MIREALTOR® Online June 2014 | Page 26

Have you ever watched a child play with a new technology device? They don’t ask questions, they have no fear and typically they just figure it out as a process of trial and error. It is not because as many of us more mature users may believe, “that they are just born this way.” The fact is they aren’t scared and just play with the device until they figure it out. Or if by chance they can’t figure it out, they are not scared to ask someone for help, search online for an answer, jump into a forum or this amazing teacher of everything called YouTube. Now, don’t get me wrong, they do have an advantage that they have been around these technologies since their inception, but in general they excel at using these tools because they are more open and wiling to learn how to do so. ”Have you ever watched a child play with a new technology device? They don’t ask questions, they have no fear and typically they just figure it out as a process of trial and error.” And if you think I am just saying this as a “younger user,” realize that when I left for college I had never turned on a computer and by the time I graduated 4-years later I was teaching classes on how to use them. And, I got that way by playing and figuring things out on my own. So, get started by dusting off that device or app that you have been resisting learning how to use and just start playing until you figure it out. If that doesn’t do it, realize you have a lot of resources available to you such as YouTube, Google, your friends/co-workers and, of course, me. I will be providing more helpful tidbits on topics such as hardware (computers, smart phones, printers, fax machines, etc.), software, apps and a whole lot more on http://www.reti.ws/. MIREALTOR® | JUNE 2014 26 Craig Grant of The Real Estate Technology Institute and EasyRealtySites.com is a national speaker on all aspects of technology, marketing and risk management as well as a top consultant for Realtors® looking to run their business more productively and cost efficiently using technology. For more information, Grant can be reached at 352-400-4857 or by email at [email protected].