World-leading program now being launched Australia-wide for leaders like you

If you see yourself as a leader (or would like to) read on ........

Several months ago we launched our Mastermind on Leadership program with 297 Exporters, Business Owners and Leaders. The response was overwhelming and extremely positive so much so we’re now opening the program up to people like you - business owners, executives and proactive individuals - across the nation.

We are now offering ‘10X Mastermind on Leadership’ in rural and regional Australia and in each CBD and surrounds – so from Warnambool to Redcliffe to Mt Eliza to Newcastle to Tasmania, we can now help you take your leadership skills to a new level!

10X Mastermind on Leadership is the key to becoming a better leader and producing far better results in every area of your work and life.

Join us for an 8 week course based on John Maxwell’s best selling title, ‘The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership’. For 1 hour each week, we will explore each of the Laws in a small group of 8-10 business leaders and people managers, facilitated by expert 10X Leadership Coaches.

At 10X and BSI Group, we help people and businesses gain that ‘edge’. We do that through a variety of seminars, workshops and coaching programs.   Our 10x Mastermind Program is our latest world-leading offering designed to make a very real difference to your leadership in work, life and business.

Who are you?  A leader or a follower?

In life it's said that people are either leaders or followers, but let’s face it – everyone has to lead!  Lead our own lives, lead ourselves, lead our families, lead our children one-on-one (or in a pack!).  Lead our businesses.  Lead our workmates.  Sometimes even lead our friends and those closest to us. 

However, there are only a small number of people in our world that can be regarded as natural born leaders. For the rest of us, we need to work at it, hone our skills and our style, and we can. 

“Leadership can be learnt and importantly, what you discover could make the difference not only at work, but at home and in your community in unexpected and critically important ways”   

Ivan Ang, John Maxwell Leadership Expert

The Law of Leadership, The Law of Influence.  Who will you influence in your lifetime?

People respond to one another according to their level of influence. The more influence we have, then the more people seek our advice, trust our decisions, and follow our lead. If we desire to be successful and lead the way, then we must focus on gaining influence.

As John Maxwell says “Leadership is Influence - nothing more, nothing less - without influence, there is no success”. Whether it be influencing your business, team, family or community, influence determines the level of impact that you leave on the world as your lasting legacy.

“Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership!” - John C. Maxwell

Together, you will learn how to effectively raise your “leadership lid” by understanding and implementing the principles of the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

These include:
 

·         The Law of the Lid – Leadership Ability Determines a Person’s Level of Effectiveness

·         The Law of Influence – The True Measure of Leadership is Influence, Nothing More, Nothing Less

·         The Law of The Inner Circle – A Leader’s Potential Is Determined by Those Closest to Him

·         The Law of The Big Mo – Momentum Is  a Leader’s Best Friend

·         The Law of Explosive Growth – To Add Growth, Lead Followers - To Multiply, Lead Leaders

And many more…

Key Benefits for You of Participating in a Mastermind Group:
 

·         Increase your own experience and confidence

·         Sharpen your business and personal skills

·         Create real progress in your business and your life

·         Add an instant and valuable support network

·         Get honest feedback and advice

·         Borrow on the experience and skills of the other members

·         Learn how to connect and have influence over key staff

·         Study the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, create an action plan and have the group hold you accountable for fulfilling your plan and goals

·         Receive critical insights into yourself

·         Optimistic peer support in maintaining a positive mental attitude

·         A sense of shared endeavour – there are others out there!

Register your interest now!! 

10X Mastermind on Leadership Programs & Networking Groups will be held at Roger Ng & Co on a variety of dates and times to suit all needs. Our next programs are starting the week of Monday 6 August 2012
For instance, the course will commence on the following dates, and continue on those days for the following 8 weeks:

• 7 August Tuesday 5:30 PM  
• 8 August Wednesday 7:30 AM
• 8 August Wednesday 12:30 PM
• 9 August Thursday 5:30 PM
   

To register your interest, click here to secure your spot – first in best dressed! -http://emarketing.bsi.com.au/public/gzq8/yLE/subscribe and we’ll be in touch.

Also, please feel free to call us on  1300 855 109 to check for dates that might suit you.
 

Your Coach? A 10x Accredited Expert …

As an accredited 10x Leadership Coach, our goal is to train our clients on the principles of leadership, develop their techniques and approach to create a winning mindset and action plan so you can reach the goals you set for yourself.

Over many years of observing and working with clients, our accredited 10x Leadership Coach believes that the one thing that limits greater success in his/her client’s personal and professional life is their leadership effectiveness. The ability to think and make courageous decisions and connect with people ultimately is shown to play a significant part in an individuals’ personal, professional and financial situation.

We are looking forward to guiding and supporting you on your journey to becoming an even more successful leader.

Your Investment for ‘10x Mastermind on Leadership’ & Your Money Back Guarantee

What’s Your Commitment to Becoming a Mastermind?

A program like this is ‘real’ by that we mean, it takes real exploration and some commitment on your part to your own growth and learning while being willing to contribute to others.  Here’s what we expect so you can get the most out of the program:
 

·         To arrive on time

·         Attend all meetings – 1 hour per week

·         Keep discussions confidential

·         Do all relevant readings and assignments

·         Make a positive contribution to the group

·         Go for your goals.

Who is this program suited to?

Most likely – you.  If you are reading this you are someone who is up to something in life or in business.  As a result, you should join Mastermind ASAP and accelerate your results!  Specifically this program is suited to people who want to learn, grow, develop and produce outstanding shifts in who they are being as leaders at home and at work.  You must want to be with and learn from other like-minded people and expert Coaches to assist and expand your thinking.

Candidates include:
 

·         Owners & Managers of Small to Medium Sized Businesses

·         CEOs and COOs

·         General Managers, Division Managers

·         Team Leaders, Executives

·         Non-Profit Organisation Stakeholders

Click here to register your interest and to determine your eligibility.

What People Have Said About Mastermind Groups:
 

I would recommend that if you get the chance to participate in one of these group sessions.”

Top qualities: Personable, Expert, Good Value - Paul D

“These teachings have helped me develop new strengths and find new ways to achieve goals. His mastermind group has been a great opportunity to meet new people and to develop leadership skills.”

Top qualities: Expert, High Integrity, Creative - Paulo M

“Mastermind Group course was important for me in that it confirmed for the most part, that my leadership style was on track, but at the same time demonstrated areas that needed strengthening. It was immensely helpful.”
 

Top qualities: Personable, Good Value, High Integrity - Susanne B

“I thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and the way it was presented and group discussion was encouraged. Leadership is a skill that all can be learnt and develop to improve all aspects of ones life. It has been great to build on the knowledge and understanding of the 21 laws of leadership with my team. I would have no hesitation in recommending this course to others keen to improve their leadership skills.

Click here to register your interest and to determine your eligibility.

BONUS:  If you have a team, consider this ... we say: “It’s about the ‘get it’ factor”.

As fellow business owners, we know how hard it can be to lead, manage and support team members over time.

Sometimes the biggest challenge we have as business owners is to have people ‘get it’ – get your intention, get what you want and why, get the concept of ‘going the extra mile’, get what’s required for success and act on it. Get what you want done and do it with a smile. Just …

Get it.

We also know the huge difference it makes when they do!

In fact, we believe it is THE difference.  Likely you’ve experienced that yourself … you’ve probably had a team member who gets it, while another just doesn’t.  At 10X we say it's what creates that ‘X-Factor’ in your business.

Book a 10X Mastermind on Leadership for your team, personalised to your company and held in house at your business, its the best value training program on the market today and you’ll suddenly have a team that ‘gets it’.  Call us now for more information and we’ll be in touch.

Thank you.  We look forward to speaking with you soon and seeing you benefit.

How to do a 15 Second Pitch

10 Ways To Increase Your Leadership Lid

1. Give Credit & Take Blame:  Give credit where credit is due and take responsibility. Don't be afraid to ssay “My Bad” or “It’s My Fault!”

2.Embrace Your Team : There is no “I” in team and teamwork makes the dream work.

3. Take Risks.  Your risks can be calculated or not,  playing it safe does not cut the mustard!!

4. Challenge things that you think nneed change:  Don't be afraid to challenge. This can be the process of leading-up or leading-down.

5.Stay Calm:  When you are wrong - you have no right to be angry.... when you are right you have no need to be angry!!Remember the 3C’s in all situations – Cool, Calm & Collected. 

6. Empower Your Team:   Don’t be a micro-manager.

7. Get To Know Your Team Members On A Personal Level:  Know what’s going on in the lives of your team members outside of work.  Know their interests, their children’s interests… To know is to care.

8. Take Time To Develop Your Team Members Leadership Skills : Leadership development isn’t a system but rather an on-going act of moving people from where they are to where they need to be. If you want your overall leadership capacity to increase, you must increase the capacity of those around you.  Leadership development isn’t optional, it’s a necessity.

9. Surround Yourself With The Best:  Be willing to hire people that may be smarter, sharper, and  better leaders than you are. Empower those people to strengthen your team and compliment your leadership.

10. LISTEN: - same letters as SILENT!!

 What are some other ways to increase your leadership skills?

Thank you, Stephen Covey, for influencing so many people around the world

23 years ago, Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” had the business world raving.

 Do Generation X and Y know the name Stephen Covey?
Have new thought leaders and gurus learned and built on these Habits? 

I am sure the Internet have discussed these principals in many many ways, many many times.... 


Covey, 79, passed away yesterday, this week leaving a special legacy.

I looked in my bookshelf for the "7 Habits”

Habit No. 1:  Be proactive. Self-awareness enables us to stand apart and examine even the way we ‘see’ ourselves — Know yourself. It affects not only our attitude and behaviors, but also how we see other people. It becomes our map of the basic nature of mankind.”

 Habit No. 2  Begin with the end in mind. “This habit is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There’s a mental  creation, and a physical  creation to all things.”
Visualize what you want as if it already happened and the universe will begin to work wonders.

 Habit No. 3: Put first things first. This habit is about personal and time management.
Management, is  different from leadership. Leadership is primarily a high-powered, right brain activity. It’s more of an art; it’s based on a philosophy. You have to ask the ultimate questions of life when you’re dealing with personal leadership issues. But once you have dealt with those issues, once you have resolved them, you then have to manage yourself effectively to create a life congruent with your answers.

Habit No. 4:    Think win/win/win. This is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win/win/win means agreements are mutually beneficial, mutually satisfying… Most people think in terms of dichotomies: strong or weak, hardball or softball win or lose. But that kind of thinking is fundamentally flawed.

 Habit No. 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. We have such a tendency to rush in, to fix things up with good advice. But we often fail to take time to diagnose, to really, deeply understand the problem first… LISTEN!!! This principle is the key to effective interpersonal communication.

Habit No. 6:   Synergize. -People involved involved in a project/deal will gain more insight, and that the excitement of that mutual learning and insight will create a momentum toward more and more insights, learning, and growth. Synergy is almost as if a group collectively agrees to subordinate old scripts and to write a new one for mutual benefit.... 1+1 = 10!!

Habit No. 7:  Sharpen the saw. -It’s renewing the four dimensions of your nature—physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional.- continuous self-improvement is key.

Commit, learn, and do.

 Thank you, Stephen Covey, for influencing so many people around the world

The Foundations of a Successful business

Before going for growth, make sure your existing business is on solid ground - ie the foundations are strong.

I heard a great analogy the other day... It's pointless filling a car with petrol before the engine is working!

There are 4 pillars that need to be in place in order to form a solid foundation for a business to grow:-

1. have a positive mindset

Having a positive mindset is a key ingredient for your business to succeed.
Have an unconditional belief in its success. Understand why you are in the business and what the business is.

Be accountable and take ownership and responsibility! Do not blame others or go into denial. Do not focus on the negatives.

A negative attitude and a mindset of being a victim will create an environment of angst, negativity and failure .

A positive attitude and mindset will create a positive direction and destiny of the business .

2. cash flow

Make sure that more money comes in than goes out.
Growth =cash burn
Make sure you have adequate reserves, capital and debt facilities to find the growth.
Lack of cash results in anxiety, fear and bad decisions. Fix this as a matter of priority!!!!

It is important that you understand what makes up cash flow and how to improve it. You cannot grow a business without cash.

3. systems
Systems are key to leverage, scalability, business growth and wealth creation .

It enables you to work on the business instead of in the business.

A business cannot grow until you have fundamental systems in place. Systems will enable you to scale your capacity and make average people look great!

4. marketing and sales - growing your revenue

You can save money by cutting costs, but you can only cut costs to zero, and you do not have a business.

Revenue growth is infinite!

It is all about Leads, Proposals and Sales
Questions to ask....

• How can You generate more inquiries or leads?
• How can you increase the average dollar sale?
• How can you increase the conversion rates from leads to proposals to sales?
• How can you increase the frequency of transaction?
• How can you increase the margin?

• Do you know where you are at the moment?
• Do you know your current conversion rates from Leads, proposals and sales?
• Do you know where you should be focussing on?

Determine things that you can do to increase leads, proposal and sales ...

Test and measure, test and measure, test and measure

Eliminate anything that is not working and then systemise anything that is working as part of your sales and marketing system.

Multiple marketing strategies is key. Some will work and some won't .
Have many touch points for a client to buy. CBA says that if a client buys 3 or more services, you have him for a long time!

Some businesses market, have a flood of new business.,stop marketing - deliver, and then go from a flood to a drought. Does that sound like you?
It is important to have a business that is consistently marketing all of the time!

In summary , before going for growth, concentrate on building and fortifying your foundations.
Create a positive mindset,stop the cash burn , system use your business, build revenue growth .... And watch your business fly!!!!!

Inspiration from Tony Gattari and www.10x.com.au

Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF) Strategy Series

Due to the interest and growth of Self Managed Superfunds, The team at Ark Total Wealth will be holding a comprehensive SMSF Strategy series covering all aspects of Self Managed Super Funds.
If you are looking for tax efficient, alternative strategies for your super (including investing in Property), or you are just interested to learn more, register on the links below.

Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF) Strategy Series

Self managed super funds (SMSF's) are now one of the largest and fastest growing segments of the super industry having an annualised growth rate of 20%. Education amongst members as to what they can do with their SMSF's and how they can most effectively use them is patchy however, and many are simply not unlocking their SMSF's full potential. The Ark SMSF Strategy series has been created to educate and empower SMSF directors/trustees to get the most out of their retirement funds, increase their wealth and save tax.Webinars will be held on the following topics: How to buy property within a SMSF Tuesday 31st July 6pm Retirement Strategies within an SMSF Thursday 2nd August 6pm Direct Equities & Managed Funds within an SMSF Tuesday 7th August 6pm Personal Insurance inside your SMSF Thursday 9th August 6pm You can click on any of the hyperlinks above to register your attendance.  You will also get the opportunity during the Webinar to ask direct questions  to a qualified Financial Adviser regarding the topic being presented. If you are unable to attend any of the above, and would like to receive a copy of the webinar, click here to register your details, and under "messages" type "SMSF"

At the Webinar

At the webinars, we will cover off the following; Property in Super The structure, benefits, cash flow and risks of purchasing property within your super Retirement Strategies How to effectively drawdown from your superannuation and tax effective ways to increase your balance  Direct Equities and Managed Funds How to structure an investment portfolio including direct equities, alternative investments and the effective use of franking credits  Personal Insurance How to structure your insurance effectivly and a review of the different product providers At the end of each webinar, we will email everyone a complimentary copy of our e-book and our discounted price list for SMSF Setups for webinar attendees.  Regards, The Ark Total Wealth Team

Last 200 years in 4 minutes!! Hans Rosling

Leadership - making people feel good about themselves

This is one of the best videos I have seen on Leadership... click here to view

Robert Chapman is a leader of a succesful company that has grown by 20% compound per annum. 

Leaders of an organisation have a responsibility to give every person the oppportunity for them to become and achieve what they could and be everything they were meant or could be!

5 Key Questions to Ask About Your Business

1. Is revenue growth something that is important to you?
2. Is cash flow an area you would like to see improve?
3. Is profitability - taking more money home for yourself - critical to your and your family's future as well as your personal goals?
4. Is increasing (and protecting) the value of your business asset something you've been hoping for or wanting?
5. And what about the future - is planning your succession within the business or the successful sale of the business something to consider?

If the above are questions that you need answers for... it may be worth contacting 10X for a complimentary "Discovery Consultation!!  http://www.10x.com.au/find-a-coach 

7 reasons why teams cringe at the notion of cross selling.

To succeed in Cross selling, one has to overcome the objections that are raised by cross selling activities.
We have tried to nurture Cross Selling within our Group at BSI, with some success, and a lot of false starts.
What I do know, is that our business would grow exponentially if Cross Selling becomes an integral part of our culture!!

Benefits of Cross Selling

• To keep current clients by establishing as many points of contact with the Group as possible. CBA Gurus says that if you have 3 services with a client, you have them for life!!

• To expand client relationships by assuring that the client is completely satisfied with the company’s service and inquiring into the additional concerns a client has.

One needs to ensure that there is a client service manager that know the client’s situation and understand the client’s needs. (The DC)


Seven common objections to Cross Selling


1. Unwillingness or lack of knowledge of how to sell. 
The Team Member does not want to be seen as a pushy salesperson. 

The flaw in this assumption is that selling involves pushing services on a client. The trick is to get your client to tell you what difficulties they face and for the team member to listen for an opportunity to help and understand what the group can offer.


Questions to  ask their clients:

• What is going on in your current situation that we should be thinking about?
• What keeps you up at night?
• What are your constraints... what is holding you back? 
• How effective is your team? 
• Do you have good leaders?
• Hows the cash flow?
• How can we help you get more leads/clients?

The Chances are is that the Business has a service that can offer a solution.


A Fear is that the Client is not satisfied with the company’s services to begin with. A client must be very satisfied with your current services and must trust you to give you more business.


Questions to  ask their clients:

• What are we doing well?
• What could we be doing better?
• How can we help you more?

2. Lack of knowledge regarding other Business’s practices. 
A team member can’t sell other business services if there not familiar with what the business does.

An essential element of a cross-selling program is an internal method to distribute client wins as a result of referrals.

For cross-selling to succeed, the business must collect the case histories. And it goes without saying that members must be made aware of read the success stories of the accomplishments of their fellow team mates.


3. The company does not compensate for cross-selling activities. 


“what gets rewarded, gets done.” 


If there is no incentive to market the Group’s services, then the team will spend all their time bringing in their own business. On the other hand, if a team member knows that his cross-selling activities will come up in his compensation review, the member will participate.

Consider providing a specific financial reward for introducing clients to other colleagues. Otherwise it just won’t happen.

For cross-selling to work, the notion of sharing credit must also be built into a cross-selling program. The “eat what you kill” system,  is fatal to cross-selling. Cross-selling happens in pairs or teams, and the company must give credit for a team effort.

4. Fear of Losing Clients. 
Some  team members are reluctant to refer their clients to someone else in the business, because they fear that the person responsible will mishandle the situation or do a poor job. As a result, the logic goes; the referrer could lose the client entirely.

This is an objection that is often unspoken or mentioned only in private. I believe this is rubbish, because what the referrer actually fears is losing control of the client, which may happen if another person is introduced into the relationship.

This view treats the client as a team member’s personal property or private book of business.
Clients must be viewed as corporate assets, which belong to the firm as a whole, and accordingly must be shared.

This objection also demonstrates that the referrer doesn’t know enough about the team member’s background and what exactly he does in his chosen profession. 


If personnel were to take the time to learn what their colleagues do and understand their achievements, the member would be more inclined to refer his colleague.

Regardless, the objection means that the clients business is going to another company, which is far worse than having the client being serviced by another member  in your own company.


5. The Company does not recognize cross-selling appropriately. 
Some Groups will throw a congratulatory party when someone brings in a new client. but a cross sell is only mentioned only briefly in the weekly meeting. This misplacement of emphasis is a mistake.

Recognition is a powerful motivator and it should be used accordingly.

 A cross-selling success should be a hot news item. The X Sell process shoul be described in detail, beginning with how the team member came to meet the client in the first place, how the the member learned of the new potential business opportunity, the steps he/she took to introduce another business area of the company, and what the colleague has done to impress the client with the company’s capabilities.

The point is to recognize the teamwork, and to honor it with accolades.


6. The client has established service from other companies as well as your own. 

This shouldn’t stop a cross-selling effort; in fact, it should be the reason to undertake one.

These potential clients are looking for Organisations that better meet their needs and anything that indicates they are looking elsewhere suggests underlying weakness in client relationships.

The idea of a cross-selling effort is to put the client’s current situation into play. It may be that a client has worked with another company for many years. However the client will be open to a proposal to have their affairs handled more efficiently, to consolidate their position or just to get the job done with less hassle. Of course it takes research and teamwork to develop these proposals.


7. Fear of imposing on other colleagues. 
Of course it is difficult for a team member to go, hat in hand, and ask a colleague to introduce him to an existing client. They are reluctant to butt into the relationships of colleagues. This approach yields few cross-selling results, because it starts out the wrong way.

Instead, team members should develop lists of their own clients who can be cross-sold to their colleagues.

For example, some company’s require their team to develop marketing plans, beginning with the names of three clients who are cross-selling targets. The names of these clients are bought to cross-selling meetings, where the staff member describes the client and the opportunities to grow the relationship. Other attendees are asked to bring the names of all contacts they have at the client.

The team effort begins with staff volunteering clients to the company as a whole.


Strategy for cross-selling
For Cross Selling to succeed, the team needs to buy into the success of the group vs the success of their division.

Overcoming these initial objections will go a long way toward getting a cross-selling program started.

It means that the Group will have to change the way it thinks about compensation, ownership of clients and approach to selling.

It will mean that the Business will have to cease relying on individual rainmakers and learn to work in teams focused on clients. But these are all positive changes, and will lay the groundwork for a successful strategy for cross-selling.

Lifes Relevance

Spark July Magazine

This is our new monthly magazine....

http://sparkmag.co/nationau/july2012/index.html

Your comments would be appreciated!!

Regards
Ivan

5 things your financial planner needs to do for you

Analysing a client’s financial position and cash flow is similar to a doctor conducting a full health check on their clients at the start of their relationship, or a personal trainer with their client when they come to the gym to change their state of health.

The adviser needs to assess the client's

·         current income and expenditure,
·        current financial position,  
·         investment behaviour characteristics,
·         attitude towards risk
·         aspirations and goals  – short, medium and long term

providing a realistic framework for advice…. what needs to change, where to focus and determine the coaching needs to be applied. 

All in all, this provides a more holistic approach to financial planning.

Make sure you find a financial planner that does this for you!!! see http://arktotalwealth.com.au/

Selling Excess Furniture on Ebay

We are de cluttering our house and are getting rid of some of our prize possessions!!
This is the first time I am using EBay and Pay pal... It will be interesting to see how it works!!
Feel free to click on relevant items and buy!!

2 Display Yellowwood Tables

 2 Seater Leather Lounge Recliner

this was purchased for  $2,000 a few years ago.... sad to get rid of it!!

THis has been sold for $250!! - we will miss it!!

Unbelievably Comfortable TV Lounge Suite

Many a good snooze was had in front of the TV!!!

This has been sold to a wonderful family in Central Coast for $113.50 .. may they enjoy!!

Large Gold Gilt Framed Mirror 1230cm X 1060cm

Traditional Old School Desk

Sold to Tamarra for $20 - what a bargain!!

10 Office Chairs due to relocation