year, for instance, I wanted to send Christmas cards that weren’t like everyone else’s. I also didn’t want to pay a lot since I had more than 130 to send. I came up with the idea of using some of the publicity emanating from my Award, having it photocopied than made into a card y the local instant printer and including a message thanking that person for being part of my success. I love it. As it’s easy and so different, I intend creating a card each year that tells my clients something about my company and myself.
•I’m aware of some aspects of the private lives of my clients. How? I ask.
•I’m not nosey but when someone mentions that, for example, she played tennis at the weekend or was on holidays in Queensland we discuss that a little and I store that information away in my mind. I often make short notes about those leisure activities or business occasions in my diary or on their card. Social interaction is the name of the game. It gets business working smoother and faster and I have a reference point to start conversations next time.
•In terms of making phone calls and difficult decisions I follow this advice: “Walk up to the lion and it disappears: run away and it runs after you”. I know that we’re all inclined to put off the tasks we see as being difficult. The longer I find excuses, the worse the situation becomes. When I decide to be fearless and walk up to the lion the power that I’ve given it seems to melt away and the lion becomes a pussy cat. Without fail, I wonder why I’d built up the situation into a major event. So it is in all aspects of business. Sometimes we turn from professional to amateur because we’re frightened to speak out.
•In a world that sometimes loses track of basic values in business and personal relationships, I keep ordinary in an extraordinary world. By ordinary I mean, being honest, trustworthy, reliable, persistent, caring, compassionate and pleasant.
You can no doubt think of many other actions which professional have that others don’t.
In my speech I then went on to discuss some of the other keys to success that open doors for me. One of them is saying “yes” when I’m asked to help others or take on a difficult job. I say “yes, of course” and later work out how on earth I’ll do it. There is always a way. I find that if I’m open to new things, new opportunities occur.
A quote I came across several years ago expresses one of the most challenging and most rewarding aspects of my life, both in a business and personal sense: “dare to love all you meet”. This is the key to understanding yourself and your path in life. The people I find the most annoying, unprofessional, careless, and uncaring are exactly the people who present my biggest lessons. I know there’s much truth in the belief that what you don’t like in others is what you don’t like in yourself. So how do you dare to love all you meet?
Each time I deal with someone who annoys me, on the phone or in person, I remember that I don’t know the circumstances behind their behaviour. As I haven’t had their life’s experiences, how can I judge what causes them to behave the way they do? After all, everyone is doing the best they can. How can I criticise someone for their best?
When I dare to love all I meet, I’m a kinder, more loving person who is coming to terms with herself.
It isn’t always easy. I’m working on it constantly and still I find myself judging from time to time. At least I’m now aware of it happening. When it does work, everything in my life falls into place and small miracles happen.
I was advised when I started out in business to get to know well, and be on very friendly terms with my accountant, my bank manager and my legal advisor. So I pass this tip on to you too. Perhaps you’re lucky and don’t need to know a bank manager or lawyer well. This was not the case for me. From the very beginning my accountant showed me how to set up my business, organise my books and maximise my tax deductions. He gave me excellent advice on matters more legal than financial because he was a good sounding board for me.
Several times I had to speak to my bank manager and rearrange my finances. I always went along well prepared and looking very professional, and knew exactly the look I wanted since that psychology of subconscious messages is my business, and although my heart was in my mouth, we always found a way around my problems and turned them into opportunities.
I keep in touch on a more personal level with both of them, sending them cuttings from newspaper and cards. My bank manager even turned up to hear me speak one day and asked lots of questions.
Another key to succeeding in business is to have a circle of supporting friends. Most of mine are women and when the going gets tough, it’s so good to be able to talk over frustrations even if they don’t fully understand the situations. Therapy and perspective are achieved in one phone call.
My very best friend, however, is my intuition. I listen to my inner voice when I’m puzzled about an action to be taken or when I‘m looking for a solution. To help my intuition along a little, I occasionally say to myself “what would my higher-self do in this situation?” I always get a good answer.
Do you write thank you and congratulatory notes regularly? It’s an excellent habit to perfect since so few people bother to do it. I’ve so appreciated the letters and cards I’ve received after presentations and some of my radio broadcasts. They’ve touched my heart.
Whenever I see someone I know mentioned in the press or in a trade magazine I drop them a note congratulating them on their achievement. Faxing a quick “well done” is another heart-warming experience for the recipient and for me.
Keys to business success you’ll notice come at you from every direction. Here’s another important one: “To live in fear, is to live only half your life” is a line often repeated in the movies, Strictly Ballroom. There have been times when I have been fearful, very fearful, around money and following my dream, even when all the evidence told me that it would be better to change tack. I have learned to trust. Trust, that somehow the way would open up for me, and in the meantime I would get on and do my very best to ensure my success. And almost inevitably, it did: in its own time, not mine.
I don’t half live my life. What a waste that would be.
A wonderful tip for establishing excellent communication with those you work with and everyone in your personal life is this one: acknowledge, acknowledge, acknowledge - support, support, support. Avoid envy.
One more key is that I practise loving what I do no matter how small the job or tedious it might seem to be. I make it worthy of my love. Every task in life can be made more interesting and challenging whenever you decide.
A particularly powerful action is one I realised quite a few years ago. When you’re well dressed and groomed the good things happen faster. I’m reasonably sure it relates to sending subconscious messages about confidence and self-worth. Who doesn’t want to be around positive and confident people? To be in their company is to bask in that golden light.
My father told me many years ago never to close doors on relationships. Always leave the door open or at least slightly ajar. This means for me that I never have blazing rows with others, or say “I never want to see you again” or “that’s it … that’s the end of the relationship”. Everything changes. Life evolves and who knows when that person may come into your life again? Better to be reasonable and mature than full of regrets and embarrassed. Time and time again this philosophy has worked for me. I am to stay on good terms with everyone I meet.
People ask me how I stay so focused on the positive. Well, not only do I attend seminars and meetings that teach me to stretch myself, I also spend about half an hour each day reading inspirational books and focusing on love in action. I need this quiet time to give me perspective.
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