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“Mastering the Art of the Thoughtful Gesture”
In episode 2 of season 2 of The Relentless, host, author, and entrepreneur, Kristen Meinzer spoke with an entrepreneur who’s got an insight into how to make customers feel happy, supported, and valued.
Launched in 2015, Papier, which by the way, is French for paper, has been taking the stationery category by storm in more ways than one. Founded by Taymoor Atighetchi, Papier has set out to defy what’s been previously done all while creating a unique and personalized user experience for their customers.
What really makes Papier unique is its mass appeal in the digital era. In a time where you’d think hand-written notes were a thing of the past, Papier has shown that there is still a “magic that happens when you receive a handwritten note,” Taymoor says. The resurgence of cards and handwritten notes isn’t a trend, Taymoor shared, but a “revolution in analog means of communication.”
Analog is the antidote for digital overdose, Taymoor believes, which is why Papier has also become wildly successful among Gen Z and millennials.
Taymoor has successfully scaled Papier and leverage online marketing and social media, what we all know as the digital space, to essentially sell an offline activity. (which is quite extraordinary) Taymoor goes on to explain how he’s been able to marry the two worlds together while providing a meaningful and seamless experience for his customers.
We won’t spill the tea here, so you’ll have to listen to the full episode to hear just how he was able to master the art of the thoughtful gesture to grow his brand. Don’t forget to #jointheconversation.
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Bruno Baldini 1980’s- C21 Making it’s Mark
A second-generation real estate agent, Bruno Baldini of CENTURY 21 Baldini Realty in Belmont, California joined the ranks under his father, who had his own brokerage in 1972. His dad started, in the business, in 1968, and made his way over to CENTURY 21 real estate, from a different brokerage, through his close friendship with Dick Loughlin, former President and CEO of CENTURY 21 Real Estate.
The year was 1986 when Bruno officially came into the business with his dad. Bruno recalls there being about fifteen CENTURY 21 offices, in the San Francisco area, as he shared some of his fondest memories of being a part of the brand. Today, there are currently over 11,600 independently owned and operated franchise brokers spanning across over 80 countries and territories.
“CENTURY 21 was always synonymous with residential real estate and had a great reputation. Back then, there were so many [real estate] offices, but people knew CENTURY 21.” Bruno recalls.
One thing Bruno remembers were the gold blazers.
“We would go around with gold jackets in caravans and spread out and knock on doors. They were always a conversation piece. We wore them all day and everywhere. You’d get stopped in a grocery store and people would ask you about real estate.
It was a solid tool when used properly. It opened doors and conversations and you didn’t know who you’d have the opportunity to talk to but before you knew it, you’d end up handing out business cards.”
Bruno recalls how CENTURY 21 agents were the hot topic of discussion among competitors. It was another way the brand has executed remaining top of mind and disrupters to the market, over the years. Bruno still has his gold blazer and even a prized possession of a CENTURY 21 kimono, presented to him by a group of agents from Tokyo, whom he had the opportunity to accompany on a tour of the city of San Francisco.
Bruno has been an eye-witness to CENTURY 21 making a mark in real estate. From a time that precedes the digital era, wearing an iconic blazer was just as important as today’s Instagram profile. Imagine a time where you garnered a good percentage of your business by being stopped in a grocery store. We are continuing to celebrate half a century of momentum and memories by sharing the stories of our #relentless throughout the decades. #OurBrandofRelentless
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How Can We Bring More Imagination to the Customer Experience?
The Relentless podcast is back, and we are bringing down the house with our line-up for season two. Kicking things off with a new host, new featured guests, thought-provoking topics, and one episode already under our belt, what better way to start the conversation on bringing more imagination to the customer experience, than with host, author, and entrepreneur, Kristen Meinzer, and guest and serial entrepreneur, Tina Roth Eisenberg.
It’s safe to say that no manual comes with being a serial entrepreneur however, Tina has managed to successfully and organically launch a diverse portfolio of businesses and has gathered some, let’s say, insightful gems along the way. These gems have been the very crux of Tina’s business growth.
As Founder of Creative Mornings, the world’s largest community and lecture series for creatives, Tina believes that adding an element of surprise and delight can help elevate the customer experience.
This just may be a game-changer.
Think about the last time you had a memorable experience with a business, as a customer, and it stayed with you. We’re not just talking about good customer service here, but an extra layer of added delight to your experience. Did your experience leave you feeling compelled to share with others, or even return as a repeat customer? Did it make your day? Did it leave you with a smile? Did it set this business apart from the rest?
#WhatIf adding surprise and delight could help your business increase customer loyalty and left your customers with a lasting impression to share with others?
In this episode, Tina shares some creative and meaningful ways she’s been able to playfully elevate her customer’s experience. Let’s just say there’s confetti involved.
You’ll have to listen to the full episode to catch the rest. Listen to 1st episode of season two of The Relentless, and #jointheconversation on bringing more imagination to your customer’s experience.
The post How Can We Bring More Imagination to the Customer Experience? first appeared on Century 21®.Syndicated via Century 21®. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/v03sBXF4HAI/
How Can We Bring More Imagination to the Customer Experience?
The Relentless podcast is back, and we are bringing down the house with our line-up for season two. Kicking things off with a new host, new featured guests, thought-provoking topics, and one episode already under our belt, what better way to start the conversation on bringing more imagination to the customer experience, than with host, author, and entrepreneur, Kristen Meinzer, and guest and serial entrepreneur, Tina Roth Eisenberg.
It’s safe to say that no manual comes with being a serial entrepreneur however, Tina has managed to successfully and organically launch a diverse portfolio of businesses and has gathered some, let’s say, insightful gems along the way. These gems have been the very crux of Tina’s business growth.
As Founder of Creative Mornings, the world’s largest community and lecture series for creatives, Tina believes that adding an element of surprise and delight can help elevate the customer experience.
This just may be a game-changer.
Think about the last time you had a memorable experience with a business, as a customer, and it stayed with you. We’re not just talking about good customer service here, but an extra layer of added delight to your experience. Did your experience leave you feeling compelled to share with others, or even return as a repeat customer? Did it make your day? Did it leave you with a smile? Did it set this business apart from the rest?
#WhatIf adding surprise and delight could help your business increase customer loyalty and left your customers with a lasting impression to share with others?
In this episode, Tina shares some creative and meaningful ways she’s been able to playfully elevate her customer’s experience. Let’s just say there’s confetti involved.
You’ll have to listen to the full episode to catch the rest. Listen to 1st episode of season two of The Relentless, and #jointheconversation on bringing more imagination to your customer’s experience.
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Rocco Morrella III 1970’s- “I was born into C21”
Ask Rocco Morrella III of CENTURY 21 Hallmark in San Jose how long he’s been with CENTURY 21, and his response just may stop you in your tracks.
“I was born into CENTURY 21.”
Following in the footsteps of his father, Rocco learned the ropes from the best of the best, in the humble beginnings of CENTURY 21 Real Estate in the early ‘70s, as CENTURY 1 was the 1st, in real estate, to franchise. Officially joining the ranks in 1972, Rocco can remember the exact conversation with his dad, the day he learned their next move was to become CENTURY 21 real estate agents. They were one of nine offices started in Santa Clara County California.
“We are going to be a part of CENTURY 21.” Rocco Morella Jr. casually mentioned to his son.
“Do we have to buy anything?” Rocco III asked.
“No. We need cards but I am going to buy them for you.” Rocco Jr. continued. “Why are we doing this? It can be worth something.” His dad assured him.
Though Rocco didn’t fully understand everything that day, he trusted his dad and believes it was on that day that changed everything for him.
“It’s been better than what I could’ve ever expected in my life,” Rocco said, as he took us down memory lane to a much simpler time.
We asked Rocco, “what’s one thing you remember about running your business during the ’70s?”
“Paperwork! Papers everywhere!” Rocco said, with a hint of excitement in his voice. “Bookkeeping was huge, and if we were off by 2 cents, our secretary would spend hours looking for it. We had to keep track of everything!”
Back then, reputation was everything. “There was no way you would do a deal with someone if they didn’t have a good reputation. Many transactions were a handshake.” Rocco recalls how important it was to the business to be viewed as reputable and trustworthy.
“Our contracts were only one page when I started, and when it went to two pages, I thought the business was going to hell,” he said as he chuckled about how much of a shift it was to his business when the buyer and seller contracts were updated.
Though much has changed since then, some things have remained the same.
“They were brilliant,” Rocco recalls, as he shared with us how much the CENTURY 21 brand was a disrupter to the real estate industry with print and television advertising.
“We were in commercials, print ads, and radio ads, and when people would find out you were with CENTURY 21, they’d say, ‘you’re with that company that uses kids in advertising!’ It was some of the best advertising I’d ever seen. It was impressive. Very, very impressive.”
Having the opportunity to hear Rocco recount the early days of real estate, paints a much different picture than what most think of real estate today. There were no computers, no smartphones, and social media was non-existent. Agents like Rocco were there to experience a time where the backbone of your business was your reputation. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we will be sharing even more stories of our #relentless, who have been boots-on-the-ground, throughout the decades. #OurBrandofRelentless
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Rocco Morrella III 1970’s- “I was born into C21”
Ask Rocco Morrella III of CENTURY 21 Hallmark in San Jose how long he’s been with CENTURY 21, and his response just may stop you in your tracks.
“I was born into CENTURY 21.”
Following in the footsteps of his father, Rocco learned the ropes from the best of the best, in the humble beginnings of CENTURY 21 Real Estate in the early ‘70s, as CENTURY 1 was the 1st, in real estate, to franchise. Officially joining the ranks in 1972, Rocco can remember the exact conversation with his dad, the day he learned their next move was to become CENTURY 21 real estate agents. They were one of nine offices started in Santa Clara County California.
“We are going to be a part of CENTURY 21.” Rocco Morella Jr. casually mentioned to his son.
“Do we have to buy anything?” Rocco III asked.
“No. We need cards but I am going to buy them for you.” Rocco Jr. continued. “Why are we doing this? It can be worth something.” His dad assured him.
Though Rocco didn’t fully understand everything that day, he trusted his dad and believes it was on that day that changed everything for him.
“It’s been better than what I could’ve ever expected in my life,” Rocco said, as he took us down memory lane to a much simpler time.
We asked Rocco, “what’s one thing you remember about running your business during the ’70s?”
“Paperwork! Papers everywhere!” Rocco said, with a hint of excitement in his voice. “Bookkeeping was huge, and if we were off by 2 cents, our secretary would spend hours looking for it. We had to keep track of everything!”
Back then, reputation was everything. “There was no way you would do a deal with someone if they didn’t have a good reputation. Many transactions were a handshake.” Rocco recalls how important it was to the business to be viewed as reputable and trustworthy.
“Our contracts were only one page when I started, and when it went to two pages, I thought the business was going to hell,” he said as he chuckled about how much of a shift it was to his business when the buyer and seller contracts were updated.
Though much has changed since then, some things have remained the same.
“They were brilliant,” Rocco recalls, as he shared with us how much the CENTURY 21 brand was a disrupter to the real estate industry with print and television advertising.
“We were in commercials, print ads, and radio ads, and when people would find out you were with CENTURY 21, they’d say, ‘you’re with that company that uses kids in advertising!’ It was some of the best advertising I’d ever seen. It was impressive. Very, very impressive.”
Having the opportunity to hear Rocco recount the early days of real estate, paints a much different picture than what most think of real estate today. There were no computers, no smartphones, and social media was non-existent. Agents like Rocco were there to experience a time where the backbone of your business was your reputation. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we will be sharing even more stories of our #relentless, who have been boots-on-the-ground, throughout the decades. #OurBrandofRelentless
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Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth
When it comes to truly standing out in today’s hyper competitive real estate market, one of the most important factors an agent should consider is their digital footprint. Social media platforms have become an integral part of the real estate business helping agents build a strong and consistent brand presence with target consumers and generate leads. While some may consider it a form of “free advertising”, doing it well takes a different kind of investment – time and effort. The most successful agents on social media agree that you need to be selective with your content, consistent with a posting cadence and showcase your authentic self to successfully drive engagement.
We sat down with a few of CENTURY 21 Real Estate’s most social-savvy affiliates to share their insights and key things to consider when incorporating social media into your business plan.
Chris Stager, CENTURY 21 Pinnacle
Social Media plays the BIGGEST role in my business with over 80% of my transactions having been generated on these platforms. My business plan starts and ends with social media, I treat it like a live CRM. My goal is to build a trusted social brand by creating good and consistent brand awareness with one-of-a-kind, community-driven content. By being myself and giving my consumer a look inside of my life, from both a professional and personal standpoint, I am already establishing that unique connection with them. I believe one of the biggest mistakes agents make is too much focus on business content. There’s only one you, so BE YOU and not someone else. YOU are the one they are hiring to be their partner on this journey.
Shawn Battle, CENTURY 21 Redwood Realty
In today’s market, if you aren’t posting regularly on social media, you just aren’t doing your job as a real estate agent. That being said, I’m very selective with what goes on my page and what goes into my story. I’ve had the most success using video and YouTube. It’s the biggest way I distinguish myself because not as many agents are doing it. I like to put my own fun little spin on each video to show some personality and keep people engaged. I then use the CENTURY 21 CRM and email marketing tools to engage my sphere with this content at least once a week. I’ve attracted several new clients who said they saw my YouTube videos and wanted to work with me. My advice to other agents is to start with one platform and master it. Don’t just post to post, post to build a foundation and make the content consistent with your business.
Gabe Mendez, CENTURY 21 Award
Social media is my main source for lead generation – I use it as a form of personal branding. People connect with me and the way I do business. When they see me, hear me, get to know me, they begin to build a level of trust which makes it easy and fun to work together. Not everyone wants to do business with me and that’s okay, but the only way they can make that decision is by knowing I exist and learning more about me. Our job as agents is to get attention to our business, to capture mind share. That’s why we cold call, door knock, send mailers. Social media is the easiest, most fun, and most affordable way of doing that. But even though it may
seem casual, the biggest mistake agents make is losing the professional aspect of your content. If you wouldn’t put it on a listing presentation, do not post it on social media.
As you can see, each of these agents takes a unique and personal approach to leveraging social media to engage with today’s home buyers and sellers. As part of the CENTURY 21 brand, our network of 146,000 affiliated sales professionals has access to a suite of tools that enable them to create unique and customizable social content, promote their personal brand with key targets and connect with system leaders for the latest coaching and training to take their business to the next level.
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Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth
When it comes to truly standing out in today’s hyper competitive real estate market, one of the most important factors an agent should consider is their digital footprint. Social media platforms have become an integral part of the real estate business helping agents build a strong and consistent brand presence with target consumers and generate leads. While some may consider it a form of “free advertising”, doing it well takes a different kind of investment – time and effort. The most successful agents on social media agree that you need to be selective with your content, consistent with a posting cadence and showcase your authentic self to successfully drive engagement.
We sat down with a few of CENTURY 21 Real Estate’s most social-savvy affiliates to share their insights and key things to consider when incorporating social media into your business plan.
Chris Stager, CENTURY 21 Pinnacle
Social Media plays the BIGGEST role in my business with over 80% of my transactions having been generated on these platforms. My business plan starts and ends with social media, I treat it like a live CRM. My goal is to build a trusted social brand by creating good and consistent brand awareness with one-of-a-kind, community-driven content. By being myself and giving my consumer a look inside of my life, from both a professional and personal standpoint, I am already establishing that unique connection with them. I believe one of the biggest mistakes agents make is too much focus on business content. There’s only one you, so BE YOU and not someone else. YOU are the one they are hiring to be their partner on this journey.
Shawn Battle, CENTURY 21 Redwood Realty
In today’s market, if you aren’t posting regularly on social media, you just aren’t doing your job as a real estate agent. That being said, I’m very selective with what goes on my page and what goes into my story. I’ve had the most success using video and YouTube. It’s the biggest way I distinguish myself because not as many agents are doing it. I like to put my own fun little spin on each video to show some personality and keep people engaged. I then use the CENTURY 21 CRM and email marketing tools to engage my sphere with this content at least once a week. I’ve attracted several new clients who said they saw my YouTube videos and wanted to work with me. My advice to other agents is to start with one platform and master it. Don’t just post to post, post to build a foundation and make the content consistent with your business.
Gabe Mendez, CENTURY 21 Award
Social media is my main source for lead generation – I use it as a form of personal branding. People connect with me and the way I do business. When they see me, hear me, get to know me, they begin to build a level of trust which makes it easy and fun to work together. Not everyone wants to do business with me and that’s okay, but the only way they can make that decision is by knowing I exist and learning more about me. Our job as agents is to get attention to our business, to capture mind share. That’s why we cold call, door knock, send mailers. Social media is the easiest, most fun, and most affordable way of doing that. But even though it may
seem casual, the biggest mistake agents make is losing the professional aspect of your content. If you wouldn’t put it on a listing presentation, do not post it on social media.
As you can see, each of these agents takes a unique and personal approach to leveraging social media to engage with today’s home buyers and sellers. As part of the CENTURY 21 brand, our network of 146,000 affiliated sales professionals has access to a suite of tools that enable them to create unique and customizable social content, promote their personal brand with key targets and connect with system leaders for the latest coaching and training to take their business to the next level.
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Building an Online Community: The Secret Sauce
Let’s face it. If you’re an entrepreneur or a real estate professional, there’s almost no way to avoid marketing your business without using social media. Social has become one of the top ways business professionals connect with potential clients and bring awareness to their business.
Whether it’s through writing the perfect caption for all the photos you’ve captured for your newest listing, or, trying to find the best way to use the latest features released by your social media platform of choice, we’ve all been there. You sit there; smart device in-hand, and you think, and you think, and just when you’re ready to get past yourself and post, you talk yourself out of it.
Sound familiar?
We recently had the chance to speak with one of our #relentless that has taken the bull by the horns and elevated his social media game. Ryan Servantius of Century 21 Affiliated in South Haven, Michigan has learned a thing or two about how to build an online community via social media and how to create the dynamic content that leads to new clients. With over 10k followers, he shared some of his secret sauce in doing social, effectively.
Living and working in a small resort town in Lake Michigan, two hours north of Chicago, and three hours from Detroit, ninety-nine percent of his clients are from out of state. They often travel down the shorelines to seek a different lifestyle only smaller communities typically can afford.
“I always ask people when they come up, ‘What do you want your story to be? ‘What are you looking for?’ and ‘What makes you happy when you get away from your primary home?’
Understanding your local market is a key to real estate sales success. With these answers in hand, I can deliver first-hand experiences and a marketplace best suited for them.
I went out and purchased an electric golf cart, branded it, and spend summers showing clients different properties and neighborhoods based on their personal preferences.
The golf cart and my inflatable boat helps sell the lifestyle in person, but to get people to know and to trust me as the local market expert who can deliver the experience and the personalized service they are looking for, I started almost a decade ago a blog called, ‘Things To Do in South Haven.’ From interviews with business owners, to festivals and local cooking classes to city planning attempts to rid the community of short-term rentals, the blog serves as a knowledge-based touchpoint for others to find information and or solutions on the real estate market.
The blog helps to keep me in the public eye. Plus, by being a trusted and valuable member of the community, many in town send me referrals of people who come into their shops or spark up conversations with them. They’ll say, ‘Hey, go talk to Ryan. He’s around the corner at the CENTURY 21 office, maybe he can help you out.’ To date, ‘Things To Do in South Haven’ has 10,300 followers (more than the local Chamber of Commerce.)
People like to work with people who are like them. I am South Haven and the other second and or vacation home markets I serve. It’s important to be comfortable with who you are. It’s very simple. You do have to do your homework. Once you do that, people will trust you as the agent to go to. You’re in the know. You know what’s going on.”
Note: This material may contain suggestions and best practices that you may use at your discretion. The views, information, or opinions expressed in any user-generated content are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Century 21 Real Estate LLC.
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