Kirsty's Blog

What Will Your Tombstone Say?

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:44:04 -0600

I was very thankful tonight to be in a room surrounded by creative, energised people in my hometown of Launceston, Tasmania. There were ideas circulating a plenty, but one of them still has me thinking at 11.17pm, so I decided that had to be the one I shared with you.

Graeme Walker, founder of Walker Designs spoke so passionately about one of his mentors and a tool this mentor had taught him that the entire room went silent as he shared what he'd learnt. The tool was something I interpreted as a great way to prioritise things in your life.

The lesson was simple, but beautifully succinct in it's simplicity and was: figure out what you want your tombstone to say at the end of your life, and when faced with a dilemma, remember back to your tombstone and chose the option that leads towards what you want it to say.

Can't seem to get it out of my head!

I just came across this post from September 11 this year by one of my favourite bloggers Seth Godin which also reinforces this message: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/09/remembering.html

What will your tombstone say?

Kirsty Dunphey is the youngest ever Australian Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year, author of two books (her latest release is Retired at 27, If I can do it anyone can) and a passionate entrepreneur who started at age 15 and opened her own real estate agency at 21. Currently Kirsty heads up www.reallysold.com the premium online copywriting site for real estate agents and is a co-director of Elephant Property www.elephantproperty.com.au Launceston, Tasmania's only boutique real estate agency purely for investment property owners. Kirsty's other ventures are outlined at her website www.kirstydunphey.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

Business Lessons A Budgie Can Teach You

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:27:30 -0600

So… I’ll share something personal with you: I’m afraid of birds… there, I said it. And to try and wean me off my fear my husband and I got ourselves a baby budgie a few months ago.

After bursting into tears the first time he flew too close to my head (and then into a window) I can proudly say I’ve grown some, and am now slightly less afraid of birds in general. In fact our new little blue-grey budgie Walt is a constant companion of mine these days so I thought I’d use him as inspiration for this (albeit light hearted) post on the business lessons a budgie can teach you:

Preening is important

You only get one chance to… that’s right, make a first impression. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m at my happiest in Peter Alexander PJ pants and ugg boots and while (much to Walt’s disgust) I’ll sometimes wear them to the supermarket each of us has to know when it’s time to put on our fancy feathers. Whether it’s the job interview you really want to rock, the client you’re looking to impress or dinner with the future parents in law, there’s a time and a place for some good old fashioned preening.

Walt suggests: that you should also remember not to go overboard on the preening (a full face of makeup at the gym is just kinda strange).

Sing a song

If you’re happy and you know it… sing a song. Walt’s singing along to some very dodgy pop music at the moment and he’s as happy as Julius*. People love to interact, work with, promote and generally be around happy people. No, you can’t be happy all the time, but when you are, project it and get it out there.

Walt suggests: limiting the actual physical act of singing to your car, cage or shower (singing in busses, busy office places and elevators is also kinda strange but not as strange as this.

Get what you want

Don Burke tells me that budgies have feathers on their cheeks and the crowns of their heads which reflect ultraviolet light and the little critters use these to find and attract mates. In the business world, what are your ultraviolet feathers? I think they’re your skills and talents and the parts of your service that mean that you got that extra centimetre further than your competitors.

Walt suggests: that while budgies use these gorgeous feathers to court and flirt, humans may want to try finding out a girl’s shoe size and buying her a pair of Manolos (Walt watches too much Sex and the City).

Sometimes someone who loves you may have to poo on you

It’s true, my lovely little Walt leaves fabulous little deposits on me every now and then (which is why my head is no longer an approved landing post). In your life you’ll encounter people who will leave their own deposits on you, some are doing it, because they’re simply full of “deposits”, but others do it for you own good. The boss who pushes you outside your comfort zone is one example. It may be tough right now, but eventually you’ll be a bigger and better person for it.

Walt suggests: that if you can learn business lessons from a budgie – where can’t you learn them!

* Julius is a friend’s budgie and a happy little man indeed

Weird But Cool Moment

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:15:22 -0600

A few years back someone came up to me and asked if I was “Real Estate Kirsty”.

Now to me, “Real Estate Kirsty” sounded like she should have her own action figure and superhero costume, it was quite a bizarre moment really.

But the more I thought about it, the more I liked it because:

• It was spot on for my branding at the time in my local area

• It meant that this person remembered not only my name but what I did

• It was soo much better than “real estate KRISTY”!

So what would your action figure be? Lawyer Simone, Jack of All Trades Jack, Hairdressing Harry?

But more so, are people associating you with what you do. If someone needed a real estate agent, I would have loved for them to have thought of “Real Estate Kirsty” first. What or who do your potential clients think of when they think of your industry?

Your chance to win 1,001 real estate tips from worldwide experts

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:02:30 -0600

What’s this all about?

This month to celebrate the launch of Kirsty Dunphey’s new program 1,001 tips for real estate agents to improve, re-energise and re-style your real estate career we’re running a contest that could see you winning the entire program or some great other prizes.

To enter

All you need to do is submit your best tip for real estate (one or two sentences only) here: www.kirstydunphey.com/contact.html along with your name, your website or blog address and where in the world you’re from. Or simply leave a comment on this blog.

What can I win?

The best tip will win 1,001 tips for real estate agents for use in their office, valued at $99.95 AUD.

The next 100 best tips will win your choice of our open home, databasing or property management section from 1,001 tips and will have their tip featured in a “user generated” section (a bonus section to be sent to all purchasers) of 1,001 tips along with a link to their website or blog.

Each entry will win a 30 day gift subscription to www.reallysold.com and while you can enter as many times as you like, you’ll only win one 30 day subscription per person.

Entries close 18 December, 2008 and winners will be chosen at Kirsty’s discretion. Winners notified by 20 December, 2008.

Some more about the 1,001 Tips program

Kirsty has joined forces with some of the biggest names in real estate worldwide to put together this 1,001 tips to improve, re-energise and re-style your real estate career guide.

Covering all areas of real estate this program will be a huge asset to new agents, however those who have been in the industry for years will still find heaps of ideas to improve their careers.

Each week a new section of the guide will be delivered to your email inbox allowing you to work through it then and there, or save it for time when you want to address: Your Open Homes, Systemization, Dealing with Investors or any of the other categories.

As well as tips from Kirsty this program features - Dirk Zeller, David Knox, John McGrath, Pat Mesiti, John Shackleton, Ron White, Rich Levin, Darryl Davis, Richard Robbins, Colin Dick, Malcom Riley, Amber Werchon and many more.

What is www.reallysold.com?

reallysold.com makes writing copy for your real estate advertisements - either sales or property management - really easy! No longer will you need to sit and wrack your brain waiting for inspiration. We give you the inspiration and save you the perspiration by creating your headings, providing you catch phrases and enhancing the words you already use. Take the tour to see how easy it can be!

Kirsty Dunphey is one of Australia’s most publicised young entrepreneurs and is the founder of www.reallysold.com - the ultimate tool to help real estate agents write amazing advertisements. The youngest ever winner of the Australian Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year award, Kirsty started her first business at 15, her own real estate agency at 21, was a self-made millionaire at 23 and a self-made multi-millionaire at 25. For more information on Kirsty or either of her books – Advance to Go, Collect $1 Million and Retired at 27, If I can do it anyone can, or to sign up to her weekly newsletter head to: www.kirstydunphey.com

Never listen to the person in business who tells you…

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:35:04 -0600

Don’t hire people smarter than you

As Ziz Ziglar eloquently recaps when you hire somebody smarter than yourself, you prove you are smarter than they are. One of the best lessons I’ve ever been taught in managing people is that A-grade manager’s hire A-grade people, B-grade managers hire C-grade people. If you need to be the smartest person in the room at all times, get used to your business growth stagnating and constantly hearing the words “If I want something done right… come out of your mouth.

Don’t share your knowledge within your industry

I was always asked by other real estate agents why I’d get on a stage (or go to lunch) and share everything I knew about real estate and about my business. Wasn’t I afraid that people were going to copy me?

Number 1 – if you’re doing something exceptional, people will find out regardless, that’s the beauty and the downfall of word of mouth, nothing sensational stays a secret for long.

Number 2 – people don’t implement every great idea they hear, as much as speakers would love them to, it just doesn’t happen.

Number 3 – when you share a great idea, you don’t lose it, you just multiply it, and if you do it properly the person you’re sharing it with may have some great ideas on how you can improve your idea.

You don’t have time to learn

It’s simple really: don’t learn, don’t grow. Don’t grow, go backwards.

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." - Henry Ford

You have to be ruthless to get ahead

I have my own theories on different success styles but the more I meet successful people, the more I meet amazing, kind, generous, sharing people. In speaking to two different groups of real estate agents in New Zealand last week, the overwhelming response when I asked who was the person in their industry who they’d most like to become more like, was an agent by the name of Alison Aitken (a gun, but also incredibly well respected because of her ethics, standards and values).

Daily Fun

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:10:56 -0600

I’m a big fan of the Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss.

He’s got a great blog with lots of useful resources and today I want to share one of my favourite parts with you.

Consider the question: What would you do, day-to-day, if you had $100 million in the bank? If still blocked, fill in the five “doing” spots with the following:

1 place to visit

1 thing to do before you die (a memory of a lifetime)

1 thing to do daily 1 thing to do weekly

1 thing you’ve always wanted to learn

Excerpted from: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/lifestyle-costing/

Until I read this, I rarely thought about my wild-dream-style goals in terms of what I’d love to be doing daily or weekly. Most of my daily goals revolve around actions I believe I have to take that perhaps aren’t always the most fun stuff in the world (exercise, learning, eating correctly).

But if I had $100 million in the bank, what would I like to do daily? Thanks Tim, this put a whole new spin on my thinking. And if you haven’t read the book (link again) I couldn’t recommend it more.

Kirsty Dunphey is one of Australia’s most publicised young entrepreneurs and is the founder of http://www.reallysold.com - the ultimate tool to help real estate agents write amazing advertisements. The youngest ever winner of the Australian Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year award, Kirsty started her first business at 15, her own real estate agency at 21, was a self-made millionaire at 23 and a self-made multi-millionaire at 25. For more information on Kirsty or either of her books – Advance to Go, Collect $1 Million and Retired at 27, If I can do it anyone can, or to sign up to her weekly newsletter head to: http://www.kirstydunphey.com.

Why Lindsay Lohan should be your entrepreneurial role model

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:51:32 -0600

I’ve recently been interviewing a whole range of successful people and one question I’ve taken to asking a lot lately is “if you could go into business with anyone alive or dead, who would it be?”.

For me the answer is easy, today my answer is Walt Disney, tomorrow Richard Branson (a popular choice) the next day Barbara Corcoran.

Other popular answers include Warren Buffet and Donald Trump and yet no-one has listed Lindsay Lohan! I’m shocked, so let me share with you why I think Li-Lo is a GREAT role model for any aspiring entrepreneur.

1. She started young

This girl got into her chosen field young and attacked it with gusto.

2. She has surrounded herself with geniuses

From Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday to the eternal Jane Fonda and always fabulous Felicity Hoffman in Georgia Rule, Lohan has been awash with potential mentors and other people who have “been there and done it”.

3. She’s willing to try new things

She sings, she acts and most recently she’s dating girls, being super skinny (and then not super skinny), she’s a red head, but she’ll try being a blonde, or a brunette, heck she’ll even give rehab a go.

4. Like 80% of all entrepreneurs, she’s a first born

5. She’s fiercely protective of her team

Recent comments on her personal blog show what Lindsay will do if you start messing with her sister!

6. She can put up with the insults flung her way

Brandon Davis’ highly quoted remarks that Li-Lo was a “fire crotch” didn’t even trip this stilettoed gal’s walk.

Yes, this is of course written with my tongue very firmly wedged in my cheek. My point, I swear I have one, is that you can learn something from almost anyone that crosses your path. Whether it’s the nightmare boss who teaches you how not to lead, Paris Hilton who shows us that anything is possible (yes, even being famous for doing nothing) or the long lasting words of a true business hero written in an amazing page turner – take the lesson in whatever form it comes, but don’t always expect that it’ll come from a Branson look alike.

1,001 Real Estate Tips to improve, re-energise and re-style your real estate career

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:48:08 -0500

Kirsty has joined forces with some of the biggest names in real estate worldwide to put together this 1,001 tips to improve, re-energise and re-style your real estate career guide.

Covering all areas of real estate this program will be a huge asset to new agents, however those who have been in the industry for years will still find heaps of ideas to improve their careers.

Here are just 6 tips from our 1,001!

New Agents

Each week when you view the new homes listed by your company – go through without finding out the listed price and estimate what you think it will sell for. Then once the home sells, grade yourself on how close you were to the sale price. Some agencies even make this into a competition with a monthly prize for the most accurate agent. Kirsty Dunphey

Set a daily time and place for prospecting. Don’t work your prospecting around your day. Instead, work your day around your prospecting. Dirk Zeller

Open Homes

Where are you on an average Friday night – say 7.00pm? At the pub? Home with your family? Having dinner with friends? Where are your clients who have their first open home the next morning. If we think about it we know they’re at home cleaning, panicking and generally stressing out. Alleviate what you can of this by sending them a simple text message or calling them with the message “Hi – I’m looking forward to a great open home tomorrow, see you there at 10.45am”. Kirsty Dunphey

Qualify - Ask quality questions not a quantity of questions! Yes this industry is about building relationships and I can’t stress that enough, but there is a fine line between spending too much time with the wrong people at an open home. Aleisha Peers

Databasing

“When is the best time to set up your database?” Prior to starting in real estate, with the second best time being right now. The earlier you start, the easier the set up is going to be, but if you don’t have a proper comprehensive database the second easiest time is right now and cannot be overlooked if you want to be truly successful. Kirsty Dunphey

To mine your resources effectively you have to put most of your effort toward contacts with the highest referral potential. Contrary to popular opinion, you can’t afford to treat all referral sources with equal attention. Unless you establish priorities, you won’t have the time or energy to devote to those sources who will benefit your business the most. Dirk Zeller

As well as tips from Kirsty this program features - John McGrath, Pat Mesiti, John Schackleton, Glen Coutinho, Peter Kakos, Jillian McGrath, Kirsty Spraggon, Craig Stephens, Amber Werchon, Karen Schmidt, Carly Crutchfield, Pete Williams, Paul Fenech, Candice Gillies, Aleisha Peers, Malcom Riley, Colin Dick, Tekla Kriddle, Katey Lane, Dirk Zeller, Ron White, David Knox, Rich Levin, Darryl Davis, Elizabeth Ward Small & Richard Robbins.

To find out more or to purchase head to www.unleashedknowledge.com/1001tips.html

What book helped you most with your real estate career?

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:46:27 -0500

I get asked by real estate agents to recommend books all the time, so I have decided to put together a list of the best books for real estate agents.

We would love to hear from you about the books you have read which have helped you the most in your career. Please leave a comment on this blog listing the book title, author and why you would recommend this book.

Thanks in advance!

Kirsty

Endless Email - Tips to Curtail the Convolution (or how to get control of your inbox)

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:52:00 -0500

Is email ruining your life and your productivity? Ok, sure it may not be as dramatic as that… but if you’re heart beats a little faster every time you hear that tone your computer makes when you get mail, or if you’re checking your email every few minutes (hey, did you just go and check it while reading this sentence?) maybe there’s a few little things you can do to get your productivity (ie: your actual work) back up the priority list.

1. Get the news, when you want it

I looove newsletters but if I stopped to read each one as it came in, I’d never have any time at all. Instead I’ll sit down with a cocktail (or on a plane) once a week or every few weeks and read through the ones that grab my attention. To make sure I’m not bogged down with them in my inbox I can set up rules so that they got into a special folder in my inbox called (shock horror) “To Read”.

2. Alias it up

An even more advanced version of tip 1 (so that you don’t have to create a new rule for each newsletter) is to have a different email alias for your newsletter subscriptions. So you might be jane@rockstarrealestate.com but you might sign up to all your newsletters with janenews@rockstarrealestate.com. That way all your newsletters will automatically go into the folder you’ve set up.

3. Ditch it

Still on newsletters and regular mailings. Be a little cruel and ditch the ones you don’t read.

4. File like a crazy person

I like to keep my inbox empty or with only the most pressing items that need to be done that day. To do this, I’ve got about 5 folders set up that I file my work into.

These ones work for me:

• To do this week (and I have a diary note to check this once a week)

• To do soon (I usually only check this once a month, but if I put something in here that has a specified time frame I’ll put a diary note in to remind myself)

• Waiting on other people (so that I can keep track that what I’m delegating gets done, I find it’s easiest just to CC myself in on any emails that I delegate and pop them in this folder)

• To read (which we’ve been through)

• Funny (for the emails that make me giggle, it gives me somewhere to go back to when I need a pick up)

• Delete (ok, so I didn’t make that folder up, but the only way to stay on top of your email these days is to put MOST email in here! Stop clogging up your system and your mind, deal with it and dump it)

• Others (I have a few specific folders for different business ideas I’m working on, people I need to visit and other folders that work for me. You’ll figure out what works for you, just don’t go folder mad and have so many folders that you only file and never do the work!)

5. More on the Sydney Bristow (aliases)

I travel a lot, and when I’m away someone else (fabulous Megan) will check my email. If you’ve got your very own Megan, consider another email alias that you can give people as a contact in case of emergency email (I just use my hotmail account for this as it’s web based and I know that I can get quick access to it almost anywhere in the world).

6. Be Zen like

Keep your in box as empty as possible. I don’t care how brilliant you think you are at email, having 1,500 emails in your inbox is a recipe for disaster.

7. Just say no

If you’re constantly getting swamped by annoying emails (perhaps the ones that promised doom and gloom if you don’t pass them on to everyone you know within 4 seconds) just kindly let the repeat offenders (and they are usually repeat offenders) know that you’d prefer not to receive them anymore.

8. Recycle (good for the environment, and for your inbox)

In an ideal world you should only write the answer to a question once. From there you’ll blog it, or add it to your website’s FAQ or you’ll keep a template so that you can reuse it.

9. Don’t be a robot

On that last point, any standardised or template emails you send out should still sound like a human (not a robot) wrote them! Don’t be afraid to inject a bit of personality.

10. Delegate with style

If you pass an email onto someone else so that they can action it, CC the person who sent it to you in on this delegation so they know that you’ve done it and they know who the contact person is now. This covers your butt and lets the person know you’ve done something all in one step.

11. Break the addiction

Turn off your email program and just come back and check your emails say… twice a day. If the thought of doing this sends you into a cold sweat, just check for emails every hour to start off with. If you need to keep your email program open to work from say your calendar or to do lists just schedule the auto send and receive link so that you have to click it (and then hands off the button!)

Help Change A Life Today

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:23:45 -0500

Thanks to the lovely chaps at Marquette Turner this weekend I found out about Kiva and I got pretty emotional reading through the site.

Kiva facilitates micro-financing loans to help build sustainable businesses that provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate someone in the developing world who needs a loan for their business - like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks.

Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent - and you get updates letting you know how the entrepreneur is going. Just now I helped my first entrepreneur Francis Tejada Rios from Peru.

Each time you assist it’s just $25 USD and when the entrepreneur repays the loan, you get that money back to either on-lend or to withdraw.

I’ve also started a team on Kiva – if you’d like to join, simply head here http://www.kiva.org/community/viewTeam?team_id=1756 after signing up.

Kiva say they provide “Loans that Change Lives” and I’m so proud to be a part of the community. Check out the website today and help change a life! www.kiva.org.

The Wave

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:07:04 -0500

When I was a young, confused recent uni drop out I set myself a goal with a list of “things” that I wanted to achieve with my spectacular (and yet completely unknown) future career. The list read as follows:

• I want it to be fun and exciting

• I want to be able to be really successful at it and make a great income

• I want to be able to have an impact on the lives of the people I deal with

It wasn’t until I started selling real estate at 19 that I realised I could tick all those boxes with that career, so I started getting my teeth stuck into it.

In thinking about what I do with my life going forward (I’ve now sold my real estate businesses) my mind is drawn back to that list, especially point 3.

I’ve been quite lucky with my real estate businesses to feel and create that “impact on people” in a big way. Many real estate agents do. We’ve all had clients cry, scream, jump up and down because they’re so delighted / moved / emotional, and it’s a lasting effect in many cases. Just this weekend a former client came up to me and chatted about his experiences when I sold him his house (back in 1999!)

But in a recent experience that I want to share with you.. I realised that what I’ve done so far is not going to be near enough for me and it’s made me reassess some of my goals for the future.

The event came about when I was recently fortunate enough to have John Anderson, founder of iconic travel brand Contiki, speak at Success with Attitude, a conference I co-organise here in Tasmania. John was exceptionally well received by the audience and actually brought more than a few people to tears during his speech.

One of the most touching parts for me was when John mentioned that these days, even after he has sold the company, each time he sees a Contiki coach touring young people around, he looks up, smiles and waves. He said something to the effect that the people on the coach have no idea who he is, but he knows what he’s done for them and thousands of others.

Having been on a Contiki tour (my first trip outside of the country) I know exactly what John’s talking about. I had an amazing time, truly life changing and completely memorable.

It got me thinking about the different types of impact businesses can have on their clients. It made me realise…

It’s not about frequency of use

I’ve travelled Contiki only once, but I have more brand passion for it than say, Microsoft (even as I type this blog into a Microsoft product, sporadically checking my email in another and doing my finance homework in a third) whose products I use every day.

It’s about how much you can stay in their hearts

Knowing the brand power is such that the average family saves for seven years to get to a Disney resort, I’m sure Walt would give a posthumous and knowing wave to each person entering the gates.

I would imagine my fellow smartcompany blogger Naomi Simson’s Red Balloon Days has that same potential to create a lasting impact when someone is gifted one of their amazing experiences.

Should we chuck the rest?

Am I saying that businesses that don’t tug at the heart strings are bad or evil? Certainly not! I’d be lost without my ability to “Google”… I’m just not going to send Larry and Sergey a valentines card (yet).

I even have a business of my own – www.reallysold.com – which is a vital help to real estate agents, but is unlikely to get me words of praise equivalent to even one experience helping someone sell their largest asset or trekking across the countryside.

It’s not about size (really!)

I know people who worship at the altar of Steve Jobs for their spanky new macs, iphones and ipods, but I’d be just as inclined to hug the staff at the tiny restaurant, Magic Curries I went to last week in Hobart for the exceptional dining experience I had there.

It doesn’t matter what your business is… if it’s still around after you’re gone, will you have justification in knowing you’ve had a hand in changing people’s lives for the better?

My new aim after seeing my new role model John Anderson speak is to try to emulate some of the effect he’s had on the world, in my own way. Stay tuned. Thanks John!

Beer-o’clock or reflection time?

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:00:02 -0500

As I sit at my desk writing this post, it’s Friday afternoon.

Ahh.. the end of the week.

What does the end of the week mean for you? Is it time to look back and see how things have gone that week? Does it mean that beer-o’clock is just that little bit closer? Does it mean that your real life (the weekend) is just about to start?

It could even mean all three of those things, but if you’re keen to have a bit of a reflection (perhaps before beer-o’clock) consider asking yourself the following questions.

In the past two months…

1. What have I done that has challenged me?

2. Who have I met that has enriched my life?

3. What book / blog post have I read that has helped me learn something?

4. What have I figured out about myself?

5. Who have I thanked?

6. Whose life is better for having me in it?

7. What goal have I achieved or am I closer to achieving?

8. What didn’t I get done, that I wish I had?

9. What was the highlight (and how can I replicate that or something similar in the future)?

10. What was the lowlight (and how can I avoid it in the future)?

What Do I Think About Networking?

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:59:09 -0500

Inspired by this post by Naomi Simson founder of redbaloondays.com.au where she said that when she walks into a room full of strangers at a networking opportunity she thinks: “Goody, a whole room of potential new friends”.

I like that as a potential thought, especially when the more introverted part of me is really thinking: “Goody, they catered this event really well and do you think that anyone will notice if I just stand in the corner, don’t talk to anyone and attack the canapé waitress each time she exits the kitchen?”

I love the topic of networking though and so I thought I’d list some other things you can get into the habit of thinking at a networking event (to overcome some of your perceived weaknesses):

If you’re an introvert challenge yourself by thinking:

• “I can stop networking as soon as I’ve met 15 people and exchanged business cards”

• “I can stop networking as soon as I’ve found out 5 pieces of personal information about people (children’s names, hobbies, company goals) and written them on the backs of those people’s business cards

• “I can stop networking as soon as I’ve got reasons to write 10 hand written cards tomorrow when I get back to work to people I’ve met here tonight”

If you’ve got the opposite problem and you know you talk a little (ok a lot) at these sorts of events, challenge yourself by thinking:

• “Over 50% of my night tonight will be spent silent” (remember the letters in silent spell listen!)

• “I will end every sentence about myself tonight with a question for the person I’m talking to”

• “How can I limit my elevator pitch to a fabulous 30 seconds?”

And if you have my problem and you’re overly fascinated by the munchies and cocktails on offer, rephrase the above goals so that you can eat one piece of food per 2 business cards exchanged.

Ultimately, in my mind, what I try to think when I walk into a networking situation is:

• “How many of these people don’t know about my business?” (and will by the end of tonight)

•“How many of these people are potential clients?”

• “How many of these people know potential clients?”

• “Who in the room can I become or refer a client for?” (reciprocity works wonders and the best way to get a referral is to give one!)

• “Who in this room has done something I’d like to do” (ie: who can I learn from?)

Getting your thoughts straight before you head into the event really helps you clarify your goals for the night and remember, of course you can also go along to an event like this just to have fun. Don’t be afraid to forget the strategy for a night (but take business cards just in case)!

Real Estate Agents: “Trustworthy” is the new black

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:11:24 -0500

A survey of 500 people conducted by real estate copywriting site www.reallysold.com shows mixed results.

36% of people thought real estate agents were “generally trustworthy” with 38% unsure and 25% disagreeing with this statement.

Respondents stated that they would be most likely choose an agent to sell their home who they felt was the most trustworthy followed by one referred by friends and family and then the one they thought cared the most. Overwhelmingly people said they would not be swayed by the sale price an agent quoted or the commission they charged.

Promising results show that of those surveyed who had dealt with real estate agents, fewer than 8% had never had a good experience. There’s still work to come however with over 40% not ever having had an “exceptional” experience with a real estate agent. Just under 75% of respondents had previously had a bad experience with a real estate agent.

In excess of 88% remembered the name of the last real estate agency they dealt with, but around 10% fewer remembered the name of the person.

In excess of 35% thought that real estate agents had some improving to do in terms of the quality of the text and photography in their advertisements and the quality of an agent’s marketing and advertising is important or very important to 90% of people.

If an agent had a spelling mistake in their advertisement 12% would definitely not hire them while a further 55% would be less inclined to hire them as their agent.

Over 55% of people would call in 3 different agents to give their opinions if they were thinking of selling their property, less than 2% wouldn’t chose to use a real estate agent.

This survey was conducted online with 500 respondents 75% of which are based in Australia. Full survey report available online at: www.reallysold.com/2008survey.pdf

Survey conducted by www.reallysold.com, the world’s leading online real estate copy creation site. It assists real estate sales and property management agents in writing their property advertisement headings and copy. The entire process is done online in seconds and real estate agents have the ability to sign up for a complimentary 10 day trial of the product.

Work it Baby… 5 tips to work your networking

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:07:45 -0500

I was at a networking event last week for Anthill magazine’s top 30 entrepreneur’s under 30 and it reminded me of some of my favourite networking rules.

1. Practice makes polished

Be well prepared for the question “what do you do?” If you’re a bit of an introvert (like me) be a nerd and practice in front of the mirror or with a friend answering this question until you can get it out in 30 seconds or less.

Awesome on the night at this: Sarah Sammon, founder of www.SimplyRosePetals.com supplying the most fabulous and colourful rose petal wedding accessories I’ve ever seen.

2. Work it

Before you answer “what do you do” have a bit of a think about what you might like someone to say once you’ve said your answer. Do you want them to say “cool” or do you want them to ask questions about it or do you want them to say “I want to use your service”?

Rocked it on the night: Seb Maslin, founder of 199QUERY (you can mobile text message ANY question you like to this number and they’ll answer it for only $2.50). After Seb told me what he did I instantly wanted to check it out for myself.

3. Card up

Have your business cards at the ready and consider:

• Not having your mobile number on your cards (so you can give it out to people specially and make them feel like a champ)

• Writing a small note on someone’s business card if they tell you a detail that could be important later on like kids names, birthdays, favourite drinks.

• Writing a small note on your own card when you give it to someone so that when they go home with their stack of cads they’ve got an even higher chance of remembering you from the bunch.

Failed miserably on the night: Me! I left my cards in Tassie (don’t tell any real estate agents or they’ll kick me out of the club!) but I made sure I followed up all the business cards I received on the night with a quick email or handwritten card within a few days.

4. Homework first

Before I work… er walk into any networking situation I like to know, to the best of my ability, who’s going to be in that room. For this event my homework was sending a hand written card prior to the event to the people I knew were going to be there (not always possible) and reading up on their bios. “Mini-stalking” like this gives you something to chat about instantly and avoids those oh so soul shattering silent “I don’t know anyone” moments when you walk into a room, it also kinda makes people feel a little special which is always nice. If you can’t do your homework prior to the night, keep your ears peeled while you’re there for interesting tidbits.

My new BFF: Tobi Skovron of www.petloo.com.au heard I liked shoes, remembered it, and used it as a talking point later in the night (his collection, as it were may even rival my own).

5. Be Different

Whatever you can do to stand out on the night or afterwards (in a professional way: not by Coyote Ugly style dancing on the bar) makes it more likely that your name will be remembered instead of you being “whatshername” I met at “that thing that time”.

Definitely different: David Stallard of www.platinumcare.com.au was constantly amusing on the night, laugh out loud funny, but also followed up the next week via email with some interesting suggestions for me on domain names I might like to register (following on from a joke on the evening).

And one final tip for those of you perhaps looking to organise a networking event of your own. Try to give people something to talk about afterwards.

My hero on the night: James Tuckerman, founder of Anthill magazine www.anthillonline.com who set up the night, chose the theme of a children’s birthday party for the evening, based on the fact that young entrepreneurs may give up part of their childhood to achieve at a young age. James certainly gave me some of my childhood back... think party hats, cheezles, fairy bread, beer (ok, not so childlike) and pass the parcel with costumes to boot. The event was fabulous, fun and completely memorable!

Success With Attitude 2008

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:57:51 -0500

We recently held a motivational / business style conference in my home town of Launceston. It’s the fifth year we’ve held it and it was a huge success again. Each year I find I learn some really valuable lessons, not only from the speakers (who are always fantastic), but also just from helping put together the event with my co-organising superstars Ronald, Rob and Tim.

This year’s lessons for me were:

1. Marketing creativity doesn’t have to cost much more than a thought. When I walked two of our speakers to their rooms I was surprised to find that they’d been upgraded to gorgeous suites. When I thanked the Country Club Casino’s manager Rod for this he said there was no need to thank him. By upgrading these VIPs to suites they’d leave with a more favourable impression of his venue and hopefully tell others. Clever but simple Rod - I love it!

2. To rethink what I consider fundamental business skills. Our speakers this year were more diverse than ever. We had John Anderson (NZ: founder of Contiki), Justin Herald (Aust: who turned $50 into a multi million dollar business with Attitude) and Ron White (USA: Mr. Memory). When someone said to me prior to the event - “What does memory have to do with business?” I’m glad they were in the audience to hear Ron White meet over 50 people prior to the event and then rattle off each of their names from memory many times over during the evening. As Ron pointed out, if you’re the sales person, business owner or receptionist who can meet someone once and then see them again 6 months later and know their name, their hobbies and their kid’s name you’re far more likely to win their business. (to see what Ron’s amazing Memory in a Month is all about head here: http://www.yoursuccessstore.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=195&kbid=7167)

3. When someone’s heart is really behind a topic, their emotion can impact even more than the words they’re saying. John Anderson is one of the more emotional speakers I’ve heard and I was blown away by the reaction our audience had to a couple of his stories about his wife, some of Contiki’s more challenging times and what he does when he sees a Contiki bus now after having sold the company.

4. There are all sorts of ways to get things done. This fact was made obvious by John Anderson and Justin Herald. Both have phenomenal business stories to tell, but the two couldn’t be more different. It reminded me that when I see a Trump or a Packer and think, oh wow, I’m nothing like them, there’s hope for me and for every other unique entrepreneur out there to do things their own way.

5. Think before you speak. This one’s a bit of a personal lesson for me. I like to think I’m kind of funny sometimes and I said something to someone at the event which I found hilarious, but that wasn’t at all necessary - Oh Kirsty! I thought I’d outgrown this at age 16, but it seems as though I’m still a work in progress… aren’t we all though!?

6. Cliché’s often ring true. When I attended my first ever speaking event / conference I was told by a mentor that all I had to do was to take away one lesson from the event and I’d made my money’s worth. Since that time I’ve sat in the audience’s of some of the world’s finest and most acclaimed speakers (Tony Robbins, Denis Waitley, Les Hill, Seth Godin) and I’ve also sat in the audience of speakers you may not have heard of but who I consider to be world class (Marcelle Bernard, Ron Lee the corporate ninja, David Knox, Rick DeLuca, Eric Bailey, Anne McKevitt for a longer list see: http://www.kirstydunphey.com/lovetomeet.html) and I’ve learnt something valuable and powerful at almost every event I’ve ever been to, often worth ten times more than the price of admission. If you haven’t heard a speaker live on stage recently, get looking for an event to get your teeth stuck into! And if you can’t afford to see someone live, check out www.youtube.com and www.ted.com for some amazing keynotes online.

And that’s my wrap up for Success with Attitude 2008 our fifth, certainly not our last and absolutely one of my favourites!

Also: If you’re holding an event anywhere in the world, Ron White, Justin Herald and John Anderson are some of the most insightful and entertaining speakers you could choose from. I’d be happy to put you in contact with any of them, just contact me if you’d like me to do so.

Is it an asset or just making you an ass?

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:58:04 -0500

What’s not an asset in your business?

1. Your systems (if they’re only in your head)

2. Your written systems (if they’re rigid, inflexible, un-personalised and can’t be changed with influence from your team and customers)

3. Your number one customer (if your business is too dependant upon having their custom)

4. The customer you’re dealing with right now (if you don’t have a service plan in place to nurture the relationship into the future)

5. Your best salesperson / employee (if they believe that they’re indispensable, worst still if you believe they are)

6. Your longest standing employee (if they can’t embrace change)

What could be a hidden asset?

1. Your customer complaints (they should scream to you: fix or implement a system here)

2. Your outgoing emails (many could serve as a blog post, an answer to a frequently answered question and a reason never to have to type that same email answering that same question ever again)

3. Your current customer when you only have a few (One delighted customer (if you do it right) can talk about you ten times more than 10 moderately satisfied ones)

4. Your suppliers (if there’s a hidden customer hiding there)

5. That plucky (translation: sometimes annoying) employee who just won’t shut up with all their great ideas (find a way to channel their creativity so that you don’t get frustrated, and so that you can farm any brilliance that may occur)

6. That employee you know has dreams and desires of leaving you and starting their own company (figure out a way to encourage, challenge and inspire them, utilising the best they have to offer while they’re with you – who knows you might also end up with a dedication in their book once they’ve gone on to further greatness)

flickr photo credit

Can childhood dreams come true?

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:32:22 -0500

When I was a kid, I had one recurring dream (that wasn’t a nightmare about Witches from Roald Dahl’s book of the same name). I would climb our fence and jump off it with a towel strapped to my back, just before I hit the ground I would swoop up into the air flying away or towards whatever that dream happened to be about (giants, piles of lollies, you get the drift). I know lots of you have had the same or similar dreams, maybe even a few of you have acted them out with the same painful consequences I encountered, but in watching the following video, which I’m ga-ga about, I realised that if my childhood dream of flying could come true surely nothing is impossible.

If you think back to your childhood your dream may not have been flying, it may have been going to Disneyland, having a happy family with 7 kids, buying your Mum a brand new car, starting your own business or eating 25 big boss cigars in a single sitting.

Maybe you even dreamed of selling a sibling (hey – if James Blunt can do it…)

I don’t know what your childhood dreams were, but I do know that in this world, not much is out of the realms of possibility. Take 5 minutes today and think about what you dreamt of when you were a child, and if you still want it, get to it. I’ve put base jumping in the flying suit in my goal box what’s going in yours?

When is the right time to bad mouth your competitors?

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:31:49 -0500

Earlier this week I went to see a health practitioner, let’s call him Dr. Chris. When I mentioned that I’d previously seen a different health practitioner, let’s call him Dr. Joe, to treat my ailment Dr. Chris then proceeded to tell me that Dr. Joe was every sort of evil under the sun and had probably ruined me for life with his service.

I left with a pretty uneasy feeling about Dr. Chris – I found the talk unprofessional, unnecessary and I left feeling no less confident about Dr. Joe! All Dr. Chris did was make me feel less confident in him.

So when is the right time to bad mouth your competitors?

1. When you really really want the client?

2. When you know for a certainty that your competitor is a really dodgy character?

3. When your client starts to bad mouth them first?

In short, NO NO NO!

Even if you really want the client, bad mouthing your competitor only makes you appear unprofessional. The alternative: Just talk up your own positive points (without saying you do it better than your competitor, that still counts as bad mouthing). Check out this link to see when bad-mouthing goes to a ridiculous level http://www.designersmind.com/creative-showcase/creative-airline-advertisements/. I also saw today Virgin Blue’s rewards program Velocity entered the grey zone in bad mouthing stating something to the effect of: “the new Qantas Frequent Flyer Rewards program proudly brought to you by Velocity” which reminded me a little of these airline adverts.

Even if you are 100% positive that your competitor is a dodgy character, bad mouthing them makes you look like even more of a dodgy character! The alternative: recommend that your client asks to speak to people who’ve dealt with whichever professional they are going to do business with, this way they can get the real truth about your competitor from their previous clients (be prepared though that this also means you recommend they speak to your clients!)

If your client starts to bad mouth your competitor, even then – don’t help them get stuck in! The alternative: tell your client what you would do in any situation where they have had bad previous dealings and see if that’s how they would like to be dealt with in the future.

On the flipside… if you’re this major company – you can make an entire ad campaign with Drew Barrymore’s paramour (sorry – but I love that rhyme) bad mouthing your competitors http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/

But without Apple’s budget and ad-guys – you're probably not going to end up looking very slick.

My preferred method? Do the opposite and find opportunities to congratulate your competitors. This worked exceptionally well for me in real estate. I’d make sure I knew a positive point about the agents I most regularly competed with so that I could say credibly something like: “Sue’s lovely, she writes really creative advertisements and she keeps the rest of us on our toes in that respect”. Client’s don’t expect it and most respect you for taking the high road.

And back to Dr. Chris and Dr. Joe, the first thing I did when I went home was let the friend who’d referred me to Dr. Chris know what he’d said about Dr. Joe. Being that Dr. Joe’s a personal friend of hers I’m not sure Dr. Chris will be getting too many other referrals from her.

Aliases (not the Sydney Bristow type)

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:41:20 -0500

A lot of things bug me. One of them is seeing a company with a website that doesn’t have email @ that website. For example, their business card will read:

Website: www.bucketoftrouble.com

Email: bucketoftrouble@yahoo.com

It just drives me insane that someone would go to the trouble of having a domain name, but not also have service@bucketoftrouble.com / james@bucketoftrouble.com etc as their email aliases.

While I’m ranting thought, let me tell you one thing that doesn’t bug me. Companies that make clever usage of their email aliases:

legendaryservice [at] atlassian.com reminded me how much I love interesting email aliases this morning (why am I typing [at] instead of using the @ - because this is a real email addresses – and I don’t want them to get besigued with spam)

What does it cost you to get another email alias set up so that Robyn at your work had the email: robyn@48hoursaday.com as well as rockstarrobyn@48hoursaday.com or ordersuperstar@48hoursaday.com?

Well, with my internet hosting set up, it wouldn’t cost me anything extra. You might find it costs a couple of extra dollars set up, once off.

But the benefits are: You make Robyn smile, you make Robyn more likely to want to give her email address out (and your company domain conversely) to everyone she knows, you make your customer smile, you show a bit of your personality. All good things if you ask me.

To check out a very cute use of email aliases see the last two staff members on this page: http://www.century21.com.au/web/agents/staff.cfm?grpofcecode=NSW202

What happens in Mexico…

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:43:27 -0500

Friends and I were chatting recently about our favourite places in the world to shop. Paris, Berlin, London, Thailand all got a mention along with one of my favourites Mexico.

I’ve only spent half a day in Mexico (so far!) – but it was one of the most enjoyable shopping experiences of my life.

Why?

Firstly, I love to bargain – and so did the shop owners I met in Mexico.

Secondly, the entertainment value was immense. To prove to me that it was real gemstones, leather or silver I was being sold, every merchant we met in Mexico whipped out a lighter and burnt their product saying that real gems don’t melt and plastic burns but leather doesn’t etc (highly entertaining especially after a few daiquiris).

In having this discussion with friends however I was told what may be an urban myth about shopping in Tijuana, Mexico. The myth being that when you purchase something you’re given a plastic bag that corresponds to your strength as a buyer.

As an example, a yellow bag may mean you’re a complete push over and will pay way over market value but a blue bag may mean you’re a hard negotiator who’ll drive the price down and bargain til you’re blue in the face.

Is it true? I have no idea. But I must admit – I think its genius.

Imagine if we could do this in other areas of life. If your employer were to send you out to the marketplace secretly colour coded say with red meaning you were a world class invaluable employee, how do you think that would impact the next job interview you went on? What secret colour coding would you have if your clients were secretly rating you? Your boss? Your family? Your friends?

Why do I have 42 goals?

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:56:39 -0500

After the tragically early passing of a friend last year at the very young age of 42, I wrote the number 42 on my hand and kept rewriting it there for days afterwards. I was stunned that someone so vital could have their life cut short at such a young age.

Right now, I have the number 42 on the side of my laptop, always in sight. It’s not there to be macabre, it’s not even just there to remind me of this fabulous man I knew.

42 reminds me that:

1. I probably won’t have much of a say in when my last day on earth will come (difficult for a control freak).

2. That day could come when I’m in my 80’s or it may come sooner or later, either way, see point 1.

3. When that day comes, I do not want to look back and say “I wish I’d done…” or “if only…” or “why didn’t I make time to…”.

So often people ask me about how to set goals for themselves. When it comes to life’s larger goals, I use 42 and ask myself the question: “If I could transport myself forward in time to my last day on earth, what are the things I would have liked to accomplish during that time?”

When you ask yourself that question, often you’ll find a list of life goals will simply flow.

To check out one man’s adventurous search for goal achievement in his life head to: http://johngoddard.info/

To listen to a truly inspiring speech entitled “the last lecture” by Dr. Randy Pausch often spoken of as “the dying man who is teaching people to live” head here http://kirstydunphey.blogspot.com/2008/06/wow-last-lecture.html

To see what short term goal I just achieved, check out http://kirstydunphey.blogspot.com/2008/06/goal-achieved.html

If your goals includes travel, you might enjoy: http://kirstydunphey.blogspot.com/2008/06/goals-need-update.html

To see how I keep track of my goals: http://kirstydunphey.blogspot.com/2008/02/secret-weapons-to-success-could-be.html

http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/ and check out the final blog of “the world’s” oldest blogger, who lived and blogged into her 106th year before her passing on the 12th of July 2008.

Postscript: I wrote this blog last week, and then this week I was sadly informed of a distant friend, a father of two young boys, who passed of cancer at age 33. I’ve held the blog back, not even sure that I wanted to print it given the recent news. But then a conversation with this man’s close friend showed me that I needed to print this. In his last months, knowing that his last day might be very soon, this father of two took his family away and they enjoyed the trip of life time. They really lived, loved and enjoyed his last few months. My wish for each of you reading this is that you can look back and say that you truly lived as many of the months in your life as possible. Don’t wait until an illness makes you realise your mortality, 42 and now 33 remind me of that each day.

5 simple tips to have more media love

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:37:06 -0500

To release or not to release that is the question (press release that is) – and if that is the question, my answer is always to release! To follow are 5 simple tips to get more loved up with the media:

1. Set yourself a press / media release goal. I think once a month is a good frequency, but if you’re not doing any now – what about once a quarter. Don’t have enough to write about each month? (new staff member, award, record sale, new premises, community involvement) – why not use this as a trigger to remind you to make something happen!

2. Start to form relationships with the journalists that cover your business. Send them a card or small thank you gift after any media coverage. Keep their contact details on file and send releases targeted to “their” type of story direct to them.

3. Be snappy. If your local newspaper or TV station calls you wanting a quote or an interview, get onto it quickly. Chances are they can’t (and won’t) wait for you to finish your lunch.

4. Invite your local media to all your events (Christmas party for photos and a slice of cake, grand opening for bubbly and an interview).

5. Check out http://www.pressreleasegrader.com/ once you’ve written your press release to have it “graded” online.

Thanks to Joan Stewart’s http://www.PublicityHound.com/ newsletter (which is fabulous) for the following tip off about a great little online tool: Joan tells us that the grader deducts points for:

--No links high in the release.

--Not using "###" at the end of the release, the universal code for "the end."

--Incorrect use of anchor text. That is, the words on the page that link to a website.

--Gobbledygook words like "flexible," "scalable" and "robust."

We just trialled it on our latest press release and it was so simple and easy to use! Australian users take note that it may not think your phone number is valid as it’s a US based tool.

How much do you contribute to the success of your company?

Kirsty Dunphey (www.reallysold.com) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:20:12 -0500

What do movies Cocktail, Back to the Future (parts 2 and 3) and the Karate Kid all have in common?

Well apart from being 4 of my favourite movies of all time (c’mon they’re classics!) they all have Elisabeth Shue in the quintessential “girlfriend” role.

Now we all know Tom Cruise and Michael J. Fox and I’m sure if Ralph Macchio got into the crane position or said “wax on wax off” you’d remember him quicker than Mr. Miyagi’s chopsticks, but Elisabeth “Who” you might say and I might agree with you (my strange love of movie trivia aside).

How does an actress co-star in 1984’s 5th top grossing movie (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1984&p=.htm), 88’s 9th top grossing (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1988&p=.htm) and 89 and 90’s 6th and 11th (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1990&p=.htm) top grossing movies respectively (over $370 million gross) and be so unrecognisable!

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that these movies would have been huge hits with or without Elisabeth Shue.

Now why am I rambling on about forgotten 80’s movie stars? Well – Elisabeth Shue reminds me of how some people function within organisations. They can be part of a successful company, or team, but are they integral in creating that success, that impact?

Questions to ask yourself today:

•Would this company / business / organisation / not for profit have the same impact (whether that be on profit, customers, the world) if I weren’t here?

• Are you a Michael J. Fox or an Elisabeth Shue right now?

• Without jumping on Oprah’s couch – what can you do to become more memorable (for all the right reasons) in your organisation?

And just so you don’t think I’m all about having a go at Elisabeth Shue I highly recommend you check out 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113627/) (if you brace yourself for a very strong, in your face movie). It earned Ms. Shue an academy award nomination and I don’t think that movie would have been the same without her (but Mighty Morphin Power Rangers did bring in more $’s than it that year!)