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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First impressions are almost always irreversible and can make or break your connection in a matter of seconds, and how you connect on and offline will make determine if you will win or lose!

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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Yawn….Seems like everybody has something to say about starting a new decade…a new year. There are plenty of prolific writings about the excitement of starting anew….

It IS all about new beginnings – but it really comes down to the same thing; If you want change, you must want it bad enough that the pain NOT to change is more painful than making the change itself.

The question to ponder is ….

Am I becoming the person I wanted to be, living the kind of life I had dreamed?  With so many people in this country on anti-depressants, my guess is that the “unhappiness” we feel is not from having too much or too little of anything, but rather a disconnect in not having what we had dreamed about having, being and doing.

If we really can change and do believe we really can, then why is it so many of us fail at these fervent but weak resolutions? 

What separates the winners from the losers are the ACTION-able steps to change the direction of your life and the belief that you can change the outcome, and it begins with the power of compounding positive or negative steps to our goals.

Health: We all know we need to be more proactive about our health – that said, if you are younger in age, you don’t feel the same pressure to focus on a healthier lifestyle as those of us who are farther down the runway of life. Losing a couple of pounds a month can a good goal, but facing 20-30 pounds at one time may seem unattainable.  If you want to be healthier you’ve got to start MOVING.   Walking is a cheap and simple way to get in better shape. Bottom line: start a new walking program with a friend or bunch of friends. Too cold? Find a mall – Too warm? Find a mall

Finances:  Saving money? – Now there’s a challenge! Spend an extra dollar a week and you are out $50+…Save a dollar, well, you get the picture.  How much time have you invested in actually seeing where your money goes every day? You might be seriously surprised to find many ways you can re-direct your spending and ultimately your income.  Look at the many entrepreneurial business opportunities available with little start up needed in both money and time to build your income.

Self Improvement: So you want to be better read? Get a library card and schedule a couple of hours a week reading away from home so you meet your goal. Perhaps you want to improve your language skills.  Check out low cost or free programs in the local schools and universities and begin the path to becoming and doing what you visualized for your life

Social: Want more friends? Make some new ones. Learn how to be a better friend to others and you’ll become a better attracter of the kind of friends you’d like to have

Get a Coach: Can’t stay focused? Getting a coach can improve the odds of your getting where you want to go.  Coach Anne Bachrach has no problem kicking your butt into action to keep you on target to get what you said you wanted. (http://www.accountabilitycoach.com/) 

Excuses: We all are faced with crazy schedules, interruptions, no money, no time, no energy, etc. But as our good friend Giovanni Livera, speaker, trainer and master magician says “No Change? No Change!” (http://www.giovanniexperiences.com/)  You can’t expect a change if there is no change in your behavior! There really are no excuses, but rather that we get lost due to our lack of focus, our lack of planning and the discipline needed to delay immediate gratification. 

What if….you could really change your lifestyle, cash flow, energy level, improve your health, be a better husband, wife, son, daughter, or friend?   We live in a land of unlimited opportunity! So dream a little dream and then let nothing get in the way of your having your best life now.

Terri Murphy

Terri Murphy, President of  Terri Murphy Communications
CIO, USLearning.com-
Featured author with Donald Trump-”The BEST Real Estate Advice I Ever Received”
901-767-0000
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Viki  King’s  Christmas  MP3

How to Give Without Shopping This Christmas

Click The Link Below And Listen To Viki King:

V King MP3

-www.VikiKing.com

Terri Murphy