As I start yet another year…I find myself reflecting on my own many blessings— loving family members, continuing good health, reasonable financial success, and many truly wonderful friends and associates. I know that I’ve been very, very fortunate in this life experience and I plan to continue paying it forward every day that I’m on this earth.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson I’ve learned in my life journey so far is this: Life is short, fleeting and entirely uncertain. Having dealt with my own challenges, I would strongly recommend that you recognize and appreciate all of the small things that are very ordinary, but very sacred.  I’ve learned not to be complacent about good fortunes, like health, freedom, mobility, opportunity and more.  And most importantly never, I never want to miss the opportunity to tell  friends and loved ones how much I care and appreciate them and all they do.

It seems somewhat trite to talk about living life differently. I think we all struggle at doing the best we can in the moment. That said, however, it does seem that with a plan, focus and action items, we have a stronger probability to get to a “new” and “better” place we chose to be, rather than settling for the security and comfort of “the same”.

I’m not giving up the fight!  Let’s continue the goal to become a better person, wife, husband, friend, family member, influencer, leader, guide, confidante, and helper…whatever the choices.  Here are a few simple questions to ask:

• How do I plan on getting what I really want
• What will I do differently in this moment to live the life I envision?
• What will I do to build and design a legacy that goes beyond my lifetime to help others on the lessons’ I’ve learned on my own journey?
• What will be the one activity I do every day to carve out a little bit of joy and happiness and peace for myself, no matter what the circumstances?
• How can my own energy positively impact another in some small way…even a total stranger?  A smile, a laugh, opening a door…you know the drill…
• What time will I invest in me to become more of what I desire to be?  Expanding your knowledge and wisdom comes with the investment of some kind of purposeful activity like taking a class, reading great books, finding a mentor….time!

Simple questions require a little thought and a mechanism to keep you focused so you can execute what you will need to do to get to that “new and better place”.

It does start with gratitude for where you are now. When you are grateful for the present, no matter what, you set yourself up for getting more of the good stuff. This is a time to recognize our many blessings. I’m recognizing mine and thanking you in advance for being your best you. I wish you joy, and love, and prosperity. But most of all, I wish you peace and joyright now and all year long…
and that this will be the year, you live your best life!

Terri Murphy

Unless you’ve spent a little time in a hospice facility lately, we can’t appreciate the gifts of health and freedom. We hear it all too often that if you have your “health” you have it all, and I painfully know how true this statement is. My wish for you is that in this moment you celebrate these extraordinary but simple gifts, especially today. Until we’ve lost them, or see someone we love who have lost them, we can’t fully embrace the true “presents” that they are. What are you especially grateful for this Thanksgiving?

It’s all about being MOBILE! With Smartphones always online and always available, you’ve got to be ready to serve 24/7 and that includes serving customers and clients on the run.

Pew Research surveys reveal that 1 in 3 mobile searches are local, texting rules, and sending photos, posting to social media sites and accessing information rates as the highest of activities. What this means to agents is that getting into NOW requires the right marketing systems tools and services to meet the ever growing expectations of real time demands.
The challenge is to figure out just where you need to spend your marketing dollars without breaking the bank!
Every business entrepreneur needs office tools to help them compete and win in the marketplace, but smart entrepreneurs get more for their money when they do a little research to get products that save money and time, and produce high quality results.

So the days of buying some “office equipment” are long gone and “multi-tasking high results equipment” is in!

I was fortunate to work with Kodak in 2011 and learned about some great products they offer that helped make our 2011 more successful. Here are a few tips to get you in the game:

1) Get Mobile! To WOW your customers, you have to be a virtual wizard. Printing is now available using cloud computing thanks to wireless advancements. The latest innovation in cloud printing is the Kodak Hero Office 6.1 printer available for under $200. Imagine you are with a customer and need to get the contract printed for the attorney or for the company The Kodak Hero Office 6.1 provides a virtual print service to print emails, documents and photos from basically anywhere using your Smartphone, iPad or tablet. The cartridge refills are under $30 and the ability to print in advance from anywhere offers great service options and time savers.
You can remotely send documents or photos to your printer and have your documents waiting on your printer when you got home or back to the office!

2) Scan and Save: Scanning is the new standard for saving and organizing files and documents. Not only does it save from storing heavy paper files, it preserves documents for easy retrieval from multiple locations. Many scanners are bulky and heavy, but not the new Kodak i920 Scanner. Similar to the previous model, this latest version is half the size and you can hold it in one hand! It’s less expensive and priceless when it comes to organizing files, scanning sale documents and preparing a “packet” of documents for a new customer. It provides high speed scanning of 20 pages per minute; 2-sided full color, with image stabilization, and will convert files to PDF. Flexible and powerful, this incredible software handles file management, and handles any size paper including contracts or business cards.

3) Online Video: Mashable reports that 90% of all internet content will be video in the next 12 months. Cisco estimates 82.5% of the U.S. audience viewed video online, so it is imperative that agents deliver relevant, timely information that people want to watch.

Today’s consumer is less interested in static photos, and more interested in authentic video clips of you, your products or services and how they might fit into their lifestyle with information and real time reporting. Kodak’s easy to use Playtouch video camera is the size of your cell phone and a powerful tool. Video is king, but only if it has superior audio. Look for a video camera that includes: an external microphone jack (this is critical when shooting testimonials), high definition 1080P, and easy to use editing software…and, go with a trusted name in cameras! Check out the Kodak Playtouch video camera that does this and more!

Marketing and connecting require the ability to connect anytime from anywhere. Get the products and services that help you become the agent of choice!

Bio: Terri Murphy is an author, speaker, communication consultant, and e-Strategist. She is the author of 5 books, including one with Donald Trump. She is the Pres. of Terri Murphy Communications, Inc as CIO of U. S. Learning in Memphis. email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com

Copyright©2011- All rights reserved

Did you know that 40% of all privately held US firms are owned by women or controlled by women?  That represents 10.4 million firms!  And every day in America 420 new women-owned businesses are formed! And every day in America over 420 new women owned businesses are formed!

An important component of women in business is their ability to negotiate effectively.    I interviewed Dr. George Lucas, an expert on Negotiating and co-author of the NYTimes Best seller, The One Minute Negotiator with Don Hutson.  We discussed the 5 biggest mistakes most women make when negotiating:

The first one is: We fail to invest in a concerted personal development effort.

Too many of us fail to take a class, a seminar, or even read a book to hone our negotiation skills and yet we use negotiation every day in both our personal and professional lives.  It pays to invest your time in learning the differences between collaborative (win-win) or competitive (win-lose) strategies. Studies indicate that neither men nor women are better at negotiations, but there is a traditional perception that men are stronger at the negotiations table, so we need to study up to do our best for ourselves and our companies.

The second biggest challenge is the fear of confrontation:  Both mena and women  suffer from this malady: “Negotiaphobia”. Negotiaphobia is a challenge for many of us who have a fear, or a distaste of anything associated with the negotiation process. In too many cases, many of us will settle for a bad deal, just having to avoid talking about or to re-negotiate a different outcome.    To overcome negotiaphobia, learn more about the negotiation process, then learn to focus on the means and not just the end in negotiating which will help you to negotiate from power instead of weakness.

The third challenge is that women typically are less likely to ASK for what they want.

Dr. Linda Babcock and  Sara Lashever in their book,  “Women Don’t Ask” observed that their male students asked for all sorts of extra’s that the female students rarely asked for. As a result, the women were missing out on a lot of resources and opportunities that the men were benefitting.  So in negotiations, there are many times the other side doesn’t even know there is a problem or concern, and would be willing to consider a new solution if one or several options were put on the table. So simply women must learn to ASK for what they want and then may have to negotiate but have a greater probability to get more than they though…and that comes from good and detailed preparation which we’ll talk about in a minute.

The fourth challenge is that women generally make ineffective concessions:

It is common for women, and people with an accommodative interactive style to try and please the other party in the negotiation process; and often times, they confuse agreement with negotiations success and think the negotiations are done.

Just know that the agreement is not done until it is written up and executed.  Once  executed,  review carefully as a competitive negotiator may have added some options to include more than was originally agreed upon.

And the last challenge is lack of preparation:

Many novice negotiators think deals are won or lost at the negotiating table, but in fact, the biggest impact on negotiations is what you do before or after the meeting.  Preparation helps you understand both your needs and their needs to brainstorm a set of options consistent with the needs BEFORE you get there.  You are more likely to reach a collaborative agreement when you are acutely aware of the differences between the negotiable and the non-negotiable issues of the agreement.….so do your homework!

Just learning about negotiations won’t be enough to make you comfortable in the actual process. We suggest that you “practice” when it doesn’t really matter or count.  A good example may be with your dry cleaners…you know…they say they can have your cleaning ready by Thursday.   Take that opportunity to “practice” and say…Well, I really needed to pick this up on Wednesday”…can you make that happen?   And then watch how getting what you want when you want it was simple, and even a little fun.

We negotiate every day so studying these 5 steps can help you begin learning a better process so that you negotiate to win!

Bio: Terri Murphy is an  author, speaker, e-communication consultant.  She is the author of 5 books, including one with Donald Trump. She is the Pres. of Terri Murphy Communications, Inc. and CIO of U. S. Learning in Memphis.  email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com

Copyright©2011- All rights reserved

Got job? 5 Tips to help turn Part time into Full Time

Looking for a some part time work to get you through a financial “crunch”?  But what if a part time gig could turn into a career of your dreams?

As a coach and communication consultant, we often help individuals and executives clinch the interview with some attention to communication basics.  Don’t lose at the interview table! Take advantage of creating a uniqueness to your visit with your interviewer by keeping in mind these 5  basic communication tips:

1)      Start with your attitude! From a psychological standpoint, don’t think “part time” – think “Opportunity” – You will act differently knowing that you are making a possible investment in a permanent position.  Your brain rules so your thought process needs to be right from the get go.  Even if this one specific job doesn’t work out the way you had hoped, there are can be some magical people connections and opportunities that may lead in a referral or new opening in the future

2)      Dress for the job- How you look speaks volumes and what you know may be diminished if you are not properly attired for the position. Women especially need to avoid barriers like jangly jewelry, revealing clothing choices or too much perfume.

3)      Be prepared, enthusiastic, but not pushy or appearing desperate.   You won’t know the politics of the office and don’t want to appear threatening or needy.

4)      Be on time and dependable.  Regardless of your generation, many businesses still work on a traditional time line…The boss/manager needs to be able to depend on you to be there when you have agreed to be there.

5)      Even if you don’t get the job, send a thank you note.  So few people will take the time and this gesture will set you apart as someone who shows initiative.  If their current choice doesn’t work out, you just might get the call.

Part time jobs can open doors to career opportunities you hadn’t even thought about!  So suit up, show up and knock ‘em dead with a great smile, a clean and neat appearance and a sensational attitude.  You could walk out with a brand new job and with a brand new adventure!

Terri Murphy is President of Terri Murphy Communications, Inc, and is a communication and e-marketing specialist.  For more information visit: www.TerriMurphy.com or email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com

Copyright©2010  All Rights Reserved

Today was the opening day of our local Farmers Market. I got there fairly early and was delighted to see the early morning hustle and bustle of local entrepreneurs eager to profile their fresh veggies, breads, flowers, honey and other goodies.

Familiar faces were there walking through the booths with coffee in hand. There was energy around the movement as this real “community” lives.

During the winter months, the only way we were connected was by email or a simple blog. What was most interesting was the way we connected after communicating electronically since October of last year.

One of my favorite booths is owned and operated by an adorable Laotian family.  The little ladies there simply sparkle with joy as they arrange their fresh vegetables on display.  The most powerful connection is in using few words.  They know how to say “hello” and okay” with ease.  But if you really want to get a strong connection, try saying “thank you” in THEIR language.  It is the most joyful reaction I’ve ever seen!

As I walked toward their booth after months of not seeing them, I waived and they nodded… and then I said “thank you” back to them in their Laotian language…causing them to  begin waiving wildly and smile widely!  They were visibly delighted…all because of one little word…with a special “twist”…having it THEIR way.

How many ways can you say thank you today to your clients, customers, friends and family? 

Tom Peters said “Never underestimate the power of the tiniest personal touch”, and as usual, he is so right.  The power of human connection continues to be the magic that bridges relationships and often is the key to successful entrepreneurships…no matter what you are selling!

Bio: Terri Murphy is an author, speaker, e-communication consultant, and author of 5 books, including her latest with Donald Trump. She is the founder and Pres. of WomensWisdomNetwork.com and serves as CIO of U. S. Learning in Memphis and one of NAR’s GAME CHANGER 2010 Coaches. visit www.TerriMurphy.com or email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com

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What can you do differently than you have been doing?  Are you relying on the same old things, systems, and habits…. or even more concerning, doing the same things your competitors are doing?

Today’s savvy consumer knows what they want, and are not willing to pay for services that do not meet their need. The largest buying segment of housing is GenX, and they are especially good at finding another professional who is willing to do it “their way” and fast!

So, how about tune up for your presentation program?  Whether you are presenting to a buyer or seller, creativity, expertise and delivery will boost or beat your chances.

Here are 3 key tips on how to fine tune your connection:

1) Speed of Response:   How fast are you responding to your lead requests?  If you don’t have systems in place to respond in a nano-second, your prospects are moving on to the next agent who does have a method to  respond  in real time with targeted information …and that is what it takes to make a first WOW impression!

2) When you are meeting face to face, have you revamped how you personally “go to market”?  Are you “market” presentable? Are you fully focused on your client? Have you anticipated their every need?

Before your meeting, are you equipped with a with deep needs analysis pre-written questionnaire that demonstrates you are prepared, interested and focused to authentically discover and fulfill their real objectives? 

Unfortunately, this is an area where many of us have slacked off. Having left a fast and furious marketplace, we didn’t have the luxury of time or the need to build trust bridges with our prospects. 

A slower market is loaded with multiple opportunities to engage, connect and earn the right to provide our services to those in need and a great time to demonstrate strong differentiation from our competitors.  As an example, if you are still running a paper CMA from your local MLS and showing up with a worn out one size fits all presentation, you might need to start looking for another job! 

NAR reports that in 2009 that 34% of the properties sold were purchased by GenX. Translated that means they are driven by their own core values and preferences.  Those preferences include real time response, deep expertise and real accountability.   Think about investing some time in a marketing makeover and don’t wait another minute to re-design how you go to market while you still can! NAR’s Learning Library offers some free and almost free online webinars to help you do just that.  Check them out at: (http://budurl.com/MurphyMktgMakeover)

 3) Get rid of the old tools and get good with the NEW ones!   You are right to be confused, frustrated and downright stubborn about trying to figure out what’s in what’s out/what’s hot and what is not, but that is no excuse. 

You might be able to connect with prospects, but keeping all the updates consistent and valuable takes help from techno tools.  Set aside some time or ask the experts what tools are recommended to help you service 24/7 without working all those hours.  

Learn how virtual tours like OBEO.com will do the reporting on activity to the seller automagically for you and engage an interested prospect with interactivity on the tour. 

Your time is your money, so employing automated, customized drip systems that offer opt-in/opt-out options integrated with your IDX information is the only way to provide real time information as it is listed to prospective buyers or sellers considering to market their home. 

NAR reports that approximately 98.9% of prospects search for properties on the Internet BEFORE engaging an agent. Surprisingly only 60% of agents even have a website!  Do the basics, but do them right. Get a full web marketing website that does the work for you. Check out  http://www.realprosystems.com/  and get the whole enchilada:  Podcasts, blogs, drip systems, automated campaigns, back end training and the list goes on.  You can’t afford to be the jack of all trades, so figure out what systems can best support your goals and go for the gold. 

We’ve heard if you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always gotten…and that’s just not true anymore!  We know we can no longer do what we’ve always done to even stay even with what we’ve generated in the past!   If you are truly serious about making money by leveraging your time and expertise, get with the program.   Very few customers or clients say I don’t want to work with that professional because they are too good at what they do, too eager to help me get exactly what I want and too much of an expert at their craft….just ask them!

Bio: Terri Murphy, Communication specialist is an author, speaker, communication consultant, and author of 5 books, including her latest with Donald Trump. She is the founder and Pres. of WomensWisdomNetwork.com and serves as CIO of U. S. Learning in Memphis and one of NAR’s GAME CHANGER 2010 Coaches. Email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com – And for more webinar resources visit: http://budurl.com/NARFREEWebinars

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Have you ever enjoyed an experience like this:  You meet with someone and two hours fly by and you can’t believe the meeting is over!  You still have so much to learn from them that you just don’t want it to end!

What if every meeting or presentation you were a part of ended like that? Would your second connection with these people be easier or harder to schedule?  Easier is the answer of course!

So the question is: After working with you, do prospects leave so energized, so pumped up, so laden with valuable information, tips, strategies, resources and inspiration that they can hardly wait to meet with you again? 

If your goal is not to surprise, delight, engage, energize and really connect with people you are doing business with, you might want to fine tune your strategy.

 Today I met with a most amazing professional. Tony Jeary may not be a household name to you, but he is the executive coach of choice to the world’s top CEO’s and high achievers for over 20 years.  His clients include presidents of companies like Wal-Mart, Firestone, Shell, and even the United States Senate!  You can’t leave his presence without being so excited about possibilities that you need and want more…

And that is exactly what most sales people and leaders should aspire to….guiding those we serve to a place that shows our prospects and customers  how to achieve their own best scenarios to  attain their personal and professional success.

Whether you are selling houses, tires, cosmetics, or pharmaceuticals, your product or service must include specific components that ignite and inspire those we serve by providing solutions to their problems. Here are a few key activities to include in order to fine- tune your personal and professional interactions:

1) Be and sound ENERGETIC!  If you aren’t truly excited about what you do and how you do it, you will rarely communicate the value to another person.  Without contradicting your personal style, allow your enthusiasm and passion for what you offer be transparent so your prospects can engage with you and participate in working with them to provide solutions to their needs.

2) Invest in PREPARATION!  Want to really impress someone? How about having prepared a full spectrum of information about them and possible solutions to help their business available so they can see that you made an investment in them?  Too many sales people spend the bulk of their time perfecting their presentation, trying to “sell” their product or service instead of investing the time to get information about the prospect’s needs when preparing for the meeting.

3) Be a true EXPERT!  How deeply do you study your own product or service and that of the competition? Can you draw from accurate information and statistics to help determine the best solution for your prospect or customer?  People will ALWAYS pay for expertise.  Become an expert by investing even 30 minutes a day every day on a competency and you will develop solid expertise in your given niche.

4) Learn PRESENTATION skills.  All the information on the planet won’t help you if you haven’t learned the most engaging and powerful ways to communicate.  People connect logically and emotionally.  Logic will help them see the value, but emotions provide the actions to buy or not buy.  Study up on Behavioral styles and generational communication dynamics to connect with all four communication styles and age groups.  Invest in presentation skill coaching if this is an area for serious improvement.  It is guaranteed to pay off! (For a free report on the 12 biggest mistakes most sales people make, visit www.Fripp.com)

5) Be AUTHENTIC with your word. Nothing is more devastating than someone who shows up, makes all kinds of promises and doesn’t deliver. If you are not a systems person, set up checks and balances to keep you focused and on target with action steps and deliveries on what you promised.  There is no second chance when you compromise your integrity. It is a highly underestimated and powerful action that doesn’t cost in dollars, but in attention to executing what you have promised. 

 Focus on these simple steps and you are sure to be the provider of choice and create raving fans and repeat business.

Terri Murphy, Author of 5 books, her latest with Donald Trump. She is a Speaker & Consultant can be reached by email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com or for more information visit www.TerriMurphy.com

Terri Murphy, Pres, Terri Murphy.com
CIO, USLearning.com-Featured author with Donald Trump-”The BEST Real Estate Advice I Ever Received”
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