By Shane Singh, Editorial Intern, REALTOR® Magazine
QUICK SKIM
Let’s face it: Between using Twitter to advertise properties and Facebook as a way to get more exposure, the real estate industry–and the globe, for that matter–has gone social networking crazy. In The Connectors (Wiley, 2009), however, author Maribeth Kuzmeski argues the importance of connecting, rather than just networking. “We have a tendency to brush off the importance our ability to connect and create relationships as a key contributor and explanation for business success,” Kuzmeski writes. “True connections need to be made with feeling and purpose and honesty.” The Connectors is both instructional and psychological, breaking down the art of connecting via a series of short chapters, step-by-step guides, and personal assessment questionnaires. Using Kuzmeski’s own research, the book dissects all aspects of the business-client relationship, from understanding customers’ motives better to managing your time with them.
FROM THE BOOK: 5 WAYS TO BE A BETTER CONNECTOR
It doesn’t matter if you’re not a “people person,” you can still be a connector. When you connect, you’re not connecting with everyone, but focusing on your relationship with a few select clients. Here are five of Kuzmeski’s tips on how to be a great connector: Continue reading »
By Shane Singh, Editorial Intern, REALTOR® Magazine
In The Whuffie Factor (Crown Business, 2009), author Tara Hunt explains how businesses can harness the power of social capital to their benefit, whether it is in the form of Facebook profiles, wikis, or tweets.
Hunt says businesses should use the Web to connect with their customers and create consumer loyalty. That’s just a preview of the advice she’ll dispense during her presentation, “Whuffie for Real Estate Professionals: How Social Capital Sells,” at the 2009 REALTORS Conference & Expo in November. Until then, here are some of her tips on how to capitalize on Twitter’s growing popularity by turning 140-characters into a business tool: Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Real estate professional Regan McHenry is about to close on the house of her client’s dreams. But when the seller turns up dead, suspicions lead Regan to the center of a murder mystery. Nancy Kille, real estate practitioner turned mystery author, draws from her 20 years of experience for inspiration in The Death Contingency (Good Read Mysteries, 2008).
Kille, who writes as Nancy Lynn Jarvis, spoke to The Weekly Book Scan about her cliff-hanging mystery, and what it took for her to make the switch from real estate to writing.
Are you a fan of murder mysteries? What made you decide to write one?
Nancy Kille
KILLE: What started this whole thing is my mother-in-law, who lived in South Carolina, died a couple of years ago. We knew it was coming. We traveled there to spend some time with her before she died and we had to drive across country. So, to try and make my life easier, I started reading Tony Hillerman-a mystery writer who writes about a Navajo and the Big Reservation that comprises a large chunk of the southwest.
It was fun to be driving and noting, “oh, there’s a directional sign for something I’m reading about.” He uses the locations and he talks about the culture. By the time we got home, I was hooked. I read all of his books. He writes what are I call “cozy mysteries,” not full of graphic violence.
At the conclusion of that, I decided it would be a real hoot to try and write one.
How did the idea for The Death Contingency come about?
KILLE: Well, Tony Hillerman writes about where he lives and about something he knows well. So I decided to set my book in Santa Cruz, and decided I’d set it in the real estate community because there are so many interesting people and colorful people I have met in the course of being a REALTOR®. I drew on some of those stories.
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