#UsGuys - How to build Off-line Klout: A Real Estate Broker's Perspective

The #UsBlogs Week 3 theme "How Do You build Klout Off-line?" has me smiling. I have to avoid the temptation to say simply "the same way you build Klout on-line." Because what fun is that? I love the theme of SM/IRL correlation. 

I suppose some philosophy and examples are in order.  I tied real estate experience in to my article for the #UsBlogs Week 2 Theme: Leadership in the 21st Century. Figure I might stick with that trend for this article.

1. Introduction - A Real Estate Broker's Take on How to Build Off-line Klout
2. Passion - Believe in What You Do
3. Method - Do What You Do Well
4. Method Part 1- Accomplish Multi-Marketing Goals in Every Task
5. Method Part 2- Participate in Local Business Initiatives
6. Method Part 3 - Keep Team Building
7. Method Part 4- Encourage and Nurture Referral Network
8. Klout -  Inspire Others to Believe in You and What You Do
9. Conclusion - Bringing Off-line and On-line Klout in Harmony
10. Recipe for the Never-Ending Feast
11. #UsBlogs Week 3 Round-up - More Articles from #UsGuys

A Show of Hands: Age-Old Leadership and the 21st Century #UsGuys

"I am constant as the northern star, of whose true-fix'd and resting quality, there is no fellow in the firmament." –Julius Caesar, from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

1. A Show of Hands: A Leadership by Example Experiment
2. One Sign Makes Two: The Value of Constant Signal Demonstrated by Real Estate Marketing
3. Social Media Transparency: A New Movement of Leadership by Example
4. Social Media for Business: Adam Singer v. the New York Times 
5. Of the Real and the Virtual: Marketing What is Unique
6. Conclusion: Bringing it Back to Leadership by Example in the 21^st Century

A Show of Hands: A Leadership by Example Experiment

Fairhaven High School

 My junior year in high school, I attended a leadership workshop on a regional level. In one of the workshop modules we devised a simple plan to demonstrate the power of Leadership by Example. We then challenged ourselves to return to our respective schools, put the plan in action, and see it work for ourselves. On behalf of Fairhaven High School, I pledged to carry out the plan.

The next afternoon, I sat in English class. The whole class was silent and busy taking a vocabulary quiz. I finished earlier than my fellow students and this free time gave me the opportunity to execute Plan Leadership by Example. So I raised one hand and held it in the air.

Do not stop believing, Frankenstein

Do not stop believing, Frankenstein,
though your switches throw sparks—we say,
‘We’ll make you whole, fit, and fine!’

You are wise to drop your drawers and divine
us with your minted flesh. For the best, we pray,
‘Do not stop believing, Frankenstein.’

Trust us, and all the world will be your wine.
With this point you gain sure as surely we bray,
‘Now we make you whole, fit, and fine!’

Power—now we’ll change that dash of masculine
for grace and eloquence, to sing and sashay,
‘Don’t ever stop careering, Frankenstein.’

You’ve broken your stitches—at last refined,
Frankenstein with tits! Bloody profits! Today,
‘We’ve made you whole, fit, and fine!’

Tomorrow, we’ll put you in the chorus line
and beat Nature to He-Elle! with lauding forté!
‘Oh, that you’ve not stopped believing, Frankenstein,
has made you the whole, fit and fortunate kind!’

Petworking - Defined by Robert Ortiz

Petworking – (v.) To employ a network marketing strategy for social, political or commercial gain using animals, pets, and goods and services related to animals and pets.

(n.) Social and business networking activities performed after ice-breaking ceremonies are conducted with one, both, or all parties playing with each others' pet or pets, asking for and sharing with information relating to the life and caring of the pet.

Petworking at the Dog Park

I've long noticed the gaming opportunity we all take advantage of in our days of being pet owners. No matter what sort of pet we have, we soon find ourselves within that pet's Petworking Community. We are then fast making friends and connections.

Think about a simple walk down the street with your dog--how often do you get stopped and asked permission for petting? And isn't there a good percentage of time thereafter a full conversation develops? Now what happens when you take your dog to the dog park? You will know how easy it is to meet new people, talk only for a minute or two about your pet and then jump in conversation from your pet to your life or theirs. Within the very first conversation by Petworking you can move from simple chit chat to a serious business conversation--whether said business becomes a coffee date as a social outing or to discuss a project.

This particular networking activity will naturally correlate to the specific pet you own.  Dog owners attract dog people. Cat owners, cat people. Dog talk and cat talk are different. If you are prospecting, maybe there is or isn't a significant difference in the average net worth of dog people vs average net worth of cat people. There ought to be though a significant difference in net worth of horse people vs. cat people. So keep that in mind. Also be wary, not so much of net worth but of the possible validity of any sort of contract coming out of Petworking with 16-foot plus Anaconda people; in case you are not very well versed in contract law, sanity is required for validity, without sanity of both parties the contract is null and void.

So Petworking is not just about dogs and cats and is not merely limited to dog parks or sidewalks. And guess what? Your pet doesn't even have to be there with you for you to enjoy Petworking!. You can be sitting on a plane or train, someone spots cat hair on your jacket and boom!, its a cat conversation, and boom!, its a business conversation. Or you're at the pet store in the bird food isle, and boom!, its bird talk, and boom!, now you're leaving her apartment and its 4am in the morning.

You're my kinda monkey

You should actually own the pet you pose to be Petworking by. Real pet owners know how to spot a fraud. Petworking works because the vital component needed for the success of any business conversation, of any kind of business, is Trust Bond. Through your pet, you instantly earn this trust bond. Your pet is a sign of your choices and willingness to be caring and thoughtful and humane. A sign of economic status, especially with horse people. A sign of philosophical status, this comes up with cat people a lot. Maybe a sign of notorious and shameless lunacy, oh you snake people. The biggest signal you send out by Petworking is this thought that occurs in your soon-to-be business-of-some-kind partner's mind, "Hey! You and me...we're the same kind of monkey aren't we?"--which is why you tend to groom each other immediately afterward, Silly Monkey.

Petworking all told is a wonderful way to share new ideas with people who are, in some perhaps small but obvious way, like minded. That makes all the difference at the outset of any venture. Try it. Its easy. Petwork your way into a new job, a new relationship, or a new method for home repair, recipe exchange, into the warm embrace of a better accountant, or a more proactive real estate broker. Let me know how it goes in the comment section!