Social Selling Made Simple

2020 forced us to shift the way we do business. For some, it was a moment of panic because so many of us don’t know how to move what we do in person into the virtual world. For others, this was an opportunity to pivot, get creative and embrace the opportunities that working virtually has to offer.    One huge point of friction is the world of virtual meetings and events. When people can no longer be in the same room, can we maintain the same level of energy and engagement?    In order to get the most out of virtual and meetings events, we have to stop seeing this as a problem but rather as an opportunity, and to make our meetings dynamic and engaging. Online meetings don’t have to be boring and draining, they can be a great way to enhance our businesses.    What are some ways we can leverage Zoom tools to make our meetings and virtual events more interesting? How can we get more people into our CRM using virtual meetings? In this episode, I’m joined by virtual meeting and CRM expert, Tamara Burkett. We discuss how we can add value and boost engagement in the online space. Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode    - How to think beyond a Zoom call and make it an experience When our attendees register for the event, we can use an email nurture system to get them excited about it. We can send virtual swag bags, use customized virtual backgrounds, along with polls, music and breakaway rooms to get people engaged and allow them to connect with each other.    - How to increase virtual engagement by removing friction  If we want to make our virtual meetings and events flow better for attendees, we have to reduce the friction points that people experience. We can do this by minimizing or eliminating data entry on their end, and making it easy for them to access the event.    - The non-negotiable features our CRMs need to have  When choosing a CRM, the most important features we need to look for is integration with other systems so that we can centralize the information while getting a full picture of our businesses. It’s also helpful to organize the information through tags so that we can segment our contacts and tailor our nurture sequence to each group.   Guest Bio-    Tamara Burkett is a CRM consultant, virtual meeting facilitator and speaker, who fully believes in the power of personal connection to motivate, inspire, and educate. She helps companies squeeze every penny of profitability and service out of their current CRM. Her services include CRM selection, customization, CRM strategy, training, coaching, virtual training and logistics & social selling training.    For more information, visit https://www.tamaraburkett.com or go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaraburkett1.

There’s a 20-year age gap between the average Realtor and millennial. Even though millennials now make up the majority of real estate transactions, there’s still a huge disconnect between expectation and reality with the agents on the ground.   Millennials think, function and make decisions differently, and Realtors are conflicted by this new dynamic. Instead of paying attention to the habits of these consumers and adapting what we do, many agents make the process of buying and selling increasingly frustrating.    If we want our real estate businesses to have a long-term value proposition, adapting to millennial clients is non-negotiable. What are the key things millennials are looking for in the process of buying and selling a home? Where are Realtors falling short and what can we do about it?    In this episode, I’m joined by Bobby Bryant, CEO and founder of Proptech company DOSS. He shares how his company is meeting the needs of millennials, and what it takes to be relevant as an agent in today’s world.   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode    - Why many Realtors can’t crack the millennial marketThe average Realtor is in their 50s, while the average home buyer and seller today is in their early-30s. There’s a huge disconnect between the two and it’s not just in age. Many Realtors don’t have empathy for millennials, which makes it hard to connect with them or provide a service that addresses their concerns.   - The one thing Realtors keep getting wrongOne of the biggest mistakes Realtors make is thinking the real estate interaction and transaction is all about them. It’s important that we stop trying to shift millennials to do real estate the way we want, and start to shift what we do to suit their expectations. This is the only way we remain relevant.    - How to adapt our listings to the expectations of millennialsFind a way to make your listings evergreen and available for viewings 24/7. This doesn’t mean they have to see the home in person. We can leverage tech tools like virtual tours so buyers can take a look at the home whenever they want to.   Guest Bio-    Bobby Bryant is the CEO and founder of DOSS, a Proptech company that's democratizing the real estate industry via a Digital Real Estate Brokerage that's developing a Voice-Activated Intelligent Assistant built into a proprietary real estate search and transactional platform to empower BUYERS, RENTERS, and SELLERS to ask any question about any property in the world to get accurate, easy, and instant answers 24/7.    Architecturally built on an Intelligent-Interface, consumers are able to access everything there is to know about a particular property by speaking, texting, or typing their questions into any Desktop, Smart-Speaker, and Smartphone to search, schedule property tours, digitally submit offers, negotiate price, and much more.  For more information visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-bryant-53249610 or email bobby@askdoss.com. You can also follow @realbobbybryant on Twitter.  

Over the last few months, there has been increased conversation and dialogue around racism, and what we can do to make a real lasting change in this country. It’s been necessary for us to talk about how racism impacts the real estate professionals in Chicago, and the challenges we face.   In order for us to begin to see change, it’s important for local and state leaders to have and facilitate the necessary conversations. We need focused dialogue and the lesson of this season is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I’m joined today by Realtors and industry leaders to have these conversations, and share honestly some of our experiences and ideas about how we can move forward.    What can real estate associations and leaders do to aid in finding solutions? How can we start to heal Chicago? In this episode, panelists Tracey Royal, Carrie Little, Nykea Pippion-McGriff, Sara Ware and Andy Burton share their thoughts. We talk about what it’s like being black in real estate in Chicago and possible solutions so that we can bring about not only diversity and inclusivity, but also equity as well.    Guest Bios  Nykea Pippion McGriff is the President at the Women's Council of REALTORS® Illinois.  Tracey Royal is the Designated Managing Broker at TEAM Real Estate Services.  Carrie is the Managing Broker at CarMarc Realty Group and Adjunct Professor at Columbia College.  Sara Ware is the Principal/Managing Broker at Ware Realty Group.  Andy Burton is the Owner and Publisher of Chicago Real Producers Magazine.  

A huge part of what real estate agents do on a daily basis is marketing. We have to bring people into our world while allowing them to know, like and trust us. There is one platform that can help us cut this work in half, and that’s YouTube. With people already searching for local real estate content, there’s already a demand for our knowledge and expertise.    While other niches are full of competition, the opportunity for success with localized YouTube videos is still wide open for agents.    How do we optimize our YouTube content to make it more algorithm-friendly and attractive to potential viewers? In this episode, we’re joined by the social media influencer behind the successful channel Living in Portland Oregon, Jackson Wilkey.    He shares tactics that can help us compete with the biggest YouTube channels and stand out in our local markets.     Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode  - How YouTube creates demand for our content Unlike Facebook and Instagram where people are directly connecting with people’s posts and photos, YouTube is a search engine where people are going to learn tactics or learn about real estate in a specific location. This means we can craft our content to meet the demand that’s created through this discoverability.   - How to market your video to attract instant attention Don’t double your thumbnail text and in the title of the video. Use different wording and copy to attract more curiosity to click on the video. At the beginning of the video tell them what they can expect to learn and see, make sure you hook people into the video to make them stay and watch the whole thing.     - Why YouTube is the ultimate qualifier of leads  When people work with real estate agents they got introduced to via YouTube, they already feel like they know and trust them, so the first interaction won’t feel the same as it would if it was a cold lead.   Guest Bio-  Jackson Wilkey is a real estate professional and social media influencer. He is the co-founder of YouTube Agents, and the highly successful YouTube channel “Living in Portland Oregon.”    YouTube Agents is a platform designed to help agents expedite the process of creating a successful YouTube channel to generate business from relocations - without paying for ads.    With just a combined 3½ years of experience as a realtor, Jackson did $15M in business last year (2019), and attracted about 1,000 hot leads per year from the Living in Portland, Oregon channel.For more information, visit https://theyoutubeagents.com or email jackson@theyoutubeagents.com    Resources Mentioned PicMonkey  Keywords Everywhere  Tube Buddy 

The events in our country over the last 2 months have been challenging, and as a nation, we’ve had to have conversations about race and inclusivity on both the community and professional level.    The Women’s Council is a group with a significant amount of influence, which can help to amplify the voices of Black Realtors and map the way forward for real estate.    Today’s episode is a special panel discussion hosted by Brenda Lee Szlachta, National President of Women's Council. We’re joined by real estate agents to have an open and honest conversation on inclusivity, diversity, leadership and our way forward.

In the first month of legalization in the state of Illinois, cannabis sales reached almost $40 million. If anyone is looking for a single reason to get into the cannabis business, this is it.   How can we enter the cannabis space? Are there any business opportunities we can take advantage of while we get locally licensed?   As real estate professionals, we need to make sure we safeguard our reputations - but it’s becoming easier and more accepted to get into the cannabis industry.   Michael Malcolm is a Real Estate broker who knows this first hand. On this episode, the Founder and Cannabis Consultant at WTF Media, Michael Malcolm shares how to get involved in the cannabis space.    Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode  - Get a licenseTo legally grow, sell, or infuse products with marijuana, we need to have a license. Be sure to apply for one - but know that there are regular delays.    - Look for ancillary opportunitiesThere are a number of ancillary businesses in the cannabis space that don’t require licenses. Anything that doesn’t touch the flower itself is legal - look into options like smoke shops that sell relevant accessories, but not the marijuana itself.    - Prioritize reputationAs in any business, it’s important to make sure people know we’re professional and take the space seriously. Be consistent and show up.   Guest Bio-  Michael Malcolm is the Founder, Cannabis Consultant and brand ambassador at WTF Media. He’s spent the past year travelling the country, advising cannabis companies on social media marketing strategies and creating content for social media and standard operating procedure video. Michael is also a Real Estate Broker at @properties.    To find out more about Malcolm, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-malcolm-88637347/ https://www.weedtravelfood.com/home  https://www.instagram.com/mikegdagod/?hl=en

These have been challenging and uncomfortable times and on the South Side of Chicago many communities have been impacted and devastated. My fellow REALTORS® have reached out in need of support for their communities, their families and their businesses.    The events we’ve seen over the last few months have been difficult for the 77 communities of Chicago. I love my city and my community, and have pulled efforts to help the people who need support right now, but we can’t do it alone.    We need your help, if you are in a position to donate to this urgent cause, please do. We have come up with a neutral place to send donations and help the disadvantaged people on the South Side. In this episode, I talk about what’s been happening in our community, the efforts that we’ve made as local REALTORS® to support and how you can help.

There’s an abundance of opportunities in the world of speaking, and there are definite steps you can take to get started.    It’s important to work on your speaking ability, build your network of relationships and to carve out a lucrative space for yourself in the speaking world.    What are some of the first steps you can take towards achieving your speaking dream? How do you get that elusive first speaking opportunity? In this episode, I share cost-effective techniques you can implement right now to jump start your speaking career.     Three Things You’ll Learn in This Episode  - Where to get started in speaking  Get into your local associations for speakers like Toastmasters and National Speakers Associations. This helps you improve on your speaking and start building relationships.    - How to make yourself more marketable as a speaker Work on your bio to make it compelling and show where you add value, and provide a list of subjects you’re knowledgeable in.   - Why you need a niche You should be aiming to dominate a niche. That way, you will be able to charge a higher fee for speaking engagements.   Resources  Toastmasters  Rapid  Do It! Speaking: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Market, Monetize, and Maximize Your Expertise by David Newman The Speaker Author: Sell More Books and Book More Speeches Book by Cathy Fyock and Lois Creamer National Speakers Association

The real estate industry is anything but business as usual right now. Agents have had to pivot, adapt and find new ways to keep businesses operating. Chaotic times can also be times of great opportunity, learning and growth. We can emerge out of this and embrace better opportunities.    We might not be able to meet up with our clients in person, hold open houses or sell homes as normal, but that doesn’t mean we should slow down or stop working.    Social media has not been shut down, and we have a wealth of resources at our fingertips to keep driving value. How do we leverage social media and technology to fill up some of the gaps this crisis is causing in our daily basis? In this episode, social media influencer, real estate agent and coach, GoGo Bethke shares what she has implemented in order to remain relevant and still sell real estate right now.   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode  - The factor that really counts in this business  In our business, the actual sale of the product is at the very end of our client engagement. What counts is what happens before that, how we present ourselves and the value we offer.     - How to leverage virtual and remote technology in the selling process  We can educate our clients to take photos and videos of the home and upload them to a shared digital space where we can edit, fine-tune and post them. This way, homes can still get listed and potential buyers can see them.    - What our focus and messaging needs to be right now  Our focus right now should not be trying to sell homes or close more transactions, it should be to help people navigate these uncertain times. Reach out to clients and offer them support and value.   Guest Bio-  GoGo is the founder and owner of Gogo's Real Estate LLC, and a social media influencer, coach and speaker.  For more information and to sign up for GoGo’s social media Bootcamp visit https://www.gogosrealestate.com/ and follow @GogosRealEstate  on Instagram.

I had the pleasure to attend this year’s Social Media Marketing World, and got to hear from the world’s best social media experts about what we can do to improve our reach, effectiveness and conversion on social media.    We learned about how to repurpose our content, why podcasting is the most accessible content, resources we can use, and even how we can leverage TikTok! So join me as I share some of my key learnings from Social Media Marketing World.   Takeaways Don’t focus on social media marketing from the real estate world because it’s usually watered down and ineffective.    Live video needs to be the center of your content creation offering.    Consistency is important on Tik Tok, as well as making content that follows the trending topics.