Rosaline Raj is the founding principal of Creative Chaos Communications, a boutique agency in Silicon Valley that helps brands discover, create, optimize and share high quality multimedia content.  Raj first became a Stevie Awards judge in 2012. She now works to create engaging social media content and conversations for the six world-recognized Stevie Award programs. We asked Rosaline to share her insights and experience in judging the Stevie Awards.

Find out more on how to become a judge for the International Business Awards, the world’s premier business awards program, here.

Beyond Inspiration

Rosaline tells us that she first started judging entries for the Stevie Awards  purely for inspiration and to see how big brands and agencies were achieving success amidst the ever-changing communications landscape.  She very quickly learned that this was beyond inspiration. “Judging the awards became a dynamic professional development tool for me. This was the best way for me to gain deep insight into a campaign, project or event from top companies across the world.”

The Content Perspective

We asked Rosaline what role content plays in the entries. “To win an award, not only does the strategy need to be exemplary, but the content needs to break through the chaos. That doesn’t mean creating content for the sake of content. But instead creating high-quality content that is strategic, audience-focused, optimized and has measurable results. The impressive content in the entries - from both big and small brands – have helped build trust and drive awareness, differentiation and preference for their businesses.”

Extraordinary Teams

A winning entry shows how a team’s efforts have positively impacted a business. “I enjoy the stories that illustrate how a great leader creates the vision, builds an extraordinary team and empowers them to deliver exceptional results to their customers. Strong employees definitely build a strong business and it is exciting to see how companies build a successful brand from the inside out.”

Leveling Up the Playing Field

The Stevie Awards programs attracts everyone from the most influential brands to small businesses and non-profit organizations. Time, budget and talent are huge challenges for everyone. “I was particularly impressed with the level of creativity and amazing results from smaller businesses. I loved seeing their ingenuity in overdrive. I think the Stevie Awards level up the playing field and honors remarkable work regardless of company size and budget.”

On Judging Entries

We asked Rosaline on how she judges the entries. “Strategy and results weigh heavily. But I also look at the level of creativity and that extra “something” that takes an entry from great to outstanding.”

The Perks

Judging any awards competition is time-consuming but there are a ton of benefits.  “By judging the Stevie Awards, I have been able to break free from my “comfort zone,” weigh in on the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of projects, benchmark my work against renowned brands in the industry and gain validation that I am on the right track.”

About Rosaline Raj

Rosaline Raj is the founding principal of Creative Chaos Communications and has over 15 years of integrated experience spanning marketing, public relations, employee communications and journalism. She is the editor-in-chief of Contentology, the Creative Chaos monthly publication on all things content and how to grow your business with it. She’s a former board member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC-Silicon Valley) where her work was honored with a Chapter Management Award (2013). She writes a column for the chapter’s monthly publication, The Communicator, which reaches 500 targeted communicators in the San Francisco Bay Area.  

Previously, she worked for Spansion, a global flash memory company in the automotive, industrial, consumer and communications markets. She was recognized in 2010 with the Vice President Spotlight Award.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in politics from San Jose State University.

About Creative Chaos Communications

Creative Chaos Communications is a boutique agency in Silicon Valley that helps brands discover, create, optimize and share high quality multimedia content.  We believe that a holistic approach to communications drives customer value, business growth and leadership. We believe in giving, sharing and teaching to empower entire communities and work with local non-profits to advance their work.  www.creativechaosgroup.com

We have published the full-text of the Gold Stevie Award-winning entries from the 2014 (8th Annual) Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's premier sales awards and customer service awards.

READ THEM HERE.

Here’s a preview of some of the Gold Stevie-winning entries you'll find online now:

Company: Strategy to Revenue, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Category: Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year
Nomination Title: DHL Global Forwarding - Quest for Sales Excellence

Strategy to Revenue (STR) was engaged by DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) in September 2012 to transform the global sales force to become the number one in the logistics industry as part of their 'Good to Great' business strategy.

In order to fully understand the current situation, STR worked in collaboration with the DHL Global Sales Training team to analyze the sales process, existing selling models and concepts used in the field, and identify the gaps to drive high performance...

Company: Kohl's Department Stores - Credit Divison, Menomonee Falls, WI
Category: Contact Center of the Year (Over 100 Seats) - All Other Industries
Nomination Title: The Kohl's Charge Contact CenterThe Kohl's Charge Contact Center

The Kohl’s Charge Contact Center, a 900+ seat environment with four locations, provides Retail & Customer Service and Operational Support to 25+ million Kohl’s Charge Card customers and 1,158 retail store locations. 3 balanced elements define the Kohl’s unique Contact Center Strategy…

Company: PostNet, Denver, CO
Category: Sales Growth Achievement of the Year
Nomination Title: PostNet

PostNet CEO Steve Greenbaum, and co-founder Brian Spindel led PostNet’s re-imagined franchise model from its origins as a mail and parcel store to a full-on Neighborhood Business Center. When consumer sales declined in the recession, PostNet seized an opportunity in a new breed of customers: laid-off workers who decided to go into small business ownership. Validation of this new target customer came from extensive market research and an analysis of the top-performing franchises that were already mainly focused on servicing the needs of small businesses in their communities...

Company: Delta Air Lines, Atlanta, GA
Category: Front-Line Customer Service Professional of the Year
Nomination Title: Rachel Bible, Dallas/Ft. Worth Customer Engagement Specialist

Chris Kyle, a United States Navy SEAL, known as the most lethal sniper in American military history, was tragically shot and killed on February 2, 2013 at a shooting range in Texas. To honor this war veteran, Mr. Greg Marra, known as America’s Sculptor, completed a life-size sculpted image of Chris Kyle and was raising funds to have it transported from Sarasota to Dallas/Ft. Worth, where it would be cast in bronze and eventually presented to Mr. Kyle’s family.

Business partners of Mr. Marra contacted Delta to make flight reservations to attend a ceremony where the statue would be viewed. When Dallas/Ft. Worth Specialist Rachel Bible heard the story, she inquired if Mr. Marra also needed reservations. Rachel offered to conference in Mr. Marra to assist him but was told he wasn’t ready to make his reservation due to lack of funds. Rachel realized quickly that the flight had a limited number of seats left on it, and overwhelmed with compassion for the situation, elected to pay for Mr. Marra’s ticket herself...

Company: Turkish Economy Bank, Istanbul, Turkey
Category: Best Use of Technology in Customer Service
Nomination Title: TEB SME TV

TEB SME TV is the first internet television of the banking sector in Turkey. The objectives are to help development and growth of SMEs in Turkey, to offer suggestions to expand their visions, to share success stories and growing trends in business. It presents these facilities by providing hot news on many topics including marketing & sales, foreign trade, information about industry, R & D incentives, meeting the SME’s needs of information and training focusing on the latest developments...

Company: CGS, New York, NY
Category: Contact Center Leader of the Year
Nomination Title: Tom Walsh, Executive Directory

Tom Walsh is an outstanding call center site director for CGS’s Edison, NJ call center, where he is responsible for the 170 person technical support help desk for a multinational photography and imaging company. Through thick and thin, he manages his people with enthusiasm and care while managing the business with attention to results. He thinks creatively and works within the constraints of a call center operation to constantly re-invent and improve...

Company: FreshBooks, Toronto, ON Canada
Category: Customer Service Management Team of the Year
Nomination Title: FreshBooks Management Team

FreshBooks’ customer service management team consists of Senior Support Manager, Steve Bujouves and Support Managers, Grace Antonio and Tim Chan (lovingly known 'round these parts as Chim).

This past year presented a difficult challenge for the team. To meet the needs of a growing user base, the Support Team needed to double (yes, double!) its size this year to 22 people. The hardest thing to keep intact when growing the team so quickly is ensuring customers *consistently* receive extraordinary experiences every time they contact FreshBooks. The focus for 2013 was consistency...

Entries for the 2015 edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service will open in July.  Join the mailing list now and you'll be emailed the entry kit as soon as it's available.

Globe Telecom in Manila, the Philippines won a Gold Stevie® Award for New Product or Service Introduction of the Year in the marketing awards categories of The 2013 International Business Awards, the world’s only international, all-encompassing business awards program. (Entries to The 2014 International Business Awards and the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are now being accepted.)

GCASH is a mobile money service of G-Xchange, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, one of the leading telecommunications companies in the Philippines. It allows subscribers to convert their money to GCASH (stored automatically in the subscriber’s “GCASH wallet”) and use this to purchase airtime load, send money, and pay their bills—all at the speed of a text message.

Operating as an innovative mobile money service in the Philippines, a traditional, third world nation, is very challenging. To illustrate, a good 80% of Filipinos transact in cash and only 20% actually venture into the convenience of credit and debit cards - for safety (less exposure to fraud), and because Filipinos shun the thought of being in debt.

We asked Paolo Baltao, president of G-Xchange, Inc., what he saw as the biggest challenges to online shopping in The Philippines in 2014.

“Only a small percentage of Filipinos own credit cards which can be used for online shopping,” said Baltao, “while those who do are hindered from shopping from foreign websites (i) because of the hassles and fees required when the package reaches Philippine grounds; and (ii) because not all foreign merchants ship internationally.”

Continued Baltao: “We developed GCASH American Express Virtual Pay to respond to the growing customer preference for online shopping and e-commerce, and to ensure that the product will guarantee security, convenience, and the promise of package delivery straight to the Philippine doorstep.”

Meeting the Challenge

“As GCASH goes deeper into the world of payments, it is constantly faced with the challenge of innovating to fit the consumer’s ever-changing lifestyle,” added Balata. “Winning the Stevie® Award in 2013 provided international recognition of GCASH as one of the world’s best when it comes to product and service innovation. It also strengthened the value proposition of GCASH as the leading mobile money service in the Philippines.”

“We are elated with the global recognition that winning the Stevie® Award has given the brand,” concluded Baltao. “Not only does it add value to our innovation: it also serves as an inspiration to continue to innovate.”

Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards

Baltao is exited by the prospect of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards. “Given the growing number of excellent businesses in the Asia-Pacific region, the Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards couldn’t have come at a better time,” he said. “These Awards will provide an opportunity for more Asia-Pacific players to gain recognition for superb business practices and innovative services.”

Innovation and Security

GCASH American Express® (GCASH Amex) Virtual Pay gives subscribers a virtual account linked to their GCASH wallets. The first of its kind, GCASH Amex Virtual Pay introduces a secure way of shopping from sites that accept American Express as a mode of payment. All subscribers are automatically assigned an American Express card bin linked to the subscriber’s GCASH wallet, and a security code, which they can change anytime for security. As an additional account safety measure, an SMS is sent for every successful transaction made using the service. This way, subscribers are alerted when someone tries to use their accounts.

End-to-End Shopping Experience

Having assured Filipinos that the service is secure, G-Xchange proceeded with developing an end-to-end shopping experience tailored for the Philippine market. A partnership with a reliable freight forwarding company was formed: My Shopping Box (MSB) issued personalized U.S. addresses to all subscribers, enabling Filipinos to have foreign packages delivered straight to their doorsteps at affordable rates.

The Filipino proclivity towards U.S. goods had been dampened somewhat by the extra steps (and fees) they needed to take in order to receive their foreign purchases. Now, MSB settles local duties and delivers the packages that could otherwise only have been acquired by waiting for big brown boxes packed lovingly by any of the 9.5 million overseas Filipino workers—or by purchasing it locally for three times its value.

Outstanding Performance

To date, GCASH Amex Virtual Pay has performed outstandingly and achieved the following results in the first year of its launch:

-        Grew its subscriber base over 200 times in the span of 6 months from 895 subscribers in October 2012, to 195,560 subscribers in April 2013;

-        Enjoyed a 180% increase in the subscriber’s average daily transaction count;

-        100% positive feedback on social networking sites—a first-ever for Globe Telecom in 2012;

-        Second highest ROI contributor to total Globe Telecom’s publicity efforts in 2012.

While still conducting its operations in a conservative local environment, GCASH Amex Virtual Pay is slowly gaining a bigger reach over its market because of the relevance of the service in addressing local concerns. It is, after all, a service built for Filipinos, by Filipinos. Through this, Globe Telecom is able to bridge another gap and connect its subscribers not only to each other, but also to the rest of the world.

Future Innovation

Concludes Baltao: “Seeing the Philippines adapt more and more to technological advancements, especially in the mobile money industry inspires me to constantly offer newer product and service innovations that will all work towards creating a wonderful world for our consumers.

About Paolo Baltao

Paolo Baltao is the President of G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom. GXI pioneered a cardless and cashless mobile commerce service called GCASH. Launched in the Philippines in October 2004, GCASH has over 1 million subscribers today.

Before he became President, Paolo held several positions in GXI, including International Remittance & Banking Business Development Head, Financial and Government Services Segment Head, and OFW & Money Remittance Segment Head. He was responsible for the formulation of the product strategy, management of product portfolio, creation and implementation of business strategies, and acquisition of international and domestic partners.

Prior to working for GXI, Paolo had 13 years of experience in product management and business development in the pharmaceutical, banking and remittance, and telecommunications industries.

About Globe Telecom

Globe Telecom is a leading full service telecommunications company in the Philippines, serving the needs of consumers and businesses across an entire suite of products and services including mobile, fixed, broadband, data connections, internet and managed services.  Its principals are Ayala Corporation and SingTel who are acknowledged industry leaders in the country and in the region. For more information, visit www.globe.com.ph.  Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/talk2Globe and Facebook: http://facebook.com/GlobePH.

We are pleased to share that the acceptance speeches and winner interview clips from the awards gala celebrating the 2014 (8th Annual) Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's premier sales awards and customer service awards, are now available to view on YouTube. The gala took place on February 21 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

• Watch the winner interviews
• Watch the acceptance speeches
• Download the awards dinner program book
• Browse and download photographs of the awards banquet

A complete list of all Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Awards by category is available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

Here are some of the Gold Stevie-winning interviews you'll find online now:

Kohl's Department Stores - Credit Division, Winner of the Gold Stevie® Award for Contact Center of the Year (Over 100 Seats) All Other Industries

 

 

Revana, Winner of the Gold Stevie® Award for Sales Oursourcing Provider of the Year

FreshBooks, Winner of the Gold Stevie® Award for Customer Service Manager of the Year, Customer Service Team of the Year - Business Service Industries, and Customer Service Management Team of the Year - All Other Industries

(mt) Media Temple, Winner of the Gold Stevie® Award for Contact Center Solution - New Version

 

Box, Inc., Winner of the Gold Stevie® Awards for Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year - Technology Industries - Computer Software - 100 or More Employees

 

Awards to Be Presented at the Banquet on February 21 in Las Vegas

More than 430,000 votes were cast in the 2014 People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Customer Service, part of the 8th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top sales awards and customer service awards.

The worldwide public vote was conducted between January 23 and February 14, 2014, with the highest number of votes deciding the winners in 11 industry categories.  The winning organizations are:

• Airlines, Distribution & Transportation: TATA Motors Ltd

• Computer Hardware & Services: Constant Contact

• Computer Software (Up to 100 Employees): CardioVet

• Computer Software (100 or More Employees): Jobvite

• Financial Services: Paycor

• Healthcore and Related Industries: PetRays

• Hospitality, Leisure, & Tourism: Marriott Vacation Club International

• Public Services & Education: Salt Lake County

• Retail: SquareTrade

• Telecommunications: Vonage

• All Other Industries: CardioVet

The crystal people's choice awards will be presented to winners at the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service banquet on Friday, February 21 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tickets for the event are now on sale.  More than 400 executives from around the world will attend.

All organizations honored in the Customer Service Department of the Year categories of this year’s Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service were eligible to be included in voting for the people’s choice awards.

Sponsors and supporters of the 8^th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include the Business TalkRadio Network, Competence Call Center, and ValueSelling Associates.

Julie Thomas is CEO of ValueSelling Associates in Rancho Santa Fe, California, USA, a sponsor of the 2014 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top customer service awards and sales awards.  ValueSelling has associates around the globe, and recently appointed a new associate in China, so Julie is excited by the customer service awards category in the new Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.  (Get your entry kit for this program here.)  Julie recently shared with us some insight on determining the right price of a product or service.

During the objection-handling module of our ValueSelling sales training course, we ask participants: “What is the most common objection?” Nine times out of ten, the objection they get from the customer is: “Your price is too high,” or “You’re too expensive.”

The price objection is guaranteed to come up during most sales cycles. In the current economic environment, no one wants to pay more than necessary for any product or service.  In addition, buyers are more educated than ever before. Choices are plentiful. No one wants to overpay or be taken advantage of. With that said, we don’t need to lower prices to win the business … nor do we need to be afraid of discussing the cost of the products or services we sell.

Price objections are raised because the salesperson hasn’t yet demonstrated enough value for the prospect to feel comfortable in making a purchase.

Price and value are vastly different concepts, however. Price is what is paid for an item at a given time. It’s a short-term conversation. Value is an investment made in exchange for future benefits. Value is a long-term concept.

Does your product or service convey value?
Start by asking yourself these seemingly simple questions:

-What makes your company valuable to a customer?

-What is your unique selling proposition?

-Why should the prospect care?

Often a prospect gets the same pitch from both you and your competitors. Whether it’s great service, 24-hour availability, leading-edge technology, or more than 500 happy clients, they’ve heard it all. The truth is that it doesn’t matter what you think is valuable. What matters is what the customer perceives is valuable.

Once you identify what is valuable to your customer, it will be much easier to lead the prospect toward a buying decision.

Most sales professionals don’t spend nearly enough time to uncover the real value they offer the prospect. Still others don’t know how to articulate the value in a way that presses the customer’s emotional hot buttons.

Get the customer’s perspective
What’s the best way to pinpoint and promote real value? Get the customer perspective. Discover how your customer uses your product or service. Interview them by phone or in person, and find out:

-What do they like about your product or service?

-How does it make their life easier?

-How could your product or service be improved?

-How do they use your product or service?

-What causes them to use your product or service?

-How does it impact their customers?

This gives you a ripe opportunity to listen and be open to what the customer has to say. Even if the comments are less than positive, sometimes the mere fact that you’re listening helps to create a bond with the customer that is long lasting.

Become your own customer 

Believe it or not, some companies don’t even use their own products or services! First-hand experience gives you true empathy for the customer. You wouldn’t buy a car without reading the reviews, visiting various car dealerships, or taking a few for a test drive, would you? Often your product or service requires a much larger investment. So don’t just rely on information from marketing materials to fuel your sales presentations. Shop around, “test drive” the other products and services, and do a side-by-side comparison with the competition.

By being your own customer, you’ll quickly discover what’s so great about your product or service, and you’ll be able to articulate the value proposition more effectively.

Deliver value to your customer
Given that customers are faced with a vast array of decisions, opportunities, and alternatives all competing for limited funds, value matters more than ever before. Your job throughout the sales cycle is to determine the customer’s motivation for buying your product or service, and then articulate that value in such a compelling way that the customer feels comfortable making the decision to buy from you.

When it comes to decision criteria, these are the crucial measurements the customer weighs:

-Is the price worth the investment?

-Is the risk worth the reward?

-Is the effort worth the impact?

Value is in the eye of the customer
Make the effort to gain the customer perspective, passionately articulate your value, and then deliver value over and over again. Doing so will help you reduce the perceived risk, increase the positive impact you deliver, and speed the sales cycle.

For more information and insights on sales and selling, visit the Value Selling Blog.

About Julie Thomas:

Julie Thomas, President and CEO of ValueSelling Associates, is a noted speaker, author, and consultant. In a career spanning more than 24 years, she credits her mastery of the ValueSelling Framework® for her own meteoric rise through the ranks of sales, sales management, and corporate leadership positions.

Julie began her career at Gartner Group. In 1999, she became Vice President of Gartner’s Sales Training for the Americas, which included successfully managing the training of new hires in the ValueSelling process.  In 2003, Julie acquired ValueSelling Associates with the support of ValueSelling CEO and co-founder Lloyd Sappington. Since then, Julie has led the company to become an industry leader in competency- and process-based training for escalating sales performance.

Julie is a sought-after speaker at industry events such as the Selling Power Sales Leadership Conferences. She is a guest lecturer at both Babson University and the University of Michigan. In addition, Julie is on the advisory board of the eWomenNetwork Foundation Advisory Council and is heavily involved in her local public schools as well as the San Diego Children’s Hospital Auxiliary.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

About ValueSelling Associates

ValueSelling Associates, based in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is the creator of the ValueSelling Framework^®, the sales methodology preferred by sales executives around the globe. Since 1991, ValueSelling Associates has helped FORTUNE 1000 business-to-business sales organizations compete and win in markets crowded with seemingly similar products and services. ValueSelling Associates has maintained its position as a leader in the industry by continually evolving to meet the new challenges sales forces face. Clients turn to the experts at ValueSelling Associates for classroom training, online training, and consulting services that yield immediate impact, repeatable strategies, and sustainable results. For more information, visit www.valueselling.com.

We've just published a new video entitled" How to Enter The 2014 International Business Awards.  Watch it here.

The International Business Awards are the world's premier business awards program.  Now in their 11th year, the IBAs typically receive nominations from organizations in more than 50 nations and territories. 

All individuals and organizations worldwide -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small -- may submit nominations to the IBAs, recognized as the world's top honors in business and the only completely international business awards competition.

The International Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace. Stevie® Award trophies will be conferred upon top-scoring nominations in each category, to be determined by the ratings of more than 200 professionals around the world, acting as judges..

The IBAs feature a wide range of categories to recognize achievement in every aspect of the workplace, including

• Customer Service Awards
• Company/Organization Awards
• Creative Awards
• Human Resources Awards
• Information Technology Awards
• Management Awards
• Marketing Awards Categories
• New Product Awards
• Corporate Communications, IR, and PR Awards
• Support Awards 
• Web Site Awards, Smartphone and Tablet App, and other media awards

See the full list of International Business Awards categories.

In slightly more than four minutes the new video illustrates

• How to get the entry kit
• How to review and select categories
• How to prepare and submit entries through the IBA website

The early-bird entry deadline for The 2014 International Business Awards is April 16.  See the complete IBA calendar here.

The 2014 (11th Annual) International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, is accepting entries.

Get your entry kit here.

All individuals and organizations worldwide -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small -- may submit nominations to the IBAs, recognized as the world's top honors in business and the only completely international business awards competition.

The International Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace. Stevie® Award trophies will be conferred upon top-scoring nominations in each category, to be determined by the ratings of more than 200 professionals around the world, acting as judges..

The IBAs feature a wide range of categories to recognize achievement in every aspect of the workplace, including

• Customer Service Awards
• Company/Organization Awards
• Creative Awards
• Human Resources Awards
• Information Technology Awards
• Management Awards
• Marketing Awards Categories
• New Product Awards
• Corporate Communications, IR, and PR Awards
• Support Awards 
• Web Site Awards, Smartphone and Tablet App, and other media awards

See the full list of International Business Awards categories.

Nominations should cite achievements since 1 January 2013. There is no eligibility timeframe for app and web site entries - it does not matter when they were first published.

The early-bird entry deadline, with discounted entry fees, is 16 April. The entry deadline is 14 May, but late entries will be accepted through 11 June with payment of a late fee. Entry details are available at www.stevieawards.com/iba.

Results will be announced on 13 August and 2014 honorees will be celebrated at the 11th annual awards banquet in October in Paris, France.  

Do not hesitate to contact us with your questions about how to participate in The 2014 International Business Awards.

Theresa Bradley-Banta Real Estate Consultancy in Denver, Colorado, USA won a Gold Stevie® Award in the website awards categories of The 2013 American Business Awards, the U.S.A.’s top business awards program. The company also won a Bronze Stevie® for Company of the Year-Real Estate; and Theresa won the Bronze for Executive of the Year-Real Estate. (Entries are now being accepted to The 2014 American Business Awards - get your entry kit here.) With the rallying real estate market, Theresa provides some savvy tips on how to invest wisely.

“I started investing in real estate in 2004, largely by accident,” Theresa told us. “Through my work as a business coach, I realized that I could buy a property, rent it out, and, through the income received, upgrade to a far more beautiful home/office space.  I not only made my money back—and then some—but I also had the home and office of my dreams.”

Theresa was hooked.  Since then, investing in real estate has become her life’s passion and her main source of income. “It’s really as a result of my passion that I chose to become an educator and consultant,” she told us.  Her clients are individuals who want to invest, or are already investing, in real estate-from beginners to pros with million dollar investments.

Over the years, Theresa has seen that certain rules for real estate investment do not change. “Abide by them and income will follow,” she promises. Here are Theresa’s rules:

Education Counts
Indeed it does. If you can afford a coach or consultant, allow yourself that luxury. You will save a lot of time, energy, and money in the long run. As an educator, I’ve found it is not unusual for a client to sign on with the belief that real estate requires little more than the simple desire to get rich. It takes a lot more than that, however!

It’s A Job
Sorry, folks, but investing in real estate is a job. If you have the time and energy for it, great. If not, I recommend you walk away. I occasionally advise potential clients to do just that, which is why a consultant can help big-time to prevent you from losing your shirt—or at least your day job.

The Money Factor
Another myth is that you need to have a lot of money to invest in real estate. You don’t. You just need what I call a “good deal.”  If you have that, the money is there!  So what is a good deal? It’s a property that you just know is perfect-or close to it. In other words, when those additional partners you will need to fund the deal hear about it, they will jump at it.

For example, I found a wonderful 29-unit apartment building (a multifamily dwelling) but I needed investors. I simply chose to ask my brother-in-law; then, lo and behold, two friends of his—total strangers to me—stepped in. Both loved the deal. Not only that, one was a CPA and the other an attorney, so they were able to provide both financial and legal advice. The trick to finding those investors? Just ask! Your next investor might be the person standing next to you.

The Starting Point
Many first-time investors like to begin with residential real estate. This means investing in a residential property other than your own home. I have a neighbor here in Denver who did just that several years ago, and who is now reaping millions. My own biggest triumph was my first investment property: I bought it; renovated it; and sold it.  Real estate almost always appreciates, but it’s the first purchase that—if you do it right—can change your psychology (think confidence!) and allow you to build a portfolio that reaps your own millions.

Look Around
If you’ve never invested before, feel free to begin the way I did by simply driving around and looking for properties I liked.  Picture yourself owning it. Once you set that inner intention of ownership, you are on your way!

Network
Networking is crucial to what I call the Research Phase. Start by networking with professionals who know what you need to know: real estate agents/brokers; property managers in the markets you like; even contractors familiar with the type of property you like.  In fact, any individuals who know the area you are reviewing from the bottom up.

Do Your Research
Do your research due diligence by going online to find the best resources. There are two blog posts available on my website that between them list some 15 sources for market research, including market data, demographics, and key articles.

Know The Real Numbers
Make sure you know the numbers. A mistake I see investors make most often—including the pros—is that they go with the proforma numbers given to them by agents or owners rather than having an expert go over them. You must have an experienced mentor or real estate investor on tap to help you with this. It may cost you some money (although some may do it for free), but this is something you have to do or you will make costly mistakes.

Invest In Apartment Buildings
While many beginners choose to start with a single-family residential property, as a consultant I sometimes recommend the next level up: invest in multifamily dwellings, or even apartment buildings. Investing in an apartment building is a logical first step. Advantages include cash flow from rental income, tax benefits, and property appreciation. That’s why I wrote a book last year entitled Invest In Apartment Buildings: Profit Without The Pitfalls.

The Over-Renovation Trap
Be sure to take a good look at the tenant base when researching a multifamily dwelling in which to invest. Where I so often see people go wrong—including the pros—is that the first thing they do on completing their purchase is to over-renovate the property.  Before any purchase, take a simple look around and be realistic. DO NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH A PROPERTY! Like any relationship, the chances that it’s going to change because you want it to are not high.  If there are beat-up cars lingering in the parking lot, it is not a given that you will suddenly attract a bigger-spending tenant base.  Or maybe the building is in a neighborhood that, no matter what you do, will never attract the tenants you’re after.

The Landlord Trap
For me, being a landlord is a joy. It’s a lot of work, but I love it. If you don’t want to be a landlord—and even having a property manager means overseeing the manager—this is not the field for you. I love being a landlord, which to me means the pure joy of providing a beautiful, well-managed space that my tenants can call home. What a gift that is to give!

Have A Great Team
Make sure you have an A-plus team around you, no matter the cost. These include contractors, property managers (if you are not choosing to manage the property yourself), financial experts, etc. The better your team, the better you will do. 

Get Educated
I’m ending where I began, because it’s crucial: Make sure you have someone on hand to educate you. A client of mine initially didn’t quite have the confidence to pull off a deal, but through our weekly sessions he now does, and he has just successfully invested in a multifamily property. It’s the confidence that counts!

For more information on investing, resources, and articles, visit www.theresabradleybanta.com. Be sure to read Theresa’s informative blog.

About Theresa Bradley-Banta
Theresa Bradley-Banta, founder and CEO of Theresa Bradley-Banta Real Estate Consultancy, is an award-winning consultant, published author, and a sought-after speaker on reality-based strategies for buying, owning, and operating multifamily investment properties. She specializes in helping clients become ever more knowledgeable about the art of real estate investing. The TBBREC client base runs from beginners to professional investors with millions in investment income.

Theresa Bradley-Banta has been featured in The Equifax Finance Blog, on the radio show Chat With Women, in Scotsman Guide, on The Lucy Ann Lance Show, in The Fordyce Letter, and in AOL’s Daily Finance, among others.

Mike Ortegon, Director of Global Sales Operations at HomeAway, a Stevie® Award-winning online marketplace of vacation rentals based in Austin, Texas, will Chair the Final Judging Committee for the Customer Service and Contact Center Team categories of the 2014 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Services, the world's premier sales awards and customer service awards. The results will be announced on February 21 at the gala awards banquet in Las Vegas. We talked to Mike about the challenges facing today’s sales teams.

“Today’s sales professionals are challenged by savvy customers and prospects,” says Mike Ortegon, Director of Global Sales at HomeAway.  “Thanks to digital and social media advancements, they have many channels of information and are consequently better informed during the purchase cycle. As a result, it is essential for sales professionals to stay one step ahead in preparation, to anticipate upselling and cross-selling opportunities, and to be consultative throughout the process.”

We asked him what steps he would recommend companies should take to establish standardized sales procedures across countries and regions. “You might be prone to think a unique product or service requires a special sales process,” Mike told us. “Some may even argue the selling process has to continually change, but my experience is that the change is occurring in the buying process, as noted above. Today’s buyers are more informed than ever.”

Simplified Methodology

“Many sales people are familiar with the ‘four, five, six, seven...sales cycle’ methodologies,” added Mike. “In reality, each of these can be boiled down to four steps: Qualify; Research; Propose; and Close. A simplified methodology enables people to focus on the sale, not the process.”

Concluded Mike: “It is always important to pay close attention to cultural differences, although just because someone speaks a different language doesn’t mean a different sales process is needed. For example, in some countries such as Southern Europe and Asia, face-to-face selling is a common practice, while other cultures are fine with a phone call. In any scenario, you still need to qualify, research, propose and close.”

Benefits of a Stevie® Award
HomeAway won a Gold Stevie® for Sales Operations Team of the Year in The 2013 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service. As Chair of one of this year’s Final Judging Committees, he is fully aware of the benefits of being a winner.

“Winning the Stevie® Award really brought to light the effectiveness of the HomeAway team in their first year together,” Mike told us.  “It brought about an even greater appreciation for the experience, talent, and determination possessed by each individual. It was great to be rewarded for our hard work and, ultimately, the team had better camaraderie and became even more motivated to improve sales effectiveness.”

Added Mike: “Winning the Stevie® Award in 2013 showcased the HomeAway sales team’s focus on adding value to the organization through industry-leading tools and best practices.”

Creating Lasting Memories

We asked Mike what most inspired him about his role at HomeAway.  His simple answer: he gets his inspiration from the HomeAway team and product. “We have fantastic people who are passionate about their work,” he told us. “Ours is a product that helps families and groups find their ideal getaway and focus on the most important part of traveling together: creating lasting memories.”

About Mike Ortegon:

Mike Ortegon joined HomeAway in March 2012 and is the Director of Global Sales Operations. In this role he is responsible for supporting sales leaders across the globe with tools, training, and sales insights to help make well-informed business decisions; and to run effective and efficient teams while aligning to corporate strategy.

Previously, Mike worked for Harte-Hanks as Global Account Director focusing on multichannel, data-driven solutions for Fortune 100 companies. Throughout his career, Mike has been in management, operational, and sales and marketing roles in North America, EMEA, Latin America, and APAC.

About HomeAway:
HomeAway is the world’s leading online marketplace of vacation rentals, with sites representing more than 773,000 paid listings of vacation rental homes in 171 countries. Through HomeAway, owners and property managers offer an extensive selection of vacation homes that provide travelers with memorable experiences and benefits, including more room to relax and added privacy, for less than the cost of traditional hotel accommodations. The company also makes it easy for vacation rental owners and property managers to advertise their properties and manage bookings online.