Expectations

Setting expectations is wildly important for everything.

The Employer to the Employee...
The Employee to the Employer...
The Sales Person to the Client...
The Client to the Sales Person...

You name the relationship and setting expectations is at the core of making it successful.

If you don't know what someone is expecting, how can you possibly satisfy them?

If your customers and clients don't understand how you will interact with them, how could they possibly understand when you don't call them back immediately?

If the employee does not understand exactly what is expected of them, how can they effectively prioritze their time?

If the Employer does not understand how the employee will be completing their job tasks, how can they feel comfortable when or if it will be done?

Setting proper expectations is a fantastic way to get that "micro-managing" boss off your back. It is also a phenomenal way to get your employees to become far more productive.

Setting expectations will ease the panicked customers concerns, it will greatly reduce the amount of phone calls and emails you receive, and it will instill confidence that you can and will get the job done.

In many ways, setting expectations is the key to any relationship.

People fear the unknown. The unknown creates angst, tension, confusion, anger, and stress.

Setting proper expectations is like building a bridge that connects people. Without the bridge, people are left to wonder how they will cross the complicated and winding road.

It is absolutely necessary in any relationship setting, whether it is business or personal to have all parties clear on expectations.

Set the expectation and enjoy more success.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the Book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income,"Sales Trainer and Sales Manager.

Goal Clarity

Creating a goal is simply a way to define whatever it is that you are looking to accomplish. You know where you are today and you know the location you want to go. The Goal is what allows you to get to the destination. It is simply a map. When life gets confusing, your goals will keep you steady.

1. Define your goal-It MUST be precise.
2. Give yourself a DEFINITIVE timeline for achievement. This is a hard date that your goal WILL be achieved. No waffling or moving the date is allowed.
3. Break your goal down into tangible / workable phases.

• If you want to lose 30 pounds in 4 months. Break this number down into monthly and weekly goals. That is 7.5 pounds per month or 1.875 pounds per week. What is more real, 30 pounds or 1.875?

Small rapid successes are absolutely necessary to keep you focused on your end goal.

POST your goal everywhere. It must be visible to be real. Write it down and place it where you will see it. Bathroom mirror, dashboard of car, computer at work. If you cannot see it, you cannot achieve it. Share your goal with others. This makes it real. It gives your goal credibility. Sharing your goal helps to make you feel accountable.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and REALTOR with Atrium Realty Group in North Texas.

Faith and Opportunity

Faith is a word that is extremely powerful. True faith only occurs when you believe with 100% of your heart and mind that your belief system is correct. Faith is when you make a decision that is not based on scientific evidence. Faith is most closely used when talking about religion, but it is also a large ingredient in allowing yourself to be successful.

When you have faith in yourself to achieve something, opportunity is not far behind. As you change your mind set to believe that you are destined for success, the world will start to reveal new opportunities all around you. Have faith in yourself and others will too.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and REALTOR with Atrium Realty Group in North Texas.

What Happened to Job Titles?

I remember when I could call a company and speak to a sales person, fly on a plane and be assisted by a stewardess and ask a secretary to help mail out letters. Today...not so much. Sales people are account executives, stewardesses are flight attendants and secretaries are executive assistants.

Seriously?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for adding some spice to your title to make you and the customer feel better, but when does it stop? At what point are all job titles too inflated? Will we reach the level where all people are vice presidents, presidents, and engineers? Have we become so sensitive and PC that it's offensive to be called a sales guy?

The point of the job title is to allow others to understand who you are and what you do. If people at all companies are using the same generic spiced up titles, has the new title been diminished? Value has not been improved because you changed a title and respect will not be increased because your title makes you sound important.

If we have to inflate our job titles to generate a boost in confidence from the employee and the customer, could that be a sign that we have a much larger problem? Perhaps instead of working on the job title, we can focus on the person, the service, or the product. If you want to create a new job title, make it original.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and REALTOR with Atrium Realty Group in North Texas.

Will the REAL Free Thinkers Please Stand Up

"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you..."

Simon and Garfunkel hit the nail on the head with this line. In today's world, we can substitute Joe DiMaggio for "Free Thinkers" or "Creative Thinkers." We have gotten stagnant, boring, and predictable as a country. There is very little challenge to the status quo and even fewer new thoughts being accepted.

The United States rose to power and significance due to the mentality as whole that there was no limit on our opportunity. People challenged the norms of society and persevered to change the entire landscape of human thinking.

There was no thinking that we had maxed out our potential. Original thinkers continued to push the envelope into developing new limits. They challenged theories and ideologues, which provided momentum into creating a more prosperous country.

Somewhere this has been either lost or postponed. We are in a mental rut as a country which in large part has contributed to our economy slipping a bit.

We need new ideas, new processes, and new optimism. People need to stop being so accepting of silly accepted norms. If you ever get an answer that sounds like "because that's the way we have always done it.."it's time to step up and challenge it.

Challenge does NOT mean confrontation. Challenge is providing a smart alternative to an old thought.

I challenge you to think more about making improvements then accepting anymore silly beliefs.

What would you like to change?

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, “How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income,” Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

How to Interview Prospective Employees

When either starting a new business or maintaining a business, you must be able to bring in new talent and hire employees that will allow your company to thrive.

With a growing number of people to choose from, it is essential to have a firm understanding of how to hire quality people.

Attitude

The most crucial aspect of hiring is the attitude of that individual. You must hire people with an outstanding daily outlook--not false interview bravado, but true optimism. Most interviewees pretend to be someone they are not because they want the job, so you must be able to cut through the act and find the real person.

Do not simply read the applicant's resume and ask generic question about accomplishments she has or where she sees herself in five years. Be more thought-provoking to pull out something real.

Ask the applicant about what or who has been the biggest influence in his life and then find out the story why. When you ask why, just listen. This question is hard to fake an answer for. It will give you a glimpse deep inside someone to see who and what has shaped his personality.

Next, find out what the applicant feels is the greatest obstacle she has ever overcome. This can be related to prior work, but most likely it won't be. Figure out how she felt when this obstacle came into her life and how she came to the decision to overcome it. These are questions that require soul-searching; they elicit real answers from people.

The goal here is to not hire a generic person that can talk his way through an interview, but rather to hire a person who has a great outlook on life, who has human emotion, and cares deeply about the course of his life.

Desire

Desire is the second most important factor that should be looked at. If a person has a great attitude and a high level of desire to do well, that person will not lose and neither will you if she is on your team.

Desire can be determined a few ways, but asking where someone visualizes himself in a few years will rarely provide that information. Be blunt but polite. Ask the interviewee if he would like to have your job in the near future. If he says "Yes," that's actually a good thing. You don't want to hire people who are just satisfied with the status quo.

Good employees push other employees to improve themselves and they push their managers to challenge them with harder tasks and relevant actions. Ask the applicant what motivates her. Ask about the real reason.

For instance, money is not a true motivator; it is what an individual will do with that money that is the motivator. Similarly, power alone is not a motivator; it is the influence and change that can be implemented with a high-level position. If you get shallow reasons to these questions or you appear to have stumped someone, move along to the next applicant. You want good people, people with a great desire and a positive attitude.

Intelligence

Intelligence is the third item on the list. Most people have this prioritized first, but that won't yield the best results in most cases. Intelligence is simply when someone has learned some form of knowledge and they put that new knowledge into action.

This frequently happens when you hire someone with a great attitude and desire. Defining intelligence as simply performing well on a test or having a large vocabulary is misguided. Intelligence is about awareness, social consciousness, aptitude, desire for growth, and the will to continue learning all the time.

Inquire how often people read, what are they reading and why. What kind of hobbies does the interviewee have, and how often does she do it? Intelligence is also about a person understanding balance in life: family, work, and personal growth. Too much tilt into one area over another can be a strong indicator of a future problem.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, “How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income,” Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Are you the loud cell phone talker?

Have you ever noticed that when people answer their cell phones in public, their voice suddenly raises several octaves?

Why do people feel the need to talk as though they are stuck in a wind tunnel and the only way to give the listener the most valuable of all information is to talk so loud as if their life depends on it?

This is something that has always confused me. It never fails, as soon as you walk into a store or a restaurant, someone will get a phone call and go from a normal inside talking voice to that of an obnoxious celebrity that needs to tell all their fans and paparazzi what is happening.

I think the public cell phone call makes the talker feel like they are starring in their own movie and all the people around them are just “extras” or “fans” getting a glimpse into your life.

Since you are the star of the movie, you have to “over” talk, make yourself sound WAY more important then you really are, or laugh louder than normal to entertain your audience.

It’s almost as if the cell phone gives people a feeling of importance and empowerment that otherwise doesn’t exist. The public phone call is your opportunity to “show off” your power, control, humor, stature, popularity, or any other role that is otherwise lacking in your normal daily life.

When the phone rings, your fifteen minutes of fame begins.

I’m going to burst your bubble just a little bit. It’s not fun to be an “extra” in someone else’s movie. It is actually really annoying and somewhat inconsiderate of others around you.

Now I have to admit, from time to time I have actually been entertained by the “I’m so important talker.” For some reason, I gain enjoyment from listening to people talk about how they are thinking about quitting their job and how their company will really miss their valuable input when they are gone, yada, yada, yada speak. Or my personal favorite is the “I’m gonna tell my boss off talker”.

This is always funny for me. I love the people that tell other people how they either told their boss off or that they are going to. I am willing to bet very few of those “telling your boss off” conversations ever really happen, so it always perks up my ears when I hear that kind of talk.

I realize that most of these conversations take place in more of a “blowing of steam” manner, but when they happen on the cell phone in public, they are always in the harsh factual power tone so their audience gets the impression they are a real force on their job. I think it is the ego boost that derives from other people hearing of your importance is the real reason for this kind of talk.

The thing about being the “loud cell phone talker guy” that impacts likeability is simple. You lose credibility when you talk “big” talk or you are obviously making yourself seem over important.

It really means that you may lack the internal confidence to not need this extra ego boost to always perform at a high level. Aside from that, you never know how is in your audience, perhaps it is someone that knows you or works with you. Maybe it is a manager at a company you would like to work for and you show up for an interview and they remember you as the annoying loud talker.

The best rule of thumb here is when your phone rings in a public setting, walk away from the majority of people and have your conversation somewhat privately. If you need to yell to have your listener hear you, get a new cell phone.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, “How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income,” Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

It's called..."The Way it is"

I bet I have the conversation at least once a day with someone that is upset, disappointed, annoyed, or just flat out depressed about some situation.

It could be that they didn't get the job they wanted, pay increase, bonus, present, discount, or whatever. In each situation, something seems to have gone wayward from what was either hoped for or expected.

Virtually every conversation stems from the fact the REAL result of a situation went poorly. Each time, the person dwells on the result for longer than necessary and it negatively affects a NEW future result.

Here is the simple fact:

It is what it is.

Whatever negative result that happened....already happened. It cannot be changed. The longer that situation is top of mind and affecting your attitude you will not be very productive.

That being said, here are a few tips to dealing with an unfortunate outcome:

1. If you didn't get the job you wanted, pay raise you were expecting, or promotion that you feel you deserve, ask why. Rather then take the news at a negative face value, take the opportunity to learn something. Perhaps there is something you need to improve or knowledge to be gained before taking on something you aren't really ready for.



2. If you are in a relationship with someone or attempting to date someone and you like them significantly more then they like you it can take an emotional toll. If over time, the situation has not improved, stop forcing it. It is what it is. Everybody isn't meant for everybody, no matter how much you try. Do yourself a giant emotional favor and end the attempted relationship and move on.



3. Lets say that you grew up with a less than stellar parent combination which led to some less then favorable growing up conditions. It happens. It happens with a lot of people. If you are over the age of eighteen, you are considered an adult. This means you control your life, mood, and situation. If you still dwell on "growing up" conditions from a parent beyond the age of thirty, you need to look within yourself to solve the problem...nobody else. Never blame your shortcomings as an adult on parental influences as a child.

Life is what it is. Time keeps moving and you can't look back...unless you are learning something. This does not include obsessive reminiscing, wishing you could "be back in a situation," or blaming others for your current level of unhappiness.

I challenge anyone that has these feelings to look inward, take TOTAL control of your life and emotional well being. Sometimes this takes help and guidance from another person to show you the way. When you ask for help, be certain you are ready to receive it, or the benefits will be fleeting at best.

Live in the moment and live for your future, the past is what it is and it's long gone.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Can You Change People...or Can People Only Change Themselves?

I would be willing to bet at some point in everyone's life they tried unsuccessfully to change someone.

There are obviously many reasons to change another persons behavior some good and some bad.

The question here is, IF you can change another persons behavior. I say no.

However, you CAN influence the behavior of another in several ways.

• Take away something that person desires.
• Show that person (by example-not words) how you do certain things.


• Give that person small rewards for certain improvements.


• Never be an enabler.


• Always behave in direct accordance to the message you speak about.


• Do not be confrontational in a manner that you come across as "all knowing" or arrogant.


• When explaining about "the change" speak about the benefits they will receive from making that change. Don't use the "just because" line of thinking.

Try some of these scenarios out next time you desire to change another person's behavioral patterns. When doing any of these remember to keep your approach genuine and calm if you want to receive the most beneficial results.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Don't Let Your Great Thoughts Disappear into the Idea Graveyard

So you have all these great ideas and big future plans huh?

You write down your ideas, do just enough research to gain confirmation that the idea is in fact good. Then you start talking about your idea to others to gain even further confirmation that you might be on to something big.

Then it all fizzles into the idea graveyard...

What happened?

Most people fall short of actually implementing "the idea." They fall short not because the idea is bad or destined to fail. They fall short because they reach the stage of NOT having the "know-how" of completing the plan.

The easy way to end an idea is to say, "I didn't have the money for it," or "I didn't know how to do ________."

These are obstacles that virtually everyone encounters from time to time. Including the people that push forward and see their idea put into action.

Make a list:

• Write down everyone you know (tier 1 friends).


• Write down the people that those people know (tier 2 acquaintances and tier 3 never met before people).


• Write down what all these people do / special skills.


• Make a list of people (more then 1) that have skills in an area you need but don't have.


• Call the people on the list, share your basic idea and see if they are willing to help.


• If someone does not want to help, move to the next person on the list and ask them.

This is exactly how idea implementers move forward when they get stuck. As the idea person, you don't have to be able to do everything personally. You just need to know how to get everything done.

Save yourself a trip to the idea graveyard by making your list, speaking about your idea, then asking for assistance.

What great ideas do you have floating in your mind?

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Likeability vs Normal

The conversation comes up from time to time about what the difference is between Likeable behavior and normal behavior.

For some people, they are one in the same, but for many they are substantially different.

Here is a list of some of the differences:

1. Likeability is opening doors for people. All people. It is holding a door for a couple extra seconds to allow someone to walk through it. It is being aware of other people around you. Normal is being oblivious to your surroundings. It is about letting the door you just opened close in the face of the person directly behind you. It is watching someone struggle with opening a door and doing nothing to help.



2. Likeability is introducing yourself to a new person on a job and making yourself available should they need it. Normal is being quiet and not offering assistance. Normal is the thought that, "I learned on my own, so can they."



3. Likeability is listening during a conversation and responding with something that directly correlates to what the other person is saying. Normal is waiting to speak during a conversation to make your statement. Your statement has nothing to do with the other person's comments.



4. Likeability is volunteering for something that other people don't want to do. Normal is waiting for someone else speak up.



5. Likeability is helping someone that needs help without regard to your personal advancement. Normal is offering to help another person if it leads to a better opportunity for you.



6. Likeability is being yourself and acting the same regardless of who may be listening. Normal is changing your personality dependant on who is in the same room and possibly paying attention.



7. Likeability is taking a personal risk to attempt to succeed at something you love. It is risking failure in attempt to succeed. Normal is always being "safe" and grinding out day after day in something that you dislike doing. It is never risking anything to take your shot.



8. Likeability is living your life in accordance to the same message you speak. Normal is talking about the right things and then actually doing something else.



9. Likeability is being able to "make fun" of your self when you make a mistake or screw something up. It is letting people laugh with you at your own expense. Normal is blaming your mistake on someone else and getting angry when someone tries to call you on it.



10. Likeability is not making excuses when things don't go as planned. It is about looking at a "one time" failure as an opportunity to learn and win next time. Normal is always making excuses when something goes bad, not learning anything from the experience and repeating the same action at a later time.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Prioritize your day and life

From time to time I am approached by someone that desires to "feel" better about their current situation. Often times, these are successful people in some aspect of their life, but still have a somewhat "hollow" or "empty" feeling.

Most often this feeling creates a sense of angst because they feel it shouldn't be there. After all, why would a successful and happy person with a great job and family ever feel this way?

Well, it isn't quite that simple. People are still people.

For whatever reason, a particular pattern emerges in many people that are busy.

1. Over inflated feeling of importance on a particular task.


2. Less delegation of work duties due to feeling that only you can do something right.


3. More time spent at work and thinking about work.


4. Feeling distracted when you are trying to relax or spending time with family.


5. Becoming a poor listener, because you are distracted by your own problems.


6. The perception of you by others becomes that of not caring or thinking you are better then someone else.


7. You become slightly withdrawn and disconnected.

This cycle then begins to continue as you can't seem to get out of the funk.

How to get out of this cycle:

1. Delegate specific job tasks: You may be responsible for the overall outcome of a project, but that doesn't mean each detail must be personally handled by you.


2. Set up evaluation points: Depending on the length of a particular project, set aside time so that you and the the person / people working on each task can discuss how it is going.


3. Improve listening skills: During the course of any conversation, listen to the other person. Instead of focusing on your next job duty or the next thing you want to say, simply listen to what the other person is saying. You "prove" your listening when your responses are in tune with the other person's questions or statements.


4. Prioritize your life: While people have many interests at any given time, the time spent doing and thinking about them need to be clear in your mind. This is work, family, and recreation. When this prioritization gets out of whack, you know it internally because you are either disconnected at work, home, or in your hobbies. There is a balance.

What this improves:

• The people you interact with will enjoy their time spent with you. Nobody enjoys feeling like they are playing 2nd fiddle to your thoughts. When you are distracted....everyone knows it and they feel it. Doing this on occasion is normal, doing this all the time is annoying.


• You will see that you have more free time. Delegation of duties is true leadership. It empowers another person, it shows trust and confidence, and it will free up your time. If you feel you have to do everything because quality of work will suffer, then re-evaluating your employees may be in order.


• Quality of family time will greatly improve. Family time is not work time. Don't focus on work when with them. Remember, once time passes, you can't get it back. Not many people speak of wishing they spent more time working and less time with family when they are dying.


• Free flowing thoughts will once again emerge. When you allow yourself to be unburdened with unnecessary stress, your mind enjoys it. You will regain your creative thinking and get much better sleep.


• More time means more relaxation. Nobody can operate at a high level all the time. It is absolutely necessary to step back from time to time (regularly) and free yourself from everyday life. Do something you enjoy. Read, write, play golf, go to a movie, whatever it is, go and do it. Don't feel bad about it either. "Me" time is crucial for a more well balanced life.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

How to Set an Appointment

One of the quickest ways to increase your sales and income is learning to set an appointment correctly.

Are you one of the sales professionals that delivers a good presentation, and at the conclusion asks the prospect when they will be back in? Maybe you get a reply of “later in the week,” and you respond with “okay, I’ll see you then.”

Does that seem like a good method? You probably do not get very many returning prospects with that approach. Recent studies show that 70% of prospects do not return for a second visit without a firm appointment. However, those prospects with a set appointment return and purchase 50% of the time.

Wow! You spend all that time with a prospect and 70% of the time, you will never see them again. Are you interested in learning the correct technique?

Rule # 1: Know when your prospects are coming back.

In real estate sales for example, you do not want prospects showing up randomly on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. This is your prime fishing time for new prospects. Spending this time with an unannounced prospect return eats into your future sales.

How to do this:

Have a reason for a return visit. You do not have to show off all your knowledge on the first visit. If you cannot close a buyer on the first visit, be smart with the information that you provide. Hold back a few key details that they have questions about.

If there are no questions at the conclusion of their visit and they don’t buy, you are not doing a good enough job at discovering their buying objections.

"The two best ways to ensure a return appointment are Urgency and Benefits."

Provide Value and people will return.

Reasons for an appointment:

• Unable to show a particular home


• Unable to show a certain homesite


• Unable to get certain pricing on luxury features


• Come back for financing details


• Price Increase


• Incentives Expiring

I will repeat this line. If you are unable to close the sale, hold back some of the above information for a follow-up.

When you call them, say something to the effect of, “In order to give you the time and attention that you deserve….”

Remember, you need to create urgency and benefits, beginning your statement like I have written above; you make the prospect feel important by the value you will provide them at the appointment.

How To Set The Appointment

Use the Alternate Choice Close.

Say something like this, “Since I know you love the home and that beautiful homesite, I would hate for you to be upset with me if I didn’t inform you that our prices are increasing on Monday. With that in mind, when is a better time for you to come back and review this great opportunity? Is Tuesday at 6:00 PM good, or would Wednesday at 11:00 AM be better?”

Don’t talk again, until they respond. Oh, by the way, be truthful. If you say your prices are going up on a certain day, those prices need to go up. Being dishonest will lead to everyone losing in the long run.

Try this for one month and watch your sales grow!

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

The 10 Truths about Likeability

1. Likeability Skill One:
   Know your strengths. Understand your current Limitations.
   
   
2. Likeability Skill Two:
   Don’t ALWAYS have “the” answer. Even if you think you know ALL the time, be willing to swallow your pride and be AGREEABLE.
   Context: If you are teaching or helping someone have the answers (the real ones—not made up). If you are in a normal conversation, be willing to concede to another point of view.
   
   
3. Likeability Skill Three:
   Listen first. Respond 2nd. When responding, piggy back your thoughts into a direct response to what you just listened to. This shows understanding and willingness to help.
   
   
4. Likeability Skill Four:
   Smile More. Not like a clown, but like you enjoy yourself and the company of others. Smiling makes you approachable.
   
   
5. Likeability Skill Five:
   Never buy into the idea that you are bigger or more important than you really are. Keep yourself in check. Job Titles mean very little about power and income has nothing to do with Intelligence.
   
   
6. Likeability Skill Six:
   Help other people. Not because you have to, but because you have the opportunity to.
   
   
7. Likeability Skill Seven:
   When in a position of leadership, step up and lead. Don’t ever lead by a title or “just because.” That’s ignorance. Show people why they want to follow you. Give them a reason. Share responsibilities with your employees. Recognize people regularly. Let your people become leaders by providing tools to aid them. Micro Managing is NOT leading, it’s managing by fear (Your Fear of someone else failing and the responsibility falling at your desk).
   
   
8. Likeability Skill Eight:
   Learn the balance of making your point of view known but not forcing it upon someone else. Disagreements are good when both people are willing to listen and learn. Forcing an opinion “closes” people off and creates tension leading to more separation.
   
   
9. Likeability Skill Nine:
   Be willing. This means be willing to learn, to help, to be open to new concepts, to try something new, or to fail. Failure when used properly will lead to future success. Failure is simply a new somewhat unforeseen learning opportunity. It is a skill and strength builder.
   
   
10. Likeability Skill Ten:
    Be courteous by being more aware. Be aware of where you are and what you are doing. Being oblivious to your surroundings will lead to rudeness and the perception of lack of intelligence. Being aware will open you up to new opportunities and a high level of perception.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Top 10 Mistakes by Sales People

I have compiled a list of the TOP 10 mistakes made by sales people. This list is formed based on years of being in sales and sales training and years of being a consumer.

While most people don't do all of these thankfully, many salespeople do a couple of them. When you read this, be honest with yourself. After all, the only person you are hurting is yourself. Think of all the other people you could help and how much more money you can make by getting a little better at these.

1. Assumptions - Never assume you understand what a customer is asking. If you think you have a solution to a need the customer has, confirm it. State the solution, then ask if that solution will help them. Remember that just because you like something or your manager likes something, every single customer may NOT like it. Don't point out a "great" feature of your product if you are not already aware that particular customer has a desire for it. When you assume you set yourself up for failure and awkwardness.



2. Wrong Energy Level - Too many sales people haven't grasped the concept of either having a normal energy level or somewhat mirroring your prospect. Way too often it's either over excited sales person or super relaxed low key sales person. Neither is good. Be normal. If you are too many energy levels higher then the prospect, they WILL think you are obnoxious. If you are too low, then you are perceived as aloof and mildly clueless.



3. Not Prepared - If you don't know the basic information about your products, you lose. It's okay and perfectly understandable to not be aware of every detail of every product. That is actually a good follow-up scenario. But, if you are not aware of basic pricing, functionality, process, or how a particular product will benefit that particular customer you should NOT be selling it. Learn first, sell second.



4. Lazy - This one is fairly far reaching. Laziness really encompasses a bit of each category because of a failure to be aware of your deficiencies or lack of knowledge. For the context of this writing, I am going to use lazy to encompass a different meaning. Be on time. If you get to work 10-15 minutes late everyday, you are lazy. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but get to work on time. It just isn't that hard. If a client shows a desire to go see a home, car, product demonstration or whatever else. Take them! Don't give directions. Don't hand them a key. Go take them! What else are doing besides killing a possible sale that is right in your face?



5. Bad First 2 minutes - Does your greeting stink? Try something else. The first two minutes of any conversation are important for a customers perception of you. Make a note: Many customers don't want to talk to you anyway and want to avoid you initially. Why? Because so many sales people pounce on them in the first two minutes. Don't be that guy / girl. NO SELLING ALLOWED in the first two minutes. This is rapport building time. Be Likeable. Be someone that another person may actually want to talk to. If you screw this part up, it is hard to get yourself back to being viewed favorably.



6. Over Selling - Over selling is obvious and boring. It is NOT necessary to point out every feature of a product to a customer. They don't care. People want to know details about the things they find important not you. People have short attention spans and no time to waste, so don't bore people with insignificant details. You will lose them. They will tune out and start coming up with escape mechanisms to get away from you.



7. Confrontational - If a customer makes a statement of dislike, distaste, or dissatisfaction with a product you offer, DON'T take offense. You most likely didn't design it, create it, or invent it. Why are you offended if they don't like it? Find out what they dislike about something and why, then attempt to shift them to something they will like. Confrontation makes the experience bad for the customer and awkward for you. Avoid it.



8. Talk too Much - If you talk more then you listen, you are talking way too much. If you want to be good at selling and I mean better then most other people, scale your talking way back. You should only be talking to greet someone, ask question about your customer's needs, and answer questions that your customer asks. If you talk to fill what you perceive as an awkward silence, get some more confidence and hold your tongue. If you love to tell personal stories while making a sale, you lose. Customers are there to be helped, not listen to personal stories of some random sales person. Listen to your customers and respond with helpful and thoughtful solutions.



9. Wrong Focus - If your sole purpose of being in sales is to make a ton of cash, you will lose in the long run. If your goal each day is too sell your product, you also most likely lose in the long run. Focus on that individual customer that is standing in front you. Only focus on helping them. Don't push any product on any person. People love to buy, but they hate to be sold. Focus on helping the client see the benefits of your product and how it improves their current situation. Sales and money will come consistently when and if you have the right focus.



10. Arrogance - Confidence is crucial. Arrogance is the kiss of death. Arrogance is thinking that you already know everything. In many cases it leads to laziness because you stop learning new stuff. It is annoying and is a major turn-off and it has been a dagger in the heart of many once good sales people. In reality arrogance is false confidence that is created to make up for some personal deficiency in another area. It is basically a personality flaw that covers up a weakness.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

8 Great Reasons the Hand Written Thank You Note is Better

I have been involved in Real Estate selling for the last five years. In that time, I have met countless people for the "first" time. To ensure I met as many as possible a "second" time, I knew I needed a better approach then my competition.

Among other things, I knew I needed a strong immediate and genuine follow-up method.

The hand-written thank you note.

This is such a strong tool that is vastly misused and underused in virtually every "service" oriented business.

Over the years I have compiled this list of outstanding benefits of the hand written thank you.

1. It is pure. The hand written thank you is the purest, oldest, and most understood form of appreciation.


2. It is conscientious and caring. The implied message from the recipient is that you sat down and took time to write and think only about them at that moment. It is subliminal, but understood. Most people personally dislike the act of writing thank you notes, so when they get one, they appreciate the time dedication you took for them.


3. It helps you learn and pay more attention on your first encounter. If you know that you are going to write a hand written thank you note after you meet someone, you pay more attention during the visit.


4. It's better then what your competition is doing. Most people send out an automated email or standard generic letter. This is boring, easy, and average....so is the received perception of your prospect when they get this type of letter.


5. It is personal. In the thank you note do not list your credentials or boast about your company. Recount a detail from your encounter. Jog their memory to create a visualization that only you and that prospect shared.


6. It will actually be read. Most generic forms of follow-up are easily identifiable and discarded into the trash without being opened. When people receive a handwritten thank you note with a handwritten address on the envelope, they open it.


7. It demonstrates confidence. By taking time and writing about a detail during your encounter displays a level of confidence that you feel the meeting went well. It affirms to the prospect that you believe in your product and yourself. And it subtly relays that the prospect also enjoyed the encounter. If you thought it went poorly, would you be writing to remind them about it?


8. It's a Reminder. People often visit many different locations before making a purchase, so they may not actually remember you. The thank you note is a reminder that they did come visit you and the experience was a good one. Many times, they may still not remember you specifically, but the thank you makes them "think" they enjoyed what you had so they will come out a 2nd time.

Remember that follow-up isn't about you and what is the fastest and easiest way to complete it. It is about an individual customer that took their time to come and talk to you. If you want to have better results with the people you meet, try a personal hand written thank you note. You won't be disappointed.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Incentives: Part Two - Recognition

In part one of my incentive breakdown, I talked about how "incentives" are used in the world of Real Estate. Part two is how incentives should be used in everyday non "sales-ey" jobs.

If your a manager, time to perk up a bit.

So many companies operate under the premise that the job itself and its ensuing compensation is the "incentive." While true, the philosophy is a bit tired.

To be clear, I'm not an advocate of being lazy or waiting for handouts. What I am suggesting is little motivators, moments of recognition, and the on going feeling of self worth and importance within a group and an organization.

Many jobs can get stagnant, boring, and unfulfilling. If everything is the same ALL the time, how can that feeling change?

Once you get in a rut of low self worth and monotony, it can be very difficult to climb out of that hole.

Want a better workplace? Try suggesting or implementing some of the following reward based incentives.

1. Recognize an outstanding employee at least once per month. Give them a nice gift card to a decent restaurant.


2. Switch up job duties within your group to "spice" things up. Let people experience something different. See how different people respond to similar situations. You may be surprised to learn of an individuals capabilities.


3. Allow your team to make decisions, without your permission. Making decisions is an important value shift that improves confidence and self worth.


4. Be receptive to suggestions / improvements in your organization. Just because you may be a manager doesn't mean you know everything. Your way, may not be the BEST way. Strong leaders are not so arrogant to think they know everything.


5. Anytime you feel an employee has shown good decision making or exceptional service, recognize them in front of the group. Allow them a moment of feeling good about themselves.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Incentives: Part One - Real Estate

Incentives are little carrots dangled in front of another person in hopes of getting a quicker decision. They are "the bonus" on top of the normal transaction.

In the Real Estate world today, the term incentive has become the norm, which really means it no longer has much value. An incentive is supposed to be unexpected. It is supposed to carry enough "juice" to create a buzz thus encouraging a purchase to take place.

These days, just about every single home buyer asks the question, "What is your incentive?" Most times, prospective home buyers ask this question in the first 5 minutes of the conversation. That is before they know if you even offer a home that fits their needs or before they know the price.

Seems like a totally ridiculous time to ask the incentive question, but virtually everyone does it. The worst part about this is that this single question throws sales people off their game more then anything else.

That should never happen.

If you have been in Real Estate for only one day or even one hour, you should be well aware that the incentive question is coming early and often.

How to deflect the "incentive" Question in a normal situation:

• "Before we discuss incentives, help me understand what is important to you in a new home."


• "I would be happy to go over my incentives, we will get there soon. First, lets discuss how I can help you find the home you desire, does that sound okay."

How to deflect the "incentive" Question when the prospect is less friendly:

• "It sounds like incentives are very important to you and I can appreciate that, but what good is it to speak about incentives if I don't offer the right home for you? Don't you agree it would be better to come back to the incentive conversation after we discover that I offer a home that will work for you?"


• Would you be willing to make the purchase today on a home sight unseen and design unknown if I can offer what sounds like a good deal?"--the answer will most always be no to this. After you get the "no"go into discovery mode and find you what is important.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Opportunities Abound!!

Yowza! There are opportunities everywhere.

Seriously.

Opportunities are really just "time" decisions. The more selective you become with your time, the more opportunities you can create.

For instance, you can choose to watch TV for a couple hours each night or you can choose to clarify your position on an issue, prepare for tomorrow's meeting, practice your sales presentation, write about your product, market yourself on the Internet, Network with people you want to meet, or whatever else might improve your current position or knowledge even slightly.

While you may not see results overnight, you will see results in the future. If you ever want another person, prospect, or company to notice you, without just blind luck, you must improve your current standing.

That could be learning a new skill, making yourself more original, or simply generating a buzz about yourself in some form or fashion.

Opportunities are born out of personal time well spent. Don't kid yourself into thinking you are either born with the magic touch or you aren't. That is a bunch of nonsense.

Tiger Woods was born with talent, but if any other human had even a small piece of his work ethic, they would be superstars as well. He creates opportunities every single time he plays golf because he puts the most work in when the cameras aren't turned on. People only see a snapshot of him playing golf 10-15 times per year and winning tournaments.

From that, they deduce he is just a ridiculous athlete with enormous talent. They don't understand that he cultivates his natural talent and learns new skills every single day by practicing ALL day.

The same can be said for most enormously successful people. When nobody is watching they are improving while everyone else stays the same. They read, learn, improve, practice, teach.

They don't expect a handout. They put themselves in the best possible position by working hard in their spare time so when the time is right, they seize their opportunity.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

What do you do well?

Do you ever get stuck in that mode of wanting to be something or wanting to do something that someone you admire does?

Have you ever found yourself trying to emulate that person, but seemingly not having the same results?

This is a tricky topic to explain because it can be thought of in different ways.

The old school of thought is to simply copy or emulate what the most successful people in your field of work do and you will improve. While I believe much of this is true, there is always one little hitch left off of this theory.

If you are ever going to do something really well, meaning better then most others, you must make it unique. You must put your own spin on it to allow for obvious differentiation amongst you and anyone you are competing with.

If everyone takes the same books about success, implements all the theories, then what happens? Truthfully, not much. You will be working and operating in a big sea of similar people with no unique standout features.

What made the people like Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar, or you name the "success" person, is that they were totally unique in their particular era. So much is written today on the topics of success based on the theories of a small handful of people, that the message has been diluted.

What brings real success is when you implement successful habits on a daily basis, but also make yourself or product unique. You have to answer the "why" question for people, but it has to be answered in a way that is obvious to them. This isn't something you can just tell someone.

To be selected in any situation, your clients, prospects, hiring managers, or whatever, must internally be able to answer these questions without much deep thought.

• "Why would I pick you?"


• "Why would I buy this?"


• "Why do I need that?"


• "Why is this better than that?"


• "Why is this person better than that person?"


• "Why is this person worth this much?"

If the decision maker is having difficulty answering any of these type questions, you may not be positioned in a very clear and unique manner.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!