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.

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!

How bad do you REALLY want it?

Over the years, I have taken part in many "business opportunity" type meetings where friends, colleagues, strangers, or whoever have approached me about an "idea."

In almost every situation, if I have the time, I will meet and listen. I learned a long time ago that I have no false illusions of thinking I know everything or how to do everything. My contention is that for long term financial security it is important to have multiple streams of income.

Therefore, if market conditions dictate the slow down of one aspect of your business, you are not placed in a bad situation. So I will sit and listen to most "new" opportunities.

This is what I have found:

1) There are some great "untapped" opportunities out there.

2) People do NOT lack the ability to formulate the idea, the lack the desire to actually make their idea a reality.

3) People do NOT lack the knowledge for improvement, they lack the motivation to change "old" thinking.

4) People do NOT lack the desire to have more success, they lack the consistency it takes to achieve it.

5) People do NOT lack the vision of new opportunities, they lack the confidence to deal with the initial "vision rejection" that takes place.

The opportunities are there for everyone to take advantage of. You don't have to be wealthy in terms of financial ability to launch your idea or dream. You MUST, however, be Rich with internal fortitude to have the stomach for the fight.

You MUST be wealthy with confidence to know that you are destined for something more which WILL give you the ability to change other peoples "old" mind sets and get on board.

It isn't that people oppose new ideas or changes, it is that they have not yet been shown a better way to do something with unwavering passion that provides them the motivation to do something new.

Give people your passion and a good idea and you will get the 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!

15 Minutes

It seems everyone is looking around trying to capture their 15 minutes of fame. With all the social networking sites and you tube videos, people can plaster themselves all over these days.

The problem with this approach today is that it is no longer original. To gain a new following via any of these type sites is going to be very difficult if you are relatively unknown. With people everywhere around the world inundating these sites every moment of every day it will continue to get harder and harder to gain recognition this way.

So how do you grow a following?

There is actually no big secret here, just know that unless something out of the ordinary happens, it will take some time, consistency, courage, and hard work to get yourself out there. Once you are out there, these other social media sites can serve you very well in growing your personal brand.

What to do:

1. Start small with a core group of people that are loyal and believe what you do is something great.


2. Ask your core group of supporters to help you by passing the word to their sphere of influence.


3. Repeat

Stay consistent and your personal core group of supporters will start to grow exponentially. Many folks call this pyramid marketing. I just call it common sense. No fancy terms. You can't start marketing on a large scale first if people don't know you. Build your brand, create some value, and enlist the support of those that believe in you.

Don't be afraid to CHANGE the Status Quo

Status Quo is boring. It's ordinary and everyone else does it.

Make an effort to change it. The Status Quo is what it is because there are so few people out there willing to risk the opportunity for change. Just go do it. Do something.

If your work group does the same pointless stuff all the time, and the reason is, "just because." Guess what? It MUST be changed.

Take some initiative. Ask your boss or co-workers how they would feel about taking a different approach to something. Doing something over and over just because that's the way it has always been done is nonsense.

You have a brain and most certainly have your own thoughts. Why not share a few? Who knows, perhaps your suggestion with be implemented and it will change the course of your once pre-determined future.

If you go to work for 9-10 hours per day and it is mundane, eventually it will lead to your unhappiness. You owe it to yourself to spice things up a bit and make some suggestions. Make it fun. I guarantee other people will appreciate the effort.

Open to new ideas or Keeping the Blinders On?

In the market that we are in today, more than anytime in recent memory, it's important that people keep their mind open and receptive to new ideas. It's funny though, because I have found the opposite to be true.

I'm the kind of guy that gets involved in many different things. I like new ideas, trying new things, and am always open to risking failure for the opportunity to succeed. That being said, I recently got involved in another income business because I thought the theory was sound.

It's with an Energy Company called Stream and it began in Texas after deregulation occurred several years back. The principal idea is simply to switch people from their energy provider to Stream and you can earn bonuses and residual income.

Is it a get rich quick scheme? No

Does the money roll in overnight? No

The idea is that you stay consistent and over a period of time your client base will grow and so will your income. The 2nd thing to do, is to try and sign up a few people as associates to work under you in what is called a "down line." These associates have the exact same goal as you and you work together to succeed. The real goal is 10 Energy Customers (People Switching) and 3 Associates (People doing the same thing as you.)

Seems like a simple concept right?

Well it is. And it works. No tricks. No schemes.

It's funny though. While I have had success already, I still encounter people each day that have a preconceived notion that it is a big trick. I have actually saved every single person that has signed up with me an average of $20-$35 per month in their electricity bill. Yet some people still think it is a scam.

I find it amazing, that anybody could think a 3 Billion dollar company (Fastest Growing Company in U.S History by the end of 2009-Faster than Google) that is regulated by the PUC (Public Utility Commission) can possibly be a scam. It's just silly closed minded thinking.

I recently spoke to someone about switching their electricity and was explaining how it works. They were so closed minded that it was somewhat comical. I tried showing them that all I wanted to do was save them money each month, but they just couldn't see it.

The more I thought about this, I started thinking that this is precisely the problem we face as a country today. People are stuck in this closed minded world and they cling to their outdated thoughts.

What if you just opened your mind to NEW ideas. Perhaps gave something a chance. Go out and try something new. I guarantee that you will be surprised at what you realize.

It’s ALL about commitment…wait, what does that mean?

Have you ever been in the situation where you asked someone for help?

This could be your best friend, your Mom, your Brother, your co-worker, your boss, etcetera.

Commitment: An act or pledge to do something in the future. This is the definition that is in Webster’s Dictionary.

Let’s see, an act or pledge to do something in the future. Hmmm, I think I can see the problem with that already. There is not a when mentioned. The future can be any point that occurs after the agreement for the commitment takes place.

So I guess all the non-committers out there can rest their laurels on this tiny little loophole that spares them from actually doing anything…ever. Obviously, this is not something that will apply to you, since success is your goal and Commitment to action is one of the most crucial steps towards that success.

The basic principle to achieving any level of customer satisfaction, even the very minimal standards, is to maintain some marginal level of commitment. Having said that, marginal and minimal are not what brings you an overjoyed barnstorming group of raving fans for customers.

Today, we redefine commitment.

Okay close your eyes for a minute and clear your mind of all thoughts. When you open your eyes, any old ideas of what commitment was will be gone forever.

From the moment you read the next sentence, commitment will have a New and More Life Impacting and Life Changing Meaning.

[Queue the glowing white doves and the soft sound of church bells ringing in the background]

True Commitment is an act or pledge to take an action to satisfy a need at a specified time in the future that is agreeable with the person that desires assistance.

Key Points:

1. Take Action


2. Satisfy THE Need


3. Specified and Agreed Time frame

These three Key Points are absolutely paramount to satisfying the needs of another person. Without any of the three, Customer Happiness is something that most likely will not occur. Sure, you may meet the marginal and minimum requirements of customer satisfaction, but True Customer Elation will not happen.

In any business or life endeavor that you set out to achieve, help is going to be needed to push you closer to finishing your quest WITH success. By immediately putting this new definition of commitment into practice, you will have people coming to you that are willing to help.When you make a Real and True Commitment to help someone and provide value, the law of reciprocity kicks into high gear.

The Law of Reciprocity is the principle that others will reciprocate in kind to the way you treat them.

In other words:

“You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours”

“You reap what you sow”

The basis behind Reciprocity refers to the fact that people respond to a positive action from you with a positive action of their own. On the flip side, a negative reaction from you will accompany a negative reaction from them.

Commitment Steps with Detail

Take Action: This means to make the conscience decision to willingly pursue more information in direct accordance with the desires of the person that needs your help.

Satisfy THE Need: When a person comes to you for guidance or more information, make sure you have identified the correct need. After this is established and you have taken action to satisfy their need, be certain that you have actually done so.

Don’t assume anything at this point. Ask them a simple follow-up question like, “Is this the information you were looking for?” or “Does this help you?”. Make sure the help you have provided is the help they desire.

Specified and Agreed Time Frame: This is a BIG one and is the most misunderstood. Taking action and Satisfying THE Need will mean nothing if it is not in accordance to the time frame the person needs it in.

At the outset of the conversation of someone requesting your help, be sure to understand when they need the issue resolved, the data to be sent over, the warranty item to be fixed, etcetera, etcetera.

Without this understanding and resolution time frame, you are NOT really helping. Let them know how long it will take to get what they need and verify that your time frame coincides with their timeframe.

What level of commitment are you willing to take to succeed?