Wouldn't it be terrific if you could get together for an hour or so every few weeks with a group of top sales associates from around the country, sales associates who, like you, want to increase their effectiveness in using technology to capture market share? You can, and at no cost to you!

America Online provides a free software download called AOL Instant Messenger, and you do not have to be an AOL subscriber to use it. It allows you to set up “chat groups,” groups of other “IM” users who use the program at the same time to communicate with each other by typing in messages. The others in the group almost instantaneously see each message as it's typed.

You can download it by going to www.aol.com and clicking on the AOL Instant Messenger button. Once you have it installed, you can invite others to join your IM group, in this case top agents you meet at various real estate conventions and meetings. Each member activates Instant Messenger at a predetermined time, and the group begins sharing ideas.

Use some of the following tips for getting the most out of your Instant Messenger networking group:

• Try not to get “Tech Heads” as the core of your group. These are folks who know everything there is about technology but who don't list and sell much. They'll only confuse you with worthless knowledge! Select as group members those who do a lot of business, who actively use today's technology and who attend a number of real estate conventions and meetings. In other words, network with those who keep up on what's happening with technology in our industry and who use it to list and sell more.
• Choose members from outside of your area. See someone from another state with a good web site? Invite him or her to join your group.
• Decide on a meeting schedule. You might want to get together once a month, once every three weeks, etc.
• Set a day and time convenient to all group members.
• Appoint a different group moderator for each session. Have the moderator pick a different topic for each session. You might have one IM meeting on listing presentations, the next on using multimedia effectively, the next on the tech tools you find useful, etc.

Does the above idea work? One agent I know joined an IM chat group a few years ago. She was from Kansas, and she picked up one idea on marketing presentations from a group member in Atlanta. She estimates that the one idea she gained has earned her an additional $30,000 a year over the past three years! So…download AOL's Instant Messenger today, form your networking group, and get those discussions started!

Published: February 24, 2001

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Allen F. Hainge is a nationally known real estate technology speaker and author with a difference: he builds his seminars and articles around concrete, practical experiences he learns from his CyberStars(tm), a group of top agents nationwide who use today's technology to dominate their marketplace. He is the author of "Dominate! Capturing Your Market With Today's Technology." Allen's seminar schedule and offerings may be found www.afhseminars.com. Subscribe to Allen's Newsletter by Clicking Here