Your Lake of the Ozarks Mortgage Lender: business leadership

Monday, February 10, 2014

6 Habits of Highly Successful Connectors

Networking is important for finding prospects, referral sources, and bringing in new business...but attending network functions alone is not enough. If you want networking to yield the best results, you've got to be a good connector!

Back in 1936, Dale Carnegie published the timeless business classic How to Win Friends and Influence People. In it he describes "six ways to make people like you" and it is the foundation for connecting with others.

Be genuinely interested in people. Passion is an infectious quality, and being interested in other people's success requires passion.
Smile. According to Carnegie you should smile a lot...even when you're talking on the phone! Modern research shows that facial expressions and body language aren't just a reflection of emotions, they can actually influence them.
Remember their name. Carnegie says there is no sweeter sound to people than their own name. If you have trouble with names here are five tricks that can help.
Encourage people to talk about themselves. Asking lots of questions doesn't just reinforce you care about people, it gives you information for making relevant contact later on. The rule of thumb is "two ears, one mouth." In other words, listen twice as much as you talk.
Then...talk in term of their interests. When it's your turn to talk, frame things in light of the other person's interests. Stay on topic and ask their opinion—you should quickly be able to keep any conversation going for as long as someone is willing to speak to you.
Make sure people know they are important. There are many ways you can let people know they are important—"thank you notes" are one way. But if you deal with clients on a regular basis, aside from doing a good job, make sure the system you create for delivering that service is both intentional and unique. When you give people a great experience, they will return to you again and again.

Give these helpful tips a try and feel free to pass them along to your team, clients, and colleagues. If we haven't already, I hope to get the opportunity to CONNECT with you soon!

I would love the opportunity to help you manage your Lake of the Ozarks Mortgage Loan or refinance. Give me a call at (573) 746-7211 or send me an email at mlasson@fsbfinancial.com with any questions you may have!!

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Michael Lasson

Sr. Residential Mortgage Lender
NMLS #: 493712

2265 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B

PO Box 1449

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Direct: (573) 746-7211

Cell: (573) 216-7258

Fax:(573) 693-9141

Email: mlasson@fsbfinancial.com

Monday, December 23, 2013

Five Books to Inspire you for 2014

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader" - Margaret Fuller

This quote has always struck me as a quote directed towards children - but learning doesn't stop when you receive your degree - learning is a lifetime experience. In today's world, you must continue to learn to be the best in your field.

A simple and inexpensive way to improve in your field of business is to read a book relative to your industry and find ways to gain YOUR competitive advantage. Here are 5 of Amazon's Best Sellers in Business to help you get inspired for 2014!

#5. Contagious: Why Things Catch On. Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger has spent the last decade answering the question, "What makes things popular?" Most people think advertising. Not so, according to Berger, it's word of mouth. The trick is how to boost awareness without coming off as self-serving. Whether you need to spark something viral with a product, a person, or an idea, look no further than Contagious.

#4. Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success. Head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson has won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. More importantly, according to Eleven Rings, he coached from a place of deep values. Being tagged as the "Zen master" coach, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork. Unique in the ultra-competitive world of professional sports, this method is equally needed in the business world today.

#3. Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works. A.G. Lafley, CEO of Procter & Gamble, co-authors with strategic adviser Roger L. Martin to outline the strategy P&G used to double sales, quadruple profits, and increase market value by more than $100 billion during Lafley's tenure between 2000-2009. Leaders in any organization will learn the essential elements for business success: where to play and how to win, while implementing five essential strategic choices. The ideas in this book can help you turn a brand around or make a great one even better.

#2. Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. Wharton's youngest tenured professor, Adam Grant, Ph.D., reveals his pioneering research on how focus on the traditional "indicators" of success like passion, hard work, talent, and luck don't play the role we once thought. Grant shows how three interaction styles in the office have a surprising impact on success. Praised by bestselling authors such as Dan Pink, Robert Cialdini, Seth Godin, and more, Give and Take promises an approach to success that could transform any organization.

#1. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook, is ranked on Fortune's list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World. Lean In expands on her now famous TEDTalk (viewed over 2 million times) where she described how women unintentionally hold themselves back, and offers solutions to empower women to achieve their full potential. Called an "inspiring call to action and a blueprint for individual growth," Lean In is an important conversation-changer for women in business.

I am excited for the promise that 2014 holds. I hope that you will be inspired to grab one of these books or another great book from your industry and unlock the potential for your business. I look forward to a year of family, friendship and great business relationships!