Turning Contacts Into Contracts
Interview with Lisa Marie Platske of Upside Thinking
Here’s an Excerpt:
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.
To access the rest of the ideas Lisa shared go to: Turning Contact into Contracts Report (PDF download)
To listen to the Interview with Lisa, visit: http://wemagazineforwomen.com/audio/ContactsIntoContracts.mp3.
To turn contacts into contracts I feel requires thinking in a greater level than you describe. It means understanding what contacts need and/or are looking for. It means getting OUT of yourself to address business solutions to a market. Being authentic, being honest, and being willing to fail doesn’t turn connections into business–it is a better recipe for making friends. I will check out your PDF to see how you further develop. –Liane Sebastian, http://www.wofw.com and http://www.wisdomofwork.wordpress.com
@Liane – You are my biggest fan and you proved my point. People do business with those they know, like, and trust. I’ve gotten 6-figure deals from this very principle without the client having all the details of how it will get done, knowing that I would solve their problem! So, yes, thank you! It is a powerful recipe and you will make friends in the process. Turning Possibility into Profitability, Lisa Marie Platske, Upside Thinker, and Chief Enthusiasm Officer of Upside Thinking, Inc. (www.UpsideThinking.com)