Keith Haring and Help-U-Sell

Bear with me; it’s not that far-out a combination!

I have great appreciation for the artist, Keith Haring.  First off, I like his art, the energy and simplicity of it.  Like the cave paintings of our ancestors, it is so iconic that it’s hard to forget.  For years I toyed with buying a real Haring and finally, in 2001, I did.  It’s from a four part series called ‘Fertility’ and I have number 66 of 100.  It measures about 4 feet, square.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.

Later I picked u p a signed poster for the first showing of his huge metal sculptures in New York.  Just today, a friend, trying to make a little wall space, gave me a smaller print.  I also have lots of Haring nicky nackies:  buttons, cups, tee shirts and so on.

The art is great, but there’s another reason I like Haring so much, and it’s his uncanny ability to market himself and his work.  The art world is pretty stuffy and rigid.  We have the image of the starving artist slaving away in a garret somewhere for a reason:  it’s very hard for a young person to be recognized, promoted and accepted into the establishment.  Most work a lifetime and die before anyone pays them any serious attention at all.  Haring hit New York in the 80s with a unique vision  and an impatience that made waiting to be discovered impossible.  He started noticing the blank inserts that were put up  over old advertisements in subway stations.These black velum-like paper coverings occupied the ad frames between messages.  He started riding the subway with a bag of chalk, and when he saw one of the black blanks, he’d hop off and, in ten minutes or so, craft one of his icons:  radiant baby, dancing dog, UFO and Pyramid.  It didn’t take long before millions of New Yorkers had seen his work and because it was iconic and memorable,  they looked for more.  Within a year he was being shown in galleries in the city and soon around the world.

Do you see what he did?  Faced with a fossilized status quo with lots of rules and indignation over anything new and different, he simply leap-frogged over them, went straight to the consumer — who he defined not as an intellectual snob, but as the man in the street — used guerrilla marketing techniques to build top of mind awareness and never looked back.  The Status Quo was forced to reckon with him and they quickly opened up to him.  He’s now in major museums throughout the world.  I saw a huge retrospective at the Whitney in New York a few years ago that was stunning.

One more Haring thing before I try to tie in Help-U-Sell.  After breaking through, Keith once again earned the raised eyebrow of the art establishment when he started mass producing his work on tee shirts and skateboards and backpacks and marketing them in his Pop Shop in New York and Tokyo.  The prices were affordable and suddenly common everyday people could own a little of his work.  Again:  he took a risk to make his high quality product affordable for the average person.

Help-U-Sell operates in a similar environment.  We are faced with a rigid status quo — the real estate industry — that has lots of unspoken, and sometimes spoken, rules designed to preserve things just as they are.  It’s very hard to innovate or take a different path without incurring the hostility of  this huge entity.  With a unique vision, Help-U-Sell goes into the marketplace using guerrilla marketing techniques to establish top of mind awareness.  We go directly to the consumer and obsess on how we can provide high quality real estate services that are affordable for the average person.   Sound Familiar?  It’s the same story.  We even have our own icon, the Help-U-Sell logo, brilliantly crafted and carefully designed to be memorable and recognizable from blocks away.

As for leap-frogging over the industry?  Every poll, every survey I’ve seen solidly states that the consumer wants exactly what we have.  All we have to do is let enough of them know that we have it.  Keith Haring used blank subway advertisement placards.  I’m not sure what our equivalent is, but I’m leaning toward Facebook.  If that statement baffles you, tune in next Tuesday to Tech Time (11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern) for the second of Tami Patzers 4 part series on building your client base using Facebook.  Then tell me if you think we’ve found our medium.

Don’t Miss This

Tech Time Tuesday goes Facebook for a month, starting today!  Each of the next four Tech Tuesday webinars will focus on this amazing tool and how you can use it to build your business.  I’ve talked with offices that are averaging a closing a month just from the network they’re building on Facebook and I believe that’s just the beginning of what could be a very profitable source of business.  It’s not an automatic, though.  Facebook, like so many other lead generation systems, must be worked.  It’s not hard, but there are a lot of tips and tricks to make your experience easier and more effective.

The sessions will be one hour each and will occur each of the next four Tuesdays (including today) at 11 am Pacific Time (2pm, Eastern).

Check you Help-U-Sell email and look for a message sent yesterday, May, 24, from Robert Stevens.  The subject line will be:  ‘Tech Time Tuesdays – Facebook and new Broker Website Implementation.’  It has the link you can use to sign up for this important series.  If you can’t find the email, call anyone at corporate or send a message to support@helpusell.com.

See you online!

Congratulations! Your House Didn’t Sell!

That’s the first line of an Expired Listing card John’s been playing with.  The second line, or the back of the card, would say something like:  ‘Now you can really sell your house and save a lot of money! ‘  Let us Help-U-Sell-A-Brate!  Ok; I added that last bit.  But I can see this whole campaign taking shape.  You know, it’s like:  ‘Wheewwww!  Thank goodness  your house didn’t sell!  Now you can save some serious cash!’

It gets down to one of the great truths of Help-U-Sell:  if sellers see our program, they almost always list with us.  An Expired lisitng — or a FSBO — or a property listed with another broker — is probably a seller who didn’t know we existed, didn’t know what we do, or didn’t realize we were in the local market.  In all three cases, it’s a marketing challenge.

Think of it this way:  There are no traditional sellers;  it’s just that some sellers haven’t met Help-U-Sell . . . yet.

Remember the three messages at the heart of all Help-U-Sell marketing:  That Help-U-Sell is HERE and represents savings, people use us, and it works.

We say we’re here with blitz signs and car wraps, with seller held open houses (featuring many, many signs in the local area).  We also say we’re here with a strong web presence and office websites that can easily be customized, optimized and localized so that homeowners in the area can find us.  We say we’re here by putting our logo on everything.

We say people use us by featuring pictures and descriptions of homes for sale on almost all of our advertising.  We also establish that message every time we send out a Just Listed, Just Sold or Open House card.

And we say IT WORKS! by making sure 1/3 of the homes in our advertising include a ‘Sold and Saved’ banner across the edge.  We also lean heavily on satisfied client testimonials for this message.

Back in the Pleistocene Era when I was a Traditional Real Estate Broker, I would never have included testimonials or ‘Sold and Saved’ listings in my advertising.  No way I’d be giving up that expensive marketing space to something I couldn’t sell!  I wouldn’t have wrapped my vehicle either because, well, it’s gaudy.  And Blitz Signs?  Forget it!  I wouldn’t want to tick off all my friends at the Board!

Of course, most of what was around in the Pleistocene Era (including many Traditional Real Estate Brokers) is extinct.  So much for playing by the rules your competitors set for you!

If you haven’t figured it out, this is a pep talk.  My message is to get out there and tell people who you are.  Do it all day, every day.  Do it with paid marketing and low cost/no cost marketing.  Do it with conversation and personal notes and door knocking and just being friendly.  Do it by wearing your name badge and responding when people ask, ‘What do you do?’

NAR was nearly ecstatic today announcing that sales of existing homes were up 7.5% in April.  Things are slowing turning.  It’s time to stand up and be proud!  Don’t stay locked in the real estate closet!  You’ve got a story to tell!  And people surely DO want to hear from you.

 

URL Tip

I just learned something.  Remember when I exhorted you to ‘Do This . . . and that was to go to Google and search ‘Sell Real Estate’?  Help-U-Sell usually shows up near the top of the organic (non-paid) results, which is great.  Robbie — who knows everything — told me why:

Our web-pages — corporate and broker sites — make abundant use of the phrase, ‘Help-U-Sell Real Estate.’  That’s especially true in boilerplate on the broker sites.  When you search the string, ‘Sell Real Estate,’ Google is seeing that combination every time ‘Help-U-Sell Real Estate‘ appears on one of our sites.  Duh!

There’s a lesson in this.  As you get to the point where you’re ready to remove the ‘beta’ from the tail end of your NEW broker site URL (i.e. go from acmerealty.helpusellbeta.com to acmerealty.helpusell.com), you will likely have a URL conflict with your existing OLD website (chances are you’re already using acmerealty.helpusell.com on the old site).  If your plan is to shut that site down, there’s no problem.  But, if the OLD site is producing leads for you and you want to keep it, you’re going to need to go get a new URL at GoDaddy or whichever registrar you use.  You should choose that new URL very carefully.

Do your Google Analytics to see what search terms people in your local market use when they search for real estate.  Try to come up with a URL that uses that information.  For example, ‘www.homesforsaleinSarasota.com’ might be a pretty good choice, as would ‘Sarasotahomes.com’.  Make your URL something that people use when searching.  Then point that URL to whichever site you want to get that traffic.

Even if you’re not ready to remove ‘beta’ from your NEW site, you may want to begin searching for the perfect URL.  If you can come up with one or more that will draw well, you can tie them up now and redirect them as you see fit in the future.

And as always, if you need help with that, contact Tami, Lori, Robbie or me at corporate.  We live to boost your lead count.

Something New

There is a new training experience available on the Help-U-Sell Download Library.  In ‘Take Ten Training,’ Maruine Grisso has created short — usually about 10 minute — training sessions on how to use some of the Help-U-Sell tools.  Currently there are three sessions:  The Easy Way, The Client Qualifier and The Seller Savings Comparison.  Each session comes with a video presentation of the slides with audio and a PDF handout.  Many more sessions are planned, so check back regularly.  The folder is in the Download Library under ‘Training Sessions.’  If you don’t know how to find that or have forgotten your login information, send an email to support@helpusell.com.

 

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