What??
Did he just say that? Does he mean that? Or is he simply using a provocative headline to attract readers, first of all, and to set the mood for the post, the subtle shading and shaping that takes place to elicit specific feelings and the desired response from the audience.
The answer, naturally, is both. Earlier this week I read with interest as someone said a certain post had been written to elicit a certain reaction from the readership. My first thought? No kidding.
Did Hemingway not try to elicit a reaction, to create a mood, with readers of the Old Man and the Sea? Is the Mona Lisa debated ad nauseum accidentally or because da Vinci painted specific elements to cause a great debate that has lasted for centuries?
A blog post may not be a great novel nor an artistic masterpiece but it is art all the same. Well, unless it’s a featured post on Active Rain. (And yes, dear readers, that was gratuitous. Guilty as charged.)
Blogging Inversely Proportional to Work Load
Now to the larger point, for the few who happened to have noticed the silence coming from the Northwest Valley of the Sun. Last week was spent enjoying views such as the one above … the gentle sound of the surf, the splendor of the sun setting into the water (or at least the misty murk hovering above the water), the utter agony of Legoland. Six days with limited e-mail, occasional cell phone service, and very little concern about either situation.
This was in contrast to the sheer panic six weeks ago at the notion of spending nearly a week away from the business, no matter how much a break was needed by my wife, my kids and by me. The market didn’t much care that we needed time away.
In that respect, nothing changed. The market still doesn’t care whether I needed time off. But months of effort including – get this – prospecting via blogging and other Internet channels – led to six transactions in a span of six weeks, including the aforementioned week on the beach.
So now we’re entering July and I’m 40% ahead of plan in sales … and I’m nowhere close to satisfied.
A Child’s View of the World
On the History of Howard Stern broadcast on Sirius satellite, Stern said that when he pulled an 8 share in DC once upon a time he was disappointed. Why? How dare anyone listen to any other share. It should be a 100 share. It was, he said, “a child’s view of the world” but it was his.
It’s also mine to some degree, for better or worse.
And that desire to continually increase my own market share, to not only meet the stretch goals I set for myself but blow them away (not only this year, but next year, and the next, and the next …) has caused me to rethink how my time was spent not so long ago.
Twitter? Not so much …
I could be missing an opportunity. Maybe once the kids are back in school and I have more time to watch Twhirl twirl I’ll get back on. I miss some of the conversations but the conversations weren’t necessarily helping me toward my goals.
Facebook? LinkedIn? I need to get back to the latter and decide once and for all what to do for the former. But until I develop a coherent business strategy with concrete results … sorry.
And my rants?
Well …
Too Busy to Care
I’ve spent far too much time this year worrying about real estate’s snake oil salesmen who don’t sell but will tell you what you need to do to sell, endless cycles of circular arguments, the extreme use of Latin rather than Yiddish or the Fair Housing violation breeding ground that is Trulia Voices.
Do what you will. I don’t care.
Active Rain? Cheap shot aside, the introduction of outside blogs doesn’t mean a great deal to me. Post your content to four different blogs at once. Have a good time. And before I forget, “Great Post!”
Oh. And I don’t care.
Want to hear what’s been more productive? FIFA 2008 for the Playstation 2. Six minute halves and endless frustration trying to learn how to play after the relative ease that was FIFA 2004. Why 6 minutes? Because I can work away any accumulated stress in less than a quarter hour, or roughly two-thirds the time it takes for me to pound out a well-considered rant here on AG or my own blog.
It’s like seven-minute abs, but it’s six! (Bingo, man! And we DON’T guarantee the workout. And we don’t care!)
You can scoff at the thought of a soon-to-be 39-year-old (birthday’s Monday, shop now and beat the crowd … a Wii Fit would be most welcome) spending any time at all playing on the Playstation during business hours. But what I’ve found is sometimes a break can be productive.
Including an extended break from one of my favorite blogs.
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Consumerism, Geo-mapping columnist
Marketing columnist
Madden 2008 Rules and NCAA 2008 is even better. That’s my secret too..you’re not alone. A good game of Fult-tilt poker works too!
While you were standing in line at Legoland (picturing Charleton Heston discovering that legos are made from the cadavers of sunbaked park visitors – “Legos are… PEOPLE!”), Kelley Koehler issued a challenge to . I thought it was a great suggestion.
Barry – so does WSOP for the PS2.
Frank – Writing without “i” isn’t nearly as challenging as writing without “e” so I’ll wait for that challenge to be issued.
On the way to show my wife this post so I can justify buying a Wii or PS2…
You’re dreaming of Gorgonzola and it’s Brie Time, Jonathan.
“I’ve spent far too much time this year worrying about real estate’s snake oil salesmen who don’t sell but will tell you what you need to do to sell, endless cycles of circular arguments, the extreme use of Latin rather than Yiddish or the Fair Housing violation breeding ground that is Trulia Voices.”
I was JUST writing an article about this issue… Agents are spending too much time trying to argue issues on blogs that have already been argued. Personally if someone has already made the points, I am just moving on.
As for the rest. The social media stuff has been my stress release for the past 8 months are so, but I am finding that breaks are better. Replaying Gears of War and Swat4 have been helpful
One word: Guitar Hero III on Xbox
Ok, so that’s 5 words. Or 4. Is “III” a word?
My father in law just bought guitar hero for the nintendo DS. YOu can’t believe how addicting that is. It’s not as fun as Rock Band with the Drum kit, but it’s pretty cool.
“You can’t believe how addicting that is.”
I bet I can.
Frank – Writing without “i” isn’t nearly as challenging as writing without “e” so I’ll wait for that challenge to be issued.
You can do it if you try, Jonathan.
I just go sailing. No phone, no electronics, no gps, no nuttin except the wind, water and a nice crock of grape juice. That’s when I really don’t care about you. .>)
Sailing’s a little different there than here, Larry. Lake Pleasant’s nice and all but it’s still 113 degrees in the shade when you’re on the water.
I need Guitar Hero but then I’d never get the kids off the PS2. Already amazed at how quickly the Wii became passe. Guess it’s because it involves actual motion.
Frank – I could if I tried but here’s the thing. I get paid by the Associated Press and newspapers around the country to write objectively about sporting events. Could my own blog benefit from a little less I? Possibly. It’s the style of last resort there but after 1,500 posts the well starts to run dry.
As for what I write here … this is where my writing’s therapeutic. This is where I write about what is on my mind, what I’m going through not because I really believe anyone cares (and I don’t care that they don’t care) but because I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in these feelings, these worries, these concerns and yes, these wonderful moments that come from selling real estate.
Twitter’s main attraction was discovering there were many, many agents dealing with the same kind of frustrations I was. But then I realized I needed to get away from that because I needed to believe the business could be better than it often seemed. And business picked up once I weened myself off of Twitter … and not just because I was spending time elsewhere because it never was that large a part of my day.
It’s not worth taking I out of my posts, especially a post like this, because it’s the I that allows many to connect on an emotional level to what’s being said. It’s the difference between reading about Benjamin Franklin in an encyclopedia or reading Benjamin Franklin: An American Life.
Jonathan, the follow up was a joke, not a single “e” in it.
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Jonathan, I relate to this very deeply… when I had a health scare this year, lost my little brother last year, when I spend time at Mass, charity events, playing with the kids, etc, nothing inside this computer matters to me.
That said, if any of you called me today with a crisis, it would become my own, so in that sense I care, but do I care what’s up on the feed reader while LIFE is happening? Nope.
I need a Wii though…..
Jonathan
I love to see the expression on my kids face when the come into my office and see me playing 1942 Battlefield. Of course my wife’s expression is less than thrilled.
But when a 12 hour workday is commonplace, taking these mental health breaks is what keeps me going. So kudo’s to you, and best of luck with kicking round balls into twine.
Frank – the lesson, as always, is I’m an idiot.
Anyway you can destress in this business is good and welcomed. Glad you enjoyed your break. Welcome back!
“It should be a 100 share.”
Hey! Isn’t that anti-competitive?
Larry,
It’s frightening to think of you sailing around the Pacific with a “nice crock of grape juice” and no telephone. Be careful out there.
Through all of the deep thought in your post and comments I missed the last sentance about the birthday and gift. Duh!
HAPPY 39th BIRTHDAY JONATHAN! Have no idea how to say that in Yiddish
Pls note: no prezzies for non caring old buzzards. .>)
#18
@ Norm,
Phone messes up the compass. Not that it matters I don’t have a plan or destination. One of the benefits of grape juice. .>)
Dude, you can write!
Happy Birthday, you old dawg.
Don’t know about Yiddish, Larry … Hebrew’s something like yom haleded sameach.
And thanks!
And Kris, I still can’t write even a quarter as well as you can. Just sickening.