Hello Florida Women’s Council Members,

I am so excited about attending the Women’s Council

Meetings in Washington, DC. The education is always

fantastic, I get to catch up with friends I’ve made from

around the country and meet new Realtors. The

networking is wonderful and leads to a number of Referrals

being sent. I am looking forward to seeing you there!

I’ve attended District 1 Forum in St. Augustine, District XI in

Homestead and District VII in Clermont. Every District

Forum was unique and awesome with great information

and education. If your District Forum is coming up I

encourage you to attend!

Our State Facebook Page is Women’s Council of Realtors

Florida and if you have not joined yet please do. Members

are posting information and photos. Our Professional

Development Strategic Forum is also looking for some input

from you on what your favorite business app or tool is as

part of their August Forum, so be sure to post yours on our

page.

Warm regards,

Diane

2012 Florida State President

MAY 2012 ISSUE 4

2012 CALENDAR Mark Your Calendars

MAY 5 - Cinco de Mayo

MAY 8 - District VII Conference MAY 13 - Mother’s Day

MAY 17 - 20, 2012 NAR/WCR Mid-Year Meeting Washington DC

MAY 28 - Memorial Day (observed)

JUNE 5 - District III JUNE 6 & 7 - District II & XII JUNE 13 & 14 District VI & X JUNE 15 - District V JUNE 20 - District XIII JUNE 28 – District XII JULY 4 - Independence Day

JULY 12 - District VIII & IX EVENTS, ARTICLES & INFORMATION FOR THE NEWSLETTER CONTACT: Kim@KimSlade.com Please submit articles by the 15

th of

each month, in a Word document (if

possible) and Arial font

25 Awesome iPhone Tips and Tricks By Marc Saltzman

Whether you're a seasoned user or brand new to the iPhone world, chances are you're probably not using your smartphone to its fullest.

Don't worry, you're not alone, as these pocket-sized computers boast many hundreds of features buried in the operating system.

And so here we share a number of our favorite iPhone tips and tricks, some of which you may know already. Hopefully there's a good number of ones you aren't aware of yet. Most of these following 25 suggestions will work with all versions of the iPhone, but be sure to have the latest software installed (iOS 5.1).

OK, here we go:

Take a photo with your headphone cord: Now that you can use the volume up or down buttons to snap a photo, steady your hand while framing up the photo and when you're ready to take the picture, press the button on the cord so it won't shake the iPhone. Voila!

Dry out a wet iPhone: You're not the first one to drop an iPhone in a toilet or sink. If this happens, don't turn it on as you can damage the smartphone by short-circuiting it. Lightly towel dry the phone. Don't use a hairdryer on the phone as it can further push moisture into areas that aren't wet. Submerge the iPhone in a bowl or Ziploc bag of uncooked white rice and leave it overnight. If you have it, try using a desiccant packet you might find with a new pair of shoes or leather purse.

Dismiss suggested words: If you're typing an email or note and the virtual keyboard is suggesting the correct spelling of the word — and you don't want to accept it — you don't need to tap the tiny "X" at the end of the word in question. Simply tap anywhere on the screen to close the suggestion box.

Take photos faster: Even if your iPhone is locked you can double-tap on the Home button and you'll see a camera icon you can tap to open the camera immediately. Now you can use the volume up button to snap the photo, too. You can also use the volume up on the headphone cord to take a photo (if you want to) and pinch the screen to zoom instead of using the slider bar.

Use location-based reminders: You probably know Siri can be used to set a reminder, like saying "Siri, remind me to call mom at 4pm today." But did you know you can set location-based reminders on your

iPhone 4S? Say "Remind me to call mom when I leave here" or "Remind me to call mom when I get home" and you'll be notified accordingly.

Get word definitions: Apple has recently added a built-in dictionary and you can access it in most apps that let you select a word. Simply press and hold on a word — such as in an email, reminder, iBooks, and so on — and you'll see a pop-up option for "Define."

Revive a frozen iPhone: If your smartphone freezes on you and pressing the Sleep/Wake button on top of the device doesn't do anything, don't panic. Instead, press and hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button at the same time. You'll be prompted to swipe the "Slide to Power Off" tab. This so-called "hard reset" resuscitates the frozen iPhone. You'll first need to wait through a full shut down and restart.

Get more done in less time: You can create shortcuts to words and phrases you use a lot, such as Northern California Association for Employment in Education. In Settings, go to General, then Keyboard, and select Add New Shortcut. Now you can add new words or phrases and assign shortcuts to them (such as "NCAEE," in the above example, and it'll type out the full word each time.

See a 6-day weather forecast: If you're one of the many weather junkies out there, you probably know you can swipe down the iOS device's screen and you'll see the Notifications center. Weather will be at the top, but did you know you can swipe to the left or right and you'll toggle between current conditions and a 6-day forecast? Plus, jump to the Weather app by tapping anywhere on the weather bar inside Notifications screen.

Select URL domains faster: When typing a website address in Safari, you don't have to type the ".com." For example, you can type "yahoo" in the URL box to get to yahoo.com. On a related note, you can press and hold down the .com button and you'll see a list of alternatives to choose, such as .net, .org and .edu.

Make your own ringtone: Don't settle with the ringtones provided by Apple and you need not pay your carrier for more of them. As the name suggests, the free Ringtone Maker app lets you take a clip from your favorite songs and make ringtones out of them in seconds.

Feel and see when people call: Apple has added a number of accessibility features to iOS 5, specifically designed to assist those with hearing, vision, mobility and other disabilities. For example, those who are hearing impaired might opt to have the LED flash when a call comes in. If you're seeing impaired, you could set a unique vibration pattern for different people in your Contacts, so you know who's calling.

Find your lost iPhone: As long as you sign up in advance, the free Find My iPhone app will help you locate your device on a map (on your computer or other iOS device). You can display a message or initiate a loud ring (in case it's under the cushions), or remotely lock or wipe its data.

Save photos in Safari: You're surfing the web in Safari and stumble upon a photo you'd like to save. Simply press and hold on a photo when on a website and you'll be prompted with a menu asked if you'd like to "Save Image." Once the photo is saved, you can view it offline, email it or set it as wallpaper.

Take an iPhone screen grab: On a related note, if you want to take a screenshot of a website or application, press down on the Home button and tap the Sleep button. You'll hear the camera click, see a white flash and the screenshot will be saved to your Camera Roll.

Get new sounds: It's been a long time coming, but Apple has added the ability to select custom tones for incoming text messages, new emails, voicemails, tweets, calendar alerts, reminders and more. You can select something you like from within the Sounds menu. You'll also notice you can scroll to the top of this list of sounds and you'll see a "Buy More Tones" option, which takes you to iTunes.

Zip to the top of the page: In Mail, Safari, Contacts and other apps, simply tap the status bar at the top of the screen — the area that displays time, battery and cell bars — to jump back to the top quickly.

Prolong your battery: Speaking of the battery, here's how to squeeze more life out of your iPhone between charges. Turn down the brightness of your screen, turn off wireless radios you don't use (such as GPS, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) and reduce the number of apps with info you have "pushed" to your phone. Also, make sure you lock it before putting in your pocket, purse or backpack or else it could turn on and drain the battery.

Spread out the keyboard for easier typing: Here's a tip for iPad users: If you like typing while holding the tablet, rather than stretch your fingers

or thumbs for those middle letters like G, H, Y or B, you can drag the keyboard to each side of the screen to separate it into two, allowing you to easily type while holding it.

Learn some gestures: Close any app ridiculously fast by putting your four fingers and thumb stretched on the screen and pinch inwards. Sweet! You can also magnify what's on your iPhone screen with a three-finger tap. You'll first need to go to Settings, General, Accessibility, and select the various gestures options here.

Create an "app" out of a website you visit often: To add a website to your Home screen, just visit the webpage in Safari and at the top of the screen, tap the Go To icon and select "Add to Home Screen."

Create a music playlist on the fly: You no longer need a computer to create a playlist. In the Music app, tap Playlists, then select Add Playlist and give it a name ("Marc's Workout Mix"). Now, tap any song (or video) to add it to the playlist. You can add individual songs, entire albums, or all songs by a particular artist.

Don't waste your day deleting messages individually: You can delete unwanted emails en masse rather than deleting one at a time. In your Inbox, simply click the Edit button and check off the emails you want to delete with your finger and then choose Delete.

Keep track of your texting limits: If you don't have the best texting plan and don't want to unnecessarily pay to send more texts than you need, here's a tip to turn on the character count in the Messages app. Enable this in the Settings>Message option to keep an eye on your word count. Usually, your one text becomes two after 160 characters.

Mirror your iPhone with your TV: If you own an Apple TV, you can instantly and wirelessly share exactly what's on your iPhone 4S or second- and third-generation iPad with your HDTV, connected to an Apple TV — such as games, apps or videos. Simply double-tap the Home button, swipe all the way to the right and select AirPlay Mirroring.

Women’s Council of REALTORS® Miami Dade Chapter

Events and Business Resource Meeting Update

Our Chapter has begun the year 2012 very nicely with excellently attended Business Resource Meetings. We feel this is due to wonderful, well known, national or local speakers who brought excellent, valuable and informative presentations as well as incredible preparation in not only E-mail blasts, but personal E-mails as well as personal phone invitations. We make it a point of creating our flyers and start our marketing at least 30 days prior to the actual event. We begin promoting at the end of the previous Business Resource Meeting or Event. All our Business Resource Meetings so far have been a perfect example of excellent educational quality presentations and wonderful Networking opportunities appreciated by all. In January for ECONOMY & DEMOGRAPHIC the presentation A LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN MIAMI 2020 was done by the Principals themselves Phillip Spiegelman and Craig Studnicky of the well-established and known worldwide RelatedISG, even attended by local media, as well as Realtors and Industry Professionals who traveled from Puerto Rico and Mexico to attend for a total of 80 attendees. February was well attended by approximately 60 with a BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT topic by Coach and National Speaker Angela Territo with her “Persuasion Mastery” Presentation. Building rapport, Communication, Techniques, Relationships! Excellent and appreciated by all! The March “Stop the Madness” TECH presentation by International Instructor and Technology expert Deborah Boza-Valledor from the MIAMI Association of REALTORS® was an amazing Social Media and Marketing demonstration or class attended by 60 as well. We also held our 1st New Member Orientation of 2012 which we held at the end of this Business Resource Meeting! It is just as important, also worth mentioning, that the leaders, line officers, committee members and chairpersons, etc. have shown excellent and true professionalism at all times. It has been noted by Members, Sponsors, Affiliates and all attendees in general. Affiliates and Sponsors are finding true value in becoming or continuing their business partnership with our Miami Dade Chapter as well as retaining members and acquiring new members finding value and commitment within our chapter. During all our Events or Business Resource Meetings, we announce and show our appreciation to all our State Sponsors first and then our Local Sponsors, Affiliates and Event Sponsors. This is all in conjunction with the printed Programs or Agendas were they are all always mentioned as well as on the Flyer or Announcements, E-Mail Blasts and most certainly on our local chapter Website. Proudly prepared by: Gina Blanco, President of the Miami Dade Chapter of the Women’s Council of REALTORS®.

"The Ball Is In Your Court"

It is your turn to act and you must do something so… Register today for the District V

Conference

The #1 Community in the United States, MIROMAR LAKES BEACH & GOLF CLUB, is a National

Association of Home Builders GOLD AWARD Winner for Community of the Year,

the only Florida Winner in 31 years and an NAHB GOLD AWARD Winner for Best Clubhouse.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Event time: 10:30am-2pm Location: Miromar Lakes Beach Clubhouse,

18061 Miromar Lakes Parkway, Miromar Lakes, FL 33913 Ticket Price (Lunch Included): $29.50

PAYPAL Registration - www.wcrbonitaestero.com

Bonita-Estero, Cape Coral, Ft. Myers & Naples on the Gulf Women’s Council of Realtors Chapters

PRESENT OUR GUEST SPEAKERS

Diane McCombs & Gwen Templeton

2012 Women’s Council of Realtors Florida State President - Comedian, Speaker & Realtor

WEAR YOUR BUSINESS BEACH ATTIRE, ATTEND READY TO LEARN & LAUGH TICKETS OF CHANCE WITH FABULOUS PRIZES, TOO!!!

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE CONTACT DANIELLE ST. ONGE

(239) 292-5230 direct or email: daniellestonge1@gmail.com

7 Steps to Writing a Killer Blog Post By Rebekah Radice

Writing great blog content on a consistent basis can be difficult. Whether you are fighting writers block or want to improve your content; writing a blog post brimming with creativity does not always come easy.

Writing a great blog post involves an understanding of your audience and a commitment to their needs. Writing high quality content that keeps your readers engaged and hungry for more is a skill any blogger can master.

Finding your rhythm, tone and voice simply takes time and practice.

How to Write a Killer Blog Post

1. Do Your Homework Logic says don't start hiking a 14,000 foot mountain without a little preparation. Likewise, writing a blog post without investigating your topic is a recipe for disaster.

Google It! – Google has loads of tools for bloggers from your basic Google search to the Google Keyword Toolbox – a treasure trove of gadgets that will speak to your blogger soul!

Research keywords – Keyword research is incredibly important to the search engine optimization of your site. With keyword research you determine what your clients are searching for and what terms will receive the most Google juice. There are many options for keyword research, the most popular being Google’s Keyword Tool.

Link It - Substantiate your findings with links to credible articles.

2. Know Your Niche Provide well thought out, fact supported tips and advice for your readers. Before you begin to craft content for your blog, it is best to:

Determine the "WHY" behind your blog Understand the needs of your target audience and how you will provide a benefit or solution Identify their motivation and what persuades them to take action

Your next step is to ask yourself: Have I figured out what my niche is and whether there’s a market for it? Can I make money with this niche? Can I provide quality content on a continual basis? Have I researched my competition? What are they doing well and what can I do better?

3. Compel and Connect A great blog post excites the audience, arouses curiosity and creates a compelling reason to come back for more. Connect with your community by drawing them into the conversation. Encourage readers to contribute and allow them to connect with you across multiple social channels. Make it easy for readers to get involved, be heard and share their knowledge with other blog readers.

4. Update Your Blog Writing a great blog post includes tuning up your blog. Make it a part of your routine to regularly check for updates to your blog platform. Neglecting this simple step could slow down your blog or worse, leave you vulnerable to security issues. Also make sure that your plugins are updated and that your categories are customized and easy for your readers to navigate.

5. Take a Stand There’s nothing worse than reading a blog with a “middle of the road” stance. Get passionate about your topic and be willing to take the opposing side. Are you writing about a hot topic but fear you’ll be crucified due to your position? Well get over it! Readers gravitate towards blogs that have a voice and a tone. How can your blog have either one if you never spell out who you are and what you believe in?

6. Be Authentic If you are open and honest with your readers, it is very easy to take a stand about what you believe. Authenticity goes a long way to building loyalty. If your readers do not feel a connection to you, then quite simply, they are not going to buy what you are selling. Be bold, be brave, be YOU!

7. Have Fun There is no use blogging if you are not enjoying it. Get passionate about your craft and let your readers feel it. Engagement and feedback will add fuel to your creative fire and keep you focused and excited about your blog!

What to Think About Before You Hit ‘Send’

By ALINA TUGEND | New York Times

IT seems almost passé to write now about how to use e-mail. After all, haven’t most of us moved past that to tweeting, texting, Facebooking and whatever the social network flavor-of-the-month is?

No. It’s still a vital part of business communication (and personal, too, at least for those over 25 or so). Yet as common as e-mail is, far too many people don’t know how to use it well — or understand the risks they run of using it inappropriately on the job. “The death of e-mail has been greatly exaggerated,” said Mike Song, chief executive of GetControl.net, which provides training on time management and e-mail efficiency. Research by his company has found that most employees spend at least a third of their time at work on e-mail. And while many people do use LinkedIn, Facebook and instant messaging, none of those outlets have replaced e-mail, for the most part, but they have added yet another method of communicating — and another way to waste time. [Related: 8 Products the Facebook Generation Will Not Buy] Don’t get me wrong. I use e-mail all the time. It makes my personal and professional life immeasurably easier. But just because it’s commonplace doesn’t mean we know how to use it properly and productively. I found helpful (and amusing) an e-mail check list first issued by Seth Godin, a blogger and author of numerous books, about three years ago and recently reposted because he felt most people still misuse and abuse e-mail. The No. 1 question to ask yourself before hitting “send” on the next e-mail, Mr. Godin says, is this: “Is this going to one person?” He’s referring, of course, to the annoying “reply all” button. Mr. Song found that most professionals say their colleagues use “reply all” too frequently, but say they themselves hardly use it. If you are “replying all,” Mr. Godin says to then ask yourself: “Have I really thought about who’s on my list? And if I didn’t send it to them, would they complain about not getting it? If they wouldn’t complain, take them off!” he admonishes. Many experts, including Emailreplies.com, a Web site on e-mail etiquette, offer additional handy advice on appropriate procedures and ways to get the best answers to your messages, including these: ¶ Use “cc” sparingly. ¶ Make one point per e-mail. If you have more than one point, send separate e-mails. (I’ve found this to

be true. If you add a second topic to an e-mail, the recipient often fails to notice it.) ¶ Be mindful of your tone. Bend over backward to make sure that things don’t get lost in translation in your writing. Sarcasm is especially dangerous. ¶ Don’t overuse the high-priority flag. Remember the boy who cried (or e-mailed) wolf. ¶ Don’t forward chain e-mails. Don’t forward chain e-mails. Don’t forward chain e-mails. ¶ Use proper grammar and punctuation. This last one is important for everyone, but particularly for anyone more used to texting, with all the jargon and shortcuts that are part of that, said Lisa Orrell, who writes about and conducts workshops on generational trends in the workplace. When older people get e-mails from people in their 20s, “with all the acronyms and abbreviations, they don’t fully understand them and it can lead to miscommunication,” she said. The younger people, on the other hand, get frustrated with e-mail, “which they see as a slow game of Pong, while texting is playing Wii.” Ms. Orrell also hears complaints that too many younger workers — and this can probably apply to employees of all ages — think once they write an e-mail and hit the send button, the task is accomplished,“They have to get a lot better at doing follow-up and continuing the dialogue,” she said. “If an order doesn’t get placed, you don’t just send one e-mail and forget about it.” While it may seem particularly old-fashioned, I’ve found that sometimes it’s better to get off the computer and make a phone call. If e-mails are getting too complicated, if the tone seems to be degenerating, if they’re just not getting the job done, call or walk over to that colleague. And if you have any fears that a work e-mail may get you in trouble, don’t send it. A lot of people also don’t realize that “e-mail creates the electronic equivalent of DNA,” said Nancy Flynn, founder and executive director of the ePolicy Institute, a corporate training and policy consulting firm. “There’s a really good chance of e-mails being retained in a workplace’s archives, and in case of a lawsuit, they could be subpoenaed.” For that reason, “You never want to use the company’s system to discuss private business,” she said. “Even if your boss is not retaining the e-mails, the recipient might.” Researchers for the American Management Association and ePolicy Institute who surveyed 586 companies estimate that as many as a quarter of bosses have fired an employee for some sort of e-mail violation. “People lose their jobs and embarrass themselves and their families,” Ms. Flynn said. “Once you type it and click ‘send,’ you’re not getting it back. If I were an employee I would not transmit another e-mail until I looked at the company’s e-mail policy.” But the contents of an e-mail and who you send it to are just part of the issue. There’s also the question of how quickly you respond. Long gone are the days when you sent out a message and assumed you would get an answer in a day or two. That’s the snail mail equivalent of waiting for your letter from the Pony Express. Rather, now most of us expect to get a response almost instantaneously. I sent out two e-mails to contact sources for this article on a Sunday afternoon, for instance. Within half an hour, I had heard back from both parties. “A telephone is synchronized communication and an answering machine is asynchronized,” Mr. Godin said. “E-mail started as asynchronized, which was great, but now it’s not.” The reality, Mr. Godin said, is that “very successful people answer e-mails once a day.” “It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to empty my in-box, and makes me happy in the short run, but

I’m certain that it makes me less productive,” he said. “If you’re playing net at doubles at the U.S. Open, you need to have a four-second response. Otherwise you don’t.” Simon Rich, a humor writer, took up this concept in an essay he wrote called, “The only e-mails I could receive that could justify the frequency with which I check my e-mail,” in his book “Free-Range Chickens” (Random House, 2008). These include an invitation to go to paradise with the girl of his dreams — if he replies within three minutes. Or an offer to be one of a handful of people to escape an asteroid about to hit Earth — if he replies within three minutes. And so on. But since most of us aren’t going to face such choices, why do we keep checking our e-mail? For one, it’s a great distraction. “In the old days, writers didn’t have e-mail, they had whiskey,” Mr. Godin said. “Now it’s O.K. to spend four hours cleaning out your e-mail box.” Second, “it’s an obsession with something new,” Mr. Song said. “Something delivered to our in-box feels new and we have to look at it.” But the reality is, most e-mails are not worth the time they take to read. In fact, that leads to Mr. Godin’s last suggestion on his e-mail checklist: If you had to spend the price of a stamp to send this e-mail, would you? The answer, I suspect, all too often is no.

Leadership Lessons: Principles of Persuasion

By John Boe

RISMEDIA, Thursday, April 12, 2012— Whether you are conducting a one-on-one interview, motivating your sales team or delivering a keynote address, your success as a leader is defined by your ability to persuade with clarity and passion. In fact, you might say that leadership is synonymous with effective communication. According to Harvey MacKay, author of the book, “Swim With the Sharks,” "The No. 1 skill most lacking in business today is public speaking—the ability to present oneself." If you want to stand out from the crowd, get promoted or develop an award winning sales team you need to polish your communication and persuasion skills. Throughout history, our most admired leaders are remembered primarily for their ability to instill courage and inspire confidence. Just think how different this world might be without the calming reassurance of FDR's fireside chats or Churchill's defiant eloquence. President Kennedy once remarked that Winston Churchill had the ability to take the English language to war. Churchill clearly understood the power of words and said that he had the English language deep in his bones. He would spend hours at a time

rewriting and rehearsing his speeches and as a result, Churchill galvanized a nation with his words. When We Communicate Effectively, We Succeed Whether you're in commission sales or on a salary, your income and career advancement are directly linked to your ability to communicate and persuade. The higher you climb the corporate ladder, the more you will be called upon to speak. It doesn't matter whether you're an agent selling an insurance policy or a manager goal setting with your sales team, if you want to focus attention and gain consensus, paint word pictures. In her book, Knockout Presentations, communications coach Diane DiResta suggests using vivid language, "Metaphors transport the listener to a different dimension. They grab hold of the mind and stimulate the imagination. The brain thinks in pictures, not words." Analogies, metaphors, stories and anecdotes all work together to help you create vivid word pictures to keep your listeners emotionally involved. Communication Strategies Psychologists tell us that we are born into one of four primary temperament styles; aggressive, expressive, passive or analytical. Each of these four styles requires a different approach and communication strategy. For example, words that would appeal to a person with the aggressive style may alienate and actually destroy rapport with the passive style and vise versa. If a leader is to influence colleagues and customers, he or she must be able to quickly and accurately recognize each of these distinct behavioral styles and adapt accordingly. During your next presentation, make an effort to identify the temperament style you are presenting to and use as many of these emotionally charged words as possible. The aggressive, bottom line “worker style” is results oriented. They ask "what" questions. Workers value achievement and fear loss of control. When presenting to this buying style use these words: Control - Flexibility - Work - Bottom line - Power - Challenge - Speed Money - Functional - Results - Goals - Options - Hands on - Quickly Freedom - Immediately The expressive, emotional “talker style” is people oriented. They ask "who" questions. Talker's value recognition and fear loss of prestige. When presenting to this buying style use these words: Fun - Entertaining - Creative - Friendly - Simple - Incredible Exclusive - Improved - Prestige - New - Ultimate - Spontaneous Exciting - Enjoyable - Cash - Adventure The passive, harmonious “watcher style” is service oriented. They ask "how" questions. Watchers value appreciation and fear conflict. When presenting to this buying style use these words: Support - Service - Family - Harmony - Dependable - Caring Cooperation - Helpful - Easy - Sincere - Love - Kindness - Concern Considerate - Gentle - Relationship The analytical, cautious “thinker style” is quality oriented. They ask "why" questions. Thinkers value accuracy and fear being viewed as incompetent. When presenting to this buying style use these words: Safe - Scientific - Proven - Value - Learn - Guaranteed - Save Bargain - Economical - Quality - Logical - Reliable - Accurate Perfect - Security - Precise - Efficient Magic Words and Power Phrases Over time marketing researchers have consistently found that certain "magic words" used in phrases and combinations were so compelling that sales followed the ads just as predictably as spring follows winter. Here are some power phrases that will create interest, generate enthusiasm and motivate people to take action! Guaranteed success - Live your dreams - Fast, easy access Unlock your potential - Accept no substitute - Time tested - Go with a winner - The results are in - Extra savings - One-stop shopping

While it might be true that some are born with a silver tongue, most people, like Churchill, have to work at developing their communication skills. A good way to improve your public speaking is to engage the services of a communications coach, attend Dale Carnegie training or join a local Toastmasters Club. Developing the ability to speak with power and influence with passion takes time and effort to master, but it will pay off in big dividends.

Something new and exciting at the August State meetings!

Have you thought about visiting other areas of our beautiful state of Florida but just haven't had the time to make the arrangements?

Not sure where to stay, or what to do... What if we told you most of the plans have been set and all you have to do is get yourself there?

Then just make sure you are one of the high bidders of our

Vacation Getaway Silent Auction

for your choice of 20, maybe even 30 destinations, at the Annual State Conference in Orlando Aug. 8-11, 2012.

Please come ready to bid and plan your next vacation!

Developing a Global Real Estate Presence By: Missi Howell, CIPS, GRI, TRC, PMN, Realtor

Many people in the real estate business often consider the possibility of doing more

international real estate business, but don’t know where to begin. The secret to developing a

consistent source of business in the global marketplace is no different than developing

business in your own backyard - Relationships are even more important across the borders –

where there is no relationship, there is no business!

But, working with international customers does not always mean they live across the border.

It means that the culture and customs of your customer may be very different than a domestic

customer, and you need to have respect for the differences, or you will most likely not develop

any business beyond a hello.

Here are some tips to help guide you:

Global Business prospecting takes time, patience and a little financial input

o Education – yes, it is worth the time and money

o Think of it as gardening, you have to do a lot of work before you even plant a seed

o Invest in Yourself, Expand your Global awareness, tax considerations, equip

yourself with the tools of the trade that will help you succeed

o Higher concentration of global buyers are in Florida than elsewhere - Florida gets

31% of the business

o 1 in 4 buyers in Florida in 2011 were foreign born

Broad-spectrum networking – casting the net and alerting the world that you have a net!

o Understand from what countries people are making Florida investments

o Networking – Local Council, Community events and organizations, attend Florida

Realtor meetings, visit other Global Councils and NAR meetings

o Search through Linked IN, Facebook, World Properties, Blogging, etc to find

contacts that can help you expand your reach

o Certified International Property Specialist Network through NAR is a great source of

referral information

Less than 3,000 CIPS globally – you should consider earning this

designation

Funneling the Focus

o Pick a Country – Become the “Expert” on that country and culture, learn the

language (yes it helps, but not always required)

o Personal visits, develop an expertise, face to face relationship building

o Understand the real estate business in the subject country

o Join an international real estate association if one is available

o Become the “go to” person in the United States for the Global contact

o Develop a relationship with the NAR Presidential Liaison and know the Ambassador

Association for your chosen country.

Marketing

o Learn the websites for the “chosen” country for real estate

o Generate Electronic Newsletters and Announcements – your global contacts need

to hear from you!

o Use more charts and pictures vs. words and stories when possible

While this is a lot to consider, it may get some wheels turning that you have not considered.

There is a world of opportunity out there – Are You Ready?

Special thanks to our Strategic Business Affiliates for their generous support OUR 2012 FLORIDA STATE CHAPTER WOMEN'S COUNCIL OF REALTORS SPONSORS:

Refer to them often!

PLATINUM: HomeTeam Inspection Service, North American Title Company, Two Men and a Truck & Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

SILVER: Audrey Lackie/Watson Realty, Jacksonville Chapter of the Women's Council of

Realtors, Arrow/Hughes Pest Control, Gia and Scott Arvin/Matchmaker Realty, Naples-on-the Gulf Chapter of the Women's Council of Realtors, Anita Colletti/John R Wood Realtor, Housemaster Home Inspection, The Russell Hampton Company

If you or someone you know would like to become a Florida State Sponsor please contact Penny Ericksen - Penny@PennyEricksen.com

Mission of Women’s Council of Realtors

We are a network of successful REALTORS® empowering women to exercise their potential as entrepreneurs and industry leaders.

Vision of Women’s Council of Realtors

Through our influence as successful business professionals, women will effect positive change in

the profession and in the broader community.

2012 Women’s Council of Realtors Line Officers

PRESIDENT PRESIDENT-ELECT VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER SECRETARY Diane McCombs Amy Worth Paul Penny Ericksen Pamela Banks Audrey Lackie

REMINDER: Check to make sure your information is correct on the www.WCR.org website Log onto www.WCRFL.org often to stay updated on what is going on in other Chapters in Florida.

Newsletter compiled, edited and formatted by Kimberlie Slade, Venice Chapter & Governor District V & XIII