Thoughts on Marketing…

Yesterday I posted a blog on Active Rain about procrastination, and how it came back to bite me because my computer died – again – and I still hadn’t found a way to back up my e-mails.

Then I got thinking about all the other things we all put off and I asked this question:

What have you been putting off that you should do now?

My suggestions were geared toward real estate professionals, but some of them could apply to any business. Everyone does procrastinate, and some of those tasks that get put on “ignore” could make a difference in our futures.

So… here is the rest of that Active Rain post, with extra comments thrown in, of course.

Is the task you’re putting off something that’s going to cost you time and money if you don’t tend to it?

Maybe you need to give your website a pick-me-up – or finally install that opt-in box on your short sale page. (Or, if you have a store-front business, an opt-in box to get members only coupons.)

Or maybe you need to check your database and make sure you’ve got all your past clients in there – and check to see that you have new addresses for your sellers. (Everyone needs to stay in touch with past clients – even car mechanics and furniture salesmen!)

Perhaps you need to write some letters for your autoresponder, or create your holiday message so you don’t end up doing it in a rush at the last minute. Again, this one is for everyone!

Or maybe you should take an hour or so right now and put together a Thanksgiving message to send to everyone on your list.

We all have a list of tasks that are “important but not urgent.”  We put them off because, in all likelihood, they’re tasks we don’t especially like doing. It’s easy to replace them with “urgent but not important” or even “not urgent and not important” tasks. Anything to keep ourselves busy so we don’t have to get over there and do the things that aren’t fun.

One person who commented on Active Rain did point out that procrastination was a good way to see which things we don’t really want to do. Another answered with “That’s probably why I still haven’t purchased the Thanksgiving turkey!”

And it really is true, so if it’s important and if you really don’t want to do it – delegate.

If you do it yourself, or if you delegate, you’ll feel better when you mark it off the list.

That said, if you sell real estate, I’ll help you mark off one task – writing a letter to first time buyers. I already wrote one that you are welcome to use, and all you have to do to get it is ask. You’ll find the box at Copy by Marte.

Here’s to prosperity!

Marte