Let’s get this out of the way right now: I am not a CRM implementation expert. My job is to train and strategize with Online Sales Counselors (OSCs) and companies to help them thrive in their roles and their adoption of the CRM across all departments. It’s important for the marketing, sales, and online salespeople to all be rowing in the same direction when it comes to big tools like the CRM. I’ll give you the ideas and the parameters, but I leave the nitty-gritty of CRM setup to the techies and specialists. What I do know is what a CRM should be able to do for you as an OSC in the homebuilding industry. It’s up to you to become the expert on the platform your company uses. And let’s be honest—often OSCs end up being the CRM experts in their companies. So, roll up your sleeves, dive in, and figure it out. Here’s the good news: there are resources everywhere. Your CRM likely has a support team, a knowledge base, and (bless the internet gods) YouTube. You can Google just about anything these days. Or—and here’s a crazy idea—you can play with it. Tinker, explore, and press all…
Read MoreNothing Like Under Estimating How Long A Project Will Take
Time management. A key ingredient to being an effective small business owner or independent contractor. Your time is literally money. You need time to spend on each client and project. And you need to know how effectively to manage all that time, juggle your projects and keep your clients happy. But there are times when a project balloons out of control. A contractor quits, you run into glitches, simple things become more complex and all…
Read MoreWhen it Comes to Email Communications: Stop-Breathe-Think-Act
Okay everyone, deep breath. I’ve seen a lot of miss communications via email lately, not just in my business, but others seem to be having the same problems as well when we compare notes. This happens in a fast paced, stress filled environment both on personal and on professional levels. There’s a good reason for this. Black and white typed emails are only one third of the story. Communication is a fragile and tricky thing.…
Read MoreSuccessful Email Marketing: Permisson Is The Key
Scraping emails off facebook, linkedin, or business cards for your newsletter is not cool. This is why email marketing gets a bad name. First off the key to correct and effective email marketing is to have a permission based list. Translation: a list of people who want to get your emails. Just because someone hands you a business card at a networking event or accepts your friendship on a social network does not mean that…
Read MoreSinging the Blues About Blue Gypsy Bluesfest 2011
I’m singing the blues about the Blue Gypsy Bluesfest. As successful as the Blue Gypsy Bluesfest was last year grossing almost $15,000 and bringing together over 350 enthusiastic people in the Tidewater Area to enjoy a day of blues and BBQ, I had to make an executive decision. Sadly I’ve tabled the event indefinitely for the future. There are two major factors that contributed to this decision. The first is the fact that I am…
Read MoreThe Power of Social Media: Should Jewish Organizations Jump on The Social Media Bandwagon?
So I thought I’d share this interesting debate I’m having with my sister with you. My sister, like me, has traveled the world. She’s lived in foreign countries and traveled Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and the Middle East. She’s visited small little villages in South East Asia and she’s even been stranded in a Typhoon on Mauritius, a tiny tiny island off of Africa. My sister used to be a costume designer and then…
Read MoreGroupon Super Bowl Ads: #Fail? or Success! – New Media Vs. Old Media
Every year, when the Super Bowl rolls around there are some of us who tune in for the action, and some of us who tune in for the advertising. It’s the only time of the year we don’t want to fast forward through the commercials. With airtime priced at a premium, and millions of viewers expected to be attached to their TV’s in real time, this is an opportunity for products to hit their target…
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