Marcia Griffin

Book Marcia Griffin for speaking engagements & events.

Marcia Griffin was CEO of POLA Cosmetics Australia and New Zealand between 1982 and 1997. Marcia Griffin is believed to be one of the few Caucasian women in the world to have ever headed up a Japanese company. POLA Cosmetics, unheard of in Australia before 1982, is a $3bn corporation based in Tokyo. Marcia joined the Australian franchisee who started marketing POLA in 1982, as the solitary sales person, by December 1997 she had built the company to a multi-million dollar business, with approximately 4,700 POLA consultants across Australia and New Zealand. In December 1997,Marcia sold back her share of the Pola business to the parent company to take on other challenges.

Marcia’s educational qualifications are BA (Melbourne University), Dip. Ed (Monash University), B. Commerce (Melbourne University), MBA Preliminary Year (Melbourne University).

In May 1995 Marcia won the first Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year Award. In November 1995 she was a keynote speaker in Chicago at the Arthur Andersen 1995 Enterprise Best Business Practices Symposium.

Marcia Griffin has published a book about her life and business -High Heeled Success which is now in its third edition.

Marcia has been on the board of a number of organizations including Tourism Victoria,the World Master Games, Melbourne Storm and the Australian Direct Selling Association, PMP,Australia’s largest printing and distribution company and National Pharmacies.

Her current boards include private equity group-Holt Private Capital,Care Connect and the Peninsula Hot Springs

Marcia was the first Australian female Chair with TEC.TEC (The Executive Connection) is an organization committed to enhancing the lives and increasing the effectiveness of CEOs.

In addition to her Directorships, Marcia is a speaker on a range of business topics, and also works with a select group of entrepreneurs assisting them with their strategic and marketing planning.
In 1988,Marcia launched a natural  skincare range based on Australian plant extracts. The range sells in selected pharmacies and online.

Marcia is a passionate skier, golfer and enjoys travel.

Finding New Meaning in Life

Marcia has developed a new topic around her book ,which explores with a psychologist,the value of purpose and finding meaning in life.

The book is inspired by Viktor Frankl and is pertinent  when we consider the fact that only a minority of people are fully engaged with their work,that one in six Australians is estimated to be on some form of anti- depressant and mental illness is a daily media subject. All this comes at a  high cost to society and business.
This book and her talk sets out the tools that help us stay mentally fit and enable us to live life to the fullest

Comments on her book:

What you hold in your hand is an important, and potentially life-altering, book – and if you ever read other self-help books before, you may be in for a surprise: This one works, because it is backed up by several hundred scientific research studies which show that, paradoxically, happiness is not found in the tense and egotistical search for happiness per se, but by looking out for purpose and responsibility, and existential and psychological maturity. This book develops this theme in a fine web of several interconnected chapters and is especially commended for its practical applicability in everyday and business life. Finally, a book which bridges the gap between scientific and existential psychology and self-help literature. – Prof. Dr. Alexander Batthyany, Viktor Frankl Institute Vienna

Logotherapy is a school of thought in psychology that illustrates the very art of living a satisfying and meaningful life.  A book that enhances our understanding of how to find meaning and fulfillment in every area of our lives, as this book indeed does, is to be highly recommended! – Dr Teria Shantall, President, the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy, South Africa.

Sell and Succeed

This is a powerful presentation designed to motivate and challenge your frontline salespeople.
Marcia Griffin, as the former CEO of direct selling company Pola Cosmetics, is extremely experienced in sales training and sales motivation.Her business had the highest average sales per presentation of any in the direct selling industry at that time.

Her belief is that the demise of many businesses today is that their sales people are not pro-active and are often untrained and lack the skills to make great sales.

Her own background is a tribute to this,although Marcia had twelve years of tertiary education at Melbourne and Monash University, her first sale was daunting and confronting, but she went on to become not only a successful sales person, but to  build a team of nearly 5000 sales consultants across Australia and New Zealand!

She understands how most people feel about selling and sales people and she believes in the need for great training.

Her presentation deals with these negative attitudes to sales,includes some very clear and memorable guidelines to making great sales and of course creates a view of the sales process and salespeople, that leads to happier,more productive  sales people and more profitable business.

The power of Marcia’s presentation comes from her first hand sales and sales training experience in dealing with a commission based sales team of nearly 5000 women across Australia and New Zealand.

The structure of the presentation

The importance of sales

Attitudes to selling and sales people

Definition of selling

The science /art of selling-the how to in easy steps

Great selling can turn your day/life around

Outcome-motivated people selling more!