One judge writes a personal message to finalists and winners at tonight’s Australian Mortgage Awards
One judge writes a personal message to finalists and winners at tonight’s Australian Mortgage Awards
As a school boy I often wondered why some students were so much more proficient in certain subjects than others. Later in life I saw how on the cricket pitch some were just much more adept with a bat and a ball. Still later I came to admire and watch those who excelled in business life and their professions, whilst seemingly engaged in the same industry and jobs as others who worked just as hard. What made those few so good? Was it G’d-given talent, luck, hard work or a combination of all of the above?
This year I was privileged to be asked to serve as one of the judges in the 2014 Australian Mortgage Awards. In so doing the judges are afforded an opportunity to step back and critically evaluate the finalists. These brokers and their businesses have already set themselves apart from literally thousands of other nominees. Yet even within this elite group some stand out from others. So what is it that makes them so noteworthy? Here are some of the key traits:
• A dogged determination to always strive for excellence – some utilise Kaizen principles (a Japanese convention of continual improvement) and others embed methodologies and processes into their everyday lives so that work “chores” become disciplined and focused
• Having a well-articulated plans and goals – it was clear that what drove these high performers was a vision of what they want to become. From almost day one they have fashioned their businesses with clear goals in mind. Not just airy-fairy waffle but specific targets against which they could benchmark their success.
• They didn’t do it alone. They teamed up, collaborated with referrers and hired and empowered staff. Several insist on never paying for advertising or referrals but ensuring they reciprocate and don’t disappoint.
• Finally, and as a consequence, the results speak for themselves. They are there in the settlement volumes, the high conversion rates and the percentage of referral and repeat business. It is equally revealing which of the finalists really measure and track these statistics – like an athlete measuring their performance in every event. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it!
Hard work alone is not enough. Rather, a focused determination and a hunger to succeed by driving and striving for greatness seems to elevate the excellent to the extraordinary.
It will be exciting to see who triumphs in this year’s contest…
Jeff Zulman studied at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa and then read law at Oxford University in England. After graduating, he joined Goldman Sachs, where he was trained on Wall Street, and then worked in their wealth management division in London. Jeff immigrated to Australia where he has founded, run and successfully sold several businesses. He served as inaugural CEO of Vow Financial. Jeff now runs the “Book Buyers Brokerage”, an M&A advisory firm focused on brokers. See www.bbbsa.com.au
Follow tonight's awards on Twitter @MPA_Australia
As a school boy I often wondered why some students were so much more proficient in certain subjects than others. Later in life I saw how on the cricket pitch some were just much more adept with a bat and a ball. Still later I came to admire and watch those who excelled in business life and their professions, whilst seemingly engaged in the same industry and jobs as others who worked just as hard. What made those few so good? Was it G’d-given talent, luck, hard work or a combination of all of the above?
This year I was privileged to be asked to serve as one of the judges in the 2014 Australian Mortgage Awards. In so doing the judges are afforded an opportunity to step back and critically evaluate the finalists. These brokers and their businesses have already set themselves apart from literally thousands of other nominees. Yet even within this elite group some stand out from others. So what is it that makes them so noteworthy? Here are some of the key traits:
• A dogged determination to always strive for excellence – some utilise Kaizen principles (a Japanese convention of continual improvement) and others embed methodologies and processes into their everyday lives so that work “chores” become disciplined and focused
• Having a well-articulated plans and goals – it was clear that what drove these high performers was a vision of what they want to become. From almost day one they have fashioned their businesses with clear goals in mind. Not just airy-fairy waffle but specific targets against which they could benchmark their success.
• They didn’t do it alone. They teamed up, collaborated with referrers and hired and empowered staff. Several insist on never paying for advertising or referrals but ensuring they reciprocate and don’t disappoint.
• Finally, and as a consequence, the results speak for themselves. They are there in the settlement volumes, the high conversion rates and the percentage of referral and repeat business. It is equally revealing which of the finalists really measure and track these statistics – like an athlete measuring their performance in every event. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it!
Hard work alone is not enough. Rather, a focused determination and a hunger to succeed by driving and striving for greatness seems to elevate the excellent to the extraordinary.
It will be exciting to see who triumphs in this year’s contest…
Jeff Zulman studied at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa and then read law at Oxford University in England. After graduating, he joined Goldman Sachs, where he was trained on Wall Street, and then worked in their wealth management division in London. Jeff immigrated to Australia where he has founded, run and successfully sold several businesses. He served as inaugural CEO of Vow Financial. Jeff now runs the “Book Buyers Brokerage”, an M&A advisory firm focused on brokers. See www.bbbsa.com.au
Follow tonight's awards on Twitter @MPA_Australia
