Big Brother
Big Brother is watching you… Yeah, you’re going to come across this article and think I’m talking about an employer looking into what you are saying on Social Media – nope!
Your potential clients are watching you. They are watching and listening to you just like Big Brother – with eyes and ears all over the place.
The Overheard Phone Conversation
You say you keep confidentiality and you are professional, but what about when you take a phone call like these?
Real Estate Agent calls for feedback…
“Sure. It needs a complete cleaning of all of that clutter. Oh, and it stunk like dog – bad.” (Think of this if you were considering selling your house, but you had a lot of clutter – and a pet dog)
Agent calls inquiring about a listing…
“I suggest you bring an offer. Of course they don’t expect to get full price on the house, yes, they are in the process of a divorce, at least I only have to talk to the attorney in the deal – otherwise it would be like a cat fight with everything.” (If you heard this and you were in the middle of divorce thinking of selling?)
Facebook & Twitter Shout outs
How are your Wall Posts and/or Tweets? Think about the interpretation from a possible buyer/seller:
- Can’t believe the car these buyers drive!
- These sellers are nuts thinking they are going to sell at this price!
- Taking off for the weekend – screw the phone calls.
- So glad I don’t have any buyers to take out today – it’s pouring cats & dogs out there!
- This home inspector is picking apart everything in the house – acting like a deal breaker is his job.
Who do you Follow on Twitter or Facebook?
Do you think it doesn’t matter? Different people look at different things when they chose who to follow or not on Social Networks. If you are being looked at to represent them in a purchase – what do the people you follow say about you? Take a look at the profile pictures of your follows, make sure the exhibit the type of person you are proud to be associated with.
Just smile
Have you attended a Conference or Bar Camp lately? Just plaster a smile on your face, because there probably is a camera around. Some are even videoing, so don’t get caught talking about your co-workers, past clients/experiences, competition, or anything unprofessional that you wouldn’t mind the world hearing – cause it just might show up on @Twitter or Facebook!
Watch what you say… All the time.
Monika
February 11, 2009 at 9:35 pm
How very true Kim. Once you hit send/post …it’s out there. So watch what you type!
Chad A. Johnson
February 11, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Great point about being careful as to who you are associated in social networks.
I have had to disassociate myself from a few people who used colorful language or made offensive statements.
I wouldn’t want to be seen in public with someone like that and the same goes for online.
Brian Block
February 12, 2009 at 6:24 am
Kim, I’ve always felt that you should never say anything on the internet that you wouldn’t want made public, or repeated in court!
Chuck G
February 12, 2009 at 10:39 am
Kim,
That’s precisely why I changed the way I use Twitter, and the reason I don’t use Facebook for my business. You become immediately associated with the nonsense that somebody tweets on their site or posts on their wall. Talk about an immediate credibility killer…
Twitter for me is now a micro-blog…I use it to broadcast my blog posts, and as an effective way to blast out a few quick updates that wouldn’t warrant a “full” blog post (pictures, price reductions, etc..)
But after I had to embarrassingly explain some f*bombs that were full view on my site via somebody else’s twitter feed, that was enough for me. It’s now…
Following: 0
Chuck
Missy Caulk
February 12, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Kim, if you only know how many times I want to yak about something going on in Congress with that so called stimulus bill.
I don’t do it because it is “out there” every where.
Right now in Word I have 2 posts going, and will probably never post them but it is a good vent for me.
…or maybe I will. 🙂
Jason Farris
February 12, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Good stuff Kim. Reminds me of that site I came across today https://cursebird.com
Danilo Bogdanovic
February 16, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I’m going to echo what Brian said and your post hits the nail on the head with what’s going on online these days.
But I respectfully disagree with your first example (you as the agent giving feedback about clutter and the dog). Here’s why…
If someone can’t hear the truth about their house and, in your example, would rather not get their feelings hurt nor listen to their agent and leave it messy (which will hinder the sale), then I don’t want them as clients in the first place.
And yes, I know that someone may read this, but I don’t mind and here’s why…
The clients I work with are typically very honest, blunt and don’t want/need BS – just like me. That’s why they hire me and why we get along.
If they want someone to lie to them or beat around the bush in order to not hurt their feelings while hindering the sale of their house or a purchase of one, that’s fine – go hire someone else that doesn’t understand their true purpose as a Realtor nor how important little details such as clutter are and how much $ it can cost their clients.