Rolf Anderson is a third-generation Realtor and the operator of an 80-year old family agency in Forest City, Iowa. He has been a computer devotee for over 14 years and a national speaker, consultant, trainer and author on the subject of computers and real estate for over 11 years.

Rolf, a trained social worker, equates contact management software with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, in which a person can not move up to other levels of social development until basic needs are met. If you don't have shelter and food, you can't be concerned with anything else. He feels the correct employment of technology is as crucial. "Without utilizing contact management software, you can't do anything else effectively in your business. You have to put in the effort to get trained to use these tools productively. Don't train yourself, anymore than you would recommend someone sell their own home. Don't be a FSBO."

"Would you consider buying a house without walking through it?" asks Rolf. "I don't advise buying contact management software without learning all you can about what it can do for you and your business. "

Rolf's specialty is taking the complicated subject of computers and making it simple and fun to learn about. His enthusiasm and knowledge are contagious as he shares his best tips with Agent News editor, Blanche Evans.

A.N.: How do you get technophobes to loosen up and adapt to technology?
R.A.: That's a tough one! For seven or eight years, I have been trying to show agents what technology can do. When people can touch and feel in a hands-on course they see it is not that difficult. They come in and tell me, "I am going to be your worst nightmare." I tell them "Skill I can teach, habits I can only preach." What that means is that a one or two-day course won't change your work habits. You have to do that. You can look at any Realtor's desk and you see what you have to work with, whatever organizational skills they practice, they will also bring to technology.

A.N.: So your approach to training is a dose of reality?
R.A.: (Laughs) Yes, these tools make organization and productivity easier, but it is an ongoing battle to use them. You just don't set it up, and it runs itself. It is an everyday thing, like battling a weight problem. I battle technology every day, meaning I have to make a habit of inputting and using what I need.

A.N.: What is your best tool for training Realtors?
R.A.: Show and tell. First, Realtors have to be shown what to do. You can't just talk about it. I show them in real time how technology can work. Second, you have to learn hands-on. Too many Realtors are FSBOs. They try to train themselves. They are cheap and they don't want to spend $400 for a two-day course. Hands-on has to happen. You also have to know what software you want to use.

A.N.: How do you make training simple?
R.A.: Students always tell me that in the course it is easy, but at home it is tough. So I designed a training manual written in the style of an old Texas Instruments manual which teaches button by button, click by click. I make a manual for them on the software they have purchased so they can take it home. When I teach, I take the approach of a day in the life of a Realtor, so they can envision themselves in the same situations using the same tools. I also use the Karate Kid analogy. Do you remember? The old man taught the kid the first day wax-on, wax-off, then paint the house, and then sand the deck. The kid didn't think he was learning karate, but he was. He was learning repetitive motions. I tell them just learn the skills, don't worry about what you are learning. I will teach you how to put it together at the end.

A.N.: What is the typical Realtors' favorite feature once they have learned the ropes of using contact management software?
R.A.: I think the prospecting feature. Top Producer, Prep Prospecting, Online Agent (also known as Agent 2000 and PowerPack 21), all the top-selling softwares have similar features. But the least utilized yet one of the most powerful features is the automated marketing and follow-up activities. The old snail mail still works, but you have to produce the letter plans to mail to past buyers and new prospects. It is fun to watch the letters being printed and it makes Realtors money. When they launch plans and letters everyday, they will tell you they make more money. This is a daily habit that will affect the business. Again, I tell people that I fight automation like I fight weight. It is a daily battle. The disciplines don't become so easy that you forget to do them. There is no one button that does it all, you have to use all the features. There is no silver button.

A.N.: What is your personal favorite productivity tool?
R.A.: My newest that I am ga-ga over is PalmPilot PDA (personal digital assistant) - a teeny palmtop computer. There are two things that are going to explode. One, you can use handwriting to input data, and they are beginning to synchronize with top contact management software. I can add names, to-dos, schedule changes, and it synchs with my desktop.

A.N.: Do you have agreements with any manufacturers to promote certain products?
R.A.: No, I don't. I don't actively sell software. I may have a vendor agreement, but no obligation to recommend one product over another.

A.N.: Does that have an impact on which products you promote, or do your seminars specialize in general knowledge of contact management software?
R.A.: No, it doesn't. Basically I teach real estate technology, and contact management software is one aspect. I am also an expert on digital cameras, multimedia software, notebooks, printers, and all the hardware and software that relates to our industry. I have been published for over 10 years, and speaking for 12 years.

A.N.: What is your advice on purchasing contact management software? What are the steps?
R.A.: I don't tell them what to buy, only how to choose.

1. Keep in mind that these different softwares are really just homes with different floor plans and different bells and whistles. You wouldn't buy a home without looking at the inside layout and floorplan. Don't buy a software without seeing if you like its "floorplan".
2. Go to your state or national association conventions. Many conventions have a vendor hall with many computer vendors demonstrating their software.
3. Once you have narrowed your choices to 2 or 3 softwares, find 5 agents who are using each software you are looking at. Ask them these 5 magic questions. I have reviewed hundreds of softwares and I still use these questions.
   • Do you like the software?
     Anyone who is truly using a piece of software has an opinion. If they don't, they aren't using the software and move on to the next person.
   • Was it easy to learn?
     Some software is like a bad floor plan and difficult to learn.
   • Do you like the reports and can you change them?
     Some software doesn't allow you to have different reports. If you can't change or have reports written for you, you best like what the software produces.
   • Does the Vendor provide good support?
     While no vendor is perfect, they do have histories that tell a story.
   • Would you buy it again?
     Sometimes an agent won't admit to buying the wrong software. But, by the time you ask this question, you will know if they are answering honestly.
4. DON'T be a FSBO (For Sale By Owner). Don't try and train yourself. If you do I'll call you a FSBO. What do we tell our sellers, hire a professional. The same holds true for training. Hire a consultant or take a class. When you are looking at different software companies, ask them if they offer training or who trains on their product. Everyone I know has bought a piece of software, loaded on their computer and proceed to tell themselves that they will learn the software "some day". Get a jump start, find some training classes and spend the time and money to take the training.
5. Don't just look at price. While price is important to me I am more concerned that the software I choose will work the way I do or that I can easily adapt to the way it works. Remember, bad software doesn't get better with use.
6. If you are not happy with your current contact management software, don't be afraid to get a divorce (from your software). No one stays in one home forever, right. They just make sure they can move their furniture to their new home. The same holds true for contact management software. No one stays with one software forever. Just make sure you can move your data (furniture) to your new software. Always ask your prospective vendor how much of your data can be exported. Some vendors allow very little to be exported.

These are some basic suggestions and tips if you are one of the many agents looking for a contact management software home. Remember to keep common sense in everything you do with a computer. Your job is to list and sell, not input and play solitaire.