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Reading Room Articles
Like the parents of many young adults in the eighties, when friends asked my folks what I was up to, they'd optimistically say "she's doing something with computers" -- but what, exactly, they weren't too sure. Every now and then I'd catch Mom quietly saying, "One day, I'm going to have to figure out this computer thing." Years later, we were watching television when a web site address came up on the screen. Mom quietly leaned over and whispered "What are all of these dot coms about?" She didn't want anybody else in the room to know that she wasn't privy to what everybody else on the planet had obviously already figured out. The darn dot coms were sprouting up everywhere from TV to the washing instructions on Dad's boxers, and though she was embarrassed to still be totally mystified by them, they'd finally invaded her life to the point that she just had to come right out and ask. Mom is an extremely intelligent woman, but she hasn't had the need to use a computer, much less one that's plugged into the mysterious Internet - and neither have many of you. Lots of Property Management Companies now have headquarters offices that are fully online, and a few can even boast sites on the World Wide Web and online computers in their leasing centers; but plenty of them aren't even automated to the extent that they can be, much less online. That puts many of us a little behind the global technology curve. If we even have computers in our leasing centers at all, chances are that they're not connected to the Internet - yet. I make a point of saying "yet", because let's face it. The Internet certainly doesn't seem to be going anywhere but forward, and chances are very good that if it's not a part of your working life yet, it will be one day. If that's scary news for you, please know that it doesn't have to be. We're going to use some pretty simplistic terms here, and we're also going to toss in just enough tecchie lingo to debunk some of the mystery. The ultimate goal is that by the end of the article, you'll have a better idea of what the Internet is, how it functions, and what it might be able to offer you. I hope you'll also know that the Internet isn't really as complicated a creature as you might think. With little more than hunt-and-peck typing skills, just a little understanding of what the Net includes, and the ability to roll a mouse across a pad, you can have access to the world at your fingertips. Need more proof? A little more than two years ago, I logged on to the world wide web for the very first time; and became an accomplished web surfer within a matter of days. Okay, so you know that I was an experienced computer user to begin with, so you might not be so impressed. Tami, on the other hand, finally decided to put her computer to use only a little over a year ago, and within months became one of the most proficient Internet users that I know. Now several hundred miles apart, we conduct much of our business together, including writing and editing Sales & Marketing Magic and planning The Annual Multifamily Housing Brainstorming Sessions™, almost exclusively via the Internet. She likes to say that if she can do it, anybody can… and though she is undoubtedly an extraordinary individual, I have to agree. What is the Internet, anyway? The Internet began as a government contingency plan to protect its valuable stores of information in the event of a crisis. The idea was for a few major computer systems, in different cities, to be able to share information. If something happened to one system, the others would be able to fill in and take its place. It soon became evident that this new kind of connectivity could be useful as more than just a contingency plan. Universities began using it to share information, and eventually corporate entities, and ultimately individuals. As use of this new networking technology grew, so did the amount of shared information that was available. Granted, this is a pretty simplistic version of the story, but you get the general idea. Today, Internet access is available to virtually everyone who has at least a modestly sophisticated personal computer system with a modem (a small device, usually built in to a computer, that enables electronic communication between computers), and a telephone line. A variety of ISPs (Internet Service Providers) offer the software that you need to "log on" to the internet and use the information that it provides, for a modest monthly fee. The major ISPs, whom we see advertised regularly, include AOL (America OnLine), Prodigy, NetCom, Microsoft Network (MSN), and others. Access can also be provided at a local level, by the thousands of smaller ISPs whom you'll typically find advertised in your newspaper, yellow pages, or simply by word-of-mouth. What's The Internet Good For? The Internet offers a variety of features, the most popular of which include e-mail, chat, news groups, and the World Wide Web. Most of us are familiar with the e-mail concept, so I won't belabor the point. Basically, a message from one Internet user is sent to another, from computer to computer. Often, other useable information is attached to the message (called an "upload"), in the form of a computer file that the recipient can "download" and use. There are chat forums, where people log on to share areas on a specific subject (sort of like a computer conference call). Each person communicates with the group by typing in a message, then submitting it to the forum, where it appears on the screen so that everyone else who's participating can read it and respond to it. It's a bit of a tumultuous experience, as you can imagine it would be when dozens of people are communicating with each other - but it's also great fun and a cool way to share ideas. There are news groups, best described as a combination of e-mail and chat. Rather than chatting live on a specific subject, participants prepare messages that are of interest to other members, and post them so that they can be read and replied to. News groups exist for literally tens of thousands of specific subjects (from commonplace to extremely controversial). News group postings can be read by virtually anyone online, but to participate in the conversation, members often choose to "subscribe" to the group so that postings become a part of their normal flow of e-mail traffic. The World Wide Web is the part of the Internet where individuals or organizations post customized bodies of information, called "sites", each of which is composed of "pages." Web sites are accessed via a component of your Internet software called a "browser", which allows you to navigate from site to site, and page to page. Each web site is very much like a magazine, with thematically organized information and illustrations - but a web site can also include animation, sound, and video. The first page of the site, the one that you'll see first when you enter it, is called the "home page." Certain areas of each page are designated as "hyperlinks", which means that moving your cursor to that place on the page and clicking the left mouse button will lead you to another page of information. The places on the web that you visit, or "surf", are stored temporarily in your computer's "cache", allowing you to use your browser to navigate forward and backward among them, much like turning the pages of a magazine. Okay, so what about the dot coms? What's a URL? You've been practically inundated by them for a couple of years now, and you might not even know it! For the as-yet uninitiated, URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, and it's the official name for those "http://www.whatever.com" web site addresses that are cropping up on everything from television ads to cereal boxes these days. In plain terms, the URL is the address that you type into your browser to reach a web site. The anatomy of most URLs is really pretty simple. As an example, let's look at the URL for one of my favorite sites, the Naked Dancing Llama Home Page, at http://www.frolic.com (yes, I'm easily amused -- and the subject Llama is indeed an animal, not an unclothed and cavorting Tibetan Buddhist Rinpoche, so get your mind out of the gutter): http:// -- stands for hyper-text transfer protocol, which is the language that the web uses to transmit information. www -- stands for world wide web… in effect, http://www simply tells your computer, and the Internet, that you'd like to access something on the web. .frolic -- is this site's "domain name", or the name assigned to its place on the web. The domain name is typically the name of a company or organization or other memorable word. In this case, it's what the Naked Dancing Llama most likes to do. .com -- Okay, so finally we get to the "dot com" part. The dots simply divide each component of the URL. The "com" identifies the site as belonging to a commercial entity. Most sites on the web are commercial sites. You'll also find .gov, which identifies a government site, and .edu, which identifies a university or other educational institution. An e-mail address is typically composed of a name that identifies an individual recipient, followed by the domain name of the organization to which the mail should be addressed… still more dot coms! Ta Da! You are now officially "in" on some of the most mystifying aspects of the Internet. I'm sure you have many more questions about what the Internet can do for you both personally and professionally. I hope you'll take the opportunity to find out for yourself by establishing an account with the Internet Service Provider of your choice, accessing the 'Net via your home computer, and taking the time to explore - or better yet, getting your leasing center online! The Web offers a wealth of information to help in your leasing efforts. It's also a great way to stay on top of consumer trends. Don't miss the chance to put this dynamic tool to use - increased knowledge is always a competitive edge! 
Maximize your leasing efforts with a little help from the Internet, and have a little fun while you're at it! Here are a few hot URLs and lots of other useful and fun resources from our favorite Internet Expert, Lisa Trosien. For more information on using the Internet as a valuable marketing, research, and training tool for your company, you can reach Lisa at Impact! Marketing & Training by phone: (630) 898-8785, fax: (630) 898-8785, or, naturally, by E-mail to impactmts@aol.com. Leasing Resources imove.com: Give your prospects a detailed moving checklist, complete with boxes to check off and instructions to tape it to the fridge so they don't forget about anything. Just enter their move-in date and imove.com does the rest. http://imove.com The Fair Housing Institute: These two former HUD Attorneys, Terri Kitay and Kathy Coughlin know their stuff and they put it to work for you in a great Fair Housing Site. Excellent articles such as "To I.D. or Not to I.D.?" are timely, well written, and provide terrific staff meeting discussion. Subscribe to their quarterly newsletter or send them a fair housing question. Don't let the long address put you off… the site is worth a visit, and a bookmark: http://www.mindspring.com/%7Efairhous/index.html MapQuest: So they've got their checklist; now, give them a map and detailed directions so they don't get lost on their way back to your community. Hyperlinked from the MoveQuest site, it's just another link in the 'net to becoming the "Virtual Leasing Consultant"™! If you're not sure what a hyperlink is, you can find MapQuest at http://www.mapquest.com Moving Yourself: Do-it-yourself moves save money, but the average prospect probably doesn't even know what size truck to rent, much less how many boxes or furniture blankets to get. Get educated and organized with their tutorials, estimators, timelines and special offers. http://www.homefair.com/homefair/readart.html?art=sp_yourself&dg=diy&NETSCAPE_LIVEWIRE.src=homestore Electronic Newsletters The WashedUpDate: This one is great fun, especially for all of you baby boomers out there. One of my favorite issues was about the one and only Cousin Oliver of the Brady Bunch, who was brought in to buoy sagging ratings in the sitcom's final season. Tales on celebrity sightings are a regular on this weekly newsletter, as are links to related sites and other fun stuff. To subscribe, send an e-mail to: washed-subscribe@mlists.imdb.com Inspire: A daily inspirational quote, covering a wide variety of subjects. A week's worth of quotes can cover subjects including Rewards, Success, Desire, and Trust, to name a few. A sample Inspire quote -- Anger: Anger, if not fully restrained, is more hurtful to us than the act that provoked it. To subscribe, send an e-mail to majordomo@inspire.infoadvn.com. In the message body and subject line, type only: subscribe inspire your_email_address Joke of the Day: You guessed it, a daily e-mail of humor. An excellent way to start a Monday, or any day for that matter. To subscribe, send an e-mail to daily@usa.net, with SUBSCRIBE JOKES in the subject and body of the e-mail. Training and Development: This internationally renowned training e-mail list is THE tool for serious trainers around the world. Recent issues covered such topics as: Subject Matter Experts as Teachers; Falling Into the Folder Trap; Multimedia Tools; Death by PowerPoint; Changing Attitudes Through Training, and Humor in the Classroom. Would-be subscribers beware: the e-mail volume from this list is heavy! To subscribe, send an e-mail to Listserv@lists.psu.edu with Subscribe TRDEV-L in the subject and body of the e-mail. Amazon.com: Okay, so I lied. This is not really a newsletter, but the will notify you of new books in your favorite subject area. All you have to do is register your preferences at the "Largest Bookstore On Earth"… 2.5 million titles available. This user-friendly site even searches by subject matter - better than going to your local bookstore! Online reviews and Oprah's Book Club titles are 40% off everyday. http://www.amazon.com Fabulous Freebies: A great site since it leads to everything FREE! To subscribe, contact the list moderator: theq@telnet.net and ask for subscribing instructions. Inside 1 to 1: Those relationship marketing gurus, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers have put together a terrific web site and weekly newsletter. Go to the web site fist and learn more about these two dynamos who are changing the world of advertising and marketing as we know it. http://www.m1to1.com Training Sites ASTD Home Page: THE starting point for any trainer, the home site for the American Society for Training and Development. http://www.astd.com Bartlett's Quotations: Like starting your sessions with a thought provoking quote? Head for this site where you can find anything anybody famous said at anytime. http://www.cc.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/bartlett Listserves for Fun and Education: The training and development list sound a little too serious for you? Maybe this web site can point you in the direction of something a little bit lighter. http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/index.html Outsourcing: Work Locally, Hire Globally. A training topic for the 90s and beyond. Head for the Outsourcing Institute for all of your questions (and answers) on the issue of outsourcing. http://www.outsourcing.com The Training Supersite: Your One-Stop-Shop for all of your training needs. It's the home of "Training Magazine"… need I say more? http://www.trainingsupersite.com Resources The Tax Credit Library: The "name" in Section 42, Elizabeth Moreland, has her own web site that lives up to her reputation for providing excellent tax credit information. http://www.taxcredit.com Oxbridge Directory of Newsletters: Home of the MediaFinder. Need to find a newsletter? It's probably listed here. http://www.mediafinder.com Fast Company: The hottest new business magazine has a totally hot site. Fully searchable archives, current articles, chat rooms, you name it. http://www.fastcompany.com The Smart Business Supersite: The "How To" site for any business. Enjoy their Hot Tip of the Day, Guest Columnists and some of the best related site links in the business world today. Go there…you'll be glad you did! http://www.smartbiz.com Need a Refresher Course in English Grammar?: Head for the common errors web site at http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/ Publicly Available Mailing Lists: Need a mailing list? You can probably find it here. It's even in alphabetical order to make your search easier. http://paml.net/ NAREIT: The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. Everything you want to know about REITs and then some. Great feature: REIT Watch; see who's buying what. http://www.nareit.com Weather: Travel a lot? Need to know if it's raining in Reno or snowing in Seattle? Head for http://www.rainorshine.com or the weather in 800 cities. Just for Fun Sometimes a little bit of fun makes for a lot of inspiration! Check out… Shoebox Cards: Ever wondered what happens to the cards that are just a little too mean to make it to the card store? Take a look at http://www.shoebox.com Make a Million in the tock Market: Buy low, sell high, and don't risk a dime. That's the idea behind the E Trade Game, where you can practice your stock market savvy with no risk whatsoever. It's a great learning tool, and I only lost 5 million last week. http://www.etrade.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/applogic+Home?gxml=survivor_game.html WebSonar: Tired of debating which move that line came from? Look it up. Websonar will find that phrase in everything from classic literature to educational training videos. It's so cool… you'll wonder how you ever got along without it! http://www.websonar.com Reader's Digest: That venerable old classic is available online, but with mostly useful stuff and not a lot of fluff. It's like having a really smart, nice, handy person on call all the time. http://www.readersdigest.com Good News… and Lots of It: Go to the Positive Press. The product of the Athens Institute seeks to provide you with only the best that life has to offer. What a nice change from the nightly news! http://www.positivepress.com More URL's for Fun and Information! Here are a few more sites to visit, FYI and FYE (for your enjoyment!), courtesy of Tom Gonzales of For Rent Magazine's Internet Marketing team. (We've left out the http:// at the beginning of each URL for convenience… note that many of the latest web browsers will insert it automatically if you type in the rest of the URL from www on).
Special thanks to Lisa Trosien of Impact Marketing & Training for sharing these great resources, and for their guidance and assistance to our Brainstormers at the Annual Multifamily Housing Brainstorming Sessions in Reno. To read more articles from this author please visit www.smmonline.com. The Sales & Marketing Magic Companies, shares more than 20 years of experience in multifamily housing, encompassing leasing, marketing, management, training, authoring, consulting, developing, and Brainstorming! For more information on Sales & Marketing Magic for Apartment Managers; the latest Tools & Forms Catalogue; The Annual Multifamily Housing Brainstorming Sessions™; or to receive top ideas, FREE, via e-mail, please call 727-784-9469 or visit www.SMMOnline.com. |
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