VA CORNER:
(full story)
Beat The Contact Management System Blues —Let
Your VA Do It! ...
Mary Ellen Kane of Dilbeck Realtors – GMAC Real Estate
located in Woodland Hills, CA, is the model of a modern
day real estate professional. With a Palm Pilot, a DSL
line, and an able-bodied virtual assistant, Mary Ellen
is able to keep her finger on the pulse of her business
from any location worldwide. The key to her flexibility
is the accuracy and timeliness of her Top Producer
database and the unique relationship she has with her
virtual assistant who runs it for her.
Christine Whitman of Synodyne,
based just outside of Dallas, TX is a Virtual
Assistant who names Mary Ellen as one of her many
clients despite being two time zones away. Each
day Christine gathers all of the relevant
information, logs directly into Mary Ellen's
computer using PC Anywhere and updates all of the
Top Producer records as easily as if she were
sitting right at Mary Ellen's desk.
Now you would think that Mary Ellen and
Christine are a couple of Generation X'ers who
were raised on this type of technology. Actually
just the opposite is true. Mary Ellen was in
swaddling clothes when Hirohito bombed Pearl
Harbor. Christine watched Neil Armstrong make
"one small step". So, how have these two
mature professionals been able to utilize the
Internet at this level to accomplish so much?
"Actually, once we figured out that we
both had high-speed Internet connections (i.e.,
DSL), it was fairly easy to implement our virtual
office," reports Christine. " Now we
work together as if we were in adjoining
offices."
"Since I went virtual (with Christine as
my VA), I make more contacts, sell more
properties, and have more time to myself than ever
before," continues Mary Ellen. "It is
especially helpful knowing that I have full
support outside of normal business hours. I mean,
how many houses are sold between 9:00 AM and 5:00
PM?"
Clearly these two have married their wisdom and
experience with the power of the Internet to
create a winning partnership. It is encouraging to
know this kind of arrangement makes it possible
for any sales associate to fully incorporate
powerful business tools like Top Producer.
As a VA myself, I manage Jack Dice's (RE/MAX Supreme
Properties) Agent 2000 database
by having a licensed copy on my office computer.
While Jack is busy showing properties and selling
homes in Virginia, I am seamlessly managing his
closings and contacts from Northern California.
Jack and I have set-up a system by which either
of us can input data into out own copy of Agent
2000 and then "sync" them up over the
Internet daily, weekly or whenever necessary to
update our respective copies. This process,
specific to Agent 2000, is known as "accusync",
and can be set-up fairly easily and quickly.
However, this is not the only way a VA can help an
agent with their contact manager.
For another client of mine, Susanne McInerney
of RE/MAX Carriage Way in Boston, I use GoToMyPc
to access her computer as if I were sitting right
at her keyboard. Once Susanne faxes me a copy of
her transaction documents I input all of the data
directly into her copy of Agent 2000. This
includes property information, buyer, seller,
mortgage company, attorneys, brokers and agents
and any other participants to the transaction. I
also enter all of her appointments and important
dates. This way Susanne can focus on what she does
best, providing her clients with top quality
customer service, while not worrying about the
details.
No longer do you have to be frustrated or limit
your business because you personally don't have
the time to learn and use Top Producer or other
similar contact management systems. Imagine what
your business (and life!) would be like if someone
(your trusty VA, of course) wielded these powerful
tools for you while you just focus on what you do
best.
When you start working this way (i.e. the smart
way), you won't be singin' the "I got the
contact manager" blues no more!
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