Your Lake of the Ozarks Mortgage Lender: tips on building your business

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

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

How to Catch and KEEP a Professional Mentor

Getting a mentor isn't only a smart way to learn, it can be a fast track to knowledge and experience in just about any endeavor you can imagine. With a great mentor, doors otherwise locked to you can swing wide open and shorten your path to success by many years.

If you're looking for a mentor, here are some things to remember:

Deciding if you need a mentor is mainly a matter of knowing what you want to achieve most and the general direction you'd like to take. Stay open-minded if your mentor recommends another direction, but your objective should be the main goal. Consider carefully what you want the mentor to provide and how often you'd like to meet.
Make a list of potential mentors, follow them on Twitter or other social media and notice any potential personality conflicts. Aim as high up the ladder as you can–even someone you think is out of reach, too rich, or too famous may have an opening for an assistant. Use LinkedIn and Google to find candidates.
Write a letter of introduction and sign it by hand. Don't introduce yourself by email. If you want to make absolutely sure your message gets to your prospective mentor send it FedEx Overnight.
If you get a YES then arrange to meet as soon as it's convenient. And if the first meeting goes well, arrange for next steps.

Watch out for unintentional bad advice that can stall your progress. A recent Harvard Business Review article shares the most common ways a mentor's advice can go wrong, including:

Reacting unfavorably if you take a side-path the mentor has not taken.
Choices you make that affect your mentor negatively in a material way, say financially, that could alter otherwise sound advice.
Taking advice from someone with dissimilar tolerances for risk than you.
Knowing more than your mentor about certain things–take it into account before accepting advice wholesale.
Try to add value to your mentor making the relationship mutually beneficial. When you "arrive" don't forget to show appreciation to the people who helped you along the way.

I hope that this information helps you in your field of business. I believe that a person becomes successful by continually LEARNING and Mentors are a great way to learn from "real experience/" Feel free to pass these tips along to your team, clients, and colleagues!