No matter what you have been told about the joys of email / video conferencing / virtual meetings etc - majority of all deals in this world are still done, handshake to handshake, face to face, person to person.
A good thing for anybody reading this - whether new to the game or seasoned pro is to make a goal to make new friends and get reacquainted with old ones on a monthly basis.
There is a person behind that email address. A real person behind that fax. Call them up one day for no reason really and take them out for a cup of coffee. You will be surprised on how much goodness will come out of them.
People don't forget others who show kindness to them without asking anything in return.
Real estate investors in any Michigan City can literally leap frog their competitors by using this simple strategy.
Instead of collecting worthless business cards at REIAS meetings - make an effort to collect friendships.
Instead of collecting email addresses by the dozens - go out with your email list to a close by Starbucks and just ask them if they need some help locating a good contractor, a good appraiser, a good property inspector... and then promote your good contacts to them. Everybody will win.
Make a goal for your next seminar - instead of just sitting and absorbing wisdom and writing down shortcuts ADD a goal to also have lunch everyday with a different person instead of eating just with your spouse / business partner AND may be hang back one day to just sit and have a good talk with some other folks who are from close by cities.
The seminar is done at 6:00pm, don't go home yet, chill out and have a beer with somebody you meet today. Home is not going anywhere. Kids are not going anywhere either. Life is going to be there when you get home. But this is an opportunity for you to form good friendships and great bonds with like minded Michigan real estate investors.
Business cards collectors always bore me to death. They are in turn disappointed me in me because I have been without one for over four years now and I doubt that a day is near that I will feel a need to get one printed. But I was always good at collecting relationships that will help me get things done faster and easier in my Michigan real estate investing businesses.
I am going to a wedding next Sunday - I met this guy five years ago and flipped him couple of houses. Guy is still around. Relationship is still around. Friendship is still around. I lost his business card long time ago. He never had mine to begin with.
Go through your drawer tonight and do some fall cleaning - toss all the business cards you have been collecting with a missionary zeal and instead go and get some friendships instead.
You will have a more fun and profitable business at the end of the day in Michigan.
