We have a lot of posts about how to take advantage of Craigslist on our site and feel that they are pretty helpful, but I just found a video series that lines up all the content in one place with tips we never talked about and most importantly, doesn’t shove a sales pitch down your throat the entire time.  They managed to make a 7 part “Craigslist Biggest Mistakes” video series educational and if you are in the Craigslist game or want to be,  I think you will benefit from watching it.

Of course no one makes a video series out of the goodness of their heart (well, except for Tech Savvy Agent ) and they do have a pitch for their product, but it doesn’t appear until all the way at the end of the video.  I almost felt like I had to watch the pitch because they won me over with some good content ahead of time- I am a sucker for a well done seminar.  I personally have no experience with their product, but it sounds interesting and it’s free to try with no credit card.  Maybe someone that uses it or has used it could provide some feedback in the comments below.  Nonetheless, I am still recommending the series.

I have NO connections with this company – read kickbacks, spiffs or any external motivation of any kind – I just like to spread good content.

I got in touch with the guys to give me a paragraph or so about their video series on Craigslist.

We created this Video Series to help shorten the learning curve of those who might be using Craigslist for the first time, and also for those that are using Craigslist but realize it isn’t producing the kind of results they would like. We have been using Craigslist on a daily basis for over 3 years, have posted tens of thousands of ads and have seen it all through countless postings, blood, sweat and tears. Craigslist IS a great source of leads, but it can also be very frustrating to deal with! It is our hope that these videos can be of service in learning what works and what doesn’t on Craigslist, resulting in a steady flow of leads for those that use it. 

We’ve also created a tool that employs these techniques shown in the videos – and you will be invited to sign up for a free trial of the tool at the conclusion of the video series. Whether you sign up for a trial of our tool or not, we do hope this video series can assist you in becoming more effective with the use of Craigslist to obtain new leads!

 Yates, Kevin, Tom – The AdMakerTool Team

If you want to jump into the Craigslist ocean or are already drowning in it, give it a shot!

FREE VIDEO SERIES, 7 BIGGEST CRAIGSLIST MISTAKES

When planning your travel and training budget for next year, try to take into account a few the following options.  I won’t touch on your particular brand conferences or NAR, which are also great options, but rather talk about 3 great non brand specific options out there, and best of all, at some point through out the year they are likely to be with in driving distance from your office.

1. Inman’s Agent Reboot – As I said, I had the pleasure of seeing this for about the 3rd time this year this past week in Columbus OH. The reboot tour does a great job of traveling across the country and making the information they provide accessible to just about everyone as they will more than likely end up in a place that is a one day trip away.  Reboot, is MC’ed by the former Tech Savvy Agent himself Mr. Chris Smith so you know they are bringing value.  This week’s even covered such topics as Online Reputation Management, Video, Mobile, Web, Lead Capture, A/B Testing and much more  (check out #agentrb on twitter to see the stream from this past week, so much great info to share I left with blisters from tweeting so much). I think one of the best things about Reboot is the quality of speaker and the level of expertise they provide.  Speakers this week included: Chris Smith (Inman News), Darin Persinger (Productivity Junkies), The main TSA Man Mr. Steve Pacinelli, Sherry Chris (Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate), Sean Carpenter (@seancarp on Twitter and The Realtors Toolbox Blog) and many more.  Agent Reboot is a great choice if you want to learn whats working across the country and hear from some of the best in the industry for a very affordable price.  Tickets to the event in Columbus were $49.

2. Xplode Conference – What makes Xplode really cool and unique to other traveling tech shows is the fact that they partner with local vendors, MLS’s, and Associations as well as speakers on a national and international level.  This really adds a unique local feel while still receiving top notch content from national speakers.  I was fortunate enough to attend Xplode this year in Washington DC and outside of the traffic jam on my way to the airport it was great.  They even offer a VIP pass which gives you prime seating, electric and premium high-speed  internet so you can easily digitally capture and even implement some of the strategies that were discussed before you even leave the event!  If you ever have the chance to attend an explode event, I would encourage you to do so.

3. Max Pigman & Tech Savvy Agent - Did you know that Tech Savvy Agent aka Steve Pacinelli has his own event in addition to appearances on other major national stages.  Well now you do! The folks as Move Inc. have a traveling tech event anchored by National Speaker Max Pigman in the morning and Steve covering the afternoon.  Having helped design some of the content for these shows in the past, I can tell you the quality is top notch.  The difference maker for the “Real Estate Series” events is that a lot of the content is live, no powerpoint!  That’s right, there are step by step live instructions for the strategies discussed and they are FREE to attend. Free? Yes Free. The events are usually co-sponsored by Top Producer and Realtor.com and as such there is no cost to attend. Generally before each break the sponsors will take 5 minutes to feature a product.  Now I know what you’re thinking, this is probably one of those timeshare deals with a hard core sales pitch. Negative. The sales guys do a nice job of showing you how their products can help augment some of the great new tech you have learned throughout the day and you are free to take them up on the offer or pass.

So now that you have a better feel for whats out there, take advantage. Head out to the sites (linked in this post) and find the next show in your part of the world.  If you have been to one of these shows please leave your comments below.

In closing, I have one piece of advice for you tech training novices: Commit to implementing 3 things after the show.  You will undoubtedly learn more than 10 things that will help your business at each one of these shows, however implementation is key! Pick the 3 best and go for it. By choosing only a few, you will increase your chances of success exponentially.

Guest post by Greg Grospitch. Follow Greg on twitter @greggrospitch

As someone who has spent the last 2 years training Realtors on the best ways to leverage Top Producer 8i to help grow their business I can honestly say this is the best set of new features that I have seen.  We are always looking for meaningful conversations with our clients and sphere of influence and what better way to accomplish that than by them updating their contact record with what is going on in their personal life!  In the past we relied on ourselves to add notes but now with the new Facebook integration into 8i your clients that are your friends in Facebook will be adding notes for you.  I hope you enjoy this quick how to video on the new feature and as always be sure to leave a comment or question on our Facebook page.