Ready or not, here we go

Ready or not, here we go. 2008 is over. Here were go into 2009.

It doesn't matter whether we're ready or not. It doesn't matter if we want it to happen or not. It doesn't matter if we finished our resolutions or goals.

2009 arrives in about 30 hours.

Most of us probably are looking forward to 2009 and aren't too sorry to see 2008 fade away. 2008 has had some memorable moments. It's had some disappointments. Most years do.

However, here we go into 2009. Clean slate, new opportunities, rid of some of the issues of 2008.

Hang on!

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For more information on my and educational programs and services, sales tips, insights, or strategies, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my other blog homesalesinsights.com. © Steve Hoffacker, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Motivational Monday - "New Life Already"

Steve Hoffacker's Motivational Monday Photography and Inspirational Message

My maple trees are budding already, and some of last season's leaves are still on the tree. Life continues - even when some of the old still hangs on. We can't wait until everything is ready (or even spring) to get started. Happy New Year!

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, sales tips, insights, or strategies, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my other blog homesalesinsights.com. © Steve Hoffacker, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Photography displayed is original composition and artistic expression of Steve Hoffacker, and as such is copyrighted. Photos are in their original digital image state and have not been cropped, edited, or enhanced in anyway.

Is there a time limit?

Is there a time limit for showing Christmas commercials on TV? If there isn't there should be.

We all knew that on Wednesday, November 5th - the day after the election - that all radio and TV advertising for the candidates would be over. So why do we still have to see the same ads for cellular phones, jewelry, and cars that have been running since before Christmas? These aren't the regular ads. These are the ones with Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, snow, lights, presents, bows, wrapping paper, and more.

OK, so maybe the ad people took a couple of days off for the holidays.

I'd like to see these ads retired. While we might be interested in the products that are being advertised, it's clear that Christmas is no longer the motivation for buying them - or at least it should be.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, sales tips, insights, or strategies, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my other blog homesalesinsights.com. © Steve Hoffacker, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Speechless Sundays - "The Power and Beauty of a Waterfall"

Steve Hoffacker's Speechless Sundays Photography

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, sales tips, insights, or strategies, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my other blog homesalesinsights.com. © Steve Hoffacker, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Photography displayed is original composition and artistic expression of Steve Hoffacker, and as such is copyrighted. Photos are in their original digital image state and have not been cropped, edited, or enhanced in anyway.

Say it ain't so

It's bad enough that the college football season went by so quickly - too quickly. Still, we are getting a encore of sorts in the form of bowl games.

But now the NFL regular season is over (or it will be by tonight). By comparison, it is the shortest of all the major professional sport seasons (don't know about volleyball, MLS, or lacrosse).

First we wait with anticipation for the April draft. For some teams that is a bright spot. For others, its seems less productive. Then there's the start of training camp in late July. Four weeks or so of preseason, and then it's time for football.

Where did the fall go? Where did 2008 go? Both are nearly gone.

Oh sure, a few teams will have additional life in the playoffs, but that every week game to look forward to will be over for another season.

Enjoy today's games. Hope your team does well and and at least wins its last game of the season (although that can only happen for half of the teams).

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, sales tips, insights, or strategies, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my other blog homesalesinsights.com. © Steve Hoffacker, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Two important milestones lie ahead for all of us

When you mention "milestones" on Active Rain, it usually means you've reached a certain point total or number of posts that are noteworthy. Today, however, I use milestones in a different way.

This applies to all of us.

With just 4 days remaining in 2008 (not counting today) and then 2009 starting as a big, bold, blank slate next Thursday, the two milestones I am thinking about are these:

- What is the last significant or important piece of business that we need or want to accomplish in 2008?

- What is the first significant or important piece of business that we need or want to accomplish in 2009?

There's no right or wrong answer, and no one is going to be looking over our shoulder to see what we did. We probably won't be blogging about it. It's just that something we do will be the last thing of 2008 and something else we do will be the first of 2009.

We'll get our opportunity for both this week. We should be intentional about them.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, sales tips, insights, or strategies, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my other blog homesalesinsights.com. © Steve Hoffacker, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Be Honest with Yourself

 

As we prepare for 2009, a self-assessessment might be in order to determine if we are creating the best environment for success. Lou Ludwig's quote is very appropriate for this.

 

Via Lou Ludwig CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC, e-PRO, (Ludwig & Associates):

 

Inspirational Power Quote

 

Be Honest with Yourself

 

"Our lives improve only when we take chances

and the first and most difficult

risk we can take is to be

honest with ourselves."

 Walter Anderson

  

 

As I see it. . . . . . . .

Once we become honest with ourselves, everything else becomes within our reach.

Sales techniques we learned from Santa

Well we just finished Christmas, and there might even be a few more gift exchanges this weekend.

Nevertheless, Santa Claus is off on some tropical island on his annual post-Christmas vacation.

Speaking of Santa, I discovered some great sales truths in the way we go about playing Santa for our family and friends.

First, our goal was to figure out what people on our list really wanted, needed. or would appreciate (if it was a total surprise). This is not unlike being a good salesperson - determine what people want and help them find it. Toss in something special or unexpected when we can.

Next, we didn't let anything get in our way - no matter how many places we had to call or visit to find the item that we wanted in the right size and color. When we apply that type of determination to sales we can be powerful.

Then, we shopped the marketplace and the competition - looking for a bargain, trying to find it on sale - even if we had already purchased it. Good sales techniques.

Then, we chose just the right box, wrapping paper, ribbon, or other type of delivery to make sure the presentation of our gifts had the maximum impact. Again, it can apply to sales.

Finally, we rejoiced with the people who opened our gifts - much as we celebrate with our customers when we help them find just the right home and make a decision on it.

So as much fun as it's been playing Santa, we actually were practicing good sales techniques and skills in the process.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, sales tips, insights, or strategies, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my other blog homesalesinsights.com. © Steve Hoffacker, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Want to spice up your copy?

Time was when key words in your title like "new" or "free" would garner interest and increase readership - whether it was an article, email, ad, or blog.

Now the words that play are "crisis" and "scandal." Nevermind whether the article ever discusses anything on the order of the headline. By the time you figure that out, you're already well into the piece.

I've seen many articles lead with the headline of some crisis or scandal (not the typical housing or ecomomic ones), and of course we want information, so we read on. Often we are disappointed because the article contains nothing we didn't already know about a subject or nothing seriously wrong or inappropriate that would rise to the description of "crisis" or "scandal."

Particularly the word "scandal" is one that appeals to something within us to learn more - to get the juicy details. Writers know this and now label non-scandalous - in fact often non-news - articles as "scandal." And we gobble it up as quickly as we can.

The only scandal that most of these articles offer is that they tricked us into reading them.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, sales tips, insights, or strategies, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my other blog homesalesinsights.com. © Steve Hoffacker, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Why is it?

Why is it that hot dogs come 8 in a pack but buns come 10 to a pack? Do they think we might accidentially spoil a couple?

Why do we continually push the elevator call button as if that going to hurry the arrival of the car on our floor?

Why do toys that need 4 batteries come with just 2 included?

Why does it take a chainsaw to open some plastic packaging?

Why does the guy behind you blow his horn the nanosecond after the light turns green?

Why does your appliance break within a week after the warranty expires?

Why is it that when you do have a warranty on a product that it never covers what's wrong?

Why is it the American paper money is looking more and more like Monopoly money?

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, sales tips, insights, or strategies, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my other blog homesalesinsights.com. © Steve Hoffacker, 2008. All Rights Reserved.