Turning Your Contacts into Contracts - Women in eCommerce

Turning Your Contacts into Contracts: How to Build Your Business through Networking MY STORY To truly understand how I became an expert in leadership or the art of influence, it is important to understand that I do not have a business background or possess an MBA. My background is in Federal law enforcement where I taught leadership development. Coupled with a passion for building relationships, in 2004, I left the Federal government and started Upside Thinking, Inc., an international leadership development company. In order for any passion to truly become effective, one must have an effective system to utilize it. System stands for what Saves Your Self Time Energy and Money. I have a system

that I use when working with clients to help them develop their leadership potential. Leadership is incredibly important in turning your contacts into contracts because leadership, as defined by internationally recognized leadership expert John Maxwell, is “influence, nothing more and nothing less.” In his book, “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, the 1st and most important law states that: Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness! Therefore, being an expert in your individual competency isn’t enough to influence others. However, turning your contacts into contracts is the result of an effective leadership development plan as knowing how to influence others is critical to growing any business.

AUTHENTIC CONNECTIONS There are three ingredients to form an authentic connection ~ 1) You have to be authentic. 2) You have to value connecting. 3) You have to be willing to make connections. There are 3 steps to the first ingredient, being authentic : • Step #1: Be Willing to Be Yourself! In business, it’s important to do what you do best in the manner in which only you can do it. As Oscar Wilde said, “Be Yourself…..Everyone else is taken!” •

Step #2: Be Honest (with Yourself)!

According to research by Kouzes and Posner, the number one leadership quality is honesty. Be honest with where you are, where you need help, and what you can do for others. • Step #3 – Be Willing to Fail. It’s not the falling down, it’s the getting back up again. Upside Thinking, Inc., 5225 Canyon Crest Dr., Ste 71-154, Riverside, CA 92507 • 951.334.9162 1825 Ponce de Leon Blvd., #356, Coral Gables, FL 33134 • 305.447.9634 www.UpsideThinking.com ● [email protected]

Turning Your Contacts into Contracts

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Second, you have to value connecting. There is must be an understanding that people have value, making you committed to the outcome of forming an authentic connection. In an authentic connection, there is a willingness that goes beyond communication, it is choosing to build common ground. There is also an element of taking risks, which requires full disclosure of self – and being honest in all transactions. Lastly, there must be a desire or willingness to make a connection. Authentic connections in business are the equivalent of having a strategic business partner, whereby you learn and eventually know as much about their career as your own in order to help them advance. In an era of global partnerships/relationships, a persons’ level of success will be stymied by the self-imposed fear of connecting and truly sharing. Business owners must be able to answer two questions – am I authentic? Do I value connecting? “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.” Because, logically, we may understand that “you get more, if you give more” but how that translates through our behavior really determines whether we get it. I strongly believe that the greatest asset that one can possess is to learn how to be an authentic connector. It separates individuals from being great to truly being excellent.

NETWORKING Networking provides an opportunity to build relationships with people who want to do business with each other. It is the process of connecting with the intention of there being an exchange of goods. You’re looking to boosting sales by becoming a client magnet. Everyone in business is selling something. It is more than a product or service; it’s an image. Further defined, you are the attraction factor in networking. Your attitude, your walk, your smile, and your style all play into making lasting, profitable connections. You are the net in net-working. Unfortunately, for many people, their net is not working.

MAKING CONNECTIONS There are four reasons why people fail to make connections when they are networking. 1) 2) 3) 4)

They don’t know their “why”. They operate on channel WIIFM. They don’t believe in the value of their product/service. They’re not willing to do the WORK in networking. Upside Thinking, Inc., 5225 Canyon Crest Dr., Ste 71-154, Riverside, CA 92507 • 951.334.9162 1825 Ponce de Leon Blvd., #356, Coral Gables, FL 33134 • 305.447.9634 www.UpsideThinking.com ● [email protected]


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1- Know Your “Why” If you’re attending an event, know why you’re there. Know what you want to happen whether it be to meet future clients, or create lifelong friendships. Be clear whether you’re there for the food, to meet people, collect cards, or to build business relationships. In my book Designing Your Destiny, I wrote, “Joining a networking group and handing out 15 business cards in 15 minutes does not constitute building relationships.” And, remember, networking is a skill developed through much practice. Very few people do it well. Hopefully, you’ve identified whether your ideal connection will be attending the events you’ll be going to. If you’ve done your homework, then a few good questions to ask yourself the day before you attend are: • • •

Who is my ideal connection? What do I want people to know about my organization? What is the one piece of information I will share with others about me when attending a networking event?

2- Re-Program Channel WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) It’s good to remember that consumers have choices. And, typically that old adage that people buy from people they know, like, and trust is very true. If you try to sell someone something every time they’re around, it’s difficult for them to really connect with you as a person. Be committed to the success of others. Sadly, most people are more concerned about their self-introduction than authentically getting to know you. However, they want to know that you care about them and are committed to their success first. Captivate potential clients with three magic words (these 3 words say it all) - “TELL ME MORE”. Use them every time you’d like to speak but know you should listen.

3 – Believe in Your Product and Service (In Your ♥) Your success is a product of your unconscious feelings and beliefs. It’s not enough to be able to recite the value and benefits to your one-of-a-kind product or service. You must believe it in your heart. Research shows that our energy is like a boomerang. What we put out will come back. And, business is either done from inspired action or fear, panic, and desperation. Upside Thinking, Inc., 5225 Canyon Crest Dr., Ste 71-154, Riverside, CA 92507 • 951.334.9162 1825 Ponce de Leon Blvd., #356, Coral Gables, FL 33134 • 305.447.9634 www.UpsideThinking.com ● [email protected]


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4 – The WORK There is a certain amount of work that is part of building relationships, hence, the term net-work-ing. In order to build relationships, you must get involved. Get involved in your community, your neighborhood, your school board, your church, and fraternal organizations. Being involved creates opportunities to build relationships! The best way to explain it is to describe the Credibility Pyramid. Imagine a triangle divided from top to bottom in 4 sections. The biggest and widest part of the pyramid is at the base and this is your Show-Up center. Where you spend your time and where you show up is directly linked to the next largest section of the triangle, known as your Credibility. From Credibility we move to a smaller area called Refer-ability. And, the final and smallest portion at the top of the pyramid where you will turn contacts into contracts is known as Profitability. DOING THE “W.O.R.K.” IN NETWORKING W – Write It Down As professionals who want to turn our contacts into lifetime clients, we need to write down what we want. There are several studies that show that if you think it and ink it, your success rate increases exponentially. So, before attending an event, write down what you do and who you want to connect with. After deciding who you want to connect with, what would you say to an ideal connection? Is your message educational or does it market you and what you do effectively? Remember, the 30-second message is not about “what you do”, it’s about them and the results you can produce for them. Writing it down helps us to stay out of what I refer to as Data Dump Syndrome or giving too much information in a very short period of time. Your relationship will not be built overnight. This is the initial attraction factor. As you introduce yourself, use verbs to help you create a picture. Verbs are powerful and indicate action. Words like teach, create, design, reorganize, manage, develop, establish, boost, generate, accelerate, achieve. You get the picture. You’re looking to captivate your audience, not simply educate them with what you do. One of the mistakes people make is to start a sentence with “I am” – I am an attorney, I am a painter, I am a coach, etc.. “I am” puts you in a box without telling the full story about who you are. Other areas to write down are potential questions to ask such as how they got into their field, what they enjoy about their work, or news, sports, and other interests. One final question that should be answered is this: “What is the deepest need I can fulfill for my clients?” Upside Thinking, Inc., 5225 Canyon Crest Dr., Ste 71-154, Riverside, CA 92507 • 951.334.9162 1825 Ponce de Leon Blvd., #356, Coral Gables, FL 33134 • 305.447.9634 www.UpsideThinking.com ● [email protected]


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O – Openness Share something personal when connecting. You have to know something about a person in order for you to make a connection with them. I don’t suggest you share all of your life’s story and biggest problems with perfect strangers, however making a connection personal is critical for the know, like, and trust part of turning a contact into a contract.

R – Remember, Remember, Remember! 1) Remember their name. A name is personal. It is a big piece of who we are in the world. It is important to honor that in potential relationships. Find whatever works best for you and do what you need to do to remember a potential connection’s name. And help others to remember your name, too. 2) Remember to listen. Turning your contacts into contracts takes time. If you’re serious about building a longterm relationship with this person, take the opportunity to find out as much as you can about them in each interaction. Listen, listen, and listen some more. 3) Remember to always be gracious and kind. The wind and the sun were having a conversation one day, which turned into a friendly competition about who was better at making things go their way. The wind said, “I am so strong that I can blow the coat away from the man onto the ground.” So, the wind blew hard, bending trees and rattling windows. But the stronger the wind, the more the man clutched his coat, wrapping it tightly around him. The sun waited patiently for the windstorm to end and then took a turn. With a smile, the sun beamed down its warm rays until the man took off his coat voluntarily. The lesson? Always be gracious and kind because you always get more with warmth and charm than brute force.

K – Knock ‘Em Out! Webster’s dictionary defines the term “knock-out” as a person or thing overwhelmingly attractive, appealing, or successful. After all of your preparation and involvement, it’s time for the knock-out. What do you want them to remember most about you? Your attentiveness, your sense of humor, your intelligence, your charm, what you do? If you’re prepared, open, use their name, listen and are always gracious and kind, you’ll knock ‘em out every time. Upside Thinking, Inc., 5225 Canyon Crest Dr., Ste 71-154, Riverside, CA 92507 • 951.334.9162 1825 Ponce de Leon Blvd., #356, Coral Gables, FL 33134 • 305.447.9634 www.UpsideThinking.com ● [email protected]


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EFFECTIVE NETWORKING IN ACTION • • • • • • •

Prep to identify who you are and what you want to convey. Introduce yourself. Ask a meaningful question to make a connection. Use your 3 magic words (“Tell Me More”) if you’re genuinely interested. Exchange business cards respectfully. Follow up with a phone call or note, not email. Stay in contact through regular communication.

COMPETITION vs. COLLABORATION Competition and collaboration are both mindsets. Competers look at life in win-lose terms while collaborators always seek out win-win opportunities. Because we all do things differently based on our unique set of experiences, I do not believe in competition. It is impossible for someone to do things in the exact same manner in which I do it. So, in a room full of realtors, insurance agents, attorneys, trainers, or coaches, each one does things a little differently. Who you choose to connect with or do business with comes back to the know, like and trust factor and whether your business is run from the mindset of inspiration or desperation.

TIPS TO BUILD LIFETIME CLIENTS THROUGH NETWORKING • • •

Make deposits first. Make a list of your top 101 raving fans and connect with them often. Never talk about business (or give your business card) unless specifically asked.

Lisa Marie Platske, President/CEO of Upside Thinking, Inc. is a high energy, award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and author. She shows professionals how to lead their business and their life, turning possibility into profitability. Her book, Designing Your Destiny: Achieving Personal and Professional Success through Upside Thinking, is continually reviewed as “life-changing”. She is also the founder of the Leadership Success Summit. To learn more, visit www.UpsideThinking.com.

Upside Thinking, Inc., 5225 Canyon Crest Dr., Ste 71-154, Riverside, CA 92507 • 951.334.9162 1825 Ponce de Leon Blvd., #356, Coral Gables, FL 33134 • 305.447.9634 www.UpsideThinking.com ● [email protected]