Start Sneezing on People in 2011

Monday Morning Match is a short post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.

Late January seems to be the ideal time for people to pick up something viral. A cough? A cold? A sore throat? The flu?

Are you ready to "go viral"?

Looking back over your career - whether it has been one year or has lasted a quarter of a century - are there any moments that people are still talking about? What did you do in 2010 that made people stop, take notice and tell others? What will you need to do this week to get people talking about you?

Viruses are usually passed "mouth to mouth" but in today's viral world, you want to be talked about "mouse to mouse." Have you impressed a client enough so that they will leave you a positive review on LinkedIn? Will they talk about what a fun transaction they had with you on Facebook or Twitter?

Can you create a video that gets "hits" from people outside of your family unit?

There are still over 340 days left in the year to make something amazing happen. What are you going to do? You can either wait for something to happen or you could take charge and make it happen.

Get out there and build relationships, solve problems and have fun. Do it with passion and enthusiasm and create incredible experiences for all the customers, clients and other people you interact with. Get them talking to others in person, in writing or on-line.

Trust me...that passion and enthusiasm is contagious.

Get out there and find someone to sneeze on this week. (Not really, but you hopefully know what we mean)

What are you going to try in 2011 to generate some "viral buzz"?

Community pride - Part II?

Earlier this year, I wrote about the importance of a Realtor selling the area in order to be seen as a local expert. Having a combination of character and competence, a knowledgeable Realtor will immediately earn the public's trust.

In the viral world of of today, using creativity, local knowledge, a video camera and some editing ability, we now have some "turf wars" starting over in Virginia to "sell the area." Check out these funny videos (embedded below) that are a direct response to the Arlington (VA): The Rap video.

First up is Richmond...



And an answer from the Fairfax, Virginia community



What can you take from these videos, besides a little humor? Ask yourself if you're thinking differently to attract attention in today's market. Are you being creative? Thinking beyond your title? Willing to put yourself out there in the spotlight?

Not every effort will will result in the "viral" spreading of your message like these two videos (70,000+ views for each) but you can get people talking by talking about your community.

Let me know what you have done to be the community resource for your clients and customers.


Until next time, keep building relationships...solving problems...and having fun.