Then, you have Movie Gallery/Hollywood Video. Let’s be honest, not a whole lot of selection here and the only difference at Movie Gallery was that they carried adult titles (the only video store in Louisville to do so since the demise of Roadrunner Video here in the early 90′s). The closest video store to me was Hollywood and it closed in September 2009. The Movie Gallery down the street charges too much to rent a new release and will soon be on it’s way if it’s not closed already.

Now, enter the world of “movies in the mail”. I have to admit, I have been a Netflix customer for a very long time. I love Netflix. I love that I have 3 blu-rays that all stream Netflix. I love that I get new releases in a very timely manner. I like they have a return center here in Louisville. There are a lot of things to LOVE about Netflix. Now, to be fair, I ran Netflix and Blockbuster online at the same time requesting the same movies. Unfortunately, BB could not deliver the same movies as quickly as Netflix, thus a loyal Netflix customer was born.

And, don’t forget we have one more option that is driving video stores completely out of business! REDBOX!!! People, it’s a dollar a night. Granted, no blu-ray and the selection is not as grand as a video store but it’s a DOLLAR!

So, in closing, I will miss the video stores in general because of my work experience with Blockbuster, Roadrunner Video, West Coast Video, etc. But this was bound to happen. We must adapt and move on.

Here’s how it started….I was in the market for a new tv for the bedroom. I was tired of not being able to watch HD programs in there and had around $1,000 to spend on a new one. I researched for a few weeks and narrowed my selection down to 3 sets. Two were Sony, one was Samsung. After spending more than 2 hours in Best Buy, viewing the sets and asking periodical questions I finally decided on the Sony Bravia VE5, eco friendly model. The price tag – $999.00 with a free blu-ray player of my choice.

I called my husband to tell him which tv I liked best. At this time, we did a quick “price check” on the model and found that Sony.com was selling the exact same model with a free blu-ray for $869.00. Hmmm, $130 less to buy this online. I located the salesperson that was helping me, his name was Alex (the department manager) and asked if he could price match the Sony site so I could have the tv the same day. He said they could not. Now, keep in mind that had Circuit City still been around, they not only would price match any online price but also take 10% more off (I really miss Circuit City).  I then asked Alex would the tv in question happen to be going on sale the next day (Sunday, Jan 24th, 2010) to which he replied no. I decided it was worth the $130 savings so I left the store and bought the tv online.

Now, here comes the good part. The Sunday paper comes out and I look at the Best Buy ad. Which tv do you think was on sale??? Of course, the VE5 was and it was only $849!!!!!! Now their ad did not state you still received a free blu-ray so I took a gamble and talked to the Shelbyville Road store in Louisville. I let a message for someone to call me back about that particular tv and blu-ray combo. Megan calls back. I asked her if the blu-ray combo (free) was still going on with that particular model tv. She told me no it was not. I said “are you sure?” and she said yes we don’t have any specials like that going on.

I decided to let it go and just leave my order placed with Sony and wait for it to be delivered. Then, it started to bug me. I was sure the free blu-ray was available on that model and two others until February 6th. So, I got in my car and drove to the Outer Loop location to check the “prom0″. Sure enough, not only was the tv discounted but it DID include the free blu-ray and I could have saved even more money and not have to wait for the tv.

I felt that Best Buy did not meet my needs. Any great department manager would know that if someone is going to go online and they have an opportunity for a sale, by just telling someone to wait ONE DAY they should do it.

I did not feel valued at Best Buy, therefore I will no longer shop there. Both locations DID NOT take care of the potential customer and therefore, have lost me for good.

Just my two cents, but if you’ve had a similar experience with a Best Buy store, please feel free to post it here.

Have a great day!

I love the holidays. Not so much because my husband buys me awesome gifts (he doesn’t) but mostly because I like to find unique things for people and quite honestly, I could afford some great stuff for my boys this year so I can’t wait to see their faces on Christmas morning.  I love the cooking aspect. I love to cook (hate to clean). Can’t wait to eat some great food next week!

I also hurt this time of year. I lost my grandmother last year and holidays are hard without her. I am the oldest grandchild so I guess I should be happy I had the most holidays with her but I still want her back.  Also, my nephew just left for his third tour of Iraq and I’m worried about him as well.

So, for a short blog this time I just want to say Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah or however you choose to celebrate.

Live life! Love life! Be brave and never be afraid to admit your wrong or to say I LOVE YOU!

Enter the pay per lead models. You pay for a lead when you receive it. But, what qualifies as a lead? Not all companies are the same. As I sit in every Friday for the Aptchat tweetchat I am learning A LOT! There is an amazing amount of information on these chats. I have learned that one company counts a phone lead after 8 seconds. Yes, I wrote that correctly, 8 seconds and I questioned it that day too and this company stuck to that fact that a connected call lasting more than 8 seconds is a lead. While I don’t agree with it, it is their model. Another company counts a phone lead after 50 seconds. Sounds a little more reasonable right? I believe it could start as soon as 40 seconds but hey, 50 seconds it still better than 8 seconds.

So, let’s think about the cost associated with subscription models (flat rate per month regardless of results) and the pay per lead model (only pay for what you get) and see which one better suits your business. If you pay $750 per month to be in a major print publication, who in your office is asking “everytime” the phone rings, where did you find us? If they aren’t asking, you are wasting your money. On the other hand, if you use a pay per lead model, the report you get at the end of the month with trackable phone numbers elminates the worry of asking “where did you find us”. You know where they found you. I believe some subscription services offer a trackable phone number on their print ads but not sure how the data is delivered to you at month end.

On one hand, if you use a subscription service you just worry about the flat rate fee and can say “my job is done, I advertised”.  But, if you want to get more bang for you buck, you need to realize that the subscription services are a dying breed, just like local newspapers and you will have to get with more current advertising. Consumers like the web. It’s fast, easy, friendly and you can find anything you want with very little searching knowledge. Newspapers and subscription models are becoming a thing of the past. Marketing managers want concrete results. They want to focus on target demographics. The average renter is between 18-34 years of age. Please tell me how many 18-24 year olds you know that sit down and read a newspaper. They don’t! It’s online for free, that’s where they read it.

So in closing, it’s your choice where to spend your marketing dollars. But…. wouldn’t you want to spend your marketing dollars where you get trackable results? The answer is yes and your answer should be “online” using pay per lead models. Only pay for what you get!

P.S. Don’t forget, you can email questions to me directly at stacie@rentwiki.com or to twitter www.twitter.com/staciewiki

A “legit lead model” is quite different. This model requires that all leads be reviewed, (ALL LEADS) before a client is charged. This eliminates the junk leads, duplicates, etc and the client only pays for a legit lead.

So, if you are using a service that charges you per lead, but not per legit lead, what are you really getting? If the same customer calls Complex A five times asking different questions should that be five leads? Should you be charged five times for speaking with the same person? Rentwiki doesn’t believe so and neither do I.

For years I sold subcription models. Flat rate monthly bills that may or may not have produced any results for my clients. And if you aren’t producing results, why are they going to keep paying you? The answer is, after awhile they are not.

I find the the legit lead model interesting as you only pay for what you get. If you don’t receive a lead, your properties were still receiving exposure but at no cost to you. How could anyone pass this up?

So, how much is a lead really worth to you? $10 dollars, $15 dollars, $50 dollars???? And how are leads defined? Well, for that answer you’ll need to send me an email and we’ll talk. Can’t give away all my secrets here. Drop me a line to stacie@rentwiki.com and let’s chat.

Have a successful July filling those vacancies and use Rentwiki.com  to advertise your apartment communities.

In 2007, Rentalhouses.com was sold to Primedia, or Consumer Source or whatever name they were using at the time. Our Louisville office remained open and we made the best of it. There was always a possibility that we would close.  As of this posting, that office is still open.

I put in 4 years until March 31st of this year and chose to move on to another venture that I LOVE! Thus, my adventure with Rentwiki.com has now begun. My passion for years has been in building client relationships. That is what I do now. Why am I so successful? Read on to find out.

1. You must be a trustworthy person. Even over the phone, people can tell if you are real or fake. I always believe you should tell the truth even if the truth isn’t the most favorable for you. Honesty gets you everywhere.

2. Value every client you sign on. Value the client with one property as much as the client with 100 properties. Why? Every client is important. That client with one property could refer you to a friend with 100 properties. Treat each and every client as if they are your only client. Build that trust and sustain that relationship.

3. Send Thank You notes. Are you sending “thank you” notes? If not, why not. I send “thank you” notes when a client signs on with me. I send “thank you” notes even if they don’t. If they took the time to listen to what I had to say, I want them to know I appreciate it.

4. Follow up is crucial. Do you follow up with your clients at least once per month? If not, you better get on it. Truth be told, if you don’t take care of your clients someone else will. Call to just check in. You don’t have to make every call a sales call.

5. Ask your clients for referrals. If you are doing your best they will refer you to others. If you aren’t, you need to know you aren’t doing your best and get busy improving.

Email me if you have any questions. I want everyone to be a successful Account Executive. It makes your job feel less like work and more like a passion.  “If you do something you love, you will never work another day in your life”. Can’t remember who said it, but it was a genius statement. Try and see how it works for you.

Good luck!

This is 2009! You have to be internet savvy if you plan to use the internet to locate a place to live. Here are some tips to help you in your search:

1. Use a Property Management company. This will insure you that you have someone reputable showing you the place, taking care of maintenance needs, collecting your rent and sending it to the correct owner, etc. This is the BEST place to start.

2. If you can’t use a PM company, you must do your research. If you use Craigslist, you need to be extra careful. Unfortunately it’s the easiest way for a scammer to take your money. I use Craiglist to sell items that I no longer want, but you still have to be careful when dealing with property. While they do have fraud warnings on the site, your gut instinct should also help you decide.

3. Never ever agree to wire money to see an apartment or to pick up keys. A reputable landlord will never ask for this.

4. Never sign for an apartment or house you haven’t seen. Send a relative or friend to view it for you. Ask for the landlords information such as where do they live, what is their phone number, how long have they been renting property, etc.

5. Use the power of the internet to your advantage. Google the name, address or phone number of the person you are dealing with. See if they come back with any red flags.

6. Google the address of the property you wish to move in to. If the address comes back listed with another agent or on a site for sale. Run, don’t walk away from the deal.

7. The “overseas or out of country excuse” is one of the most well known excuses to not meet you in person. If they were that concerned about the property, they would place it in the hands of a reputable Property management company. This is a definite red flag.

I hope this helps everyone in their search for the next best place to live. Feel free to comment or let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Don’t forget to search Rentwiki.com for your next apartment rental.

NAA is coming up this week but unfortunately my super fear of flying is leaving me grounded for this trip. I just didn’t think I could make a 5+ hour flight that wouldn’t leave me ill the entire trip. However, next year, if it’s East Coast or even Central time, I’m in!

So folks, have a great time this week. Looking forward to hearing all about it on Facebook and Twitter (where I spend about 8 hours a day). More coming soon.

http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/rentwiki-com-social-rental-search