I like Facebook!  And I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know all kinds of new people and friends of my friends. Connecting and networking is what this business is all about!  But some people forget that manners and first impressions are even more important when networking in cyberspace. 

Case in point…yesterday I got a “Mystery Facebook Friend Request” from a total stranger.  However, this person didn’t include a message with his request stating why we should be friends or how he might know me. 

Whenever I send out a “Friend Request” to someone that I don’t know, I always send a message along with it to explain we have multiple friends in common or I would like to get to know them better, or we share similar interests or someone recommended that I get to know them.  Something!

Here’s a good example of a message that someone sent me: “Would love to learn more about AnotherMe.com. Look forward to networking with you too! We have alot of the same business/personal friends. Take care!”  Pretty good!

Back to the Mystery Friend Request… I really dislike this kind of friend request, because I have to do all the work!  I have to click on his profile and try to figure out how I might know him, and decide if I even want to know him. I have no clue why he would want to ”Friend” me. 

So, I click on his profile, view his information and then click on his “Wall” to get a little more information about him and see what he’s all about.  What do I see?  Mafia Wars – He’s all about  Mafia Wars.  Every single update on his wall was a Mafia Wars update.   Seriously! 

It made me wonder, why would anyone want to friend this guy and get his Mafia Wars updates multiple times a day? (unless they do Mafia Wars)  He could be a nice guy, want to do business with me, or want to send me referrals.  But that first impression has turned me off.

Which leads to the next question….  Should I just click on the “Ignore” button or “Report him as Spam”? 

What do you think?

A Virtual Assistant is a valuable resource in your Real Estate business for help with listings, contracts, marketing and general admin tasks. But, have you considered asking your VA to help out with some of your personal tasks as well.  When you have a relationship and a trust with your VA, handling personal tasks is just one more way you can leverage your time and resources.

Being that your Assistant is “Virtual”, she’s not available to pick up the kids, drop off the dry cleaning or deliver cupcakes to the brownie troop.  But she might be able to help you with any or all of the following!

Birthday Cards/Presents: With so many on-line programs that keep up with birthdays, a Virtual Assistant can easily log into your Plaxo, Facebook or SendOutCards accounts and send an E-Card or even a paper  Birthday card to a contact in your database.  Take a few minutes to create a custom/personal message for each of your groups: acquaintance friends, church friends, networking groups, neighbors, etc. and let your VA send the cards on your behalf.  You can vary the message every few months or once a year.  Ordering gifts, flowers or gift cards on-line is one of the easiest ways to delegate.  “Please call X store and order X for my nephew.  Address in my Top Producer database. Thanks!”  That was Easy!

Research pricing and ordering: Are you the one who always volunteers to order or get pricing for a party, meeting or event?  Flowers, invitations, decorations, awards, promotional items, catering, signs, flyers, printing… the list goes on and on.  Of course you can call and get 3 quotes for a catering company along with their menus for your Rotary Club meeting the next day… but don’t you have to meet clients, attend an inspection or negotiate a contract?  Try handing it over to your VA.  She can research, organize the info and quotes and then put all the information in a nice presentation format!  You’ll be the hero in your group.

Confirm/Reschedule appointments: If you’re on the go with a car full of people or an out of town client, it’s not easy to confirm or reschedule your personal appointments.  Text your VA and have her call your Dentist, Nail Salon, Accountant or next client to let them know you’re running late or need to reschedule.

Community, church or civic groups:

DataBase – Do you manage the database for your “group”?  This is an ideal task to delegate to a Virtual Assistant.  She can update the info, create a mailing list or labels, set up your database in an email program or do a search to find addresses for members.

Mailing - Just because your Assistant is “Virtual” doesn’t mean she can’t help with a mailing.  It takes a little coordination – which is easy for a good VA – and she can handle it all.  Printing, labels, stuffing, stamping and mailing!

So next time you are stressed out, wondering how you’re going to get it all done – ask your VA for a little extra help.

Ceiling Fans, Hand Fans, Window Fans, Cooling Fans; I think fans are Fantastic! 

But I’m really talking about a different kind of fan… a Facebook Fan! Facebook Fan Pages are hot!

We need more fans for our Fan Page – AnotherME Virtual Assistants! On a mission to hit the magic number of 100 fans – to get our custom URL!

Takes 5 seconds!  Click here: http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/pages/AnotherME-Virtual-Assistants/106351018440

This is our Fan Page on Facebook – info on our VA’s, services, products, tips and hints, events and more!  Just click on the image below!

Want your own FaceBook Fan Page? We can help!  Email me at patty@anotherme.com

DIY-ers …Check out this great tutorial from CyberHomes!  http://snurl.com/leb5g

Become a FAN today –  AnotherME Virtual Assistants!

This week I had the opportunity to attend a class for real estate professionals on using LinkedIn and how to “data mine” for new business with this Social Networking site.  I was surprised to see that out of 25+ agents in the class, only 7 or 8 had set up a profile!

The instructor was Richard Kirby, a recruiter who has developed a network of over 3500 connections!  He has successfully used LinkedIn to meet new clients, make connections with Corporate HR contacts and develop his business!

Here are some eye-opening facts about LinkedIn:

* There are over 40 million business users on LinkedIn, including managers and executives at virtually all major employers.

*LinkedIn is the leading online Social Networking website for Business.

*LinkedIn is a giant database of members who are relatively open to networking and inquiries.

*Nearly 60% of the members have incomes over $93,000. (based on a study done by Anderson Analytics)

Are you on LinkedIn?  It’s easy to navigate and set up a profile.  You’ll get the most visibility on your profile when you complete each section: Photo, summary of current position, email address, website links, interests, previous jobs and work experience.  Then start connecting with colleagues, old friends, new friends, past clients, etc.

Join a few groups: college alumni association, sorority/fraternity, special interests, employer groups, and of course, there are lots of real estate groups to join!  Once you have made connections, ask for recommendations.  Richard Kirby recommends getting 5-10! This will complete your profile and give you more visibility!

Start today using LinkedIn to find and develop new clients, connect with clients who aren’t on Facebook or MySpace, share updates, and establish yourself online!

And while you’re there – connect with me!