Connexions Business Mag - #3 August 2012 Issue

onnexions C Business Magazine

Maha’s 10 Principles for Fearless Success

How to Set Your Goals and Make Them a Reality 9 Quick Steps in Writing Your Own eBook Systems for a Successful Business Hot Buttons in Negotiation Making a Difference in China 12 TraitsThat Make a Great Networker Outstanding

Maha Sinnathamby Visionary Extraordinaire

EDITORS NOTES

From Jennie’s desk As the weather here in Australia, especially in the north, starts to warm a little, preparing itself for the spring to soon come and deliver us with new ideas,new energies and changes in direction. As business owners, many of us know that we need to start creating new and innovative ideas to transform our businesses as best we can,as a result of the changes that are happening around us at this time. Small business people need to be creative and think out of the box if they wish their businesses to grow and succeed in this time when there are so many living in ‘doom and gloom’.

For many of us who own businesses, we are blessed when we have the opportunity to have mentors who are there to help, encourage and show the way toward the creation of our dreams. I have been more than fortunate over the years to have some incredible, insightful people around me who have helped and encouraged me to develop my passion and allow me the opportunity to be who I am.

I was so blessed and fortunate to attend the Variety Bash Fund raising evening,created by Natasha Howie and Tracey McLeod a couple of weeks ago. Maha Sinnathamby gave a presentation on his life and work, which was the creation of the city of Greater Springfield, between Brisbane and Ipswich. What an inspiring man! Maha gave a talk which was about the 10 principles of fearless success that inspired him to build the city of Springfield. His book ‘Stop Not Till The Goal Is Reached’ has confirmed to me why I do what I do and how on track I am for the future. See more on Page 7 where you are able to purchase the book yourself from his website.

I love Maha’s philosophy and inspiration on how once the ‘idea’ is created, even if it takes 20-40 years, it is all about action and hard work to bring it all to fruition, even when the naysayers disagree.

THANK YOU Maha for confirming to me that ‘anything is possible with the right mindset, the right people and the right action’.

Please enjoy the articles that are being presented here by successful business people who are doing their ‘passion’. I have been blessed to have so many incredible people around me to support not only me but my clients too. To them, I say a big thank you also.

I look forward to hearing your comments on this issue with anticipation!

Enjoy the reading ….

Jennie Gorman, Tony Ryan & Maha Sinnathamby at the Variety Bash

Click here to check out my video

CONTENTS

Page 06

How to Set Your Goals and Make Page 20 Who will thrive Them a Reality at Expect A Miracle School

Setting a goal and then making it a reality are two different things. It is easy to set the goals, as most people who have ever made a new year’s resolutions will know.

Page 07 Maha’s 10 Principles

for Fearless Success

Principle One explores the notion of finding success by making one idea your life.

Page 08 9 Quick Steps in Writing Your Own eBook

Expect A Miracle Schoolis for all those individuals who wishto thrive in their lives.

Page 22

My arrival in Guangzhou was like arriving on another planet.

Page 24

Increase Your Conversions With This Simple Tip

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your marketing is assuming that your potential customers know exactly what steps you want them to take.

We are continually bombarded with articles regarding stress in our lives..... good, bad, too much, too little and healthy stress - the list is seemingly endless.

Page 25

Page 10 Video Interviews and How to Use Them Effectively…

Page 26

We are continually bombarded with articles regarding stress in our lives..... good, bad, too much, too little and healthy stress - the list is seemingly endless.

Page 12

Protect your Family from Life’s Surprises

You’ll probably hear things like it’s the GFC, I can’t get good staff, my customers can’t afford to use my services,I haven’t got time to work on my business...

Page 15

How to Break Domestic Violence and Become Independently Wealthy

You’ll probably hear things like it’s the GFC, I can’t get good staff, my customers can’t afford to use my services,I haven’t got time to work on my business...

Page 16

Systems for a Successful Business

Ten tips for a simpler and more profitable business.

Usually businesses don’t spend the time or effort developing a simple, yet profitable business. Find out why.

Page 18

The Best Way to Lead People Is to Learn to Lead Yourself First!

The first aspect of effective leadership is always becoming the best version of yourself you can be. No one will follow you if they can’t trust you!

Page 19

Hot Buttons in Negotiation

We all have hot buttons – those areas of sensitivity that,if pushed, cause us to react powerfully and not always positively.

Making a Difference in China

Stress - Exciting New Discoveries

Why we are Unhealthy. Is This the Missing Link?

12 Traits That Make a Great Networker Outstanding

Did you know that great networkers can help you achieve whatyou want to achieve?

Page 28

Utilising Free Cloud Software in Working with your Virtual Assistant

Page 30

Terrific Testimonials

Page 31

What is Housesitting All About?

A potential client who was inquiring about my services to help find him a virtual assistant from the Philippines stood me up for a meeting.

Testimonials are a critical part of effective copy to help build credibility and to reduce objections to purchase.

House sitting is the practice whereby a homeowner, leaving their house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more “house sitters”.

Page 33 Art of Listening

When was the last time you felt the person you were talking to was listening, really listening, to what you were saying?

Page 34

10 Traits

of Successful Entrepreneurs

Many businesses owners fail because they fail to understand the basic principles of business and do not honour their innate skills.

Page 38

Our Contributors

“I attended Jennie’s very first mastermind group several years ago and it provided enormous value to me personally and professionally. Having a willing board of directors who are outside your business assist with leadership & management issues and brainstorming challenges is priceless. It is incredible financial value too – imagine paying 8 consultants for 7 hours monthly for 6 months! So if you’re serious about expanding your mind and your business I highly recommend joining Jennies Mastermind Group.”

Helen Bichel, WD Coach www.wdcoach.com

“If you want to get someone to get the job done, then Jennie is your person. She is one of the best networkers and tribe builders I know. Jennie has a wonderful way to collaborate with people from all backgrounds and harness their energy to achieve some amazing results.”

Keith Abraham, Passionate People www.keithabraham.com.au

Jennie Gorman’s MasterMind Group is transforming my business. I am now working more strategically to build a more sustainable solid foundation based on my personality profile and where I ultimately want to get out of business. The other amazing thing I’ve got out of it is the connections I’m making and the input from the group.

It is a transformational process. I was hesitant at first but am so grateful to Jennie and the group that I joined.

Angela De Palma, Go To Outsource www.gotooutsource.com

“Jennie’s forte in networking is priceless! She works by example, her integrity in what she does is unmatchable, and one that people who know her, aspire to adopt. Jennie is friendly, puts people at ease and is very willing to share her knowledge and is always early. Her passion for what she does is unmistakeable and to be admired.

I highly recommend anyone to attend any sessions that Jennie is involved with as they will learn heaps!!”

Gail Timms, Energisus www.energisus.com.au

“As a referral marketing expert I am delighted to recommend Jennie’s services at Networking Chats. She fosters a sharing atmosphere and encourages networking in a positive business environment. Not only that, she also shares the secrets she has learned over many years as a master networker.”

Lindsay Adams CSP National Director, Referral Institute www.referralinstitute.com.au

How to Set Your Goals and Make Them a Reality

by Jennie Gorman

Setting a goal and then making it a reality are two different things. It is easy to set the goals, as most people who have ever made a new year’s resolutions will know. Making them happen is another thing.

Goal setting is all about firstly setting goals that are attainable, realistic, achievable and measureable. I find that if you have a mastermind group supporting you, then you are more than likely to achieve those goals as the group will keep you motivated and supported so that you can achieve what you set out to do. Accountability is the main aim of the group.

A mastermind group will help you be accountable for your goal setting and this is where the correct group for you will be life and business changing. Being able to share your goals and dreams with others, will keep you on track to achievement. No one likes to appear a failure, so a group will encourage and support you to achieving if you let them.

Then you need to set the goals that you want to achieve to reach both the vision and mission. Your vision is the picture you see in your head that you want to create in your world with the mission being the work you need to do to create that vision.

The goals you need to achieve must be set in their individual areas. . . . . next 6 months, 12 months, 3 years and 5 years.

As the world is changing so fast, ten year goals are a long way out, but it is good to have them in place too.

It is important that you have a start and finish date for each part of your goal. This way you become obliged to achieve what you set out to do.

Brainstorming and discussion around each goal will be effective in helping you gain the information, resources, suppliers and maybe the money you need. It is easier and We will help you understand and know your life and business quicker to do this with a group than wasting time trying Vision and Mission to help you vocalise it clearly. This is the things out that may in the long term take you much longer first important step to take. By documenting it so you can to achieve. Use your mastermind group to short circuit and create what you want quicker. keep yourself on track.

I then suggest an Action Plan that is broken up into 3 month cycles. All the steps that any goal will have need to be broken into bite sizable chunks. It can be quite overwhelming to visualise a goal in its entirety, but broken down into easy steps helps make it a reality and more easily accomplishable.

It is important at each mastermind group session that you review your action plan so that you all keep on track.

Your achievements are important to your group and if each participant is achieving, it means that your group is flowing and a success.

For more information on Masterminding, 6

go to www.businessmastermindgroups.com.au

mahasinnathamby.com Principle One explores the notion of finding success by making one idea your life.

It begins with Maha Sinnathamby’s earliest days of disadvantage, fear and poverty – his father dragged away to prison by Japanese soldiers, and his mother left to find food for seven children under 13 years of age.

Were it not for his self-belief and drive towards achievement and success – and the fierce love, bravery and dedication of his parents – Maha’s story could have continued not far from where it began.

Instead, Principle One begins to unfold a story where these early memories of suffering have instead created a man who perseveres and steadfastly refuses to quit. If anything, the obstacles he’s faced have increased his resolve and commitment.

From the moment he announced he would build a city in the Australian bush, everyone thought he was crazy – some laughing at him openly. But compared to the challenges of his early life, what are a few naysayers? Twenty years on, Maha’s certainly having the last laugh.

“Live for an ideal, and that one ideal alone. Let it be so great, so strong, that there may be nothing else left.” from one of Maha’s books of ancient wisdom Maha Sinnathamby is one of the most inspirational people I have ever met. Here is a man who against all odds converted a tract of ‘worthless’ bush land into a thriving city.

Noel Whittaker – investment expert, journalist and author 7

9 Quick Steps in Writing Your Own eBook 5. Next, go back and expand on each point. Don’t worry about editing, just allow yourself to write. Each point will become a paragraph or group of paragraphs. You may need to add in connecting paragraphs to make sure ideas If you are an offline business, your plan may simply be to flow smoothly from one to the next. increase your authority status and build leads using an ebook.

This is a good place to start as they are the easiest to create. 6. Then edit your draft. You may need to shift some points into more relevant chapters, or shuffle around the chapters 1. The first step is to brainstorm. Outline the main things themselves to make it more orderly. Remember to spell-check you want to cover in your e-book. Jot these down quickly and ask a few trusted friends to read through it, to see if without filtering any ideas (this will allow your creativity to you’ve missed something out. run wild).

7. Format your e-book in 14 point Arial or 12-13 point Verdana 2. Remove any ideas that don’t fit in. Decide what concepts fonts. for the e-book will make the final cut.

8. Have a cover designed. Try www.dlwmmm.com/99 for 3. Next, select the core concepts and organize these points low cost, but professional designs. Also ask for an e-book into a logical order so that they make sense. Each idea version of the cover to use on your sales page. should build upon the last. Now you have your table of (This is a copy of the same design that has been made to contents(or chapter outline). look like a physical copy of a real book—usually 3D.) 4. Go back to each point and fill out the chapter heading with the other ideas from your brainstorming session. Bullet point 9. Convert your word document to PDF. There’s free software every concept or idea relevant to do with that main point. that you can use to do this. The latest version of Microsoft Then go back and sequence these bullets into a logical order. Office also converts your documents to PDF. Before you start creating your ebook it’s good to step back and understand your business objectives and your marketing strategy.

The above is a small excerpt from my book “Do Less Work, Make More Money” claim your free digital copy here (Valued at $37.95).

From Leon Jay

8

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In This Book You Will Learn How Ordinary People Can Make Extraordinary Money - Millions of people try to become successful every year, most give up. Learn the one unspoken truth that those who succeed have to discover the hard way 5 Ways to Getting an eBook Written For You - Not the book writing type or simply want to scale? No problem. These 5 methods will show you how to get a product to sell - many without spending a penny...

7 Tips to Instantly Improve Your Videos - Video is at the core of Marketing 2.0. It’s so easy to get right, yet still most get it so wrong. Stand out from the crowd with these easy to implement techniques 5 Psychological Tricks That Get People To Buy Now - Customers often delay in their decision, and miss out on opportunities that could have benefited them. Your job is to make sure they don’t miss yours...

5 Traffic Techniques To Avoid - There are a lot of myths, scams and stuff that just no longer works. Don’t waste your time or money going down these 5 dead ends (even if they do seem tempting) So Much More - So jammed with information there isn’t space to put everything you will find here. Bottom line is you will learn everything you need to from beginning to end (and everything in-between)

Click Here for Free Instant Access 9

Video Interviews

and How to Use Them Effectively…

By Paul Humphreys

Do you like to know the person you are buying from? See what they look like, get a feeling about who they are, and hear their voice?

We love Movies and TV programs, and really start to see the characters as real, wondering about their lives and what’s going to happen next.

In today’s market mania, actually reaching your target market without spending a fortune is very difficult, and with the growing epidemic of social networking, if you are not a part of it, you already know the feeling of being left behind. Video Business Interviews are 4-6 minute One of the key reasons you might use Video Interviews is interviews; giving you the chance to explain in more detail because people buy from people and you can promote your what it is that you are offering your customers. products or service in a highly interactive medium where your clients feel they know the person they are buying Many businesses are using Video Interviews successfully to get more sales. from, you!

Imagine being able to talk to your potential customers directly from your website! You can show and explain your products or service in a way that printed words and static pictures never can. Wouldn’t that be great?

Communication is more than the written or spoken word; it’s our gestures, movement, and interaction.

Have you ever considered that your static website is not connecting with people as effectively as you would like it to? And more importantly, not converting website visits into sales?

I script, produce and conduct the interviews personally, and I am passionately excited about helping you to build relationships with people online before they even meet you, so contact me now at www.videointerviews.com.au and take the first steps.

I look forward to work with you as your business becomes How much more connected to people do you feel simply massively successful, because you got into video marketing because you see their photo on Facebook? Imagine when early. you can hear them and feel the connection via a video.

Paul Humphreys

www.videointerviews.com.au 10

Video Interviews

CONTACT

Paul Humphreys

Services: • Video Testimonials • 30-60 Second Commercials • Promotional Business Interviews • Video Coaching Address: PO Box 534,

Chermside South Qld 4032 Phone: 0406 942 421 Email: paul@videointerviews.com.au Website: www.videointerviews.com.au

Testimonial from Allan Pease 11

Protect your Family from Life’s Surprises

By Amanda McCall Dip FP, FPA (Aff), ANZIIF (Snr Assoc), C Dec

A recent survey conducted for the Financial Services Council

by Rice Walker found that only 4% of those with dependants have sufficient life insurance . This has the potential to greatly affect families who aren’t covered if one parent were to die.

Even an annual income of $30,000 today is potentially worth more than $1 million in 20 years time. Imagine no longer having access to that potential income - through injury, illness or death - which is so vital to you and your family.

Sufficient life insurance is generally accepted to be at least 10 times the insured’s earnings. But alarmingly, six in ten people with dependants don’t have enough life insurance cover to look after their loved ones for more than one year if they were to die.

There are many insurance products available that come under the ‘life insurance’ umbrella. So understandably, trying to evaluate the best product to protect your family can be daunting, and I recommend seeking professional assistance when choosing a life insurance policy.

Having been in the finance industry for a number years, I believe these alarming results could be due to a lack of I would encourage anyone who does not have some sort of awareness about the types of life insurance solutions available life insurance to make an appointment with my office for a comprehensive risk management assessment. Those with life and the cost of purchasing cover. insurance, but who have not updated their policy recently, Many people insure their home and their car, but fail to insure could also be at risk. Life changes such as marriage, the their most important asset, their ability to produce an income, birth of a child, or purchase of a house all impact your life which is also their life. People fail to realise the value of their insurance needs. ‘working’ life. It supplies the capital that fuels the lifestyle that you and your family enjoy, not just now, but well into the future. Contact Amanda McCall on 0412 447544

amandamccall.com.au

or email help@amandamccall.com.au for a no obligation appointment to assess your insurance needs 12

Become a Miracle Magnet! “...receiving miracles is a way of life if you are open to receiving them.”

Discover how to:

• use and understand the 13 steps to creating miracles in your life; • use skills to face every day confidently; • know innately that your business and personal visions will work; • ‘increase your luck’ in life.

13

Some of the Do’s and Don’ts of Networking

1. Know WHY you are networking

2. Have you set a GOAL/OUTCOME for each event youattend?

3. Find your niche market and build your skills around that area.

4. Build your profile quickly and easily without spending too much money.

5. Find out about your community and become an active member of it.

6. Get involved with as many organisations as possible by becoming a committee member.

7. Relax and Enjoy! Don’t look as if you’re networking!

8. Look, learn and listen to the person you are talking to.

LISTEN and SILENT have the same letters.

9. Combine your interests with your networking and you will find that it becomes a seven day a week hobby.

10. Don’t become too pushy in your self-promotion. You are there to learn about others firstly.

14

How to Break Domestic Violence and Become Independently Wealthy

By Janeece Giraldo

My personal experience with Domestic Violence was with my first boyfriend at age 17. This relationship lasted about 10 months until one day I realised that his behaviour was immature and unacceptable and I broke it off and have not been in that situation again.

In my course ‘Wealth Coaching for Women’ I recommend that everyone has a cash emergency fund or a credit card that they can call on in times of difficulty. These accounts should be kept in the bottom draw for emergencies only.

Many women find themselves as the breadwinner of the Unfortunately the same can’t be said for many others. As a household for many reasons – the divorce rate is now 60% Financial Planner I have seen the effects of Domestic Violence (the other 40% of marriages end in death). My advice and in all the cases that I have come across either physical or here is always that women should not give up their career mental or both – the major factor is the partner’s ability to even though their current partner may be able to support control the person and continually lower their self esteem them or they are having a family. Perhaps look for work to the point that they feel incapable of making a decision on or self employment that suits your lifestyle – if you have their own. This is often accompanied by intense jealousy young children – find something that will allow you to work from home. There are many examples of women who have and/or the overwhelming need to control their partner. become millionaires from a home based business.

A policeman friend of mine’s observation was that they would be called to a domestic violence situation and rescue A book that I have found useful for my personal growth the woman and six months later the same woman would and recommend to anyone who is going through changing need rescuing again from a different partner. So how do relationships is Dr John Demartini’s‘The Breakthrough Experience’. you break the cycle?

Women’s shelters have been set up all over Australia so that these women can find a secure place to stay until they can organise themselves. There is a huge demand for these places and they are constantly overcrowded so if you wish to make a difference and contribute to this cause my suggestion is that you find your local women’s shelter and offer a hand.

This is just one of the crucial life skill topics that I cover in my ‘Wealth Coaching For Women’ course.

Simply contact us on 1300 736 464 or visit – www.WealthCoachingForWomen.com.au

15

Systems for a Successful Business Ten tips for a simpler and more profitable business

If I had a dollar for every time a business owner or staff member said to me, “I wish things were simpler”, I would be a multi-millionaire.

Unfortunately I’m not, but it amazes me how many businesses are so complicated these days with policies and procedures that are pages long, using very few flowcharts, and letters to clients with so many unnecessary and complicated words and phrases. And we wonder why clients and staff are so confused, interpret things differently, aren’t sure of their roles and responsibilities, and, in the end, may even choose to go with a competitor.

So why is this? When all we want is to do things simply and quickly. And by simple I don’t mean ‘dumbing it down’, because it actually takes a lot of time and effort to write instructions or information for clients and staff that can be quickly and easily understood.

Usually businesses don’t spend the time or effort developing a simple, yet profitable business. Why? The most common excuses are: “I don’t have time”, “We’re doing fine without all that stuff ”, or “Why spend time training staff… they only leave.”

So do you really want a more profitable business? Because to get it, you have to invest time, money, effort and be willing to make some changes. If you don’t want to do this, stop reading now.

For the few people still reading, here are ten tips for an even better business.

16

1. Check your hourly rates – make sure they cover all business costs, professional indemnity (including run-off) and profit!

If you’re not sure, go to www.feepro.com.au and look at the Feepro for Service Businesses information.

2. Track and compare jobs – you should track actual hours on every job and compare budget hours versus actual hours to ensure each job makes a profit.

5. Communicate with your clients – develop a ‘what happens now’ letter or brochure so your clients know what to expect at each stage of the project and write it in clear, concise language with little or no building jargon or acronyms.

6. Improve your time management – block out time in your diary each week for meetings with clients, meetings with staff, marketing, finances, business improvement and 3. Develop a ‘what if ’ strategy – prepare a ‘what if ’ strategy innovation, and quotes and gaining new clients. If you make to determine who will do the work, answer the phones, yourself available 24/7, then everyone except you is running respond to emails, process the staff pays, meet clients and your business! prepare quotes if you get sick or go on holidays (yes, business owners also need four weeks holiday per year to recharge); or 7. Improve your cash flow – invoice clients as soon as the there’s no staff or no clients for x amount of weeks or no work. work is completed, don’t work for clients with outstanding accounts, and develop and enforce an overdue account During this process, you need to assess the sustainability of procedure. your business. For example, what if your best employee left, you got sick, your administration/payroll officer resigned or 8. Plan regular training for you and your staff – and support you lost your best client? Prepare for the worst! the training with written manuals/notes.

4. Put your policies and procedures in writing – if you don’t already have your policies and procedures in writing, take the time to write them – if the knowledge is all in your head, then your business is at risk and will be very difficult to sell when and if the need arises. Write them simply using flowcharts, and develop forms and checklists to minimise rework and maintain quality standards. Once your policies and procedures are written down, you should review them regularly to ensure they are up-to-date and correct.

9. Review your physical files – review and shared old/ unnecessary info, scan paperwork instead of keeping it (unless required by legislation) and archive old files in plastic containers and store securely.

10. Clean out your electronic files – delete old emails and documents, and archive previous client information and store back-ups off site.

Procrastinator’s Creed 1.

2.

3.

4.

I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done already.

I shall never move quickly, except to avoid more work or find excuses.

I will never rush into a job without a lifetime of consideration.

I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount of bodily injury I could expect from missing them.

5. I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding discoveries, and a reprieve from my obligations.

6. I truly believe that all deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the amount of time given.

7. I shall never forget that the probability of a miracle, though infinitesimally small, is not exactly zero.

8. If at first I don’t succeed, there is always next year.

9. I shall always decide not to decide, unless of course I decide to change my mind.

10. I shall always begin, start, initiate, take the first step, and/or write the first word, when I get around to it.

11. I obey the law of inverse excuses which demands that the greater the task to be done, the more insignificant the work that must be done prior to beginning the greater task.

12. I know that the work cycle is not plan/start/finish, but is wait/plan/plan.

13. I will never put off tomorrow, what I can forget about forever.

14. I will become a member of the ancient Order of Two-Headed Turtles (The Procrastinator’s Society) if they ever get it organized.

Tamara Simon

The BSI (Business Scene Investigator) for your business Evidence

0438 262 727 Suspects

Solutions

Email | tamara@takeanotherlook.com.au Website | www.takeanotherlook.com.au 17

The best way to lead people is learn to lead yourself first!

By Adrian Hill

What is leadership and what is its purpose?

When I sit down with my clients we work on the FOUR PILLARS OF LEADERSHIP. The first thing to understand is that leadership is a learnt skill and can be mastered over time. I often get asked if leaders are born. My answer is always “yes” because I have never met an unborn leader! This gives hope to a lot of people though and dispels a lot of beliefs for others that you can learn the process of effective leadership, however there are no shortcuts. Just like any mastered art, leadership is not learned through study, but through doing it.

The first aspect of effective leadership is always becoming the best version of yourself you can be. No one will follow you if they can’t trust you! If you aren’t continually growing and working on your own mindset, how do you expect others to do the same? You must demonstrate an absolute belief in yourself and the idea if you want others to do the same.

The FOUR PILLARS OF LEADERSHIP:

Level One: Reactive Leadership – Low confidence / Low competence / Low trust / Low accountability / High ‘hope’ / Avoidance of crucial conversations Reactive Leadership is where the leader hopes their people will do what they should be doing and doesn’t see how they are the problem and the cause of the confusion amongst the team. This is the ‘hit and miss’ part of leadership development, and with strong coaching and mentoring, can be a very short process to move to the next pillar.

Level Two: Dictator Leadership – Low confidence / Competence improving / Low trust / ‘Tough’ conversations involve blame of the team Once the leader has realised ‘hope’ won’t get them the results, they generally move into ‘dictator’ phase. In this phase the leader doesn’t trust their team and thinks they are incompetent and begins to distance themselves from the team. If the team does something well, the dictator leader will take the credit to boost their confidence.

Level Three: Action Leadership – High confidence (Results) / High competence (Performs) / Trust improving / High accountability You need to master ‘Action’ Leadership before progressing onto optimal leadership. Action leadership means you need to be able to do the task to expect others to follow you.

You haven’t yet developed the ability to inspire action in others without demonstrating competence yourself.

Level Four: Optimal Leadership – High confidence / High competence / High trust / High accountability / High reliance on working through team / Inspires team ‘Optimal’ leadership is where you need minimal guidance day-to-day. Most of your time is spent getting on with the job you do well while reporting and managing ‘up’ so they know you are on track. Optimal leadership is the goal for all leaders who are ambitious to demonstrate their growth, contribution and abilities.

If you understand what level you are at now, the process to move forward is a lot smoother.

To have your team moving in the RIGHT direction,

Contact Adrian today www.pulsecoaching.com.au 18

Hot Buttons in Negotiation We all have hot buttons – those areas of sensitivity that, if pushed, cause us to react powerfully and not always positively. It might be certain words, a look, an action, an attitude, specific issues, anything. Often, if unchecked, the result will be irrational or unreasonable behaviour that will cause us to lose control. In a negotiation situation, this is undesirable; so we must always be prepared so that if our hot buttons are pushed, our reaction will suit our purpose.

You could think of it as emotionally intelligent negotiating.

You are in control of your emotions because you have anticipated what hot buttons will be pressed and you have prepared your response. You use your emotional reaction to best position yourself in the negotiation. For example, the other party has been hitting your buttons with their arrogant attitude. They are often late for meetings – not by much; but enough to make sure that you are always waiting for them.

You have three choices: 1. Confront them about their behaviour and their attitude.

2. Respond in kind by becoming more stand-offish with them and even keeping them waiting for meetings.

3. Dismiss it as petty positioning by the other party and ignore it.

While options 1 and 2 might seem appealing and personally satisfying; they run the risk of damaging the relationship to the extent it may threaten the deal. If the actual infringements are minor and the main problem is the irritation to you, then 3 might be the smart option.

This is not to say you should always suppress your emotions like this. Sometimes, the opposite response is appropriate.

For example, in the case mentioned earlier, you might decide that it would help the process to have some more stringent ground-rules.

Richard Holbrooke was one of the most successful peace negotiators of the last 50 years acting on behalf of every US President from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama. He was renowned for two things: his calm demeanour and his ‘pyrotechnic’ temper which he used to effect when required. That is emotionally intelligent negotiating.

To ensure that your emotions work for you and that your hot buttons don’t make you vulnerable, here are some suggestions.

Know Yourself Know what your hot buttons are. They may be different (or of a different intensity) with different people. Most often, you will find your most sensitive hot buttons are where you believe your values are being challenged. Remind yourself that one of the keys to negotiation is to separate the people from the problem. Even if the other party irritates you, it doesn’t stop you from dealing with them.

Recognise the Signs Read the signals your body is sending you about the buttons being pressed. The earlier you can recognise the signs, the sooner you can put your action plan into place.

Prepare for the Inevitable Don’t go into a negotiation hoping they won’t press your buttons. Assume they will and have a plan.

Your plan may have a series of options from self-talk to withdrawing momentarily from the meeting.

Don’t Take It Personally Always remember that this is just a ploy to unsettle you in the negotiation; so you should not take it personally.

by Kevin Ryan CSP

2011 Nevin Award - NSAA’s Highest Honour

www.kevinryan.com.au © 2011 Kevin Ryan

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Who will thrive at Expect A Miracle School?

Expect A Miracle School is for all those individuals who wish to thrive in their lives.

About Dr. John Hinwood

John is a well-known author of numerous books, the latest The power of expectation is the awakening of hope, desire, an international best seller, ‘You Can Expect A Miracle … the enthusiasm, excitement, dreams, all the qualities that make book to change your life’. life fulfilling. Your level of expectation is where it all begins.

Talent or ability can’t stop you, your financial condition won’t He is a great example of the power of miracles. He suffered stop you, your education can’t, your age or marital status, or from severe ‘knock knees’ as a young child, was a bad stutterer the colour of your skin can’t stop you. It all begins with your and also suffered from dyslexia. He overcame his learning level of expectation. difficulties, won a scholarship to study physical education at Sydney Teachers’ College, taught High School in Australia, Simply put, if we can expand and enlarge and increase our England and South Africa and then completed a Doctor of level of expectation, we can expand and enlarge, and increase Chiropractic degree in Canada. He went on to establish one our miracles. Our level of expectation sets the limits for our of Australia’s most successful chiropractic practices with his life. If we only expect a little, that’s what it will be and we can wife Dr Judy Hinwood. change the world by our level of expectation.

In his personal life he and his wife Judy adopted three older To many, expecting a miracle would seem expecting too much children from Chile in 1985. The children are all in their 30s but not when you look up, look around, look into your heart, now and leading wonderful productive lives. In 1998 John and you begin to see the wonder of life. Everything is a miracle, Judy returned to Chile with their three children and helped you are a miracle, the universe is a miracle and so if we are them find over 120 members of their biological family including surrounded by miracles, everywhere we look, what’s so unusual their separated parents. about expecting your own miracles. My own life has been filled with more than sixty five years of miracles and I expect Dr Hinwood is also a Fellow of the International College them to keep coming. of Chiropractors, a Fellow of the Australasian College of Chiropractors and a Fellow of The Australian Institute of The program is an afternoon of fun and interactive learning Management, one of few health professionals to gain the with lots of stories and video clips that create an everlasting distinction. He has had papers published in academic journals imprint for you to look back on as you set about creating your and was once Captain/Coach of the Danish National Rugby own miracles in life.

Team.

For over 30 years coach, consultant, mentor, author and speaker Dr John Hinwood, has helped people around the world and in all walks of life find their own miracles.

If you have any questions you can contact us on : www.expectamiracle.com or (07) 3879 0069 20

John’s experience as a health professional by training, successful businessman by effort and an inspiration by inclination has given him an awesome array of practical tools for success.

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In 2003, at age 57, I decided to change my life. Having spent some 20 years in the corporate world in Brisbane and Townsville I needed something different.

young being brave enough to take such a leap of faith into the unknown at age 57. I was once again “Tove the Brave” which I had been when I was young and travel across Europe.

After sharing this need with my friend Maz, but didn’t know how to go about it, over coffee at Aroma’s coffee shop in the Brisbane Mall she lend me a book called “Tales of a Female Nomad” written by Rita Golden Gelman.

I read the book in a day as I couldn’t put it down, it really inspired me. Rita had divorced in her late forties and had no idea what to do with herself (she had no career as she had never worked or held a job) so she started to travel around the world and 7 years later wrote the book.

As a young girl I went to England from Denmark, where I was born and lived until I was 19 years of age. I to worked as a ‘nanny’ for a Jewish family and went on holidays with them to Jersey Channel Island where I met an Australian man, who was to become my future husband. Three years later I left my home country Denmark and flew half way across the world to Australia, to an unknown country and unknown life. I was ‘Tove the Brave” again. I married my Australian man, settled in Townsville and had one daughter.

One week later, I once again had coffee with Maz. I returned the book, sharing with her how inspired I had been reading it and I wanted that life as well. My dear friend said “Why don’t you?

Well, the answer was simple - to travel for 7 years you need a residual income and I had none so Maz spoke 9 words which would change my life. She said “Why don’t you go to China to teach English”?

Within 3 weeks of that innocent comment from my dear friend, I had studied and finished my TESOL certificate, placed my resume on Dave’s ESL website and had received 70 job offers from around the world as a Teacher of English as a second language.

My arrival in Guangzhou was like arriving on another planet except as we drove towards the city from the airport, where we were picked up by representatives from the Training Centre, I recognized many things from the map I had been studying, such as hotel, parks and so on. The girls who picked me up from the airport asked “Have you been here before?” as I pointed out landmarks. I said “No, I have just studied the map.”

It was indeed overwhelming but I finally decided to accept a job as a Teacher at a Training Centre in Guangzhou in the south of China two hours by train North West of Hong Kong.

As I had never been to China before I thought I better play it safe by being close to Hong Kong which was westernized in case I couldn’t adapt to the Chinese way of life.

I was set up in an apartment which only had bare necessities such as table, chair, bed and sofa so before going to bed I had to go shopping for towels, sheets, pillows kitchen utensils and so on. I had been told the apartment was ‘fully furnished’ but I found out that has a completely different meaning in China.

It was the end of May 2003 and my teaching appointment started 16th August with one week to settle into my new life style and one week training before the start of the new school year 1st September.

The first week was exciting with lots of sightseeing in this city of some 10 million people, with suburbs included it became about 15 million people. This was to become my home for many years. Guangzhou is the third largest city after Shanghai and Beijing and about is 2000 years old. It has many old areas as well as being a very important modern trading city with huge skyscrapers and every possible restaurant you can imagine, with almost every countries’ cruisine represented. Guangzhou has several huge trade fairs a year with an influx of traders from all around the world coming to buy “Made in China”.

So, I had three months to get organized. I sold my unit, my car and had a huge garage sale. What of my belongings I didn’t sell I gave away or put into storage.

It was a time of excitement, anxiety, doubt, reading book about China, trying to learn some Mandarin. I felt so alive and 22

I left Brisbane 15th August 2003 and after an overnight stop-over in Saigon I landed in Guangzhou airport 16th August ready to start my new life. I left my daughter Elizabeth back in Brisbane who was very worried about me!

In the second week we had training sessions. Of the 40 teachers, mostlywere newly arrived as I was, with some having been there for one or two years. We had never taught like this before and even though some may have been a teacher in their home country, it is different to go into a classroom with Grade 1 students who understood no English at all and we had to teach them. I was gratefulfor the training I had, as I came from a corporate background and really had no teaching experience. You do not need to speak Mandarin to teach English in China as all English classes are conducted in English with a lot of facial expressions and body language.

I also got a Chinese Teacher’s assistance (TA for short) to help with Chinese translations if I was not able to get the message across.

For me, it was a whole new world which I embraced excitedly. I do not think I slept much the first few weeks due to excitement.

At weekends I would go to China town and look at all the weird food and stand close to Chinese people listening to their conversation which of course I understood nothing.

I joined the Australia China Friendship society and attended a couple of lunches and obtained a map of Guangzhou which I studies so I knew it by heart when I firstly arrived in Guangzhou.

I warmed to this new country immediately and was treated like a super star wherever I went. Westerns are scarce in Guangzhou except around the 5 star hotels, so as I walked down the street there were lots of stares. One day I was walking along and two Chinese men were riding their bicycles along the street in opposite directions.

They were staring at me and not looking where they were going. I saw an accident about to happen and I waved and called out “Be careful” but of course they didn’t understand me and thought I was just giving them a wave so they waved back and run into each other. They picked themselves and drove off most likely happy to have a story to tell the family about the ‘long nosed foreigner” who waved at them and caused an accident.

The next day the same thing happened in a park but with two little girls on tricycles. They were so in awe looking at this strange white skinned, red headed person they run into each other’s tricycles. Of course lots of crying followed but when I went over to the mothers to say sorry for having caused the accident the little girls stopped crying and froze in amazement seeing this strange woman up close.

My amazing life in China started 9 years ago and continues today. I worked for one year for the training college but in the second year I branched out and opened my first English school. I have now set up eight English schools around Guangzhou.

Join me for future issues as I will tell many stories from my amazing life in China and my now 80 trips around Asia and other parts of the world.

With warm greetings from Tove in China

“Making a difference”.

Email : tovevine@yahoo.com.au http://misstove.blog.163.com http://mstove.blog.163.com http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-545425.html http://www.facebook.com/tovevine http://www.facebook.com/Miss Tove’s English School 23

Increase Your Conversions With This Simple Tip One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your marketing is assuming that your potential customers know exactly what steps you want them to take.

We tend to assume this because to us it seems so obvious. This assumption has cost many business owners their sales.

The solution to this is using an effective Call To Action.

A “Call To Action” is when you when you ask your customers to take action on something you want them to do. It might be as simple as “Enter your details for your free…” or “Click on the link to receive…”.

Simply by adding a regular “Call To Action” on every piece of marketing material you can dramatically increase your conversion rate. If the offer is good (ie: it’s meeting their needs) and it’s simple to follow through on then people are more likely to take action.

The Three Keys To A Good Call To Action: 1. Tell them specifically what you want them to do Never assume that they’ll know the exact steps. Use verbs like “Click…”, “Open…”, “Call…” or “Access…”.

2. Tell them what to expect once they’ve done it This is important if your action is unfamiliar or will take them somewhere new like open a new web page.

Eg: “Click this link to be taken straight through to…”

3. Let them know “What’s In It For Me?” (WIIFM) Be specific and let them know how it will benefit them to take action.

If you consistently implement this from the small steps right through to the big steps (like making a purchase), your customers will become more familiar in taking the action you want them to take and this will increase your customer conversions.

Remember, confusion stops people from taking action so be specific and make it clear!

Samantha Lyttle is the director of Market Launch, a company that is dedicated to working with micro business to create greater impact and influence in their marketplace all on a shoestring budget.

www.MarketLaunch.com.au

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Stress - Exciting New Discoveries Why we are Unhealthy. Is This the Missing After all, who regards the grass, sand or dirt beneath their feet as an energy field? And who ever considers Link? that all their movements, behaviours and actions are Last article I talked about stress and chronic inflammation energized by electricity? (how chronic inflammation is now being considered the common denominator to so many of the chronic health Do you? problems we face today).

In truth, that is what the ground has always been – a But this begs the question – Why is there so much healing energy field and the greatest source of free electrons on the planet. chronic inflammation around these days?

And in the answer to this may be one of the biggest These rhythmic pulsations of natural energy keep our bodies, and all living things, running in balance and health discoveries of our time. harmony. If you have ever walked barefoot on a beach The inflammation, pain and sickness in your body are a or grassy field, you may have noticed how good it felt. manifestation, either in large part or small, of an electron Perhaps you even felt revitalized? This is the Earth’s deficiency due to our disconnection from mother Earth! powerful healing energies.

And the remedy would appear to be as close as the EARTH we live on, as research over the last 20 years has shown that the Earth itself is the original “anti-inflammatory.”

The planet itself is our largest electron donor.

We disconnect from this field at our peril – and since the 1950’s we have been doing that very thing en-masse.

Interestingly, the rise in chronic diseases has dramatically risen since then. Truly the Earth is our “Mother.”

With our modern lifestyles, particularly in western civilization, we are insulated from the earth’s healing contact by our synthetic soled shoes, apartments and high rise living, and by sleeping in houses filled with electrical items.

What to Do? Next article I will show you how you can regain your connection to the Earth without changing your lifestyle, and how this offers huge potential benefits for your health.

The fact is, we live on a planet alive with natural energies.

They are very subtle and unknown to most people.

To contact me email: gregmenz@opriusmail.com or call: 0434 544 834

By Greg Menz B.App.Sc.Alexander Technique

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12 Traits

That Make a Great Networker Outstanding

What are the traits of a good networker?

Here is my list in a little detail of some of the qualities that make a networker stand out:

There are 12 traits that I feel make a good networker stand out… of course, there are more than these 12, but these are 1. Networkers listen and watch what others are doing – observing others around them and listening to conversations probably some of the major ones from my perspective. will give any good networker the opportunity to recognise So, I ask you, are you an outstanding networker or would you where and when they can help other people. They think on like to become one? All people who have been networking their feet and know who is the best and most appropriate person for a long time will tell you that you never stop learning is to help or support the person talking. especially as the marketplace is continually changing and 2. Networkers become known by attending others events – people’s priorities change with it. you will notice that a good networker will always support other Did you know that great networkers can help you achieve what networkers build their community/tribe. They will always you want to achieve? They can also take you where you want offer to help out by jumping in without being asked and helping to go by introducing you to the right people. They hone their as best they can. A good networker knows no scarcity and is skills continuously and you will see them in the marketplace in willing to share their contacts, their knowledge and their support. different venues, with different people and making new con- A good networker will always attend other networker’s events as often as they can to show their support to ‘the cause’. nections to help their clients and community.

You may wonder ‘What traits does a great networker have to 3. Networkers follow up – After meeting someone new or have to help their tribe/ community to move to the next level attending an event a good networker will follow up with the people they wish to keep in contact with in the future. They will and make them truly outstanding at what they do?’ not judge anyone on who they are and what they do, as there are aware that ‘people know people’ and you never know who Copyright © 2011 Jennie Gorman they are. A good referral often comes from an unexpected contact.

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4. Networkers support and encourage in public – Few things can boost your friends and clients more than praise or testimonials from a peer, especially a peer you look up to. Outstanding networkers recognise the skills of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.

5. Networkers give good referrals without expectation – Become known for giving great referrals. You only need to give a bad one for people to comment, so think clearly about who you pass a referral onto. Make sure that there is compatibility between the two people.

6. Networkers know and understand niche marketing – The first thing a business needs to understand is who they wish to sell their products and/or services to. For most businesses this is hard to define and break down into their particular niche. I suggest that you try out different ones until you finally settle into a place that is comfortable. It is okay to have more than one niche as long as you kept it separated so as not to confuse your clients.

7. Networkers use social media – This is the most powerful and cost effective tool for your marketing, why else would the Fortune 500 companies be there? LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google + to name the essentials, I believe, for business owners. Understanding the etiquettes of each of these is very important as it changes with each one. Branding yourself and your business is very important if you wish to monetise your time and effort with social media. Be prepared to spend a certain amount of time a day on this medium.

8. Networkers brand themselves – With all the changes in business today business owners have realised that they need to brand themselves with a consistent message. It is important to have ‘good tools’ in your tool box. Your business card and/ or website are your shop window and the first thing many future customers see of you. So, make your website, blogs, e-newsletters, magazines, social media, business cards etc show the same story.

9. Networkers goal set – Without clear and concise goals no business can move forward into the future. So just as a business owner sets goals for his business, a good networker will also set goals for their networking outcomes. So, never go to a networking event without knowing what it is you want to achieve at that event.

10. Networkers ask questions for others – Some small business people are hesitant to speak up and really say what they need.

Some are even hesitant to speak up privately. For example, a business owner asked me a question about getting referrals.

After the meeting I said, “Why did you ask that question? You already know how to do that, as you are a great networker.”

He said, “Yeah, I did, but a lot of other people don’t — and they needed to hear the answer from you.” Outstanding networkers have a feel for the issues and concerns of those around them and step up to ask questions others are hesitant to ask. So, support your fellow friends and acquaintances.

11. Networkers know that it is not who you know, but who knows you – Becoming known both in your niche as well as outside it is imperative. Profiling is what they do all the time without even realising it. Never underestimate anyone you meet. You do not know who they are, who they know and who knows them. Make the world your friends and discover the most incredible understated people out there.

12. Networkers love people! – This is the most important part of being a networker. If you don’t like people, forget networking as it will show. Networkers support and promote/sell others without even realizing that they are doing it. It’s their way of giving back for all that they receive.

“Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”— Seth Godin “Transferring your passion to your job is far easier than finding a job that happens to match your passion.”— Seth Godin (Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?)

photos by Kerrin Smith

www.kerrinsmith.com.au 27

Utilising Free Cloud Software in Working with your Virtual Assistant by : Angela De Palma

Some of what you can do with Skype:

A potential client who was inquiring about my services to help find him a virtual assistant from the Philippines stood me up for a meeting.

He apologised profusely telling me how busy he is at the moment and that he is not normally like that.

In order to help him time wise I suggested to him why don’t we meet over video Skype instead.

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• save money on international calls • share screens • see each other in real time as you have a conversation • conduct conversations with multiple people at the same time, for example when I find a suitable candidate for a client I conduct a 3 way over Skype where myself from my office, my client from their office and the potential contractor from the Philippines all participate in a group interview. Recently I had a call with two people from Pakistan, one person from Sydney and myself from Adelaide all over Skype.

• save time and money • record conversations using Skype recording software, this is additional extra software that you have to buy.

His response to me was that he is not set up for that.

The benefits of using cloud software is that all your information is internet based and not computer based.

What went through my head was ‘if you are not set up for video skype how are you going to communicate with your virtual assistant’.

You can work from anywhere on any computer just by logging in with your username and password and so can your virtual assistant.

You see, part of a successful virtual working relationship is the ability for both parties to utilise free cloud software of which Skype is one. http://www.skype.com

If you have a gmail email account or yahoo or hotmail, you are already using cloud based systems and the truth is they have been around for years and years.

Gmail is the best free email cloud system because it includes documents, spreadsheets and calendars that can easily be shared. With gmail documents you and your virtual assistant can be working on the same document at the same time and see each others changes in real time. This is very useful and practical when you have a virtual assistant from overseas.

If your virtual assistant is making calls for you, and making notes in a spreadsheet, you can log in at any time and see where they are up to.

Zoho is a free database software that helps you manage your contacts. You only start paying for this system when you have over 30,000 contacts. http://www.zoho.com/ Asana is a free project management software system. http://www.asana.com/ Dropbox is a free document sharing platform that enables you to share all documents, images, audio files and video files. https://www.dropbox.com/

There are hundreds of these free cloud systems on the internet and those listed above are just a basic starting point. Most of them also have smart phone apps as well, making it very easy to login on your smart phone, including Skype.

If you are stuck and would like some help learning how to use these platforms go to http://www.youtube.com/ and type in free Skype tutorials, or free Zoho tutorials, or how to use Asana or how to use gdocs and there will be a video that someone has made teaching you how they work. Make sure you check the date of when the tutorial was made as it could be out of date by now, so look for the latest tutorials and the ones with the most clicks.

If you are interested in hiring a virtual assistant, outsourcing your accounting back office work, lead generation, telemarketing or getting some software developed (plus much more) find out how gotooutsource.com can help you save money by getting it right faster and quicker the first time round.

Call NOW on 0414 707751.

gotooutsource.com is here to help.

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Terrific Testimonials

By Ingrid Cliff, the Chief Word Wizard Testimonials are a critical part of effective copy to help build credibility and to reduce objections to purchase. But many of my clients have been asking lately – how do we go about getting terrific testimonials?

Systematise the process. Build in asking for testimonials as part of your process for purchasing. Send a follow-up email through your autoresponder program 7 days after purchase asking for feedback on the product or service.

Client satisfaction doubles as testimonial gathering. Finding out what your customers like and dislike about your product or service through a client satisfaction survey serves two purposes. You get early warning of things that need to be improved with your business as well as potentially some great testimonials you can use in your marketing.

Make it easy for them. Contact your best customers and ask them to “jot down a few words” about what they liked about your business.

This could be in an e-mail or on a postcard. You need to be clear that you only want them to “jot” rather than “write a testimonial”. Jotting is much less confronting for people than writing a testimonial and you are more likely to get a favourable response.

Call them. Telephones are not dead in the age of email. You can call your top customers to ask them for feedback on your services – both good and bad. As they are talking, jot down what they say. Action the things they mention that need to be improved (and tell them when you have actioned them).

If you get someone raving about you on the phone say “wow – thank you! I am so glad you loved our service. Would you mind if I used some of the things you just said in a testimonial for our business?” Email them the words they used and ensure you get written consent before using the words.

So now you have some great ways to get terrific testimonials. Use them everywhere in your copy – your website, your brochures, your flyers and all marketing. ________________________________________

To put your business into words contact: Ingrid Cliff, the Chief Word Wizard - Heart Mobile: 0411 295 900 www.heartharmony.com.au 30

What is Housesitting All About?

By Debbie Ducic

According to Wikipedia: “House sitting is the practice whereby a homeowner, leaving their house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more “house sitters”, who by a mutual agreement are entitled to live there rent-free in exchange for assuming responsibilities such as taking care of the home owner’s pets, performing general maintenance (including pools, lawns, air-conditioning systems etc.), keeping trespassers away, readdressing the mail, passing on messages and in general, making sure that everything runs smoothly just as if the owner were at home.”

It’s not a new concept, of course, but before the internet, it was not so easy for home owners and house sitters to find each other... especially when there were distances and time frames involved. There has since been a proliferation of websites that accomplish exactly that.

What you want to look for, as a house sitter, is the ability to receive, directly into your email, notifications of those housesitting gigs that are available in places you want to experience, as well as the dates and length of time you have openings. The rest of the details can be worked out once you make contact with the homeowners.

The agreement itself and standard practices in the housesitting arena vary from country to country. As a whole, however, the agreement is made between the homeowner and the house sitter. The websites are simply the brokers who help each side find each other and connect. They take no legal responsibility for anything that may happen afterwards.

In most countries it is normal to have the sit be a fair trade without money exchange... free housing and utilities in exchange for securing the house and property, keeping it clean and maintained. Much of the time there are pets to be cared for as well, but not always. Anything more than this basic agreement should be spelled out and agreed upon between parties.

It is such a WIN, WIN for both sides that the House Sitting Experience has become an extremely popular solution for thousands of travelling homeowners!

www.housesittingexperience.com Uniting Home Owners, Pets and House Sitters Across the World

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These are the Eight Ways to

Create Wealth 1. The Creator Builds innovative products Examples: Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Richard Branson 2. The Star Builds an influential brand Examples: Oprah, Paul Newman, Bill Clinton 3. The Supporter Builds high performance teams Examples: Steve Ballmer, Jack Welch 4. The Deal Maker Brings deals together Examples: Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch 5. The Trader Buying and selling commodities Examples: George Soros 6. The Accumulator Buying and holding assets Examples: Warren Buffet, Paul Allen 7. The Lord Controlling cash flow producing assets Examples: Lakshmi Mital, IngavarKamprad 8. The Mechanic Creating a duplicatable system Examples: Michael Dell, Ray Krock

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The Art of Listening When was the last time you felt the person you were talking to was listening, really listening, to what you were saying?

When was the last time you felt a connection with a person (and I’m focusing on a business interaction here) with whom you were having a conversation? What was it in their behaviour that made you feel you’d really got your message across?

Could it have been the way they listened to you?

Stephen Covey (1991) said “Next to physical survival, the greatest human need is psychological survival; to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, and to be appreciated. When you listen with empathy to another person you give that person ‘psychological air’ ”.

Covey suggests there are five levels of listening: 1. Ignoring - not really listening at all 2. Pretending to listen - the intermittent “aahh yes”, without anything registering 3. Selective listening - hearing parts of a conversation 4. Attentive listening - focusing on all the words (but only to the words) 5. Empathic listening.

But what is listening with empathy?

Try putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. This sounds easy, but what if it’s a difficult conversation?

Listening emphatically can be easy when you have positive feelings about the other person, but true communication can’t take place when we put up blocks in our listening.

If you don’t think you put up blocks, read on... we are often completely unaware of them. When in a conversation, is your listening all about you, or is it about them?

Do you daydream? Jump to conclusions about what they are going to say and start to respond before they have finished? Dislike the person? Stereotype them it’s amazing how really small generalisations creep into our listening - is English their second language, do they remind you of a brother-in-law you dislike, do they have tattoos or body piercing you find distasteful?

Do you get sidetracked by wondering what they think of you? Are you distracted by the activity around you? Are you filtering in only the things that are important to you?

Do you go straight in to ‘solution mode’ before you’ve heard the entire story? Are you in a hurry for them to finish so you can dispense your wisdom?

Do you think they are criticising you? If you are on the phone, are you doodling or reading emails while they are talking? If you think just because they can’t see you they don’t know you are not present while they are talking - think again.

So how do we ‘unblock’ our listening? It depends on the situation. We can engage in ‘active’ listening asking questions to gain clarity, and checking with the person that you have understood their message.

The techniques of ‘reflective’ listening can also be useful.

Paraphrasing a person’s message can show you are making an effort to understand, and can be helpful in bringing a person back to the original issue if they go off on a tangent. It can help you communicate acceptance rather than judgement. Successful reflective listening can encourage the person to open up further if there is a problem, and can also buy you time to think about a response or advice, if one is needed.

Empathic listening can take many forms, but the key is remembering to ‘Seek first to understand... then be understood” (Covey 1989).

Meredith Yardley is a partner at Meredian pictures & words, a communication company dedicated to helping small and medium businesses communicate the essence of who they are to their clients. Phone 0434076183 33

10 Traits of Successful Entreprenurs …

and what can you do to improve your chances of achieving business success?

By Helen Bichel

Business is not rocket science, and there are thousands of new books, seminars, and events every year on any business aspect or topic that we can think of… so with all of this great information and knowledge out there, and all so easily accessible why do so many people still fail?

Many businesses owners fail because they fail to understand the basic principles of business and do not honour their innate skills. They get distracted from their core talents and end up doing a lot of what they don’t like, aren’t good at and become bogged down in “stuff” that takes them further away from their dream.

To run a successful and profitable business you have to: • have a clear vision • a big why • understand the numbers • have lots of intestinal fortitude to get you through the tough times (and there will be tough times!)

• better than average understanding of the basic rules of business including business cycles • an unwavering attitude of success • understand your natural talents and skills and how to best use them in your business • a loyal network to support you and your vision (eg. Mastermind group) • and employ a team of experts in their field to assist you with aspects of Planning, Strategising, Marketing, Sales, Accounting, Processing and Systems Design.

• Remember that you have to employ, engage, consult with and learn from people who have the expertise you need to keep yourself in flow (this is a biggest and most common mistake most SME’s make) So how can you shortcut your learning curve and improve your chances of success?

Take the wealth dynamics profile test to understand your strengths and weaknesses, hone in on proven wealth building strategies for your specific profile and identify who you need on your team to add value and create leverage, then apply this invaluable information to stay energised and develop your business!

If you’d like assistance applying the principles of business and wealth dynamics I’m here to help you!

Contact me at www.wdcoach.com 34

photos by Kerrin Smith

www.kerrinsmith.com.au

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Upcoming Events Business Ideas Brisbane

Business Ideas Brisbane meet in the fourth week of each month at Vagelis Café & Bar,Hamilton from 2pm – 4pm. Bookings on site.

Next event: Thursday, 23rd August. www.meetup.com/Business-Ideas-Brisbane

MasterMind Groups – Brisbane SME’s

Brisbane over 6 months commencing Friday 31stAugust.

For more information, email jennie@businessmastermindgroups.com.au businessmastermindgroups.com.au

Networking Chats - for authentic networking

Held 2nd Tuesday of the month … 10am – 12noon.Una Vita, Banyo www.networkingchats.com

‘Power of Relationship Marketing’ Workshop

Workshops are run at various times throughout the year in Brisbane.

Saturday 15th September http://connexionsunlimited.com.au/the-power-of-relationship-marketing-workshop/ 37

List of Contributors Adrian Hill www.pulsecoaching.com.au Angela De Palma www.gotooutsource.com Amanda McCall Debbie Ducic

www.amandamccall.com.au

www.housesittingexperience.com

Greg Menz

0434 544 834

Helen Bichel www.wdcoach.com Ingrid Cliff

www.heartharmony.com.au

Janeece Giraldo

www.winfinancial.com.au

Jennie Gorman

www.businessmastermindgroups.com.au

Kevin Ryan www.ryanandassociates.com.au Leon Jay www.fusionhq.com Meredith Yardley 0434076183 Paul Humphreys

www.videointerviews.com.au

Samantha Lyttle www.marketlaunch.com.au Tamara Simon

www.takeanotherlook.com.au

ToveVine www.facebook.com/tovevine

Disclaimer: The opinions and viewpoints expressed in Connexions Business Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher or any Connexions Unlimited staff or related parties. The publisher, Connexions Unlimited personnel are not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission.

All information contained in Connexions Business Magazine is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as financial, health, legal or accounting advice. You should seek professional advice before making any business related decisions. We are not liable for any losses you may incur directly or indirectly as a result of reading Connexions Business Magazine. Reproduction of any material or contents of the magazine without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.