I have noticed that many cities have only a few members in the Active Rain Network. My particular city has a total of 6 members including myself, 3 of which I have invited to join.
Some times I feel like I'm walking alone in The Rain in my area. I have invited nearly all the area Real Estate Professionals to join this great site with not much luck.
So I ask what are we really doing here in the Rain?
My take, of course we all want to build our business presence, I feel that's #1 on most members list. Admit it or not, it was most of goals when we joined. But the awesome part of getting wet in The Rain is the extended Family that develops.
The comradery of Professional to Professional knowledge sharing, friendship growth and the pure fact of learning to be the best we can be through the great membership base Active Rain radiates is second to none.
I don't write much about our business, is that good or bad? Not sure yet. I feel that sharing ones true self with the world is much more rewarding. Family, friends, respect and truth still out weighs a large bank account, although we all need that side to get us through from day to day.
So Really what are we doing here?
We are charting a new course in Real Estate history. One that is sweeping the Real Estate Profession much like the early years of the cell phone or Internet. The current members on The Rain will be the pioneers of Networking when the rest of the Real Estate world wakes up and jumps on the train. By then, newbies will be seasoned bloggers. We all started at the point of newbyism. (New word, grin). Even the top bloggers sat down and placed their fingers on the key board one day, pushed the first key to start their blogging history. The process is much like learning to ride a bike. Newbies, your first post may not get 10 comments, oh well! You are learning to peddle. Peddle yourself by combining a little about your business, your life, your area, your family and friends.
Life in general is much like a race. By being involved and getting your feet wet in The Rain, you will be the leader in your area.
It's not the points, (that's a score card) but what you do with this great tool that will help you reach the winners circle.
Be positive, leave the umbrella behind and enjoy The Rain drops on your head!
Have a great day in The Rain,
Duane
I would like to invite you to join the ThemThem Group where members practice the "5-P" approach of "Positive People Providing Positive Posts" to others! Here its not about you, it's about "Them"!
Happy 4 month anniversary to the 940 members of the Group, WTG!
Non-members, Please join us in the Active Rain Network.
Duane - This is a terrific and upbeat post, but I wouldn't have expected anything different from you. Incidentally, I would love it if you would share a photo of yourself here sometime. I am flagging this post for featuring.
Duane, this is a great summation of what I have found in the Rain. We all want to develop our businesses and take them to a higher level. The bonus is the help, encouragement, and fun that has come along with my involvement. At first, I was excited to find a place where I could learn so much from people who were so willing to share. Sharing in real estate? Who would have thought!
Then, the bonus kicked in. I found friends with whom I have laughed AND cried. I have found people who could relate to a work or personal situation, and just BE there for me. I have found myself reaching out to be there for them. Who knew that this priceless bonus came along with the Rain? I had no idea what I was in for that first day I signed on.
I'm glad to see that you posted this to the Newbie Group. That's where I got my first help. Newbies -- jump in and hold on -- it's a great ride!
I am on Active Rain so I can learn and keep my blogging going. Its fun to.
Wow Duane the group is growing big! Congrats! Nice post too!
Great post Duane and it's interesting that more people don't join. I've invited a few to join and talked to many about AR but for some reason they apparently don't see the value in it. In our business we strive to set ourselves apart from the rest and we often accomplish this by offering value in what we say and do. If 80% of home buyers start there search on-line you'd think more agents would connect with the value of AR, SEO and on-line presence wouldn't you?
Duane, Remember you can lead ahorse to water but you cannot make him drink. A reason that more people haven't joined is because they don't see the WIIFM What's In It For Me. One way you could help is to invite them to coffee. Bring your laptop and show them how easy it is to find you thru Google. When they ask how did you get there,you can share Active Rain with them.
Duane, What started out as a "business" site to me has come to be a site that I really enjoy! I'm here for both but I don't see it as work because I enjoy it. And I enjoy very much the Them-Them group to pay it forward.
Duane, I like spending time in the Rain because I get to know a little bit more about my "chosen friends" that I am building here.
Awesome Post Duane - and congrats on your accomplishments to mentor and grow this group.
only 4 or 5 of over a dozen have taken our many invitations to join AR - but then they also laughed about getting a website in 1999 when we got ours ( but now they all have one:) They give us funny looks when we mention BLOGGING LOL
I think it's resistance to learning or changing or growing? not sure why?
Anyway - we appreciate you.
Sincerely,Grace
Hey Duane ~ That is pretty much it in a nutshell. We are all striving to survive and thrive.
Morning Duane,
Great post, thanks for taking the time. I too have invited many Realtors and Brokers to join Rain. There are 9 memners from our area, 7 of which are inactive, so to speak. I tried, you tried, we tried. That's all anyone could ask.
Have a great day.
Congratulations on the fourth month anniversary!
Great post Duane. Different strokes for different folks is what I attribute it to. Just as l don't want to do cold calling EVER I understand that some do very well with the technique. I love to write so blogging works for me. The bonus is all the great people I have met. Keep inviting people and there will be a few who accept but do nothing, a few who will post only ads, and one or two who will get from it what you do.
thanks for the great post. I love the five Ps of the Themthem group.
Duane - there are 51 people from my town and 52 from the county who are members here. Only 2 of us post regularly (that's why we dropped of the list of featured cities in Georgia).
I have invited others, but, no joiners yet.
Thanks for starting Them-Them and sharing the 5P's.
Jason, sorry for the delay in responding, I just returned from my son's wedding, was a busy weekend.
Thank you for your kind words. I do have a photo posted in my profile, not the guy holding his head in frustration, although I feel that way some time. LOL. It's the one with my bride.
I see you are nearing the top comment status on your post, yeehaa.
Thanks for stopping by,
Duane
Elaine, well said, I feel exactly the same. Thank you for your kind words.
I figured by posting to the Newbie's Group, we could get everyone on the same page out of the chute.
Thank you so much for stopping by and your kind e-mail.
Have a great day in The Rain,
Duane
Chuck, you have the right idea for being in The Rain!
Thanks and best of luck in your continued drive.
Duane
Jeremy, thanks for stopping by and commenting. "Our" Group is growing well with so many positive AR Family members. Glad you are one of them.
Duane
Bob, it floors me to that so many are missing this great opportunity. I found Real Estate Professionals are a tougher sale then home buyers. Wonder why that would be?
Shaun, great point! That's how I have convinced many of the members I signed up by sitting face to face with them. I does help. Thanks for sharing this great tip.
Duane
Carole, I started out the same as you. I to have come to enjoy "our work" place here in The Rain.
Bob, found the same to be true on my end. My online friendships (associates) have expanded well beyond what I would have ever guessed.
Thanks for your comment and stopping by,
Duane
Grace, you nailed it with your comment of "resistance to learning or changing or growing". Isn't it funny how something has to take off and get sky high before others jump on the band wagon, then wonder why they are behind the eight ball of the process. Hopefully, they all come to their senses.
Thanks for stopping by,
Duane
Stephen, I think (if we are business driven) that the reason we are all here is to "develop and grow our business." But inturn I feel that as we spend more time in The Rain we all find how valuable it is to share our true self as opposed to our business side. Just seems more human.
Duane - Thanks for pointing that out. You look like a nice guy, and you are! You also look to be tall.
Hey Duane -- excellent talking points! I flagged this post and hope they will feature it eventually. Your observations are right on the money. Regards, C.
I like the exchange, information, blogging and networking
Doug, well said, short and sweet to the point, good input.
What a post! You are so talented and a wonderful contributor to this network community! Thanks Duane, keep up the fantastic job you're doing here. I have been watching you just grow like a flower in the rain. Simply AWESOME!! :-) Thanks for starting the ThemThem group too, what a selfless act to recognize others. You ROCK!
Hal, it is frustarting, but I guess as Shaun said, we can't lead a horse to the AR watering hole at this point.
Duane, I do agree with that totally... this "being human idea" (I do not know how thought of that, but they deserve a smiley face sticker) is what has kept me coming back here so much and made it, still a place I know I can come to learn and be inspired.
Hi Duane--great post! and I agree with Jason-- it would be nice to see who we are communitcating with!
By the way, thanks for all your help.....still trying to get throught my emails.
Paddy, I agree, we have found the secret, now we just have to be the spoke person for how great this site is. I found the same to be true with members that I have signed on as well. Sign on, then do nohing with it, and they wonder why it isn't working for them, duh!!!!
Gita, thanks for stopping by. I would have never guessed our Group would have taken off like it has. The word was how non-positive this profession is, guess we proved that theory wrong. Glad you are part of the Group.
Mike, first off, I'm glad you are part of the ThemThem Group, your positivity shines through.
I have found the same with non-active members in the area, not sure how we kick start them to show the value they are missing in The Rain.
Jason, 6-2 to be exact, would have been much taller has I not lost the hair.
C (Carolyn), thank you for the flag. I've never had a featured post after all of these, so I wrote it off to my rookieness (is that a word, LOL, it is now). Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Have a great day in The Rain,
Duane
Steven, I totally agree with you. There are so many interesting, talented members here in The Rain that are willing to sharing to make us better.
Brad, WOW, thank you for the kind words. I usually go comment by comment when I respond, then pay it forward with a comment on their post so it takes some time to get through them. You made my day. I've been SO glad to find this great site, and will continue Raining the praises to others.
I'm glad you are part of the ThemThem Group, what a positive group we have!
Thanks again my brother from another mother,
Duane
Stephen, it does have a way of pulling us back to The Rain. Glad you feel the same way.
I think alot of real estate professionals haven't been able to really see the benefits yet and we have to take the time to show them. I haven't held back and so far have invited 19 people that have actually joined but I think they got frusterated with not seein immediate results.
Matthew, the points do help the goal driven individual that wants to move forward, keep score. I'm guessing most of us do watch peek at them daily occasionally.
Duane - I as well have invited several to join, no takers yet. We are in a rural area and seemingly somewhat behind the times. When I joined the Rain I knew not how to blog but i've read, and at the end of the day, read more. My outside blog is doing well and i am enjoying it. Much of what I learned, I learned here. A big thank you to one and all. Cheers!
Aida, thanks for stopping by. If you visit my profile page there is a photo of Joyce and I (Joyce is the blond, I'm the bald one, grin) You are welcome for the help, glad I could be of assistance. Don't be afraid to ask if you have any other questions.
Naoma, good point of the frustration, the result of The Rain grows each day with what they (we) put into it. Much like our businesses.
Heather, found the same to true on my end as well. Just have to dive in with both feet and give it a shot. Glad it's working well for you too.
Have a great day in The Rain,
Duane
Hey Duane, if you don't have a photo for Jason, you can use one of mine!!
Mike, LOL, we will wait for Jasons response, grin. Lat one I seen, he was at a type writer...
Wow, this is really an uplifting post. I love the concept of the five "P's". Makes me glad I am a member.
Laura, I'm glad you stopped by. You are a great addition to the 5P's, glad you are part of the ThemThem Group.
Have a Happy 4th!
Duane