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Locals bring awareness to fair housing month To reserve your spot, contact one of the nine participating local associations – see a list here. Attendance of the event being covered by the local associations and has been generously underwritten by LaSalle Bank. For more fair housing events during April, fair housing awareness month, visit the MAR Web site. NAR secures small business junk fax rule flexibility The National Association of REALTORS® applauds the new rules recently finalized by the Federal Communications Commission implementing the Junk Fax Prevention Act (JFPA), which protects both consumers and businesses alike. NAR supported provisions of the new rules which clarify the responsibilities of businesses when sending unsolicited faxes and implement the JFPA’s new consumer right to “opt out” of receiving faxes even from those with whom the recipient has an established business relationship. Congressman Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet and one of the sponsors of the law, supported NAR’s position. In a letter sent to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin during the comment period leading up to the final rule, Chairman Upton expressed concern about implementing rules that may overly burden legitimate business activities conducted by fax. Responding to the FCC's final rules, Chairman Upton stated, “Congress’ fundamental purpose in adopting the Junk Fax Prevention Act was to strike a more appropriate balance between protecting the privacy interests of consumers and avoiding unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on businesses. I believe the FCC's final rules both respect this goal and are straightforward enough so senders in all segments of the American economy will be able to comply. The final rules are both good for the consumer and good for businesses throughout the nation.” The FCC’s final rules give small businesses some flexibility when it comes to complying with the JFPA. For example, the final rules recognize the validity of faxes sent in the context of informal business relationships, which is important to many businesses, including the real estate industry. Additionally, in the final rules, the FCC gives small businesses a number of options to consider when complying with the JFPA’s requirement to provide consumers with a cost-free mechanism to transmit do-not-fax request. “The FCC rules are a win-win for small businesses and consumers alike,” said 2006 NAR President Thomas M. Stevens, senior vice president of NRT Inc., from Vienna, Va. “The FCC’s approach represents a sensible balance between the legitimate interests of consumers to avoid unwanted faxes and the need of businesses to reach their customers.” Targeting your customers By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE Successful marketing means that you identify prospective clients and position yourself in the market so they choose you over your competition. When I sit down with clients who want to position their marketing, I seek the answers to four basic questions:
A good way to identify future clients is to listen -- really listen -- to those you have now. Their comments, especially negative ones, will help you tailor both your product and your approach to other prospects.
How did we do this? First, we realized her potential audience was geographical, that is, in her community rather than regional, national or international. These prospects had distinctive demographics. By appealing to a unique aspect, we hit on her core group. She's now hugely successful in her practice.
This is positioning yourself in the market. (Remember how Avis advertised, "We try harder.") As an example, when other advertising consultants do presentations, they talk about budgets, print versus TV, soft versus hard sell. I position myself by emphasizing that you start by targeting your audience, positioning your product, and creating distinctive selling propositions. Lots of mom-and-pop businesses, confronted by super stores, can't compete or even survive unless they find a unique niche to fill.
Market to your core group, and position yourself among the competition. That's million-dollar marketing! Patricia Fripp, CSP,CPAE is a professional speaker on Change, Teamwork, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want! And, a Past-President of the National Speakers Association. Copyright© 2004, Patricia Fripp. All rights reserved. For information about Patricia’s Keynote presentations, contact the Frog Pond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@frogpond.com; http://www.frogpond.com.
MAR Calendar of Events
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720 North Washington Avenue • P.O. Box 40725 • Lansing,
Michigan 48901-7925 Copyright © 2005 Michigan Association of REALTORS® |
