If you have not implemented video messages in your marketing, you are missing out.  Builders, Remodelers, Real Estate Agents, Contractors, and Vendors have products that need to be showcased…and video is the most effective means of demonstrating your product.

All you need is a video camera and an idea.  The video camera can be as simple as the video feature on your cell phone or hand held Flip Cam which retails for less than $250.

The technology is the easy part.  Just about any high school student can upload a video to www.YouTube.com for you in case you are a technophobe.  The more challenging part is for you to come up with the ideas for videos that will distinguish you and elevate you above your competition.

So what constitutes a good video, a useful video that attracts customers?  Consider these elements when using video on YouTube to promote your products and yourself.

1. This is not your parent’s vacation footage. Brevity is king.  You are in a short attention span society.  Think of your videos as fast food for customers.   Make your point.  Show your product quickly.
2. Authenticity rules. Be yourself.  Be personable.  You don’t have to take professional acting classes.  You just need to be yourself.  Be witty.  Smile.  Be friendly.  Remember, you are showcasing how easy it is to get along with you in a sales environment.
3. Frequency. Regularly post videos and update your footage.  There is virtually no hard cost associated with uploading videos, so there is no excuse for outdated information.
   
4. Be original. Be spontaneous.  Carry your Flip Cam with you at all times and be ready to record anything that is remotely interesting or informative in your line of work.
5. Brief customer testimonials are very powerful.  Anyone can have their uncle produce a written testimonial, but with a video testimonial the viewer can look into the eyes of your customer to gauge their sincerity.
6. Archive them in one place.  Set up you own YouTube TV station.  It’s free, simple, fast and can be customized with your corporate colors and logo.

Unless you want to make a travesty out of your video avoid these mistakes.

1. Bad lighting, bad sound, too much background noise.  You don’t need to be Steven Spielberg to produce a decent video, but use some common sense when it comes to the quality of your videos.
2. Disrespecting the copyright laws.  Music, photos, literature, and other videos have copyright laws which affect their use.  If you wish to use these, conduct a brief Google search to see if you are infringing on any intellectual territories.  There are multitudes of royalty free pictures and music.
3. Distasteful, off color, unruly, offensive or objectionable material.  Can you be edgy and interesting?  Absolutely. How is objectionable defined?  I don’t know, but I know when I see it.  So will you.
4. Not integrating your YouTube videos with all of your other Internet marketing strategies.  YouTube videos should be a component of a well thought out marketing plan.  In the housing industry, videos are not a business plan in themselves.  They should only be a piece of your overall marketing landscape.
5. Copycat, copycat. It’s okay to take an idea and expand it to make it your own.  Be as original as you possibly can.  Avoid copying the video ideas of a competitor or colleague.  Get your own ideas.
   
6. No contact information. Contained in every video should be your contact information.  A simple email or website address is sufficient.  As with other means of marketing, your end goal is to have prospective customers contact you for more information.  Help them out.
7. Not combing your hair. Well, maybe you look better with the frazzled look.  The point is that your videos will portray your personality.  Think about the impression you wish to make.  If you wish to portray a highly professional image, don a suit and tie while shooting video in your office at your big walnut desk.  Do you wish to be a bit more casual because you are selling a community on a lake front?  Dress comfortably casual while your video is filmed on an outside patio overlooking the lake (with a Mojito cocktail on the table).
8. Keeping your videos a secret. If you are going to make the effort to shoot video footage and actually upload it to a video storage site, by all means let the world know.

There are other video storage sites like Viddler.com and Flickr.com.  Each has their own special features.  YouTube is by far the most widely used and is universally recognized.

Videos give your prospective buyers a view into your product and your personality.  Video can act as a lead generator as well as a lead qualifier.

As with most other forms of marketing, video marketing is a work-in-progress.  The more you work with it, the more it will work for you.  Go forth and video your message.

Check out my YouTube TV station here:   http://www.youtube.com/plmontelongo

Paul

Ps.  Share your story with readers of this blog. Check out the tab above called “Got a Story”.

Hey,

As a Builder, Remodelor, Realtor or housing industry professional, can you use blogging to promote your business and make more sales? Take a look at this video as well as the list below…

Top ten reasons a housing industry professional should blog…

1. To express your thoughts or opinions…about your market, your niche, your customers and who should take advantage of your services.

2. To market or promote your business…blogging allows you to overtly promote your company. It also allows you to build value by offering credible information for your customers.

3. To establish yourself as an expert…the more you write about your industry, the more you can be perceived as an expert…people prefer to do business with experts.

4. To help people…the more people that are exposed to your helpful information, the more credibility you build. If you want to be helped, help others.

5. To make money…you can sell your services and products online on your blog. You can offer discounts to readers, referral fees, and incentives to gather leads.

6. To distinguish your company or yourself as unique among your competitors. The features of your blog and the way you present it to the public can make you stand out above the competition.

7. To stay connected to customers, prospects, vendors and your professional network…Blogging allows you to maintain an ongoing personal appearance with regular product updates.

8. To poll your customers…with features like comments and rss feeds, you can get a beat on what your readers are interested in, what they want more of and less of.

9. To stay abreast of the latest trends, technologies and news in your industry...regular blogging calls up on you to do research in your industry. You will also receive suggestions and information from your readers that keeps you up with the industry.

10.To attract a more savvy, influential customer base…it’s true that the internet provides a source of information for savvy buyers.  The more savvy the buyer, the more research they do.  When you position yourself on the Internet with your highly informative blog, you will have a greater chance to attract a more discriminating, affluent buyer.

There are plenty of other reasons to blog.  It can be fun and an outlet for you to be creative and express yourself.  You learn along the way and you open yourself up to a whole new world of information and technology.

Let me know your thoughts below about blogging.

Until our paths cross again,

Paul

Hello,

Question #4 of the Fab Five is my favorite.  I like it so much that I will frequently ask it right out front.  Why not?  If your personality fits and you want to cut to the chase, then go to this question.

Watch the video and then send in your comments below.

Make it a super weekend of sales.

Take care,
Paul

Hello,

You must be able to know how a prospective client defines success. In other words, how will they know that their needs, wants, desires, wishes, requirements of you are being fulfilled?

The answers you receive to fab question #3 “cement” everything for you during your sales presentation.

Watch the video and then send in your comments below.

Until our paths cross again, take great care,

Paul

Ps. You have got to check out my Sales Mastery Home Study Course. The investment will make you more sales for sure. Go here to see all the details… Sales Mastery Home Study Course.

Hello,

Don’t let price objections stifle your sales presentation.  Ask this quesiton and gather all the information you need to move forward with your sales presention.

Watch this video to help you move your buyer from a price conversation to a value based conversation.

Share this video with your colleagues and also add your comments to this blog below.

Until we cross paths again, take great care.

Paul.

You gotta follow me on Twitter for regular housing industry updates and positive news.

Hello,

Jump start your sales conversation with a question that will open up the flood gates of information.  Ask this question and get them talking about what they want, what they need, what they desire, why they are there to buy, etc.

Check out this video and add your comments at the end.

The rest of the Fab Five questions can be found here on YouTube. Check them out if you wish and send along your comments.

Feel free to share these at your next sales meeting.

Until our paths cross again, take great care.

Paul

Hello,

The secret is out…the Internet is here to stay…(LOL)

There are many, many ways to use the Internet to generate more leads and more sales. However, in order to sell more, you have to understand the real reasons your buyer has visited your website.

Check out this very short video (1:40 min) for my thoughts about understanding Internet buyers. Its segment three in the five part series.  The first two segments are in earlier blog posts (below).  Send your comments and feedback.

Also, check out my Advanced Sales Mastery for Masters of the Housing Industry. This program can be downloaded immediately into your computer. It has been designed for the more experienced housing industry professionals.

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul Montelongo
www.paulmontelongo.com

Ps. Get a free chapter to my eBook, The Secrets to Selling New Homes in a Down Market, or Any Market for That Matter.

Hello,

With the recent slight increase in traffic, consumer interest and confidence in the housing market,  your sales game now takes on a bit of a different twist.  It is important to know why your prospect has chosen to investigate your product at this point in time.   Getting to know what is going on with their ‘mental real estate’ will help you with your marketing and sales efforts.  Take a look at this short video (4:02) to learn four specific questions you should use to uncover what your prospect is thinking so that you can convert them into a sale.

Please leave your comments, thoughts and experiences at the end of this blog post.

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

Ps. The eBook link is http://paulmontelongo.com/sellmorehomes/book.htm

Dear Friend,

Today’s consumer is very savvy.  How do you capture their attention and convert to a sale?

Here is Sales Tips Part II…”Create a Unique Buying Experience”.

Create a Unique Buying Experience

Check it out.  Leave your comments.

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

www.paulmontelongo.com

How to Create Customer’s Partnership

The sign on the side door of my doctor’s office says Private Entrance. You have seen this, I’m sure. It is the door for your physician to come and go in a clandestine manner. Is the doctor the only one allowed through that door? Not usually. Employees, family and special guests are allowed through the door marked Private Entrance.

What would happen if your clients felt like they had a private entrance door to you, their contractor of choice? Of what value to your business would it be if every client you had felt like you were his or her partner? The notion of creating customer partnerships may be way out of the normal way of thinking. But just imagine for a moment if your physician allowed ‘anytime access’ through his private entrance door for you.

Seeing clients as partners rather than just customers or buyers of your service is an invaluable way of doing business. It is more economically rewarding. Mistakes or challenges in the partnership are more forgiving and the long-term relationship stays in tact. How do you create and maintain customer partnerships?

A Matter of Attitude

The first step is to adopt the right attitude. Totally giving of yourself, your time, your energy and your assets is the foundation for creating a client partnership. Your emphasis will be on fairness rather than equality. Compare it to a close friendship or well-adjusted marriage. There is plenty of give and more give before there is much taking. The “Private Entrance” door means total access to you and to your talent is required. And of course, egos are left out in the hallway. Now, I know the reality is you cannot be everywhere at once. Nor can you be everything to all of your clients. However, if they perceive that you are really trying to be available to them, the psychological impact is tremendous. Use all of the modern tools available to be accessible to your client partners. Voice mail messages can be updated daily. Give a brief overview of your daily schedule on the voice mail message, noting what times you may be available or at what time you will return calls. Return your calls at that time. Send an e-mail note acknowledging conversations with your client partners. Allow them to have your cell phone number, your pager number, your e-mail address or any other way to have access to you. Designate a person in your office to handle these calls if you need to. Let your client partner know exactly how to get in contact with you.

Now, some of you are saying, “They will never leave me alone to get anything done.” Not necessarily so. As in any respectful partnership, certain rules are put into place early on. Pre-determine when you will return calls and when you will have meetings with your client partner. Forthright conversations concerning these issues will set the partnership on the right course. I have known clients to greatly appreciate when I return their call just to say that I will talk to them later when I have more time to devote exclusively to them. They seem to appreciate the candor. This sort of courtesy pays big dividends. It is all a matter of attitude.

Establish Mutual Goals

Knowing the ultimate outcome of the partnership is essential to building a rewarding partnership. When two people have a shared vision, the details of how to attain that vision seem to fall into place. In the very early stages of the partnership, learn exactly what the client wants. What is his or her ultimate goal in the project? Is it more space for the family? Must the project fit into an exact budget or is there a little latitude for upgrades? Are there time constraints? The finished product will satisfy some emotion for your client partner. Learn your customer’s aims and goals. Do not hesitate to ask specifically what they have in mind?

Now it is your turn. You also have goals. Obviously, there is a certain profit margin to be met. Stating out front what is included in your scope of work and what would be considered extra costs will reduce future tension. You also want to make your visions clear about what you consider to be a successful project. Convey to them the importance of time and budget for you as well. Today’s client is very sophisticated. They understand costs and scheduling constraints more than we give them credit for sometimes.

After these discussions, determine the commonalties. Create a concise and memorable statement that reflects your mutual goals. The ultimate benefit of shared goals is that misunderstandings are reduced and each of you feels like the other’s partner.

See Complaints as Gifts

A complaint can be turned into the gift of a learning opportunity. Challenges can be converted into an occasion to offer creative solutions. I believe, in reality, clients do not expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to care enough to improve and to manage their concerns properly. Address the issue immediately, identify the challenge, understand the circumstances and know all of the parties involved. This process alone can reduce the stress of your client. They learn that you are genuinely interested and it is the foundation for setting up a solution.

Next, create a plan, or several plans, for the remedy. In all cases, get joint agreement on the solution and continue to communicate as it progresses. By all means, follow up with your client partner by making sure that the solution is satisfactory and it meets the desired project outcomes for both of you. There is one more thing. If you have a quite client, consider that a dangerous thing. A quiet client is either not being candid or not being contacted. He or she may be stewing about something. Some people may not complain to you, for a variety of reasons. However, they will tell their friends and associates at the drop of a hat. Do whatever it takes to get honest communication out of your client partner.

The bottom line is client fulfillment is a total commitment. The above format will give you a huge edge with your business. Oh, and about my doctor’s Private Entrance door, I suppose some day I will be allowed access through the private entrance. Until then, I will just be another patient, another customer.

Until we have the honor to meet in person, remember…”Success is YOUR choice, choose well.