Blog
Just Tell The Truth (WT434)
I was speaking with Nancy at the end of a conference; she shared with me a coaching moment she gave to one of her junior team members. We’ll call him Bob. In the real estate industry, Bob had made a mistake that was going to cost a property owner a few hundred dollars. Seeking guidance from Nancy, he asked, “What will I tell the owner?” “Just tell the truth”, replied Nancy. “What? What do you mean tell the truth?” he asked. “I can’t do that.” “Why not?” asked Nancy. “Well, I made a mistake, I can’t admit that.” Nancy was shocked. This was way out of alignment with her...
But I’m Here Now (WT433)
Doug was looking for work. He noticed a sandwich board in front of a labour hire business. It listed some positions that could use his skills and experience. He went inside. He spoke to a young girl who was pleasant enough. “I’m interested to know more about the positions and apply please”, he said. “Have you got a resume?” she asked. “Yes.” “Just go online and you can apply there”, she answered. “But, I’m here now”, he replied. “Yes, but we process all the applications online. You have to apply online.” Doug was dumbfounded. “Why would they go to the trouble of advertising positions...
Make Yourself a Micro-Commitment (WT432)
This week I am celebrating. I passed my exam (100% and bragging) and am now an official graduate of the ASK Method Masterclass which is all about asking your market the RIGHT questions to figure out exactly WHAT they want to buy and exactly HOW to sell it to them in order to serve them and help them solve their problems. But that’s not the topic for this week. I wanted to share one of the concepts I learned, which helped me to get the work done so I could pass. It’s called a “micro-commitment”: A small incremental step to...
The Most Influential Word (WT431)
Would you like to know one of the most influential words in the English language? I was shocked to learn this recently, yet it makes perfect sense. You might be surprised to learn the word is “Because”. According to Robert Cialdini, in his classic book “Influence”, “A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.” In his book, Cialdini refers to a university study that tested people’s willingness to...
Focus On the Bigger Picture (WT430)
When I was studying to become a school teacher, I learnt one of the most impactful lessons of my life. It was during my practicum at a high school in a seaside community. Enthusiastic and passionate about learning and education and wanting to deliver the most fun and informative lessons to my students, I found myself preparing lessons and creating games well into the early hours of the morning before heading off to school to teach them. One particular class was scheduled to be tested and I was devastated with their results. “How could they not study? How could...
You Have to Be Organised (WT429)
One of the analogies I use when training is that of a sailing boat. Unless you are Jessica Watson and sailing around the world by yourself, you need a crew or team to help you get where you are going. Recently, I listened to an interview between Real Estate Director, Robert Sheahan and Lee Woodward of Real Estate Academy, where Robert shared his experience of growing a team. “You have to be organised for them to be able to help you”, he said. It reminded me of so many instances when I have been challenged to be organised in order for people to help me as well as those of...
How Much Courage Does it Take? (WT428)
You know from the past few weeks that Ross and I have been travelling throughout NSW on a roadshow with the Association of Consulting Surveyors. We had some time before travelling to the next town so we decided to explore. I just love being able to be spontaneous. We passed a sign on the road that read, “Bonegilla Migrant Experience”. Having worked with the late Dagnija (pronounced Dugnea) McGrath, Co-Founder of Kip McGrath Education Centres, who as a child came to Australia from Latvia and found herself in a migrant camp, I was curious to see for myself. Wow! The...
You Have to Trust (WT427)
This week presented two opportunities for powerful lessons about trust. The first came as participants in my workshops reflected on their behaviours and outcomes for one of the games. Working in pairs, they competed against each other to produce a standard product in the shortest amount of time. The successful teams found that they divided the product into sections and delegated its construction to individual team members. The not so successful teams tended to have both people working on the same thing at the same time. The teams that delegated the tasks found that they had to trust that the...
What is a Dollar Worth? (WT426)
I was shopping for some lollies (candy) to make up some party bags for some friends of ours who were visiting from the US. As a Last Minute Lucy, you can imagine I didn’t have a lot of time to get the goods. Standing at the register to pay, the lollies were advertised as 3 for $5 but the cash register showed $6. The cashier called for help. “It’s okay. It’s only $1”, I said. “I’ll just pay the $6.” “No. No. If you’re entitled, I want you to have the $1”, he replied. Inwardly, I groaned. “Do you know what a dollar is worth to me in terms of time?” I thought to myself. And there I stood for a...
Where are the Cyber Police? (WT425)
For many people, August 2018 has been a difficult month. Astrologers have warned of the tricky effects from eclipses as the energy for the planet shifts. I was a little more than interested when I heard one Astrologer say that some of the effects could include cyber hacking because that’s exactly what happened to me. I received a number of messages through my website from concerned people asking me to produce a receipt for a credit card charge that read “Shirley Dalton Newcastle”. I was shocked. They weren’t my customers and I hadn’t charged their cards, let alone received any of the...