Here’s what we at AnotherME know to be true for our successful clients and how you can make sure your virtual working relationships will be successful too!

1)  Understanding your big WHY behind the what.  A virtual assistant is a trusted member of your team. (or they should be)  They are not little robots or time clock punchers. Typically they are the “get the job done” – results oriented types versus work my hours/week and go home.  It’s important for them to know the WHY of this new project or program you are asking them to complete or set up on their behalf.  Everyone likes to have meaning in what they are doing.  Understanding the WHY makes your VA feel a part of the team and gives them the framework to find and offer suggestions or improvements to what they are working on.

2)  A virtual working relationship must start with mindset of TRUST.  No one is perfect! Admit it, you’ve had your share of mistakes, typos, delays, etc.  It’s easy to point the finger when your virtual team member slips and doesn’t meet your expectation or when they miss a deadline. When that happens, it’s time to TALK with your virtual assistant – no emails that can be misunderstood.  Actually get on the phone and find out what happened…if your directions were clear and understood or if the task was not within their skills/abilities. Assume the best in your VA first; not the worst.  By doing so, you can develop a culture of trust and a sense of ownership and “team.”

3)  Virtual working relationships can be long lasting and productive – sometimes better than an on-site working relationship.  It’s a FACT.  More and more savvy realtors are opting for working with a Virtual Team where the strength of a relationship isn’t measured by proximity.  Do you really need someone sitting in your office and taking up space to work on programs and websites that are all internet based?

4)  Use technology to get face to face. Phone calls, texts and emails are great, but consider a monthly or quarterly chat with your virtual team members via Skype.  Include your buyer’s agents or other office staff so that everyone can be part of the experience.

The best virtual relationships take time and some effort.  By implementing the four ideas listed above and leading your virtual team like you would an on-site team, you will develop a results oriented, efficient and successful business!

Image Credit – traffikmarketing.com

At AnotherME, we’re all about saving time and saving money!  That’s what we do for our clients every day.  So of course, we have a few tips for those who have waited until the eleventh hour to get your last few presents… and a few tips for saving some money in the process!

7 Shopping Tips (when the clock is ticking and your wallet’s getting thin):

1. Free Expedited Shipping
Most retailers offer free rush shipping in the last few days leading up to the holidays, look for codes before paying expensive overnight delivery charges.

2. Re-gift
It’s a dirty secret, but there are many who just put a new bow on an old gift.

3. Ship-to-Store Specials
For those who want to avoid long check-out lines of shoppers or the shame of offering your gift post-holiday, quite a few retailers these days offer free delivery to their brick-and-mortar stores.

4. A Picture Is Worth a 1000 Words
Avoid rush charges and purchase a present online, then print out a picture and wrap it up for under the tree.

5. Magazine Subscriptions
There’s a magazine for every interest! Find a monthly publication at the book store, order and wrap the December issues!

6. Gift Cards
They’re everywhere!  They’re easy to purchase and will save on shipping fees!

7. Best times to hit the Mall
If  you just want to go to the mall, the best times to go are early in the morning, mid-afternoon and after 7PM!  And why not plan to meet a friend for coffee, lunch or dinner to make your trip worthwhile!

Wishing you Happy Holiday Shopping …and while you’re in the hustle and bustle, don’t forget the real reason for the season!

Back in the ‘old days’ before Facebook, Twitter and email, people used to send postcards to their friends for every holiday, event and trip!   The recipients would save and organize their postcards in elaborate scrap books.  These scrapbooks were then shared when friends came to visit and displayed with great pride.  The more postcards you had, the more popular you were! Some things never change !  These scrapbooks could be considered something akin to an old fashioned Facebook page!

I am so lucky to have my Grandmother and Great Aunt’s collections from the very early 1900′s!!  I have to admit, some postcards seem a little odd and some are downright politically incorrect!  (will share some more on another occasion)

However, most of the designs and pictures depict a simpler way of life and provide a glimpse into the history of our country and traditions. I hope you enjoy them!

But just as you start planning to send those heartfelt Christmas and Hanukkah cards, spooky Halloween greetings, Daylight Savings Time reminders and Thanksgiving Thanks… Reality Hits You!

Your contacts are scattered from East to West, from your PC to your phone and from office to home!

You need those addresses, labels and emails before you can send the first thing!

Don’t worry, don’t give up!  There’s still time to get your database in order and send those Holiday Greetings… if you take advantage of a little help from your friends at AnotherME Virtual Assistants and a special discount!

** OCTOBER Database SPECIAL **

     40 Cents/Contact – includes entering name, address, phone & email

$25.00/Hour – Set up Email Campaigns, Postcard Designs, Mailing Labels, etc

PLUS …

  Custom Return Address Label Design with Your Order (5 styles to choose from)

Email Greetings are very popular today and there are so many types to choose from (I’m partial to the animated ones myself). However, if you’re thinking everyone might be too busy to read the e-mails that come through their inbox… maybe you should consider sending a real card by US mail!   Getting a card in the mail will be a pleasant surprise!   (We can help with that too!)

Call or email today – and we’ll get started!
770.414.9393  ~ patty@anotherme.com

Did you know that Google has a Text Message “Search” feature?  Even if you have a web browser on your smart phone, you might find Google’s SMS search easier. For one, it’s incredibly fast– no clicking links and searching through results while you try to find your glasses!  You use special keywords to get immediate access to information.

Here’s an example: text “weather 30329″ to 466453 (GOOGLE) and instantly receive the current weather in Atlanta, along with a three day forecast.  Cool! …or Hot!  It works with any zip code.

Movie times, no problem!  This little feature comes in handy when the gang says, “let’s catch a movie!”  Just text “movies” plus the zip code for movie times in your area along with options to view more films, more theater times, addresses and phone numbers.

For the ‘directionally challenged’, who don’t have a GPS; you can get step-by-step driving directions in a text!!  Simply text the word “directions [your start address] to [your destination address]  I used this feature recently and it was spot on!

There are over 22 “hot search keywords” you can get your hands on information faster than searching via your browser and squinting to read! To see a demo along with all of the search features (and instructions on how to use them), check out the Google Mobile SMS page!

And of course, we have to use the disclaimer “don’t text and drive” and “normal texting charges apply.” However we’re pretty sure most real estate professionals have unlimited texting or data plans today and that realtors are excellent drivers!

image source: wired.com

Bigger Fish Can Gobble Up Your Business

Why are so many Realtors refusing to launch their businesses into the future by making a commitment to Social Media? Why are you content to swim with the “small fry”when the opportunity to promote your brand and generate leads is right in front of you? Don’t you realize the longer you wait, the further behind in the technology you get? And guess what? Your competition is gaining strength and getting hungrier for new business and you know what happens to minnows, don’t you? They get eaten…

The good news is it’s not too late to get started! AnotherMe can help you move in the right direction! Have you thought about adding blogging to your Social Media presence on the web? Do you have a website that needs the cobwebs removed, but not sure where to start? Well, pay attention because here comes the good stuff!

You want to put your best foot forward and Starting Out Right is crucial. You don’t want to put a brand new, shiny blog on a tired looking website, right? For a one time fee of $250, AnotherME’s web strategists will work with you to “throw out the old and bring in the new!” First, let’s get you set up with WordPress, a dynamite blogging platform providing the latest plugins and widgets so visitors will “feel the love” and you’ll get the most bang for your bucks! While we’re at it, let’s add new profiles to the most popular networks such as Trulia, ActiveRain, Facebook and Twitter, plus link it all together to draw peak interest to your website! Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Of course, if you already have a great looking site then skip the revamp and move on to our Starter Package for $225 a month. What do you think about 6 posts per month? Do your homework and find this is a great value on the market today! Includes all the important stuff…keywords, great SEO culminating in new readership and return visitors! Four of the posts are 250-word, hyperlocal writings (specific to your area) and the other two would be a Market Report and Statistics Summary offering your readers a snapshot of what’s happening right now in their neck of the woods!

If you want the Starter Package on steroids, choose the Advanced Package for just $325 per month. Imagine 4 250-word hyperlocal posts and 4 local market updates (displayed in charts/graphs) grabbing your visitor’s attention and giving them information others in the industry don’t have.

Of course, nothing is set in stone and we can customize a package for your every need! The initial consultation is FREE so what do you have to lose? Call me, tell me what your thoughts are and I know we can help you. But, please, if you don’t work with me, work with someone in order to get your website presence brought into the 21st Century. Your future in real estate depends on it and I want to see you succeed!

Patty Keller
AnotherME
770.414.9393

I see so many agents using MSN.com, Gmail.com, Yahoo.com, etc for their main email address.  It’s not the most professional impression.  How would you feel if you were conversing online with your bank and the account executive used Yahoo.com as their main email?  Not too confident?

Your Name

It’s easy to register your full name as a web domain!  So you can send emails from sally@sallysellsrealestate.com or sally@sallysmith.com.  If you haven’t, then go right her to GoDaddy.com and buy your name!

If you have an odd name or a different spelling – then buy a domain that’s easy for people to remember.  For example, it’s not easy to remember this email for Jane -  “jane@janelewczyk.com”  however, “jane@realestatejane.com” or “jane@contactjane.com” makes more sense when someone is trying to remember your email.

And then, you can forward that email address to your Yahoo, MSN or Gmail account.  It’s easy!

Your brand is your name/your company name… use it!

Happy Emails!

It’s one of those things where you think – how did they do that?  But you never take the time to figure it out!  So I did!  And I decided to share them with all my Realtor® buddies…and spread a little ♥ and ☺!

1. Turn on your keyboard’s Number Lock.

2. Hold down the Alt key, then type one of the numbers listed below on the numeric keypad. (You must use the keypad; the standard number keys won’t work.) So, for example, to get a heart symbol, you’d press Alt-3. For a musical note, Alt-1-3 (meaning you hold down Alt, press 1, press 3, and then release the Alt key).

Here’s a list of some of the more popular symbols you might want to use. Print it, copy and paste it or do a Jing screen capture and save it somewhere for easy reference.

1. Turn on your keyboard’s Number Lock.

2. Hold down the Alt key, then type one of the numbers listed below on the numeric keypad. (You must use the keypad; the standard number keys won’t work.) So, for example, to get a heart symbol, you’d press Alt-3. For a musical note, Alt-1-3 (meaning you hold down Alt, press 1, press 3, and then release the Alt key).

Here’s a list of some of the more popular symbols you might want to use. Print out this blog, cut out the list and put it somewhere for easy reference.

Again, play around and see what you can come up with!   Got a few emoticons of your own? Please share!

Photo Credit: Laihiu

Have you heard about Real Estate Coach Radio.com? It’s a cool stop on the internet offering 5 minute radio snippets specifically for Real Estate Professionals. Speakers include Kevin Turner, Bernice Ross, Jimmy Dague, Andrew Wooten and a host of others talking about topics relevant to the industry today. You just click and play!

There is a new show every day and you can download to an MP3 or pick up the iTunes version. It’s free to subscribe and what a fast and fun way to grab some food for the brain!

Do you have other ideas for things you can accomplish in 5 minutes?

Our lives have become a hurry up and wait game! Waiting for an appointment, waiting in the bus line at school, waiting at the drive-thru window, sitting in traffic, waiting for the water to boil, waiting for a webinar to start – and my all time favorite, waiting on hold!

Everyone’s looking for ways to save time and become more productive. It’s a constant battle. One of my goals this year is to be more efficient with my time and to keep up with the “little things” so they don’t end up becoming “big things’. (think piles of paper, piles of laundry, etc)

So what can a busy Realtor do with an extra 5 minutes? Here’s a few suggestions:

1. Call a past client.
2. Send 2-3 short “thinking about you” emails to a past client or someone in your SOI.
3. Print out 2-3 copies of your listing presentation and put in a folder
4. Make a price change in the MLS
5. Scan client docs to your computer and save
6. Add an update to Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn (just don’t start reading others updates!)
7. Make a Grocery list or a Must-Do list
8. Snap a few photos for your Active Rain Blog
9. Delete old messages on your phone
10. Add a contact to your database (Top Producer, WiseAgent, MyRedTools, Outlook,etc)
11. Scan your emails to see if you missed responding to someone
12. Throw away or file one stack of papers on your desk
13. Set up Dropbox
14. Post an article to your Posterous blog
15. Clean out the trash in your car

What do you do in your extra 5 minutes? Hey, why not take a minute and post a comment!

Image credit: earls37a