these are time consuming lead to a day full of reacting.  For me I answer my email, send to someone who can handle it or hit delete… that’s my favorite.

The three D’s was like an epiphany to me.  By following this method every day I am more efficient and have more time for the W.H.Y. S.M.A.R.T. program.  This program is a business builder for me.  By following the steps I stay on track and pursue only viable opportunities.  When I do go after new business I’m better prepared and it shows.  How do you keep yourself on track?  

You spend valuable time word-smithing your messages to your clients.  You agonize over it’s meaning, it’s impression, it’s .  But all of carefully crafted value statement or vision of divine customer service is meaningless because your customer is being influenced by diverse groups within their own personal networks.  ONE FACT: You have very little control on influencing their decision until you are part of those personal networks.  

Without hesitation, consumers make purchasing decisions based on consumer feedback posted with online merchants, shopping aggregators, and within social media.

In the past, you were fortunate enough to HAVE to teach your clients about your business and services through marketing messages unchallenged by other voices.  Not in today’s ‘user-generated content’ world.  Today, you have to go out and be part of your client’s trusted personal network.  Social media is one great way to efficiently enter those networks.   

You should understand that your marketing messages are loosing value since your clients have instant access to have impressions made on them mostly from sources outside of your sphere of control. Get inside those spheres so you can work your messages from within in a genuine and trusted way. 

(Source: destinationcrm.com)