Todd Mason has called Maryland home for forty years now. He loves sharing outdoor activities with his family, including hiking and exploring the local area. “There’s quite a bit to see.”
The family is comprised of “five kids, a wife, two dogs and six chickens.” Todd’s spouse works for a pharmaceutical company as a CPA.
Together, they manage a full and busy nest with all of the kids, ages fourteen to twenty-two, still living at home. Three are currently in college.
Todd also loves talking to people, particularly realtors and business owners, who are good candidates for utilizing and benefiting from virtual tours.
Today, he is serving the business community as a Matterport Service Provider with Visual Edge 3D Virtual Tours.
Visual Edge & Matterport: Give Your Company The Modern Edge!
* Modern Inbound Marketing
3D Virtual Tours are not just the way of the future – it’s available now!
* Engage Web Site Visitors Longer
Interactive 3D Virtual Tours grab attention and hold it!
* Faster Conversions
Accelerate the decision-making process!
* Increase Your Reach
Let potential clients have a “look around” at their leisure from nearly anywhere in the world!
* Increase Traffic & Promote Your Brand
Visual Edge’s 3D Virtual Tours by Matterport are fun to use and ready to share with family, friends and associates.
Your business gets promoted while the client reaches for feedback on a potential purchase. Or proudly shows everyone an exciting done deal!
Love For Sales & Meeting People Fueled The Entrepreneurial Journey
Todd started as a stockbroker right out of college. “I got my Series 7 license and started selling stocks.” He soon discovered that spending his days sitting in an office wasn’t what he wanted to do.
He did enjoy the sales aspect but he wanted to be able to talk to clients face-to-face. For the next five years, he did that as a mortgage banker. But, the fit still wasn’t quite right.
He loved meeting the people and helping them to buy homes. “All of that was great. I just wasn’t into the details of the finance programs and those kinds of things.”
Todd’s job search criteria was honed a bit more. He wanted to get outdoors and meet people but he also wanted to be involved with something that was more tangible — “something that I could see and touch.”
The next career stop? The construction industry. For the next twenty years, he managed all kinds of construction projects including 101 Bridges on the Hot Lanes Project in Northern Virginia. Then, it was time to move on.
“I decided that the stress and the pressure in the construction industry wasn’t what I was looking for going forward.” Opportunity knocked and Todd jumped to greet it.
It meant being able to reconnect with people he had already met, years prior, within the real estate industry. He’s now a Matterport Service Provider, providing 3D Virtual Tours for all kinds of businesses.
A Smooth Transition To The Virtual World
It might seem like a great leap to go from the earthy construction industry into the realm of 3D visuals. Yet, the transition wasn’t really difficult at all.
“Because there’s really not very much synergy between them at all, there really wasn’t a lengthy transition process,” Todd said. Time-wise, it was all quite seamless.
Entrepreneurship began immediately upon ending his employment in construction. That was merely six months ago and he hasn’t looked back.
The Greatest Challenge Is Introducing Modern Marketing
“Getting people to understand the commercial benefit of a 3D Virtual Tour. It’s very easy to understand the visual benefit and the novelty of having the virtual tour.”
He continues, “Perhaps it’s connected to your website, promoting your business — your brick and mortar business — where you want to bring people in. The novelty of that is easy to quantify.
“But, how we turn that into more customers and more dollars for the business owner or the real estate agent really is the most difficult part of conveying my message.”
So, how does Todd approach this challenge? “It starts with marketing. Sometimes you have to take a step back and educate people on modern marketing — internet and inbound internet marketing, specifically.
Todd adds, “As more people become more tech savvy, I think the product will become much easier to sell and much easier to market.”
Advice Todd Would Give Himself If He Could Start Over
“Not to have too high expectations, initially. Things always take a little longer than you think to materialize; to turn into what you envision them — or what you envision their potential — to be.
“So, be patient. That grind of finding new customers, talking to people and spreading the good word about the business needs to take place every day, day in and day out.”
Visual Edge 3D Virtual Tours Make A Difference By Resolving Issues
Todd recalls his first 3D Virtual Tour sale. “I remember it very clearly because the business owner, when I walked in, was sitting at the front desk.”
Todd had done his research and knew this was the person he intended to meet and he had already made himself familiar with their website. “I introduced myself to him. He immediately surmised I was a salesperson.
“It worked out great. He ended up being my first client and it was really terrific.” Todd made a huge difference by being able to address the issues that were affecting the client’s business that the 3D Virtual Tour could potentially resolve.
“The issues centered around customers calling and asking questions about the business.” The company site greeted visitors with a static picture tour that fell short on delivering a comfortable, relaxing impression of the business.
Site visitors were left with unanswered questions and that translated into lots of phone inquiries with the same questions being asked over and over again. “My product was able to fix that problem by allowing customers to essentially enter the business, virtually, online.
They could spend unlimited time looking at specific features and the various amenities of the business. Armed with the information they needed, they were ready and able to make their buying decision without needing to make a phone call.
“It allowed the business to focus more on marketing and bringing in more customers, and customer service. That made me feel like I was bringing something to the market that’s more than just a novelty.
“Whether the 3D Virtual Tour is for a business or for a ‘home for sale’ for a realtor, the product really needs to help solve a problem for the customer.”
HubSpot Helps Drive Virtual Edge
Todd relies on his HubSpot Apps and Interface. “It’s huge to me. I couldn’t live without it.”
It’s a highly dynamic marketing tool for increasing traffic, converting leads and so much more.
Todd’s Favorite Quote Comes From His Military Days
“The only easy day was yesterday.” – Navy Seals
Todd’s early background includes being a member of the ROTC Program and the Army National Guard. “My favorite quotes come almost exclusively from the military.
“I love that quote because it really helps keep me centered on the fact that I’m not in search of an easy day. I’m in search of accomplishing something productive every day.”
Want Todd to accomplish something that benefits your business? Ready to bring your marketing from static to dynamic? Looking for traffic with higher conversion?
Give Todd Mason a call today to learn how Visual Edge can resolve your inbound marketing issues. Make YOUR business a virtual success!
Visual Edge
554 North Frederick Avenue, Suite 120
Gaithersburg, MD
240-720-7429
getvisualedge.com
facebook.com/tour3Dforme
Contents Provided by Frederick Advice Givers Podcast Episode #103 : Eric Verdi Interviews Todd Mason
