Book Report: Movies In The Mind

If you've read this blog for a while you know I often visit the issue of of marketing copy for listings. Here's a practical suggestion. Pick up copy of the book Movies In The Mind, How to Build a Short Story by Colleen Mariah Rae. It's a short and easy read based upon her strategies for creative writing. Even though the book is written to help authors craft fictional short stories, the skills are valuable to anyone struggling with the concept of writing great marketing copy.

The mind's eye is a powerful place. How your marketing copy projects the image of something can make all the difference in the world to a consumer that is trying to decide whether or not to click through and get more details or just skim down the list. Colleen gives practical advice for transcribing the video you see in your head to meaningful prose.

It's great idea to take a digital voice recorder to a listing and start at the elevation, transcribing features and ideas as you move through the property. Take it back to the office, listen and start thinking about changing things like "there is a large picture window in family room" to "the quiet serenity of a sweeping panoramic view". 

The first comment on this post gets the my copy of "Movies In The Mind" sent straight to their door.

P.S. It's a well documented fact that the majority of MLS' limit the number of characters for a description that makes a good narrative a challenge. It's not impossible, in fact, I've seen some pretty creative work done within those confines. If you only want to take the time to write one description and the MLS is the only place you're concerned about when it comes its distribution, you may want to visit a different writing site.

P.S.S. Do you like to pass on the books you've read? Ever heard of Bookcrossing.Com?  Check it out.

Previous Book Reports:
Be Unreasonable
Citizen Marketers
The Power of Place
The Long Tail
An Army of Davids
Mavericks At Work
Waiting For Your Cat to Bark?

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Book Report: Be Unreasonable

I started the draft for this post last Saturday. It was a day to reflect on this blog as it turned a year old and give some thought to the direction it will take in its second year. Our original intention in blogging was to focus on 2.0 technology and marketing for the RE industry and I think we've done a pretty good job of that. Along the way I began voicing opinions regarding business models and the bigger picture of RE 2.0. Why? I think it is because I am continually amazed at the level of hand wringing and lack of creativity I see. It would seem that what is supposed to be a cooperative effort amongst like minded business people is, in many cases, nothing more than a herd mentality. A mentality hell bent on forcing yesterday's square peg into the round hole of the future. I'm not painting the entire industry with the same broad stroke. I'm actually very excited about the future but many of the actions and conversations taking place leave me scratching my head.

I think there exists a blend of traditional and new methods that will emerge in the form of several new business models. Who will be the players that make it happen? The unreasonable ones. I'm not talking about law breaking mavericks or people who prey on fear and uncertainty as a means of furthering their own agendas. I'm talking about people who are thinking different.

I just finished a book that could easily be re-written to fit the topical issues of the real estate industry today. For that matter it could just as easily become a manifesto for anyone trying to come to grips with the development of any new business model. It is entitled "Be Unreasonable" The unconventional way to extraordinary business results by Paul Lemberg. From the introduction:

"Imagine that you were free to act, unbound by tradition, convention, history, story, or prejudice. Imagine that you could make changes simply because they were the right ones, and not because they fit with someone else's agenda. Imagine decisions being forged in the depth of your clearest vision without what you or anyone else thinks you're supposed to do. Now, imagine being guided by your desires rather than your fears."

Those that are open minded enough to stop wasting time on the rhetoric and fear mongering from both sides of the issue have a fighting chance. More from the book's manifesto:

"Consider why normal is normal. Ask how normal things came to be that way. Is it because they were effective, or is it because they were easy? Being unreasonable is not about being abnormal, paranormal or transormal--it is about looking beneath and behind the normal so your see how it got that way, and once you understand why that normal is considered normal, acting to create the results you seek without regard to what normal people think."

There are plenty of chances to become unreasonable, Lemberg style. With those chances come opportunity. Kick conventional wisdom to the curb and grab a copy of this book, it's full of examples and situations that mirror real estate. It just might help you arrive at the "aha!" moment you've been looking for.

In an upcoming post I'll highlight an example of a powerful industry that is truly being disrupted by technology. Thinking different is helping one of these industry giants figure out a path to new ways of doing business while others waste time trying to protect the status quo.

Previous Book Reports:
Citizen Marketers
The Power of Place
The Long Tail
An Army of Davids
Mavericks At Work
Waiting For Your Cat to Bark?