Opportunity and Risk vs Status Quo and Safe

I have long been a proponent of people taking calculated risks to improve situations and achieve dreams. People often shy away from such risks because the fear of failure has too strong of a hold on their life. But I wonder what the greater sadness is, risking failure by taking a chance on yourself to achieve your dreams or always playing it safe.

Everyone has goals and everyone has dreams. Some talk about them and some keep them hidden deep within themselves. But be assured everyone has them. If you are the type that keeps your goals and dreams hidden, stop it. Share them.

Tell people what you want to do. Lose the fear of someone else thinking you are silly because of your dream. Those that wish to squelch your dreams are not worthy of an opinion. People are either pulling for you or pushing against you. Decide who you want on your team and let all the others go.

Wouldn’t you rather gamble on yourself and take your shot rather than wake up one day towards the end of your life having lived a life full of regret and missed opportunities? Take a chance on yourself, you will be surprised how many people are rooting for you.

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.

Leadership

Leadership is the missing ingredient in many management positions. Often the people placed in leadership roles in an organization are those who have simply been around the longest. Seniority, though, is not a substitute for effective leadership strategies.

Tough Decisions

Real leaders make hard decisions. Making the popular decision is not always the right decision. Colin Powell, one of the foremost leaders of this generation, says, "Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: You'll avoid the tough decisions, you'll avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you'll avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset."

Tough decisions are those that require confidence, because inevitably someone will not be happy with you. Fear of backlash should not concern you if you know the decision to be made is in the best interest of your people.

Challenge the Status Quo

Going with the flow is not what leaders do. Leaders challenge social norms, typical procedures, generic answers, and create new questions that outline new opportunities. When leaders hears the phrase, "We have always done it that way," they say "Why?" They desire a better result. Leaders don't understand or accept answers that have no substance, no valid reasoning, or opportunity for growth.

Leaders constantly look to challenge, tweak and change. They recognize opportunities and are curious to learn of new strategies that will test their current capabilities. They are pushing the envelope to facilitate a "better" way.

Personal Actions

General Douglas MacArthur, a great American leader, used to carry with him a list of questions to guide his journey. One such question, was, "Have I the calmness of voice and manner to inspire confidence, or am I inclined to irascibility and excitability?" This question gets right to the heart of leading by example. General MacArthur understood that to gain the support and trust of his subordinates, he had to carry himself accordingly. Leaders do not allow themselves to be drawn into situations that will impact their standing within their group.

Leaders carry themselves to a higher standard--a standard that inspires their people to want to excel and push themselves further then they thought they could go.

Action Plan and Training

Leadership is easy to explain, but harder to put into practice. Frankly, it is more about personal actions first and actual skill second. However, there are some useful items that can be practiced to try and improve leadership abilities.

• Place people in the best possible positions to succeed. Evaluate your employees and team members and figure out what they do best and enjoy most. Situate them as closely as possible to align them with their strengths.
• Allow your employers to make decisions. The transfer of empowerment is motivational and it's a great knowledge builder.
• Create an atmosphere of excitement and happiness. While all work is not fun, people are more productive when they feel good about their situation.
• Reward Excellence. When your people do something well or they consistently stop to help others, reward them and recognize their efforts. This provides a confidence boost and it delivers a firm message that you are valuable.
• Be Positive. Challenges arise each day. Rather then look at challenges as problems, turn them into learning and growth opportunities for the team. Allow different people to be involved in the process.
• Allow the free flow of ideas to be heard. Listen to your employees. Each day people have great new ideas, philosophy differences, and improvement suggestions. Foster an environment that allows this communication exchange to thrive. Just because someone has a lower tier job classification does not mean they have a lower tier brain. Use everyone on your team as a knowledge building 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 REALTOR with Atrium Realty Group in North Texas.

Goals and Simplicity

A goal is really nothing more than an appointment you make for yourself. The key is not over-complicating the message. Keep it simple. Simplicity helps with clarity which leads to a higher percentage of success. As you train your mind to handle simple goals and experience more successful outcomes you can start incorporating more complex goals. Just don’t start that way.

It’s like exercise. If you are not a runner, would your first experience be the Boston Marathon? Obviously not. You start slow, develop, learn, grow, and THEN expand. Everyone wants immediate results and immediate growth, which most often leads to no action and no growth.

Get the thought of immediate satisfaction off of your mind. It is lazy thinking. It is entitlement thinking and it’s counterproductive to actual growth. Set yourself up for the best opportunity for success. Simple doesn’t mean easy. Simple just means clear. It means you have definitized the specific steps to take to obtain a specific result.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Guarded Optimism

Is guarded optimism an oxymoron?

Seems guarded and optimism should not be in the same sentence.

While I do understand the meaning behind the phrase, it seems a different set of words could be used. After all, optimism is "glass half full" and guarded often means "glass half empty." You are either one or the other, but not truly both.

You either believe something positive will happen or you think that a negative result is inevitable.

Deep down, most people have a "gut" feeling one way or the other, but to cover for not wanting to sound negative, the term "guarded optimism" is used.

If you start a new venture with guarded optimism, most likely you are destined to fail. You either go in with total belief or you don't do it. Your mind is a funny thing. The things you think about most often, will typically become your reality.

So when you think with total success and optimism, more often then not, you will be correct. On he flip side, when you half attempt something because you don't truly believe, failure is typically the result.

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!

Addicted to Success!

I've been in Real Estate for the better part of the last 5 years. In that time, I have helped a good number of folks purchase new homes and had a great time doing it.

About 6 months ago, I opted to focus my priorities on some different ventures and get back into writing. Then, a few weeks ago, an old friend called me up and enlisted my assistance with a New Custom Home Building Company, Diamond R Homes. They had such a great concept, something so fresh and new, that I just had to get involved.

Well, last night I enjoyed the first sale since my return to Real Estate. What a blast!

It's hard to believe that I could forget what that feeling of excitement was like in such a short time, but sure enough, I did.

That feeling reminded me how much I truly enjoy helping people purchase homes. It also reminded me that while I have many interests and activities, Real Estate must remain on my top priority list.

It's hard to explain that immediate feeling after a successful sale is made. But it is nice.

So what does all this mean?

Do what you love. Do it well. Enjoy it.

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!

Talking or Responding.....

I have noticed over the years that the higher a particular person's work "title" is the more they enjoy talking and the less they understand responding.

I suppose much of this is from feeling they already know all the answers as they have climbed the ladder.

Part of it is probably from getting more accustomed to giving direction rather then receiving it.

Talking is about making a point or statement regardless of what the other members of the conversation are saying. It is about "you." Not about furthering the dialogue.

Responding is about making a point or statement based entirely on what the other members of the conversation are saying. It is about "them." No about your agenda.

Talkers are fairly annoying to communicate with as they are the "know-it-all" types. What you say doesn't matter and these people make that obvious.

Responders on the other hand are very pleasant to speak with as they convey a level of understanding and a desire to learn about you.

Very successful CEO's and other high level Management types never lose the concept of being responders. They may not agree with what you say, but they make you feel as though they understand what your view is. Which is precisely what leaders do. They make decisions, but allow their subordinates to feel good about it.

Fancy high level titles do not make people smart or more special than anyone else. The way they treat the people that work for them does.

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!

Sleepy Time Power Down

At what point do you check out mentally?

We all have certain things that we have a genuine non interest in doing, but we have to do them anyway. For the most part, we fight through the apathy of disinterest and do what we have to do. However, there is always that one thing that immediately results in a complete mental shutdown or power down.

• It could be that moment of a particular conversation where you realize the other person is not listening to you.


• It could be that when a particular required task comes up and you don't understand the purpose of it, the task then feels pointless.


• Maybe it's when someone is trying to motivate, but it is way over the top and seems phony.

The problem with the total power down is that sometimes when you tune out mentally, you could miss something substantial.

So how do you stay mentally checked in the majority of the time?

1. Understand that while every task may not be that important, until you are in a position to make changes the task must still be done.


2. When you realize that someone is not listening to you, either stop talking and walk away or ask them why they aren't listening.


3. If some is coming across as the "over" motivator understand they are trying to bring up the level of excitement in an effort to get a better result. If nobody seems to be responding to the message, perhaps a conversation with the person that hired the over motivator is necessary.

I have been guilty of letting myself power down on many occasions in the past, but eventually realized that I was only harming my future productivity by not being in control of my mental awareness.

Is it hard to always be at least marginally tuned in? Yes it is.

But it is worse to check out mentally and miss out on a huge opportunity that you didn't allow yourself to be receptive 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 Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

You do WHAT for a living?

I wonder if people enjoy being boring or if they feel they have to be boring to fit their roll...

In any given week, I get a handful of business cards handed to me. The first thing I like to do is look at the picture to see if it looks even marginally like the person that actually handed it to me.

Typically it doesn't, but that is another topic for another day.

The next thing I do is read the "Job Title."

This is where I get the most interested. 99% of the people I meet have a horribly boring job title. When I read it, I immediately have an image in my head of what that persons normal work day must consist of....and truth be told, it makes me very sleepy.

There are lots of discussions out there about spiffing up job title names for various reasons. I'm not interested in creating a title that over inflates what someone does, but certainly there are ways to make you sound more interesting.

I love handing someone a business card and watching their face.

I have a few different cards I use, but one of the has the title of "The Likeability Guy" with a job title of Likeability Expert. The typical response I get is the person looks down, scans the card, then they look at me, then they look down again with a slightly perplexed look with a quasi half grin and they say..."What does a Likeability Expert do?"

BAM! There is my perfect opening. The ultimate ice breaker. The mood is immediately lighter and they are asking me about what I do. I didn't have to just blurt anything out that they weren't interested in.

My job title creates enough interest to where it extends or promotes a new and exciting conversation.

Job titles like the following are boring and illicit no responses or interest from someone else:

• Operations Manager


• Vice President


• CEO


• General Manger


• Team Leader


• Realtor

I could go on forever, but you get the point. Every start up company or small business titles themselves with the same names...it means nothing anymore.

Try something different. Be original. If you want new business or some random person to show interest in you, then you must be creative and exciting. Unless your company offers a true one of a kind can's miss product that everyone must have, you might want to diversify in other ways.

You WANT people to ask you about what you do. It is SO much easier that way.

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!

Managing or Empowering?

There are many different kinds of managing styles that get utilized each and every day. But there is one style that gets utilized the least.

Its called Empowerment.

Empowerment is managing to the individual strengths of each member of your team. It means that as a manager, you allow your employees to focus on certain sectors of the organization and allow them the latitude to lead, change, and make important decisions.

It means that as a manager you have total faith that the decisions an employee makes will be the right ones. Basically it means that you are more than just a manager. You are more of a visionary pacesetter that empowers your team to ALL be managers of their own little niches inside the company.

This is a kind of management philosophy that is extremely rare. However, it is the hallmark behind true greatness.

Many managers operate under a different theory.

They believe that it is their responsibility to manage to the weakest team member. What I mean by that is on any given team there is going to be a group of people that can handle almost anything. Then there will be another group of people that probably can do anything, but they lack some form of internal fortitude that promotes self motivation that drives them. Finally, there is a group of people that has a lower skill set and learning capability than the other two groups, but these people typically have a very good attitude and willingness to improve.

Having been a manager in various facets, I always enjoyed the first group that I mentioned and the last group. The middle group of the skilled but not motivated people is what can be frustrating.

So what happens is this. Many managers believe they cannot give certain "freedoms" in decision making to just certain groups for fear it will alienate the other team members. Specifically those that either do not have the knowledge yet, or those that lack the motivation to put the work in to make the best decision.

The theory behind this thinking is understandable. After all, the manager does have an obligation to keep a cohesive team in place that can produce consistent performance.

The inherent problem though is that the group of people you are not catering too is that group of intelligent and motivated people that are also typically your top performers.

Too justify the actions, the manager feels confidant in explaining to their top tier performers why they cannot have certain "freedoms." The manger feels that this group of people is smart enough to understand why they are not allowed to make certain decisions.

It's really more about keeping the peace and attempting to remain consistent.

This is the average cycle for many businesses which is why you see so many average to below average operating companies. They are only working at about half of their real capability, but they don't realize it.

The difference between managing and empowering is that empowerment is NOT about managing anything. It is solely focused on leading.

On any given day, there are many decisions to be made. Some big and some small, but they ALL need to be made.

The job of the visionary pacesetter is to discover and observe the strengths of the team. They need to decide which people should be responsible for what. The key here is about role definition. Ambiguity will lead to confusion and will not be good.

What the Visionary Pacesetter MUST do:

• Each person needs to have a specific core scope of responsibility. No crossover of job tasks amongst the team. This creates a lack of decision making and a lack of that feeling of identifiable responsibility that people need.
• NOT Micro-Manage the new responsibility. Make the decisions you feel are correct and be willing to live with the results. If an individual shows they are not a good decision maker, then re-evaluate their current role.
• In a weekly or regular staff type meeting, recognize those individuals that have shown excellence in their new position.
• Allow the flow of creative "new" thoughts to be recognized and discussed for implementation.

The rewards that you will reap from this philosophy shift will stagger you.

• Production will improve.
• Motivation will improve.
• Attitude will improve.
• Energy will improve.

Anybody can be ordinary and boring. Why not shoot for Extraordinary and fun. There is no rule that says work must be painfully boring and unproductive. Why would you even become a manager if you are just going to implement the exact same processes that the person before you did?

People want to feel important. They want to feel necessary. Be the catalyst that perpetuates the changing of the "old school" of thought. Be a Leader. Be a Visionary Pacesetter.

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!

Opinions, Facts, and BS!!

With a title like that, it can only mean one thing. Politician Talk!!

**Warning**

This article will only be offensive if you ARE a current politician. It is NOT a partisan article.

Okay, with that disclaimer out of the way, I have one question that made me think about writing this.

Why would any young person ever want to choose and pursue a career in politics?

If you you live outside the bubble of die hard raging partisan politics, it seems pretty clear that our current group of policy makers are nothing more than a bunch of knuckle heads that will do nothing productive.

Rather then create policies that are good for 90% (can't please everyone) of the people like they should be doing, they have to be stubborn and closed minded. There only REAL Goal is to take a generic position on an issue and then defend it vigorously no matter what kind of evidence is thrown in their face.

It really is the height of ignorance.

In REAL life, it is okay to believe a certain way is the right way to go, but it is also okay to change your mind when presented with facts that support a different position.

NOT our politicians.

In REAL life, when you are pitiful at your job and you do nothing productive while being argumentative with everyone you work with....you get FIRED!

NOT our politicians.

In REAL life, when EVERY performance review comes back negative, you have a period of time to improve or you are also FIRED!

NOT our politicians.

In REAL life, when speaking in a courtroom it is required for people to tell the truth.

NOT our politicians.

So what kind of message do our politicians send to the youth of America?

• It's okay to lie.


• Facts are not important.


• Job performance is totally irrelevant.


• Laziness is rewarded.


• Grandstanding for exposure is key to success.

To be honest. These are the traits that I teach my children are for the weak minded. I tell my children that hard work, honesty, communication, intelligence, desire and passion will allow them to achieve anything they want.

But then I sit back and wonder if my message will fall on deaf ears as my kids get older.

I wonder if they will see what our "leaders" do to become successful and want to mirror them.

I wonder if they will see the lack of common sense, compassion, and intelligence displayed and start to behave accordingly.

Then I take a deep breath, sit back and realize that by the time my kids are old enough to start paying attention, most of today's ridiculous politicians will be gone and I am left with optimism that WE as citizens of the United States will unite in the face of all the nonsense and simply say....No More.

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!