One of the biggest highlights each year during the MAR Convention and Expo is the RPAC Silent Auction. Local REALTOR® associations from around Michigan generously contributed items and gift baskets to this exciting event which grabbed the attention of those who attended! The hard work and effort that local associations put into this year’s auction is truly appreciated. Participants had a tough time deciding on which items to bid on.
Thank you to all those who donated items or made contributions to the 2009 RPAC Silent Auction
Ann Arbor Area, Antrim-Charlevoi x-Kalkaska, Commercial Alliance, Dearborn Area Board, Down River Association, Eastern Upper Peninsula Board, Emmet Association, Grand Rapids Association, Greater Kalamazoo Association, Jackson Area Association, Lenawee County Association, Livingston Association, Mason-Oceana-Manistee Board, Metropolitan Consolidated Association, Monroe County Association, Paul Bunyan Board, Saginaw Board, Southwestern Michigan Association, St. Joseph County Association, Traverse Area Association, Upper Peninsula Association, West Central Association, West Michigan Lakeshore Association, Western Wayne Oakland County Association and Terri Spiro
A huge thank you to local association executives and staff for all your help in making this year's Grand Assembly a great program! With your assistance in providing, or helping to obtain candid photos of your REALTOR® of the Year nominees we were able to give them the recognition they so greatly deserve. Also a great deal of work went into the REALTOR® Active in Politics award, and thank you to the local associations who put forth effort to nominate REALTORS® in their area. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the REALTOR® of the Year or REALTOR® Active in Politics forms or the nomination process, please contact
Julie Rowell.Also, a big thank you goes out to all the local associations who put in the time and effort to organize and assemble gift baskets and donate items or corporate contributions for the annual RPAC silent auction held at this year's MAR Convention. The auction, along with the RPAC Pop-A-Shot Challenge was a huge success, and brought in over $10,000 for RPAC! The hard work and effort that local associations put in to this year’s auction is truly appreciated.
Top bidders took home great prizes, such as weekend getaways, electronic items, sporting event tickets, artwork, and much more. RPAC, the only grassroots and issues mobilizing tool that exists to protect and promote the tradition of home ownership and real estate investment, would not be successful without the participation of the local associations in events like the auction.
Be sure to complete the 2009 Post-Convention Survey, as MAR greatly appreciates your feedback. Please refer any members who attended the event to share their feedback as well.
The MAR director elections closed on October 8 at Midnight. The newly elected 2 year term MAR directors are as follows:
· Matthew Case - District 2
· Gene Szpeinski – District 3 (re-elected)
· Susan Yeotis – District 5 (re-elected)
· Matt Davis - District 7
· Carol Griffith - District 8 (re-elected)
· Jay Goscinski – District 10
· Gerald Miller – District 12
· Beth Pressler – District 13 (re-elected)
MAR thanks all the candidates as well as the members who took time to cast their vote.
By: Marilyn Suttle, 2009 Broker Summit Speaker
Want your customers to feel the love for your company? We’re here to help. Lori Vest and I are making some changes in the way we blog so that you can use our entries as a training tool with your staff. We will be posting a blog entry every Monday morning. Feel free to use each blog entry as an icebreaker activity at your weekly meetings. With predictable postings, you’ll be able to generate lively discussions that will raise your staff’s awareness, while encouraging them to practice empowering skills on a regular basis. We welcome your comments and ideas as we strive to support our Love Them Up community.
How do You Appreciate Your Customers?
How do your customers know that you appreciate them? How do you express your appreciation in face to face contact? On the phone? In emails? When you answer the phone, do you sound happy to hear from them? Do you end your emails with words of appreciation for their continued business? Most people don’t receive nearly enough appreciation. What can you do to make sure your customers are feeling the love? Research has proven that it is much more costly to recruit new customers than it is to keep the ones you have, so it’s actually financially reckless to give up any opportunity to show appreciation. Unfortunately, the typical way most people give appreciation may appear insincere.
It’s good to say, “We appreciate you,” but it’s not quite enough. Take it one step further and tell them WHY you appreciate them. Describe what you are appreciating in detail. What is it that makes them enjoyable to work with? I was a guest speaker last week on the Association Playground webinar, a membership-based on-line community for association leaders. I spoke in detail about how to give effective appreciation to attract and retain customers. One woman on the call said, “At my last job, my boss stopped by my desk and said, “Do you know how much I appreciate you?” Happy to hear this, she asked, “What is it that you appreciate?” Her boss got flustered and couldn’t come up with anything. Talk about de-motivating! Even when the appreciation is sincere, it can come across as lip service. The way to make your appreciation effective is to describe specifically what you notice or how you feel. When you give specifics, your appreciation rings true to your customers’ ears, and in their hearts.
Instead of just saying, “You’re great!” – Tell them WHY they are great with specifics like “I appreciate how quickly you signed off on the updates. That made it so easy for me to get your work into production right away. ”
Something to notice: If you were to put 5% more effort into offering effective appreciation to your customers this week, what would you be doing?
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Great News! You are now eligible for corporate benefits when activating new service through the T-Mobile Premiere Web site or by calling 1.866.464.8662 and identifying yourself as a Michigan Association of REALTORS® member.
Don't forget that you may now transfer your current number to T-Mobile when signing up for T-Mobile service.
Here are some benefits available for Michigan Association of REALTORS® members from T-Mobile:
A 10% discount off your monthly recurring fee based on company-wide use of T-Mobile products & services*
Equipment discounts on new activations**
A special 30-day return policy on new activations
Free shipping on 2-day service
Free activation on all orders†
Call 1.866.464.8662 today!
*Rate plan prices listed here do not reflect the discounted fee. Discounts are applied on your monthly bill based on company-wide use the prior month.
**Does not apply to accessories
†Depending on credit approval.