"To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have forgotten ." - Thomas Chandler

Research into what makes a successful entrepreneur found that a strong self-worth and/or willingness to be different was a leading indicator. Most millionaires are willing to buck the traditional and stick their necks out to be great.

My Dad passed away a few weeks ago (completely unexpectedly, after I told you last month he was doing great). My brother and I got a chance to reminisce about all the good times growing up as we took care of all the details of the passing of a parent . How very lucky we were to be raised by a Mom and a Dad who both gave us huge amounts of love and encouragement to be exactly who we were!  And, while it certainly wasn't all idyllic, our memories of anything other than that are vague. It's the good that we remember. This is the part about getting older that I like. 

My Daddy thought I was perfect and loved me unconditionally. He loved to hear of what I was doing and where I was going. He was my biggest cheerleader. I'm gonna miss my conversations with him and how good it made me feel that I had made him proud of the woman I've become. One of my clients remarked that I have taken his legacy to impart to my clients as I provide encouragement for them to live their dreams! What a compliment.

Dad's unconditional love helped me believe and trust in myself and my abilities as I have gone into the world of business. I heard Denis Waitley say the other day, "Your net worth is a reflection of your self-worth."   My experience with clients fits this perfectly: the better they feel about themselves and who they are, the more they seem to enjoy and attract "the flow." 

Werner Erhard said, "Love is letting someone be who they are and who they aren't."  While that serves as  a good definition of unconditional love, I believe the most powerful expression expands to also being a stand for someone else: to hold their vision and see them bigger than they see themselves.

Unconditional love is a powerful force. Thanks, Daddy, for giving me a gift I can now give away. I won't take the responsibility of passing it on lightly! Happy Father's Day!

ULTIMATE MAKEOVER

Do  you want  to be positioned to create more than you ever have accomplished AND have more fun doing it?
Do you need some focus and motivation?
Are you ready???? I'll come to you and we'll spend a whole day, creating/reviewing your strategic planning, your business plan, your team and systems.

$1900 includes everything - Email or call me at 520.744.8731 to schedule a time.

Mastermind: Through The Eyes of A Child:

My granddaughter, Lily, is 3 and 1/2 and we were working on some number concepts. When I held up 2 fingers on each hand, she joyfully told me 2+2 was 4. Next in holding up 1 finger on each hand, I asked what 1 +1 was. Her immediate answer was 11!!

The Mastermind Concept shared by Napoleon Hill in his book, Think and Grow Rich says when two separate minds come together, the result is bigger than the two it is a  "master"mind.

I am currently leading a monthly Mastermind Call with 6 owner/brokers that have small companies. If you fit this profile and would like to expand your thinking to the Power of 11.....let me know. I will be setting up another group in the next month or so...It's an opportunity to share ideas and strategies with others that are working broker/owners. The charge is $95 per month for a 90 minute teleconference, masterminding call. 

Each summer, I gather all the tech tools and products in one edition to give you a heads up on what you might want to be purchasing next. Perhaps, you still have some tech budget for this year or as you plan for next year, and get ready to upgrade your hardware, you may be ready to go to the next level. I have mentioned some of these over the last year, but am pulling together all the info for you in one place.

The products and services listed here are ones that I have checked out myself or have gotten positive feedback from agents who are using them. In some cases, I have negotiated discounts for you. Sometimes I earn commissions on these recommendations, but, more often, I don't. In every case, I only make a recommendation if I believe the offer is well worth your investment. If you are ever disappointed in one of my recommendations, please let me know. Please pass along to me any products that you have found that you love!

Hot New Products & Services:

www.MyCustomSigns.net Creating a brand and niche is important. This is the company with the revolutionary do-it-yourself sign kit that enables Realtors to create full color outdoor durable signs and riders with their current office equipment. Make your own Custom Signs and Name Riders

HANNA WHITE Color Your World TmWhat a great closing gift! : Give the gift of home decorating at an extremely affordable price! www.hannawhitecolor.com

www.myofficeonwheels.com All of the mobile productivity tools and accessories for those of us that live in our cars!

www.GiftAssistant.com Customized gift cards that carry your logo and branding and can be used at over 200 stores. Good for closing gifts, referral thank yous and anytime you want to give a gift. Rechargeable so you can run promotions to have people win from you-like a child’s reading program where they get the money for a new book each time they turn in a book report to you. They be carrying your information in their wallet!

www.RealProSystems.com Stealth Marketing is being touted as the “new” way to market on the web. The follow up database tools are said to be the most powerful available. Build your web business by promoting services.

www.VirtualSupportSystems.com - Marketing & technical support for professionals:  Don't hire a full-time staff...VSS is available on an as-needed basis for web design, online product sales, shopping cart & database management, newsletter distribution, marketing calls, concierge service and much more.  * Mention this ad and receive services at 10% off for a limited time!

1automationwiz.com - For a fully integrated shopping cart solution.

Discount$:

$ave money on these products by getting the Fossland discount:

Buying a new TREO? http://www.oti-solutions.com/real.html has special Realtor pricing.

www.Imprev.com : World Class Marketing Tools for Real Estate Professionals will position set you heads and shoulders above the pack. Use the code IDJOEANN and you will get $29 off their regular price of $199 per year.

www.Emailacard.com Drive traffic to your site! Whether it’s sending a great e-card or setting up a mass mail with their newsletter, this will get the attention of your target markets. Your clients can send free cards from your site-driving that all important traffic to you! $50 off by putting my name in the “How did you hear about us” box.

www.VisualTour.com The virtual tour software that top agents swear by. You control the tours and can do as many as you like for only $29 per month. Create custom CD’s for your listings. Include community information. More flexibility than any other tours!!!! Save $50 in your sign up.

ePRO Scholarship Is it time to take the NAR certification course for technology? You have 6 months to complete and do it all on line. Learning in your jammies! Doesn’t get any easier. Save $30 because you are a newsletter subscriber.

All Time favs:

Car URLs Don’t have yours yet? Don’t delay market yourself as you drive!

Tech Organizer A must! Keep all your tech information in one place!

CyberSpace Society just keeps getting better and better! Your membership is loaded with complimentary services or trials of some of the best products available. This coupled with the briefings from industry leaders, the guru help line and listservs, and a money back guarantee, if you are serious about marketing on the Internet, you need to join today!

I love freebies! What about you?

Worldwide Telephone: www.skype.com Talk with people almost anywhere in the world at no charge utilizing your computer

Success Quotes Screensaver A gift from me! 260 quotes on success to keep you thinking positively will scroll through on your screen

Send greeting cards free from my Emailacard Account. Enjoy and use whenever you need to send a greeting. (Or better yet set up your own account and use all the other features to stay connected to your clients, friends and customers)

www.freeconference.com Create conference calls with up to 100 individual participants on the call at anytime.

Real Estate Templates from Microsoft to create your marketing materials: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010925351033.aspx

www.realtor.org Need information on hiring an assistant, prospecting FSBOs, or just about any other topic you can think of? NAR’s 20 Field Guides give you articles, resources and information on almost any topic you can think of.

www.GetYourSphereInGear.com Free comparison chart of contact management software and more!

Online Tutorials and Courses

1. Learn how to use Excel, Word or Act or even learn how to write a business plan! http://www.learnthat.com/default.asp

2. Courses from HP Online Courses for Real Estate Professionals

Some examples include: Advanced Microsoft® PowerPoint 2003, Real estate marketing made easy , Design your own business documents

COACHES CHALLENGE:

Visit the sites above or other websites to take a look at what you may need to bring your business to its next level of excellence. You need to be able to WOW your clients, not just satisfy them.
Take an hour this week review your technology plan for 2005. (you did create one, didn't you? it's not too late)

• What are the next 3 purchases or tools you need to stay competitive?
• What budget do you need for those 3 items?
• By when do you plan to purchase or implement? Put these dates into existence in your PDA or DayTimer
• Do you need to take a class or get training to use what you already have more effectively?
• Do you need to find another person to handle some of the technology for you? (Is it time for a virtual assistant?)
• What else would make a huge difference if you did it regularly? (like an hour a week as an appointment on your calendar to learn or use your technology or do the research on new things)
• What are you doing manually (or not doing at all because it is too burdensome or time consuming) that you could automate or delegate? Something like an automatic drip system for your web prospects, perhaps?

Technology is no longer optional. Upgrade your business this month.

Frank Bettger wrote this book a long time ago, but the basics of being a great salesperson are timeless. A quick, inspirational read, you'll find yourself using his tenets to keep yourself focused on being the very best you can be!

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I'm doing quite a bit of traveling this summer  and would love to see you in person!

If you live in Southern California , Come to Carlsbad on June 24th for Staying Sane in An Insane World , sponsored by the CA CRS Chapter. You don't have to be a CRS to come-Great opportunity to network with 100 great agents. Register at www.socalcrs.com

If you live in Arizona , I am teaching the GRI 314 Technology Strategies for the New Marketplace  class on June 20 & 21 in Tucson . (520) 327-4218

If your group, association or company is looking for a n enthusiastic,  high energy speaker with a fresh perspective, please contact me. Hot topics include: Smart REALTORS ®  Finish Wealthy and Work Less, Make More

For a  complete list of my current topics, visit www.joeann.com/seminars.html

If you'd like to save some money and piggyback on an engagement I already have, check my schedule at www.joeann.com/schedule.htm.