Happy Birthday REIA of Macomb

Michigan's Premier Real Estate Investor Association Turns 1!!!

Anyone who reads this blog knows what The REIA of Macomb is and what it means to real estate investors. On January 31st, 2008 The REIA of Macomb had it's first birthday.

The air was absolutely electric at The Royalty House, The REIA's new location for The Main Event. There were more vendors, plasma screens, and video cameras than ever before.

Dwan Bent-Twyford shared her expert knowledge on shortsales, not just how to find them, but how to wholesale them after you get the payoff accepted!!! Isn't that an awesome weapon to have in your arsenal in Michigan real estate investing? You bet it is.

The most exciting part of the night was the REIA member of the year awards. There were 3 separate awards given out. The first two were for REIA of Macomb Make It Happen members of the year runner ups. It was actually a tie between 3 people. What does that mean?

We'll the first runner up award went to Tina Puma, who is a very active REIA of Macomb, as well as Wealth In REI member. Tina is finishing up her first deal in Roseville, MI. Believe it or not her first rehab is going to come in around $45,000 in repair cost. her purchase piece was around $25,000. That puts her at a total of $70,000 on a house that sold for $130,000 only two short years ago. She plans on either selling it outright or on lease option.

Great Job Tina, You Are Making It Happen!!!

The next runner up went to a partnership. Raja Gomath and Prakash Patel have purchased 4 properties since becoming members of both The REIA of Macomb & Wealth In REI. I met them a little over a year ago, they promised me that they would do their first deal in 2007. Well their finishing up their 4th in a little more than 12 months!!!

Awesome Year Fellas, You're Both Definitely Making It Happen!!!

Last but certainly not least is The REIA of Macomb Make It Happen Member of the Year for 2007. This award didn't go to a single investor, it went to a family. Ray Barwin is a full time employee with one of the Big 3, he bought a 50 unit apartment building and turned it around in no time. Now he's buying single family homes around his building to help his apartment tenants transition into home ownership.

All of that may warrant being REIA member of the year, but that's nothing. The best part about this man and his family is that they attend all of the REIA of Macomb functions together as a family. From the Make It Happen BBQ to the Christmas Networking Event, The Barwins are always there learning, sharing and networking.

So the award goes out to Minnie, Kristen, Ken, and Ray Barwin, the #1 family in Michigan real estate investing.

If you missed January's REIA, DON'T miss February. We're going to have 10 different experts that you will be able to personally talk to.

Dylan Tanaka
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/
http://www.oaklandbusinessforum.com/
http://www.prettymihomes.com/
http://www.weoffertoday.com/
http://www.dylantanaka.com/

Wealth In R.E.I. Members Making A Difference In Michigan Foreclosure Investing

The Elite Mastermind Group Proves Synergy Exists Between Metro Detroit Real Estate Investors

As most of you know reading this post know my partner Nathan Mayes and I founded Wealth In REI, a private real estate consulting group in late 2007. Since that time Michigan real estate investing has shown more and more opportunity.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the more of something that's available(foreclosures), the less desirable(the price goes down) they become. Right now in metro Detroit there are more houses on the market than there has been in 20 years. So the question is how does the average investor put their real estate investing business on steroids? By becoming a part of a mastermind, that's how.

Here's a promo the Adam J Davis, http://www.adamjdavis.com, vice-president of The REIA of Macomb put together for Wealth In REI.

For those of you who don't receive my regular e-mails about metro Detroit real estate investing and want to start receiving them, enter your information in the blue box on the right side of this blog titled REIA of Macomb newsletter.

make sure not to miss this month's Main Event. Dwan Bent-Twyford, the Queen of Shortsales is flying in from Colorado to help The REIA celebrate it's 1st Birthday!!!

Dylan Tanaka
Very important real estate investing sites
http://www.weoffertoday.com
http://www.prettymihomes.com
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com
http://www.oaklandbusinessforum.com
http://www.dylantanaka.com

Announcing RedGag Radio!!!

Dylan Tanaka Goes Live With Podcasts

2008 will be a banner year for Michigan real estate investors and entrepreneurs.  Part of my promise to all of you is to keep you highly motivated with this blog.

Look for weekly podcasts and videos from mw all year long.

Here's where we start

Click Here To Listen 

Keep your feedback coming, oh yeah...

Make It Happen!!!

Dylan Tanaka

http://www.REIAofMacomb.com

http://www.OaklandBusinessForum.com

http://www.DylanTanaka.com

http://www.WeOfferToday.com

http://www.PrettyMiHomes.com

The Oakland Business Forum is Born!!!

Last night, The Oakland Business Forum got off to a roaring start! Everyone that was there got heavy doses of great information from our keynote speakers, Terry Bean and Charlie Wollborg, contacts to build their businesses and fresh perspective on why it is a great time to be doing business in Michigan.

The Oakland Business Forum was founded with a vision to bring the collective knowledge and shared experience of entrepreneurs, investors and prospective entrepreneurs together for mutual gain.

Each month, The Oakland Business Forum will feature the following:

- a DYNAMIC keynote speaker- the “entrepreneur of honor”
- a local entrepreneur who presents their business to the audience
- “30 seconds to fame” - entrepreneurs and professionals from the audience get to “ask” what they are looking for in their business to take it to the next level - in front of everyone

Our first meeting yesterday was a smashing success! Thank to you all who came out to build your business or to figure out what you can do to get started in business.

A HUGE Part of our “30 Seconds to Fame” portion of each meeting is to videotape each “ask” and broadcast it as far and fast as possible, with the goal of helping the entrepreneur accomplish their goals. Below is the “30 Seconds” to fame portion of last night’s meeting:



If you can help these ambitious entrepreneurs out in any way with what they are looking for to boost their business, than please get in contact with them directly, through the Oakland Business Forum or contact me directly.
Be sure to attend the Oakland Business Forum for our next meeting, on February 19, 2008, where Josh Linkner of ePrize will be our keynote speaker. Josh is one of Michigan’s brightest and fastest growing entrepreneurs and runs one of the fastest growing companies in the United States! Doors open at 6 pm at the Hilton Northfield in Troy, MI.

Dylan Tanaka
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com
http://www.oaklandbusinessforum.com
http://www.prettymihomes.com
http://www.weoffertoday.com

Insanely Important REIA of Macomb Update...You Must Read This

Here is a recent press release concerning Michigans Premier Real Estate Investor's Association...

How to Wholesale & How to Shortsale Taught By Successful Millionaire Investor Dwan Bent-Twyford at The REIA of Macomb’s Main Event

Warren, MI – on January 31st 2008, The REIA of Macomb, (http://www.reiaofmacomb.com) Michigan’s Premier Real Estate Investors Association’s January Freedom Through Foreclosures Event will take place at the club’s new venue, The Royalty House in Warren, Michigan. Located at 8201 Old 13 Mile in Warren Michigan 48093, near 13 Mile Rd & Van Dyke, the REIA club was forced to move due to uncontrollable membership growth.

To start 2008 off right, The REIA of Macomb has secured their most famous national speaker to date, Dwan Bent-Twyford, for a one night only Freedom Through Foreclosures Event. Michigan real estate investing is filled with more opportunity now than ever, especially with REO’s (bank foreclosures). Start you year off right and get to THE REIA of Macomb’s Main Event.


Dwan Bent-Twyford, The Queen of Short Sales®, is a distinguished author, motivating national speaker, and incredible teacher. She has published several home study courses that will teach you every aspect of the exciting foreclosure world….in detail! In a world dominated by men, this amazing woman has certainly made her mark wholesaling, shortsaling, buying, rehabbing, and successfully selling real estate for over a decade.

Her niche is finding foreclosures with no equity, negotiating with the banks to accept less than what is owed, thus creating a “Short Sale®.” Over the last several years she has developed a hugely successful “Short Sale®” system that has earned her and her students hundreds of thousands of dollars. She wants to share that knowledge with you. Her goal is simple…to teach you how to become a “super investor” using her proven techniques, strategies, and concepts. Don’t miss this exciting lady!

The REIA of Macomb is a non-profit organization open to the public. The REIA’s main goal is for members to learn, teach, and network. It doesn’t matter where you live, you are welcomed with open arms at Macomb County’s Exclusive Real Estate & Success Club.

The REIA of Macomb meet the last Thursday of each month at the Exclusive Royalty House in Warren, Michigan. Located at 8201 Old 13 Mile Rd Warren, MI 48093 it is easily accessible from all major freeways and less than an hour from Detroit Metro Airport .

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for early networking.

First time attendees are always FREE!

***Seating is extremely limited***

To R.S.V.P. call Dylan Tanaka @ 586-435-7113

or e-mail info@REIAofMacomb.com

For information on future events go to http://www.REIAofMacomb.com

Wealth In REI Member Makes It Happen

244 Dickinson, An Investors First Major Rehab

REIA of Macomb member Mark Sobolic has burned his ship!!! He's made the commitment to be a full time real estate investor by 2009. As a founding member of Wealth In REI, Mark's decide to put all of his education and his personal network to the test.

Here's the deal...

244 Dickinson

Mt. Clemens, MI 48043

3bed bungalow on a full basement with a 2 1/2 car garage.

Now if that's how this home is marketed, it's not moving in this market. One of the topics that we are exploring in early 2008 in Wealth In REI, is how to market your properties and get a 300% better response than the competition. My partner Nathan Mayes and I are considered to be top marketers in the current real estate climate. By purchasing close to one Michigan Income Property a week, we are forced to be extremely proactive in the marketing of these houses.

If you would like to find out more on how to successfully purchase 50 houses over the next 12 months you need to get to The REIA and inquire about your possible enrollment in Wealth In REI.

Back to Mark's Freedom...

You read the mundane description of his house above, let's look at how this home would describe itself after it's rehabbed.

Hi my name is 244 Dickinson. I'm a classic 50's built bungalow that sets directly across from a tranquil park. As you walk my way you'll notice my fresh taupe exterior paint, air tight vinyl double tilt hung windows, all capped off by my new 40 year dimensional roof. Surrounding my foundation is very natural landscaping accompanied by a perfectly manicured lawn. Off to my right is my 2 1/2 car double doored with new vinyl siding covering it.

My lovely front entrance welcomes you, my gleaming hardwood floors stop you in your tracks, for fear of possibly slipping on the ice-like finish. As you venture in I can brag about my natural fireplace with refinished mantle for your family's pictures. The next doorway brings you to my crown jewel, the modern kitchen. I have a new ceramic floor, light fixtures, and cheery custom paint. That's not all. You'll also notice my new hardwood cabinets, sparkling appliances, that you'll enjoy dining in my breakfast nook.

Moving toward the hall your jaw will drop when you see how large the two bedrooms are. Best of all they're separated by my completed updated full ceramic bathroom. Your family will love growing up in a house with such a modern feel. The largest bedroom is located upstairs, where typical bungalows seem slanted, mine feels like a new build's master suite. This room will become your sanctuary after a long day.

Don't forget that I have a full basement for laundry, storage, or overflow from your big family get togethers. This is not the basements that most Mt. Clemens residents are punished with. It's tall enough for the Pistons to come over and hang out! I'm as dry as you'll find in The Clem thanks to my waterproofing and the addition of a sump pump.

Enough about my basement. I want to leave you with one thought...Imagine watching your kids playing in the snow at the park across the street while sipping hot cocoa at your bistro table out your breakfast nooks window. Please make me yours.

That's how a listing should read about this romantic home.

Stay tuned, pictures and stories of Mark's rehab will follow in the coming weeks. If you are interested in speaking with Mark, you need to come to the REIA of Macomb's Main Event that happens the last Thursday of every month and seek him out.

Make it Happen Mr. Sobolic.

Dylan Tanaka
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/
http://www.oaklandbusinessforum.com/
http://www.successinrei.com/
http://www.weoffertoday.com/
http://www.prettymihomes.com/
http://www.dylantanaka.com/

Dylan Tanaka's Top 5 "Must Read" Sales Books

Make 1000% ROI By Reading This Blog

Okay let's get right to the nitty gritty. We will start from #5 and work down to #1.

The #5 Best Sales Book

The Art Of The Deal

-Donald Trump

Although brash to the point of rudeness no one can Trump The Donald. Mostly a brag-a-thon about his deals in the 80's, the stories are still fascinating. Learning some of Trumps' negotiating techniques will no doubt strengthen your level of influence.

The #4 Best Sales Book

Secrets Of Closing the Sale

-Zig Ziglar

If you read my earlier post CLICK HERE, than I don't need to overwhelm you with how important this book is to your entrepreneurial life. If you haven't head Zig speak before than enjoy

This book has over 100 specific closes and over 700 sales questions are answered. this book is an absolute must-have.

The #3 Best Sales Book

Succeed And Grow Rich Through Persuasion

-Napoleon Hill

In this book Napoleon focuses on how to be more successful in sales. He shares wisdom that has been copied and rehashed by the likes of Tom Hopkins and Tony Robbins. Napoleon started it all.

The #2 Best Sales Book

How To Win Friends And Influence People

-Dale Carnegie

I've been known to throw copies of this book out to the crowd at REIA of Macomb Main Events. I believe that for pure internal, emotional sales and life principles this book is number 1. The only reason it's not my #1 sales book is because #1 is purely about sales, and this book touched a lot on life. Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." Carnegie says you can make someone want to do what you want them to by seeing the situation from the other person's point of view and "arousing in the other person an eager want." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. For instance, "let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers," and "talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person."

The #1 Best Sales Book

No B.S. Sales Success: The Ultimate No Holds Barred, Kick Butt, Take No Prisoners & Make Tons of Money

-Dan S. Kennedy

This book wins the number 1 spot because it is 2007 not 1937. Dan's true No B.S. style is what we as salespeople/entrepreneurs need to hear. His pure savvy within his consulting techniques are second to none. Dan keeps his books rather short but packed with content. This is in no sense a business bible, but as far as sales is concerned in the 2000's and beyond, his principles simply need to be adopted by us. I challenge you to implement a few of Dan's techniques and watch your income multiply.

All of these books can be found at a fraction of their cover price on http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.ebay.com/. Your only excuse is that another episode of Grey's Anatomy or maybe the Awesome Detroit Lions were on tv. get off your butt and Make it Happen!!!

Dylan Tanaka

http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/

http://www.oaklandbusinessforum.com/

http://www.successinrei.com/

http://www.weoffertoday.com/

http://www.prettymihomes.com/

http://www.dylantanaka.com/

The POWER Of the First Impression

Does Your Card Get Thrown Out, Left In A Suit Pocket, or Put In My Outlook

In a recent *Special Report* focused on the small business owner, offered by a partner of mine Adam J. Davis, he asked a great question "Business or Hobby?". To receive the whole report CLICK HERE. In the report Adam wrote about how to get your small business going in less than 14 days. I want to talk about making sure that you look and act the part of a successful entrepreneur.

Let's start with your look;

The general dress code guidelines for men during business hours, which seems to be 6:00 a.m. to Midnight, are suits in navy blue, charcoal gray, or black. Usually, the darker the suit, the more authority it carries. A two piece suit is acceptable as is a three button single breasted jacket. What matters most is that the suit fits well and it is good quality. The pants should fit comfortably at the waist and a slimmer fit is preferred. There should only be a slight break where the trouser hits the shoe. If your ankles are showing, they are way too short (floods).

Under a suit jacket, long sleeve shirts are a must. The higher the cotton content, the better the shirt will look. Make sure your shirt fits the neck properly and that the sleeve cuff ends just at the wrist. All your business clothes should be professionally cleaned and pressed and ready to go.

Ties that are cheap looking do not give off a good first impression. A pure silk tie makes the most powerful professional impact, has the best finish and feel, and is easiest to tie well. The tie should complement your suit, not match it. No outlandish, flamboyant ties are necessary. The length of the tie should be extended to the center of you belt buckle.

Shoes should be brown or black leather. No other materials or colors are acceptable. Socks should complement the suit, blue, black, gray, or brown. They should either match your shoes or pants.

Men’s jewelry should be kept to a minimum. No visible body piercing or tattoos -if you can help it.

When you meet someone, you may not be aware of this but they are observing your body language, very carefully. Your body language says a lot about yourself, so you need to control negative body movements and encourage positive body movements and habits. Humans naturally send and receive nonverbal communication; they have been doing so since the beginning of time.

The Handshake: your hands should be clean and well manicured, and free of perspiration. You want to allow the interviewer to initiate the handshake, which should match the interviewer in firmness, do not give a firmer handshake than them. Smile at the interviewer and look them in the eyes. It should last between two to five seconds. When departing the interview, the handshake may last longer, smile and lean forward as you shake.

Here are a few things you will want to avoid at an interview:

Clasping your hands behind your head
Adjusting your tie constantly
Slouching in your chair
Pulling your collar away
Picking at your face or outfit
Tight smiles or tension in face
Little eye contact
Wrinkling your eyebrows
Rapidly nodding your head
Any nervous tics
Crossing your ankles - means withholding information
Crossing your legs away from the interviewer- toward is ok Crossing one ankle over the other knee
Crossing your interviewers personal space
Avoid grinning idiotically
Gnawing on one’s lips absentmindedly
“Faking” a cough during a tough question
Folding or crossing your arms
Avoid compulsive jabbing the floor or desk with your foot
Loud, obnoxious laughter

The garbage listed above will ensure a lack of respect for you by others. Meeting people and networking is a large part of my business as founder of The REIA of Macomb and

Wealth In REI. How would it look to members of these clubs if I came to the events and got onstage in jeans and a Detroit Tigers t-shirt. Some guys out there on T.V. especially can do this, after years and years of branding themselves. I was taught at a very young age, because I was 19 years old when I entered the business world and was giving advice to 50 year olds on how to spend their money, that a professional look and attitude will take a lot of "age" out of it.

Thanks to Michigan real estate investing and Metro Detroit's staggering bank owned reo's I have been able to go prematurely gray. It's not that I don't love what I do, it's just that there is a lot going on up there in my mind 19 hours a day. If gray hair isn't in your immediate future than put on a blue suit, nice tie, polished shoes, and go out there and start Making It Happen.

Dylan Tanaka

http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/

http://www.oaklandbusinessforum.com/

http://www.successinrei.com/

http://www.weoffertoday.com/

http://www.prettymihomes.com/

http://www.dylantanaka.com/

So You Think Your An Entrepreneur? part 2

More Reasons That You're A Salesperson

As I said in my first column, like it or not we are all salespeople. Our lives are made up of a series of “sales presentations”, otherwise known as presenting ourself in the best light possible. Whether we’re out for a job interview, trying for a raise, or just convincing a seller that you need more concessions – you are making a presentation.

The mental state of the successful entrepreneur must be in-line with the message. If you don’t believe that, try giving a pump up your sales force when you’re depressed – it won’t work! You must be aware of and manage your own mental state and that of your listeners or communication channels will not be open. I don’t have space to elaborate on methods of doing this, but here are a few key hints. First, “AAI” – Act As If. Act the way you want to feel, it’s amazing how this works. Use music to set the mood if necessary, dress the part, and reduce your anxiety by whatever method works for you. Remember that you’re the one in charge, and presentation mastery isn’t about being perfect – it’s about achieving your objective.

As co-founder of The REIA of Macomb, Michigan's Premier Real Estate Investor Association the following paragraph comes from personal experience. Fear of public speaking ranks high on most people’s list of worst fears. You may find you’re unusually nervous, develop poor voice tone or negative body language, and be unable to respond to audience feedback. Controlling your anxiety lets you to focus on your audience and their needs. The basic approach to do this is the asking ourselves a list of “what if?” questions. Another way to overcome our fear is to take ownership of the situation. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Double check your notes, and prepare yourself.

Know Your Audience. Whether it is one person or many that you are presenting to you must do three basic things: Meet their needs, reduce tension, and avoid mistakes. A good knowledge of the listeners will give you a chance to tailor your objectives to meet their needs. This also allows you to reduce the “audience-presenter” tension so they will focus on what you’re saying. With a clear knowledge of your audience’s views you’ll be sensitive to potential “hot buttons”.

Engage your audience whenever possible. Boring listeners leads to missed objectives or total failure. You must be flexible and responsive to your audience. To do this you need to use techniques that will give you audience feedback; you must diagnose the cause of the problem you’re addressing, and finally you must choose the solution to act upon.

When you’re presenting watch for non-verbal behavior such as clock-watching, foot-tapping, and cat-napping. When any of these are present get some feedback with, “Is it too warm in here?” or “Should I pick up the pace?” That breaks the attention or lack of, of the audience and brings them back to your talk. One important thing to remember is that the mind can absorb no more than the seat can endure. Sometimes a simple thing like taking a short stretch break will solve the problem.

..........................(How would you like to feel like this guy?)


If you focus on your objective and make sure that your audience is interested, you will undoubtedly achieve higher success in sales.


Dylan Tanaka
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/
http://www.oaklandbusinessforum.com/
http://www.successinrei.com/
http://www.weoffertoday.com/
http://www.prettymihomes.com/
http://www.dylantanaka.com/

The 90/10 Rule

How To Turn $3.00 into $30,000!

The old saying was 20% of people are responsible for 80% of Success. Oh how things have changed. Success in America is out there for the taking. When I say Success it means more than just completing a task and having a positive outcome.

To me Success means;

• Happiness
  


• Achievement



• Profit (Win-Win)
  


• Effort
  


• Integrity
  


• Awareness
  


• Creation
  


• Performance

I can keep going but by now you get the picture. At a certain point in my business life I had a moment of clarity. I somehow understood what it took to become successful in Michigan real estate investing & entrepreneurship in general. Here is the secret...

Do what the 10% do that the other 90% won't!

To become truly successful and financially independent you must be able to swim upstream.

That may mean NOT turning on your T.V. and reading and remembering a book.

Maybe it's sending hand-written letters to your business associated that you are going to do more business with in the upcoming year. .

Actually writing down your dreams first, then your goals, and finally the action steps to achieve those goals in a measured timely fashion.

Live outside the box and take the path less traveled every time if it will have a greater outcome.

Start with the end in mind.

Most importantly cut the things (people even) out of your life that stand between you and your perfect vision of your life.

DO NOT Let Anyone Crush Your Dream

Would you like the answer to the wild statement above about "How I Will Turn $3.00 Into $30,000? Here goes...

For my birthday in October my partner Nathan Mayes, his wife, and my girlfriend went on a Western Michigan Wine Tour. See Nathan and I are born 5 days apart so our better halves put the trip together for our birthdays. As we pulled into a charming little city called Dundee, I snuck out of the tasting and headed across Main Street to a used book store.

There is something special about a small town where everyone smiles and greets you like its 1955 in Mayberry, something pure. So I walked into the used book store and the owner immediately asked me what I was looking for. I said business books. Before taking me toward the Business, Finance, & Motivations sections she stopped me at a separate book shelf with some old looking books on it. I would put them at 50-70 years old on average. She then explained to me that this section was for books signed by the authors. She then pulled out a new find that was a study guide for the 1960's focused on helping prospective real estate agents pass their exam! Try to find help like that at B & N.

Here's where I was able to make a projected 10,000% risk-free investment. A red, white, and blue book caught my eye. To my excitement the author was one of my favorites and I certainly had never heard of this title before. I grabbed it in anticipation to see if it was discounted enough to justify buying without knowing anything about it.

$3.00

What I know now I would have paid $3000 for the information that I gained from the book. Are you ready to find out the title???

Secrets Of Closing The Sale

by Zig Ziglar

From the cover:

OVER 100 specific closes, for professional salespeople PLUS over 700 sales questions AND dozens of persuasion procedures to help doctors, ministers, household executives, teachers, parents and FULL TIME REAL ESTATE ENTREPRENEURS effectively sell their ideas and concepts.

Oaky the full time real estate entrepreneurs was added in, but it may as well have been titled Hey Dylan Tanaka Buy Me NOW!!!

From what I can tell the book was written in 1982 in a time before all of the sensational self-help promoters of the 90's to today. Zig Ziglar is the real deal. if you haven't read him before you need to. What this book really does is go through almost 1000 objections that you will hear as an entrepreneur/business owner/real estate investor/salesperson/human being. The funny thing is in our day and age where Palm Pilot's are already a thing of the past, salesmanship 25 years ago is the same as it is today.

My current favorite "close" of the book goes like this;

To help his clients Take Action Now, he had a very unique business card made. If a perspective buyer told Zig, "Yes I know that I need it, I'll call you when I get around to it". At that point Zig would then pull out his business card, on one side was all of Mr Ziglar's professional information, on the backside was this

You see a true salesperson can overcome any objection. Whether it's by agreeing with their concern or drowning them in features, advantages, and benefits.

So I will end this with another question...

Do you have what it takes to be the 10%, or is being in the ordinary 90% majority your destiny?

~Make It Happen~

Dylan Tanaka
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/
http://www.oaklandbusinessforum.com/
http://www.successinrei.com/
http://www.weoffertoday.com/
http://www.prettymihomes.com/
http://www.dylantanaka.com/

Dylan Tanaka... The Dragon Slayer?

Hunting For Enormous Fire-Breathing Dragons With Nothing But Small Gang Of Entrepreneurs

I like to think of myself as a Dragon Slayer. I know that this is the first time that you've ever heard this from a non-profit founder who has an affinity for argyle sweaters. Sometimes I equate what we as entrepreneurs do to what 17th century Dragon Slayers did. Every time we create a new business or a new marketing campaign it's like inventing fire. Now I know that fire was discovered before the 1600's just play along.

There are 4 traits that almost all successful entrepreneurs possess:

1. A Feeling
2. A Strategy
3. Trust
4. A Lionheart

Lets break each one down as Webster's Dictionary would;
1. Feeling-to find or pursues one's way. What this means is you believe that you know or can produce a better way to do something. It may be building and designing a car, or it could be how to build a human transporter, like on Star Trek. It's an idea.

2. A Strategy-a plan for obtaining a specific goal. This one is straight forward. After yo have an idea you must have a plan on how to execute it.

3. Trust-confident expectation of something. This one is critical. You must have confidence in your product, service, or idea.

4. A Lionheart-having exceptional courage and bravery. Having the Dragon Slayer designation demands an unrelenting can't-lose attitude. This trait is by far what catapults most entrepreneurs into super-successful business owners. You must have a powerful confidence in yourself. If you don't "seem" to believe in you and your business potential investors or customers, they simply Won't believe in you either. Also to be a leader you simply must have an unwavering poise about yourself.

There are no absolutes in life, so not all ultra-successful entrepreneurs posees all of these traits, but I challenge you to show me a few who don't. The more prosperous Michigan real estate investors that I do business or have coffee with seem to harbor these attributes. I know that The REIA of Macomb couldn't be the triumphant success that it is, if my partner Nathan Mayes and I didn't deliver these characteristics.

So I ask you when facing an intimidating, razor toothed, fire breathing, dragon do you have what it takes to be a Dragon Slayer???

Sharpen Your Sword,
Dylan Tanaka
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/
http://www.oaklandbusinessforum.com/
http://www.wealthinrei.com/
http://www.weoffertoday.com/
http://www.prettymichiganhomes.com/

A Night of Credit Millionaires

Tom Kish Delivers To Almost Record Breaking Crowd

On Thursday, November 27th The REIA of Macomb turned 11 months old. Our first meeting was in January of 2007. In eleven short months we've grown to well over 180 members! For those of you who are unaware of what The REIA is here's a short breakdown.

The REIA of Macomb is Michigan's Premier Real Estate Investor's Association. It's a non-profit organization that I co-founded with my partner Nathan Mayes, open to the public, for real estate investors and professionals to learn, grow, and network.

I'm not going to get too much into the REIA itself, just about our most recent event. Tom Kish flew in from Miami, Fla to be the guest speaker of the month. Tom lives in Las Vegas and flies all over the whole country teaching entrepreneurs and real estate investors how to get more unsecured business lines of credit. We had around 160 attendees which put us close to room capacity.

The Extreme Networking pre-meeting was absolutely awesome. I met at least 20 new folks who had come out for their first time. Of course I saw 100 or so members that were in attendance. We've actually been forced to move our Main Event each month to a completely new venue who's capacity is double our current locations.

There was about 7 or 8 different vendors working tables on Thursday night. We had Diana Sloan from Chirco Title, Noel Selewski from the Selewski Insurance Group, Alan Faitel from RealFi, Erik Stark from Gold Key Realty, and a few others.

A couple other notable speakers of the night were Adam Davis and Paul Smudski. Adam Davis is the newly appointed vise president of the REIA of Macomb. Adam has done a ton of consulting with real estate investors and put together a FREE REPORT on

"How To Avoid The Shocking Mistake 9 out of 10 Real Estate Investors Make That Costs Them Thousands of Dollars Every Single Year".

If you are interested in obtaining a FREE COPY of this report go to http://www.successinrei.com/. You can sign up to receive
Adam Davis' FREE REPORT on this site.

Paul Smudski, The Ambassador of Wealth In R.E.I. came up to announce to the crowd the success of the new elite mastermind group. Paul encouraged all of the people in the crowd to take a look at "Taking their real estate investing career to the next level". If you have any questions go to www.WealthInREI.com.

The inauguration of a new Success & Networking club in Oakland County was announced by Drew Sygit, founder of The Lending Edge Team at Meadowbrook Mortgage in Bloomfield Hills. The new group is called The Oakland Business Forum, an affiliate of The National Business Forum. The clubs first event will take place on Tuesday January 15th, doors open at 6:00 p.m. at The Exclusive Troy Hilton located at 5500 Crooks Rd Troy, MI 48098.

As I like to say the event was a triumphant success. There was more pure networking and power team building at The REIA of Macomb's November Main Event than any previous. For me personally there is nothing more rewarding than being able to introduce business acquaintances of mine that are truly able to help each other in their respective businesses.

If you haven't been out to a REIA of Macomb meeting I absolutely urge you to get there. You have no excuse because your first meeting is always FREE. If you have been there or are a member that doesn't make it every month, than shame on You! The Power of being around like minded people can be called a Mastermind or Collective Genius.

Are You 100% fulfilled in your real estate investing business?

The Man Who Started It All

STOP Right Now & Listen To The Master

If you know me or have heard me speak. you know that I believe Napoleon Hill can change lives from the grave. I read Think & Grow Rich at least 3 times before I ever thought about buying a house. It helped me form principles that I live by in life and business.

I don't care if it takes you 3 months you need to read this book. If you can't get it done, buy the audio book on cd, or if you know what your doing download the mp3.

If this inspires you to start studying Mr. Hill's teachings, please send me your thoughts and successes that you can attribute to Napoleon Hill's Laws Of Success.

Spoken words leave impressions, written words leave tracks.
-Napoleon Hill

See Ya At The REIA,
Dylan Tanaka
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/
http://www.oaklandbusinessforum.com/
http://www.wealthinrei.com/
http://www.weoffertoday.com/
http://www.prettymihomes.com/

So You Think Your an Entrepreneur? part 1

You’re A Salesperson!

Our life is made up of a series of “sales presentations”. Sales may not be your gig, but if you’re the boss you’re making presentations everyday. Be it a pitch to your Board, announcing a change to employees, selling an idea to your spouse, or just trying to win others over to your point of view – you need to sharpen you sword to win in life.

People support solutions that they help create, so involve them by allowing your employees or bosses to participate with questions or ideas. It goes without saying that to not involve key people is risky, because messages can be misunderstood. Use lots of open-ended questions in your presentation to draw out the silent type.


Preparation is a key to success. Prepare your listeners to what’s coming during or before your presentation. Give your listeners a brief overview of what you'll be going over. Make pre-meeting contacts with those invited by email, phone, or in person.

Do your research! People who make it look easy and are effective presenters have hidden weapons. You need stats to back up your ideas, and they have an imaginary bag full of stories, examples, jokes, and ice-breakers to use when needed.

The next thing you must do is to explain “why?” The single most powerful thing you can do to convince your buyer of something is to give a good reason why they should buy what your selling, and believe what you say. most importantly is to have the utmost integrity, so that you believe in your self first. People want and need a clear “WIIFM” – “what’s in it for me?” – to be able to react positively to what you want them to do. It’s extremely important that you deliver a vision of features, advantages, & benefits. Hearing the “why” won’t automatically generate a “yes” to your proposition, but it’ll open the door for receptivity to your idea. In our business you have to take away any objections that they may have. We always present our properties in top-notch, clean condition.

Life is a sales job from beginning to end. From the moment that we seek how to get approval as children, winning friends at school, getting our first girlfriend/boyfriend, getting our first job, getting engaged and married, achieving our goals, and anything else you can think of in between.

The real key to selling is to believe in yourself. I started in commission furniture sales. Later that transformed into mortgages. Now it's getting sellers to believe in the offer I make, contractors to bid against each other, and buyers to understand the value we offer them. We’re selling ourselves or our ideas all along the way. Who said you weren’t a salesperson?

Dylan Tanaka
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/
http://www.oaklandbusinessforums.com/
http://www.prettymihomes.com/
http://www.weoffertoday.com/
http://www.wealthinrei.com/

13 Simple Ways to Use Craigslist To Spike Your Business FREE part 2

The Second Half of Why You Have No Excuse Not to Advertise For FREE



As I talked about a little earlier Craigslist is a tool that all Michigan real estate investors and entrepreneurs should be using. Okay let's finish up...

8. Finding Everything You Need on Craigslist

Remember during my first discussion I said Craigslist gets 4 Billion page views a month. That's proof American's believe in it. Now that you understand what Craigslist is, you may still wonder how it can help you specifically. There is no one simple answer to this question. The benefits you can gain from Craigslist will depend on what you are looking for from this community. In this section we will discuss some of the relevant uses of Craigslist for those who are seeking to purchase products or services, find a job or meet friends or romantic partners and in the following section we will discuss how Craigslist can be beneficial to a business.

9. How Can Craigslist Help Your Business?

Business owners can benefit from using Craigslist. As previously mentioned, Craigslist receives approximately four billion page views per month so advertising on Craigslist makes it easy to reach a large audience with minimal effort. Business owners can use Craigslist in a number of ways. The most obvious use is to post advertisements touting products and services offered. Another way business owners can use Craigslist is to check out competitors on Craigslist and learn more about how they are reaching potential customers.

10. Using Craigslist to Network

Those who are interested in organizing online networking opportunities for like-minded individuals to share ideas can also use Craigslist to accomplish their goal. Placing an advertisement on Craigslist which directs traffic to a message board can help to create a thriving community. Again it is important to place this advertisement in a location where the target audience will be reached.
* Directing traffic to a website
* Directing traffic to a message board
* Soliciting participation in an e-newsletter

11. Answering Postings on Craigslist

Some of the features on Craigslist include sections for community events, activities and news, personals advertisements, discussion forums, housing opportunities, for sale items, services offered, small business advertisements, jobs and resumes. While some of these sections such as the discussion forum and parts of the community section exist exclusively for the purpose of exchanging information or ideas, other sections such as the personals, housing, sale, services, job and resume sections provide the opportunity for users to respond to advertisements for more information or to make a purchase.

12. Can Craigslist Improve Your Business?

The answer to this question is yes and no and maybe. It all depends on the way in which the business owners utilize Craigslist. Savvy Internet marketers who are able to identify the target audience and create sales copy which entices the reader may find advertising on Craigslist to be incredibly profitable. Conversely Internet markets that do not do their research and take a spamming approach to advertising on Craigslist are not likely to see significant financial gains.

There is certainly an opportunity to gain financial benefit through advertising on Craigslist. Advertising for all products and services is free on Craigslist making it cost effectively. Additionally, Craigslist already receives extensive traffic with approximately ten million visitors generating four billion page views each month so there is no need to drive traffic to the website. While Craigslist offers so many advertising benefits, these benefits may be wasted if the advertiser does not do his research or evaluate the competition.

13. Why Your Business Cannot Afford Not to Advertise on Craigslist

Craigslist is not always the best advertising option but there are certain situations in which a business cannot afford not to advertise on Craigslist.Small start-up companies often have a great deal of work ahead of them to begin competing with existing companies who are already thriving. These companies may already have established client bases and may have substantial funding budges for the purpose of obtaining new customers. Customer loyalty can be difficult to break and new companies either have to offer significantly better quality products or services, comparable products or services at reduced prices or a slick marketing campaign with consumer appeal.

It is important to not that while free advertising is appealing, the advertising should be just as sophisticated as it would in markets where the business owners would be required to pay a fee to run the advertisement. This will help the business to maintain a professional image and will entice potential customer to try their products or services.

In conclusion, using Craigslist is another part of doing "Whatever It Takes" and of course "Making It Happen". In 2008 and beyond staying on top of technology will keep our printers using more ink on our tax returns. And that's a good thing. Ask yourself this question, Why is Amazon.com worth more than General Motors?

Dylan
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/
http://www.oaklandbusinessforums.com/
http://www.prettymihomes.com/
http://www.weoffertoday.com/
http://www.wealthinrei.com/

13 Simple Ways to Use Craigslist To Spike Your Business FREE part 1

There is no excuse to have a tough time finding tenants, sellers, or good cheap contractors.

Here are 13 easy ways to use Craigslist to make more money in your business...

1. Affordable Advertising on Craigslist

The advertising on Craigslist is certainly affordable. In fact there is no fee for the majority of posts made on Craigslist. Craigslist began as a non-profit organization but in 1999 it was converted to a for profit organization. However, operating costs are supported by charging nominal fees for help wanted advertisements placed on the San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City Craigslist websites. Additionally, there is a fee for brokerage apartment listings in New York City.

One good thing about Detroit, FREE Craigslist posts!

2. How Do You Use Craigslist?

The beauty of Craigslist is it can be used in a variety of ways. Some of the most popular uses of Craigslist include advertising rentals, meeting contractors, and finding sellers. Craigslist is appealing because there is no need to generate traffic to the website. Craigslist already receives approximately ten million visitors per month who generate approximately four billion page views per month.

3. Use the Search Feature to Find the Target Audience

The search feature on Craigslist can also provide valuable insight which can help advertisers to locate their target audience. Advertisers can start this process by entering keywords related to their products or services to search in various sections of Craigslist. During this time, take note of competitors’ advertisements which are returned during these searches and the sections in which these advertisements are placed. If competitors’ advertisements appear in sections which appear logical, it might be worthwhile to consider placing your own advertisements in these sections to ensure target audience members find your advertisement when searching these sections.

Next carefully examine all advertisements by competitors. Pay particular attention to the keywords used in the advertisements. This is important because savvy Internet marketers recognize the need to optimize their advertisements for the same keywords being used by competitors. Failure to do so may result in potential customers only viewing the competitors’ advertisements when searching for these particular keywords.

4. Promoting Your Business through Craigslist

Craigslist can prove to be an excellent avenue for business promotion. Whether an individual has a small business which they operate on a part time basis or a thriving business which has become a time consuming endeavor, Craigslist can help the business to increase in profits and popularity.

Even the most well thought out and innovative marketing campaign will falter if it is not reaching the intended audience. This is why it is so important for those who are trying to promote their business on Craigslist to be sure they categorize their advertisement correctly to ensure their intended audience will receive the intended message.

5. Understanding Craigslist

Many people hear the name Craigslist and know it refers to some sort of website but many are still unclear about the different ways in which Craigslist can be used. However, Craigslist receives over four billion page views per month so there are obviously many people who have a better understanding of the services offered by Craigslist. Essentially, Craigslist is similar to the classified section of a newspaper where individual can either post advertisements or respond to existing advertisements.

6. The Most Popular Use For Craigslist

One of the most popular uses of Craigslist is for business promotion. Both small businesses and large corporations can take advantage of the free advertising offered on Craigslist to promote their business and attract new customers. Business owners are free to place advertisements on Craigslist in the section for services offered. This section is broken down into a number of categories to allow business owners to place their advertisement in the most appropriate location where it is likely to reach the target audience. There is also a section for small business advertisements but it might be more worthwhile to place advertisements in one of the appropriate categories because it is more likely to be found by interested individuals.

7. Craigslist for Beginners

Although Craigslist has been around in one form or another since 1995, there are still some who have no idea how to use Craigslist. These individuals are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to be a part of a growing and continually evolving online community. This community is an excellent resource for finding information, finding jobs, finding friends or dates, making purchases, selling items or discussing important issues.

Housing Section
Craigslist’s housing section offers a variety of options related to lodging. Users of this section can find apartments or homes available for rent, sublet opportunities, potential roommate situations, house or apartment swaps, real estate sales, vacation rentals and even storage, parking and office space for rent or sale.

Services Sections
In the services section, service providers may place advertisements for the types of services they offer. Advertisements should be placed in appropriate categories but if there is no appropriate category the advertisement may be placed in the generic small business section.

At any given time you can find 10-20 ads on Craigslist that are generated by us. I have personally found a lease option tenant fro Las Vegas for a Roseville house over a year ago. Knock on wood, everything is still going great with them. I have met other investors through Craigslist, wholesale buyers, and even current REIA Members found us on Craigslist.

If you're not using Craigslist you're either lazy or silly. So learn how to type and hit submit, Make It Happen!!!

C'mon It's FREE.

Dylan
http://www.reiaofmacomb.com/
http://www.oaklandbusinessforums.com/
http://www.prettymihomes.com/
http://www.weoffertoday.com/
http://www.wealthinrei.com/