CEO’s Introduction
Based in Mower County, Minnesota, and formed by George A. Hormel in 1891, few people will easily recognize the company Hormel Foods Corporation. However, most will recognize their product, SPAM®, a food type described as “a part of pop culture and folklore.”
Initially introduced in 1937, the origin of the word SPAM® has been attributed to Shoulder of Pork And haM, SPiced hAM, and according to the Hormel Website, “Spam is just that. Spam.”
The British comedy troupe, Monty Python added to the ongoing SPAM® legend with their infamous “Spam Sketch,” and their Broadway show, “Spamalot” ensures that for many just hearing the word ‘spam’ ensures a smile.
And, if you are ever in Austin, Minnesota there’s even a SPAM® museum!
However, seventy years after the creation of the edible version of SPAM®, we are faced with the electronic version which some might say is far more difficult to stomach. For anyone that uses the Internet, spam is an all too common part of the collective online experience.
The problem is now so ubiquitous that for many people the word ‘spam’ initially generates thoughts of emails rather than what to eat for lunch. This might not seem like a huge problem, but the people at Hormel disagree. They have been in a long running legal dispute with the company Spam Arrest over use of the word ‘spam.’ “It’s really important that [spam] doesn’t get confused with anything else,” states Julie Craven, who is a vice president at Hormel. “I think any time it’s used inappropriately, it is under assault.”
For business owners, the issue of the email version of spam is a very real one. I have said many times before, “Realtors are business owners,” so the spam issue affects the real estate industry as much as it affects every business.
Last month I decided to run a small test. Just how many emails do I get in a typical week? I did this having acknowledged that I was spending an inordinate amount of time checking my junk email folder for ‘real’ emails. Even with the best spam filters, valid emails get through the cracks. I added a second question to the test: How many emails do I get offering Viagra?
I have to admit I had other questions: Do people ever actually respond to emails offering Viagra? Is anyone really stupid enough to believe there is $25 million waiting for them in an offshore bank account? Why do so many people think I want a bigger penis? I decided that I didn’t want to find out the answers to all of these questions…
The results of the week long test concerned me. Over a seven day period I received 10,502 emails. I’ll save you the math – that equals more than one email every minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It equates to over half a million emails a year, and the problem is getting worse not better. The number included 461 emails offering Viagra which is almost 24,000 annually.
As I sat and considered these numbers, I found myself wondering whether I would eventually stop using email? There has to be a point in time when my email changes from being a productive business tool to a counterproductive waste of time. That time could come very soon.
Last month, the New York Supreme court rejected a bank’s request to reverse a prior foreclosure application. The reason? The bank had been unable to sell the property in four years and felt it was worth nothing. They couldn’t give the home away!
Not that any of us needs more evidence of just how bad things are, but given the current state of the property market, it’s even more important to look at when technology works and more importantly, doesn’t work. While I have an obvious bias, I have never advocated using technology for technology’s sake. Whatever solutions you use have to work for you, in your market. And there has never been a better time for a review.
Admittedly, email is an easy target - but where else in your marketing process do you waste time? Last week, the Business Week magazine cover story was “Beyond Blogs. What Business Needs to Know” It focused on an article they published three years earlier, which was titled, “Blogs Will Change Your Business.” In the 2008 review, Business Week suggested changing the article’s title to, “Social Media Will Change Your Business.”
While I agree with this sentiment, I do so half heartedly. Why? Because I have always believed that there are two types of people: those who get technology and those who don’t. And for the latter, I also believe it’s a permanent ailment. So for the rest of us, let’s look at the long list of communication (aka ‘productivity’) tools you have at your disposal. Take your pick:
Email
Voicemail
Voicemail in your email
Websites (all forms)
Blogs
Wiki’s
Instant Message
SMS
Mobile/cell phone
Twitter (aka Microblogging)
Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Hi5 et al
YouTube
iTunes
Podcasting
I could add many more, and in another three years you know there will be new methods/solutions/products that we have yet to hear (or even think) about on the list.
The question that has to be asked is, “What works for me?” British Telecom (BT) currently has more than 16,000 employees working together on Wikis, 10,500 employees on Facebook and JP Rangaswami, head of technology for BT adds “We’ve spent years talking about the value of water-cooler conversations. Now we have the ability to actually understand what these relationships are, how information and decision-making migrate. We see how people really work.”
Can a Realtor or broker benefit from this same outlook? When it comes to selling property there is no single best way, but there are several best practices and modern day tools that provide a mechanism for sharing them and making them available.
I don’t believe it’s an all or nothing thing. Personally, I use many of the above listed tools but have different goals/objectives for each. If you are a part of the “get technology” crowd you owe it to yourself (and your clients) to at least try these things out.
As you do so, ask yourself how it affects the bottom line. Spending a short time doing this now will result in significant long term savings.
The ‘recession’ isn’t all bad though. Hormel reported a 5.3% growth in the last twelve months leading to a 6% boost in second-quarter revenues. Looks like I’m not the only one getting more spam. Time for a song, please feel free to join in “Spam spam spam spam. Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!”
As always feel free to contact me personally, at any time, for any reason.
Stephen Fells,
CEO
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Join three award-winning journalists, Blanche Evans, Joeann Fossland, and Frances Flynn Thorsen for an hour of tips and advice in a FREE Webinar about how to engage real estate consumers with the real facts! Use blogs and newsletters and online publishing tools to establish yourself as the local expert. Click here for a registration link and to learn more about this great program.
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New Real Estate Franchise Designs Added
We are pleased to announce that we have added more real estate franchise branded templates to our single property Website designs. Click here to see our complete list of franchise options.
As always, you can select from our non-branded templates as well as the franchise specific options. We also have designs that are well-suited for rental, vacation and commercial properties as well.
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