Painted Zebra - Issue 5

the painted zebra ISSUE 5

marketing inspiration and business savvy

from my desk...

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Brand Reveal: Terry Vehrs Agent Spotlight: Teresa Nielsen Featured Brand: Karen & Aaron Zehm Featured Brand: Jayna Pascua Featured Brand: Loral Krutsinger Bonus Brands + Before & After Solutions: eNewsletters Starting Your Transformation Meet the Team

How often do you stand back and look at your business from a big picture perspective?

Probably not too often. It can be difficult when you are juggling everything and focused on getting through the tasks and details of day to day of your job. But if you find yourself doing the same grind year after year, then taking a moment to look at the big picture can be exactly what you need to catapult you to the next level. Ask yourself: • • • •

Are you working with clients you don't really like?

Are you spending money chasing leads who don’t return your calls and emails?

Do you find yourself reinventing the wheel every time you have a listing?

Do you agonize over keeping in contact with your database and in the end, never send anything?

• Are you off track to realize your big picture goals?

If the answer to any of these is yes, then there is action you need to take to change the cogs that are moving your business forward because something isn’t lining up. You need a big picture change! This is where I come in. I specialize in helping you realize your big picture plan by helping you make incremental changes and improvements in your dayto-day business that result in big changes down the road.

If you have been sitting on the fence and not reaching out to our company because you know that I am going to give you the push you need, THIS IS YOUR MOMENT! Let's schedule some time to chat. I will schedule a personal half-hour free consultation with you to review where you are and help you determine how to move forward. You can have the business you have always dreamed of. I can help you get there!

-Denise Lones, President

brand reveal

T E RRY VEHR S | ED MO N DS , WA S H I N GT ON

Terry's brand is fit for a real estate broker with unparalleled experience.

His brand is both authentic and luxurious, with crisp navy blue and gold lines that accentuate the modern whitespace in the background. His powerful V-wave logo is the finishing touch that makes this brand stand out from the crowd in his waterside market.

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agent spotlight I N T R O D U C I N G

Te�e�� N�el�en Congratulations to Teresa Nielsen, our

due to my own efforts and not dependent

featured agent! Teresa sells real estate

on anyone else. I can bring to it my

in Western Washington with her two

own personality, my own flavor, without

daughters, Danica and Whitney. Together

having to dilute my vision or message

they march to the beat of their personal

with someone else’s influence. I love not

motto: Enjoy Your Life.

having to obey an alarm clock and that I

What do you like most about being a real estate agent?

The best part of my career is being able to control my own destiny; to know that

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when it works or doesn’t work, it is all

have control of my time; I can work 1012 hours a day but I never feel like I’m at a “job.” Even on those days when I have little spare time, I still get to choose my hours and mix in my personal life.

What is your advice for marketing a property?

What's the best part about sharing a brokerage with your

The most important advice I have for new agents in marketing

daughters?

a property is to spend the money on professional, top quality

The most special part about creating a business I love is being

photographs. It’s the first thing potential buyers are going to see

able to do it with the people I love. To be able to enjoy the

that will get them to come out. Don’t be timid about directing

emotional and physical support from people who care about

the photography shoot: follow the photographer around, see

you is priceless. And, of course, it’s wonderful to know that you

what they see. Clean out the junk and make room adjustments

can take a day off when you have people you trust taking care

as needed. It sounds so basic, but it is so important and it’s not

of the business.

something everyone does so it can give you an edge.

What is your advice for marketing yourself?

-

Te�esa Nie�sen

I love Denise’s words about what works best: “attraction, not promotion.” I believe you have to market who you are and not try to be someone you are not. Your clients will be attracted more when you are being authentic. And they will know when you are being your true self; they will feel it even in your marketing.

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the zehm team Aaron and Karen Zehm stand out amongst the crowd of Puget Sound agents with their combined knowledge and passion. They aren't afraid of putting in a healthy dose of elbow grease to find the best solutions for their clients. The Zehm team has every aspect of real estate covered; from residential to commercial, from investments to relocation, and everything in between. Their tagline, "Real Estate Done Right," fits their can-do attitude, boundless energy, and network of resources to find that perfect fit for their clients. The Zehms have been a favorite of the Lones Group staff and we are excited to see what they do next!

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jayna pascua Jayna is well-versed in real estate as well as her other life passions—raising her child in the Seattle area, making local pets look their best through her company, Pet Elegance, and remodeling investment properties.

Jayna is more than just a REALTORÂŽ, and understands that the idea of "home" is at the top of a client's wish list.

Building relationships with clients and guiding them through the process is Jayna's top priority.

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loral krutsinger Loral Krutsinger is the type of agent who conquers tasks with a positive attitude from start to finish. When she started her real estate career, she already had a strong record of personal real estate transactions and business ownership, making real estate the perfect fit. Inspired by her cheery disposition, love of crafts and vivid color, business mindset, can-do-spirit, and infectious smile, we created a brand and systems for Loral that convey joy in both print and digital marketing.

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kamila kennedy

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before & after JAMIE FLAXMAN

If anyone thinks big picture, it's Jamie Flaxman. She is a smart and direct leader who has a strong, confident vision for her professional direction. She is an innovator who is always looking for ways to improve her business and systems and felt it was time for a brand refresh.

Jamie began her brand refresh knowing which elements she wanted to change to improve the overall functionality and style. We removed the diamond imagery, and all gradients.

We added graceful curves to compliment her brokerage's new branding and replaced the fonts with a more modern style.

Finally, we created a stand alone logo that is elegant, modern and professional. Jamie's new design really is a fresh spin on her pre-established brand.

A F T E R

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e-newsletters

THE DO S A N D DO N 'T S O F EMAI L MAR KET I NG Although we recommend a consistent, monthly point of contact with your clients through physical mail, there is room to supplement with an email newsletter. We have found MailChimp to be the easiest and most user-friendly way to communicate with clients via email. It is very easy to apply your brand, and when you have content such as a blog or video to link to, email is a great way to go!

You can use MailChimp to promote all sorts of content, such as community events calendars, just listed/sold updates, monthly market updates, client appreciation event invites and more. This is a great, affordable way to provide valuable information to your sphere database.

Do you like receiving emails from businesses who spam your inbox without your consent? Neither do your clients! Since

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people's email inbox is a somewhat personal space, remember to be respectful of your potential and current clients and only send them content they specifically request. When you send out your enewsletters, be sure you only email those who specifically signed up or 'opted in' to receive this type of marketing. Nobody likes to be annoyed by businesses who fill up their inbox without their permission, and this type of marketing can actually do more to hurt than help!

When done right, there is endless potential with email marketing.

Once you create your enewsletter, you can link to it via social media, expanding your reach even further. You can even create landing pages in MailChimp! If this has you thinking about the e-possibilities, we would be happy to set up a time to create your enewsletter and plan. Reach out!

WE'L L M AK E Y OU L O O K G R E AT.

GUAR ANT EED.

CRE ATE A BR AND

UPDAT E A BR AN D

"The Lones Group has been overwhelmingly the best thing I have ever done for my business."

"I feel blessed to have you in my corner for all my new marketing materials."

-Gary Nims

– Francine Schneider

O RD E R S Y S TE M S A ND TO O L S

"I am so impressed with everything and the level of professionalism has been beyond expectations. " -Regina Bronner

"I'm a client for life. Love how much you all help." – Kristin Bushnell

Call/Text 360-527-8904 or email support@thelonesgroup.com

to book your free consultation today!

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2200 Cornwall Avenue Bellingham, WA 98225

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Cover Design by Jessica Wilbert Designer | Lones Group Team Member Since 2016

Since this edition of the Painted Zebra is all about agents who have achieved great success by thinking big picture and avoiding getting bogged down on small details, Jessica designed a cover to match.

She used an up-close face of a zebra to fill the entire space with edge-to-edge color.

She chose a rich and bright watercolor rainbow texture to replace the black stripes and kept the white stipes open to allow for modern whitespace.

The Lones Group T H E

T E A M

T H A T

S P E C I A L I Z E S

I N

T R A N S F O R M I N G

Denise Lones

Shauna Naf

Randy Bowers

Nicole Fjelsted

President

CEO

Director of Technology

Director of Design

Jamie Holmes

Jessica Wilbert

Designer

Designer

Karen Natale

Nancy Johnson

Client Care Coordinator

Bookkeeper

Y O U !