I personally have never been a big fan of FACEBOOK due to the
hours of time I see many of our associate waste “faux-networking”. I also have never understood why someone would
want all your contacts to know every intimate detail of your life…when you went
on vacation, where you are eating dinner at this very moment, or a non-flattering
drunken picture covertly taken at a party and posted and tagged with your name.
Oh sure you can demand it be taken down… but it’s too late… the damage to your
personal and business reputation has been emblazoned in the minds of all your
contacts who checked their Facebook page early on. Another unintended
consequence many don’t think about…(here comes the former Cop in me) … what
happens when you post a status update saying you are going to the beach this
weekend…and the wrong individual sees it… may be an open invitation for a visit
from the boogey man.
Social Media for the most part is driven by emotions and how
we feel when someone comments on a photo we post or a comment we make…or the
elation of being “liked”! We feel good when something we tweet is re-posted or
we get recommended on Linked-In. Believe me when I say… those who sell social
media products know this and use it to their advantage. They have become
experts in the “Art of Social Seduction”.
Every new social media tool introduced is done so with an air
of urgency and we are seduced by the emotional responses to share our private
lives socially…on line for the world to see. And since we are in a relationship
business, it is easy to see how REALTORS are lured into the next greatest
social media “thingy”. We fear missing out on this new tool will cause us to
lose business to our competition, because they are networking with our
prospects and we aren’t. The facts show this simply is not true…and this
emotional response is like rocket fuel to the sellers of social media.
The truth is social media sites work best in conjunction with
a solid system of managing your Book of Business, (BoB)©, and personal networking within that said Book of Business.
Using Social Media as a support tool within your overall market plan is
good…using social media as your total marketing plan is not so good….in fact it
is often a recipe for failure in our industry. Don’t get me wrong…I am not
bashing Social Media…my point is Social Media has to be integrated into your
overall business plan for you to get the highest impact on your Book of
Business.
The basic foundation of relationship building has not changed
over the past 100 years…(A foundation poured long before Al Gore invented the
internet and social media was born).
Building quality, trust based, relationships will always require time
and effort… Remember: There is no way to “like” yourself into a trusting
relationship.
Thomas Edison said… “Opportunity
is missed by many because it often comes dressed in overalls and looks a whole
lot like hard work” … and it still holds true today. Any relationship worth
having requires attention and care to be nurtured into a vehicle to help you
grow your business…or help you better enjoy your life!
Don’t be lured into social “not-working” by emotional
triggers or a shiny new social media tool. As you are exposed to the next new
social media product ask yourself: Can I use this in my business plan right now
without it taking me off track, or would I have to change my business model to
adapt it into my marketing plan, (this is all assuming you have a written
business and interrelated marketing plan) J.
Good Luck and Keep Prospecting!
Eddie Brown 2013
www.ICU-Coaching.com
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