Prepare to be enlightened! Enlightened Perspective 12/13/2011   Written by Andy Rooney , a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few words.  Andy Rooney died Friday night 4 November, according to CBS, only a month after delivering his 1,097th and final televised commentary. Rooney had gone to the hospital for an undisclosed surgery, but major complications developed and he never recovered. He was 92 years old. I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows. I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day. I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. I've learned ....That bei... 12/14/2011

  Edina, Minn., Dec. 2, 2011 – ‘Tis the season to give to the less fortunate. The Edina Fire and Police departments are serving as drop-off sites for a toy drive benefiting Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP), a local charity serving Edina, Bloomington and Richfield. Donations of new and unwrapped toys valued between $10 and $20 will be collected until Sunday, Dec. 18 at Edina Fire Station No. 1, 6250 Tracy Ave., and at the Edina Police Department, 4801 W. 50th St. According to Frances Lubecke, Program Director at VEAP, the greatest need is for toys, rattles, music and movement toys and board book for children ages 0 to 3 and chapter books, crafts, educational games and toys for children ages 9 to 12. She also suggests hats, mittens and scarves for all ages as well as $15 gift c... 12/12/2011

  Tricia and I went to a marketing seminar today and listened to a speaker talk about using video to market real estate listings. He showed us a couple of examples.  One of the example videos was really bad and the other was really professional on a really expensive house. Neither of these approaches really work that well for the "middle third" of the agent population, so how does the average agent get started with video marketing? There are 3 simple steps to start making video work for your real estate marketing: 1) Create your own video channel on You Tube This can be done relatively easily. All you need is a gmail account, a couple hours of creative time, and a little bit of patience.  Once the channel is set up, then you can upload the videos. Here is a "How To" link on the YouTube ... 12/07/2011

  How’s your referral business?   Here’s the situation: Most business owners and sales professionals, just like yourself, know that you will absolutely lose business if you are not in contact with your customers on a regular basis. It’s a documented fact. The average organization loses 15 – 35% of its customers each year, primarily due to not being attentive. Just ask yourself, “Do most of my efforts go into trying to get new customers – while my existing customers drift off to the competition?” We all have good intentions for personal communication with our clients and customers, but we’re busy! We just can’t seem to find the time. What’s the cost? It costs you unnecessary effort to gain new customers just to replace the ones who are leaving you at an alarming rate. It costs you time a... 11/30/2011

 A new city program put into place will make it easier for residents of Edina to go green in their home. The Edina City Council unanimously adopted the Edina Emerald Energy Program earlier this month.  The program will make Edina the first city in the state to take advantage of the Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) legislation.This program was approved by the state Legislation in 2010 and it allows for homeowners to have the cost of energy efficiency and conservation improvements assessed to their property and paid alongside property taxes. Many local businesses owners have already made plans to take advantage of the program. Running a business or a home on solar panel energy could save both homeowners and business owners money and help the environment at the same time. The PACE pro... 11/30/2011

  Watch our new video to learn more about scheduling an A-R-E-I-O with your top clients! Scheduling and A-R-E-I-O means setting up an Annual Real Estate Investment Overview with your past clients.  It’s a great opportunity to listen to your clients joys and concerns and make a plan for future changes to their real estate portfolio. You don’t want to run into your client in the supermarket and then have them ask you “Why haven’t you called???” You should start by picking your top 48 clients and schedule one A-R-E-I-O every week!   11/22/2011

Drop and give me 20! (The top 20% of your clients that is..) “So, how do I know who are my top 20%?” Ask two questions: 1. “Who are my most profitable clients according to my financial sheets?” Measure each customer’s ROI by the profits they’ve generated for you this week/month/quarter/lifetime. 2. “Who are my profitably-hidden clients?” Don’t confine yourself strictly to financial docs. Several members of your actual top 20% won’t be so profitable on your financial docs; however, they bring with them lucrative associations that make you more profitable. For instance, those associations can include key people connections, a juicy source of referrals, priceless feedback/tips/advice on your business, industry expertise, etc. Why Catering to Everybody Sucks What is your booty essentially ... 11/16/2011

Got Fans?                                              A recent study revealed that Coca-Cola Corporation was the brand with the largest presence on Facebook in August 2011. With over 34 million fans, Coke continues to grow its fan base at nearly 3% monthly. Yes, Coke is one of the largest international brands, but there are lessons to be learned from this soft drink giant that can be replicated by any marketer. Below are 4 way to maximize your company’s Facebook presence like the pros. 1. Increase Your ReachThe reach of your Facebook page includes the number of fans and growth of your followers. A quick and easy starting point to grow your fan base is to leverage your existing customers! Consider adding a page on your website that highlights your presence in social media as well as add... 11/09/2011

    Have You Heard?  Don't be shy about asking for a good testimonial to be used in your small business marketing. You never know unless you ask and if you've done your job as a company, odds are you know what the answer will be before you even ask.   The following is a list of guidelines and rules that can be used to help entrepreneurs collect, develop and use customer testimonials in their small business marketing. It’s important to use testimonials the right way because it’s definitely frowned upon to use a testimonial in a misleading way. Source: http://www.understandingmarketing.com/2010/03/25/new-rules-of-testimonials-in-small-business-marketing/ Testimonial Tips Ask for testimonials: Don’t be shy about asking for a good testimonial to be used in your small business marketing. You... 11/03/2011

    Are you a TEXT Savvy Agent? Texting has been around since the birth of the digital mobile phone and is the standard the world over for sending and receiving quick messages with friends and family.   According to mobile text marketing survey, over 740 billion text messages were sent over carrier networks in the US during the first half of 2009. To put that astronomical number into perspective, it boils down to 4.1 billion SMS messages being sent daily!    Who is Texting? Texting has been around since the birth of the digital mobile phone and is the standard the world over for sending and receiving quick messages with friends and family. The explosion of texting in North America in the past 5 years provides us with a new opportunity to engage with customers on a trusted and familiar t... 10/25/2011

Fly like an Eagle Fall is the time when eaglets learn to fly! In order for an eaglet to learn how to fly, the mother eagle simply tosses the little eaglet out of the nest. Because they are scared, they jump back into the nest again. Next, she tosses them out and removes the soft layers of the nest exposing sticks and thorns. When the scared eaglets jump back into the nest, they are pricked by the thorns causing them to jump out again on their own. Next, mother eagle tosses them out of the nest and into the air. As they shriek in fear, the mother eagle flies out and catches them before they fall and brings them back to the nest. This goes on for some time until they start flapping their wings. Here is how you fly… 1. Connect with people who support you and stay away from those who don’t!... 10/19/2011

Take our short quiz to find out if you qualify… 1) I’m never around people long enough, I only have short rendevouz with them, then hopefully I might never see them again… 2) Yes, I am a very notorious agent, people are worried about me and always ask if I’m still in the business… 3) No one knows except for the people at my agency, the other agents I’ve encountered, and two close friends… 4)I was erased from society a LONG time ago, I only exist now as a name and an NRDS number… 5) Everyone I am normally in contact with knows, and when I am away I avoid contact for fear of being found out… 6) No one has any idea, I’m just another face in the crowd, little do they know that I still sell houses… For more information please give us a call!  We would be happy to find a time to meet with yo... 10/13/2011

HUD Home Opportunity - 6412 Sherwood Avenue  Edina MN 55435... by Twin Cities Homes For Sale Edina Location At Bargain Price Overview Maps Photos Features $220,000 Single Family Home Main Features 4 Bedrooms2 BathroomsInterior: 1904 sqftLot: 0.20 acre(s) Location 6412 Sherwood Ave SEdina, MN 55435USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Marzena M Melby Keller Williams Integrity realty(612) 267-6798marzena@marzenamelby.comhttp://MinneapolisEhomes.com Listed by: HUD Our recent listings Edina Location At Bargain PriceEasy Fix - Immediate PossessionN/A for $ in Richfield, MN Subscribe to our listing feed Nearby properties for sale 10/07/2011

1 ) Don’t treat email addresses like email addresses, treat them like relationships. An email address is a personal invitation to send your messages to a place where he or she sends and receives personal and business communication.  2 ) Remember the 3 P’s.  - Proposition. What value do customers/subscribers get from your e-mail? - Positioning. How does your offer differ from the competitors? - Personality. What tone and image do your e-mails convey? 3 ) Be Authentic and Relate to your Audience. You have something valuable to offer your audience, show them that you can relate to them by understanding their prospective. Empathy + Personality = Great Email! 4 ) Engage your audience in the content you write. This requires attention-grabbing subject lines, clear headlines, and thoughtful co... 10/04/2011

  Minnesota CRS Chapter to Offer the NAR "At Home With Diversity" Course October 13, 2011 With Instructor Eric Kodner     I'm pleased to report that I'll be teaching the NAR "At Home With Diversity" course on October 13, at the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors office in Edina.  This course offering is sponsored by the Minnesota CRS Chapter.  The details are below:   SPECIAL OFFER BUDDY PROGRAM - Minnesota CRS CHAPTER MEMBERS, BRING A NON-CHAPTER MEMBER AND GET IN FREE !   CRS Presents the NAR "At Home With Diversity" Course in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Metro Area   Date: Thursday, October 13, 2011   Time: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm   Location: Minneapolis Assn. of REALTORS Conference Room5750 Lincoln Dr.Edina ,  MN   55436 Hwy. 169 & Londonderry/Bren exit. There is road construction... 09/10/2011

The children at South View Middle School will soon feel less crowded as a result of the Edina School Board recently approving a $2.3 million addition and renovation The vote was approved 6-0. The new addition and renovation will add five new classrooms, renovate existing rooms and expand the cafeteria. South View Middle School houses kids in grades 6- 9, and according to Wold Architects and Engineers who surveyed the facility last year the school exceeds its functional capacity.  Wold Architects & Engineers surveyed facilities district wide. Last December they reported their findings and the school board asked them to return with a plan for short-term relief.  According to their findings South View Middle School will be short on space for 168 students beginning this school year. The new... 08/11/2011

I am Now a DCC!! And of Course I Had to Reward Myself! Yes....I just completed my training and received my DCC certification. No, not Doctor of Chiropractic, that is a DC. This is much better! Dewey Color Consultant!! How Fun Is That! Yes, I went throught the two day class to learn now to put together 25,000 color combinations and make no mistakes. I learned so much. "We Make Color Easy"!     Undertones. Blends. Neutral blends. Split Compliments. Triadic Color Schemes. Achromatic Color Schemes. What if my client wants a triadic color scheme with a neutral blend? Is that okay?? Now I know! Most importantly my client is never going to know these terms and they don't have to. But I can help them decide what colors they love and how to put them together.   Better yet, if the husband and wif... 07/18/2011

 600 volunteers across the metro area came together to give Minnehaha Creek a well   needed sprucing up. This year marked the Fifth Annual Minnehaha Creek cleanup.  4,000 pounds of trash alone was pulled out of the area around Lake Hiawatha in South Minneapolis. Many volunteers were also bussed to Lake Calhoun and Lake Nakomis.  Volunteers enjoyed free bagels for breakfast and lunch provided by Leinenkugel's. The strangest piece of trash removed from the creek was a door.  The grand marshal of the annual clean up event was U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.The cleanup will help improve the Minnehaha Creek's shoreline, creek bed and surrounding area according to Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. Minnehaha Creek is the chief conveyor of water that drains 181 square miles of the watershed from the... 07/14/2011

  The weather is starting to warm up here in Edina and outdoor summer activities at Centennial Lakes are in full swing.  Centennial Lakes Park is the place to be this summer if you are looking for a way to enjoy your evening or weekend. The 24-acre park has something for everyone this summer and is bound to keep you and your family busy. Here are just a few of the upcoming events: Thursday, June 16:         Noon: Brodini Magic Comedy Show           3-7pm: Farmers Market           Sunset:  Movie in the Park: Despicable Me Sunday, June 19:          Noon: Julius Caesar; Shakespeare in the Park         7pm: Hopkins Westwind Concert Band Monday, June 20:          7pm: Edina Chorale Tuesday, June 21:          Noon:  Mary Hall's Show For Pipsqueeks        7pm: Vintage Piano Show with Jim Shann... 06/15/2011

What if your investment counselor could offer you a guaranteed 10% return on invesment?  Would you take it? That is what is being offered today in Arizona's real estate market.  Homes from $125K-$155k- great neighborhoods- safe, clean and prime for market growth. Rental rates of $1100-$1350 per month.  The demand for rental homes in Arizona is higher than it has been in the past 5 years! If you are interested in getting a free list of homes available in the Phoenix area- with pictures- no pressure, just information... please let me know.  I am happy to send them to you. jacklynjm@cox.net  or via phone 602-373-8469.  Thanks!     06/09/2011