By Blaise Dietz Managing director The Cypress Organization LLC
Get Noticed without
Breaking the Bank
Develop an online presence to bolster
your status as an industry resource
whether you are brand new to
a brokerage, or simply trying to reach
out to different client bases, it can be
difficult to know how and where to
spend limited marketing dollars. Con-
ventional media can cost hundreds or
thousands of dollars, with little return.
The good news is that marketing
methods are widening, and you can
reach scores of potential clients by
learning how to effectively take ad-
vantage of online social-networking
opportunities. All you need to do is to
become active within the online com-
munity and properly articulate your
products and services. With a consis-
tent social media presence, you can
attract a steady stream of referrals
without breaking the bank.
Blaise Dietz is managing director at The Cypress
Organization LLC, where he is responsible for
the commercial and industrial loan division. He
also is the head coach at MyCapitalCoach.com,
a leading Internet marketing and finance train-
ing website. A graduate of Western Michigan
University, he has extensive secondary-market
and whole-loan-trading experience. Reach him
at bdietz@mycapitalcoach.com.
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The way to accomplish this is
through fostering knowledge and gath-
ering information about your work
group. This can be done through brief
casual chats at the start of every call
or webinar until the parties involved
feel comfortable with one another. You
know you’ve reached success when
members start e-mailing, texting or
calling one another independently of
business-related e-mails.
« VIRTUAL continued from page 26
Communication
Almost everyone is available through
e-mail, voice mail, video conferencing
and so on. Make sure the right method
of communication is used for the right
reasons; this shows respect for others
and builds cohesion.
For example, know when to pick up
the phone versus sending a text. If
you find that you’re typing more than
160 characters into your tiny phone,
chances are you should opt to make
a phone call. If you are a work-group
leader or coordinator, it might help
to make concrete definitions upfront
about standards to identify appropri-
ate media usage clearly.
Aside from the technicality of com-
munication, there are four simple com-
munication practices to follow.
1. set standards for individual availabil-
ity and acknowledgement that are
defined and respected. For example,
you can agree that e-mails will be re-
sponded to in less than 48 hours.
2. compensate for lost context with
conversation when needed. If there
is a miscommunication, sending five
more e-mails to clarify the informa-
tion is probably making the problem
worse. Pick up the phone or sched-
ule a visit for optimum clarification.
Leadership
The last ingredient — and perhaps the
most important one — is personal lead-
ership. A strong leader positively and en-
ergetically frames all of the work group’s
e-communication, including calls, meet-
ings and written documentation. This
component involves being able to rally
enthusiasm and make more introverted
individuals feel involved.
Be sure to take the time to produc-
tively respond to communications from
team members in a timely fashion. Host
virtual “water-cooler” meetings that
have nothing to do with business and
give your group time to simply chat.
Remember to reach out to members of
your team personally when possible.
• • •
With these tips at the forefront of each
virtual team, you’ll find that productivity
and activity can be mastered even be-
yond the four corners of your office. •
