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!

Do you want the ball?

Okay, here it is.....

You've angled for this for so long. Working extra hours, helping your co-workers, whispering to upper management in the shadows...and now, the big moment has arrived!

You are officially promoted to a management position.

Wonderful. Great. Que the bells and the perfectly sculpted white doves for a fly over.

Finally, now that all that effort has paid off, it's time to relax and tell other people what to do. Let the Good Times Roll!

(Move the clock forward 1 month)

Why won't anybody do what I tell them? This stinks. I'm getting yelled at because these people won't do their job. Why can't they work like me?

Here's the deal...

• If your management style is to talk AT people, rather than with people, you will lose.


• If your management style is to dictate mundane tasks without explaining the benefit to them, you, or their co-workers, you will lose.


• If you let your guard down even slightly after the promotion, it isn't an act of the universe conspiring against you that more issues arise, it's that you are slightly less motivated.

To effectively manage people, especially in situations where the work is somewhat mundane, it is imperative that you understand people.

• People want to feel important.


• Many people feel their daily job tasks are boring, spice it up.


• People enjoy the feeling of recognition...on a routine basis. (monthly perhaps)


• People are more capable than they think. Switch things up and add responsibilities.

Create a series of mini managers in your group and guess what? You get WAY MORE done. Your employees are happier. YOU look better. Everyone wins.

Understand that as a manager, it is no longer about you. It's about your employees and creating MORE situations for them to succeed and feel happy. When they win, you win. Not the other way around.

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!

Leadership Misconceptions

I just left a meeting where an interesting conversation took place.

An Employee was having an issue with a vendor.

In the situation, the vendor was having some issues in meeting the schedules and requests of the employee. However, the employee was up to speed on all the details of how the issue began and had a solution for how to resolve it.

He was clear, concise, and quite informed. The issue was not one that could be resolved in a quick manner like one or two days, but rather about 3-4 weeks. It sounded as if the 3-4 week time line was virtually unavoidable due to certain lead time issues.

At the conclusion of the employee having this conversation, his Director Level Superior chimed in with what I found to be somewhat misguided leadership. She said, "we need this issue resolved," in a somewhat stern tone. Her goal was to intimidate the employee.

After a few other misguided comments from the Director, the employee reiterated the work around plan with clarity.

I was left sitting there with questions of leadership in my mind.

1) When an employee shows intelligence, control, and has the ability to create a successful plan of action, why would a Manager try and make them feel useless?

2) Is true leadership in an instance like this not telling the employee good job on organizing your resolution plan?

3) People are NOT leaders because they have Manager in their title. They are leaders because they can LEAD people to follow them.

4) Why would any employee ever follow or be motivated by a Manager such as the one in my example?

5) Do Bad Managers know they are not leaders or do they think they are successful because of a title?

REAL Leadership IS:

1) The ability to make your employees feel "success" in their everyday job tasks.

2) The ability to step back and allow your employees to make REAL Decisions of action.

3) The ability to say, "thank you" or "congratulations on a job well done."

4) The belief that you ONLY want to hire people that want YOUR job.

5) The confidence to "Step back" and let your employees take the Lead.

6) Giving your employees a taste of NEW responsibilities on a REGULAR basis.



Curt Fletcher 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!

Responsible Reporting....A thing of the Past?

I've thought that News Reporting has been less then responsible for quite some time now, but with this over reaction to the Flu is startling and even down right scary. Every network and most reporters are all out there looking for the next BIG story because they want BIG ratings.

Unfortunately, when these stories are only half told or slanted to a particular viewpoint it creates a false perception of realty...and guess what, perception IS reality.

This whole Swine Flu reaction is unbelievable to me. Here is Texas, schools are being closed for weeks, ALL athletic events for youth activities have been canceled, and the state is just in a tizzy. Seems every place I turn or each person I interact with has the Swine Flu on their mind.

The frightening part to me is not the flu or it's potential to end the human race like it is being reported, but it is how easily people get sucked into believing everything they hear. Nobody seems to be questioning any of this reporting or it's viability as a real threat to everyone.

Is it that simple to scare an entire country of people and force them into an abstract belief of reality?

What are the facts?

• Over 30,000 people die every single year due to the regular seasonal flu. Many of these are children under 5 years of age because they immune systems are not as strong as adults.


• There has been 1 death from the Swine Flu in the United States. This was a child under 2 years of age that is from Mexico visiting family. The child was not a U.S citizen and he suffered from another medical ailment already.

I just cannot wrap my arms around how this new strain of the common flu demands this kind of scrutiny. If it is this easy to scare a nation, what else is possible? How easily can a country be tricked into something?

All this fear mongering really has me worried that as a country we are not as independent in mind set as we should be. Has nothing been learned from tactics of "leadership by fear" in the past? Where will the fear tactics stop? More importantly when will the people stop following blindly the advice and thoughts of people that have ulterior motives?

• Be vigilant in learning about something for yourself.
• Do NOT take everything you hear as fact, even if is from an outlet that should be providing facts.
• If EVERYONE is being led down a particular uncertain path, it is a GOOD time to ask questions BEFORE following.
• Use your mind and create your thoughts. Opinions that are not the same as the majority are good. They create an educated dialogue.

The Country I Love!

I do not consider myself to be a Democrat.

I do not consider myself to be a Republican.

I do not have a rooting interest in Barack Obama.

I do not have a rooting interest in John McCain.

I consider myself an American Citizen.

I don't believe in labels that divide people or a nation as we have become.

The founders of our Great Country believed in that very fabric. They believed that the citizens should govern themselves.

It is sad to watch as our country is slowly being taken further and further away from where we began. Politicians decide what is law and what is not. Judges decide what is Constitutional and what is not.

These two facets of Government that are supposed to serve as the backbone of our great Democracy are failing and have been failing for many years.

This is NOT a Republican Issue and it is NOT a Democrat issue. It is an American Issue.

The problem is easy to identify. The solution is right in front of our faces. Why is implementation so difficult?

This is a country that is filled with Great Men and Women that are full of Desire, Wisdom, Focus, and Ability that strive to create a better Nation.

I have grown tired of listening to debates amongst Democrats and Republicans for the sole purpose of dividing our Country and feeding the agenda of the few and NOT the whole.

Throughout history we have seen the downfall of many nations and its citizens due to expanding perceived differences amongst the people and the powerful. Though I know our country is too strong to ever be brought to it's knees, the mere thought is not one that inspires.

We have entered an age of discontent and confusion. Fear Mongering and Negativity have become everyday mainstream news. The stories of triumph and hope have been suffocated and are disappearing with each passing day.

Are we still a Great Nation?

We are indeed. We are still the Greatest Nation on earth, but we are not without our problems and faults.

We need Leadership. Real Leadership.

We need Leadership not from politicians and policy makers, but from our Citizens. In a free society we elect our policy makers.

The time has come to drop the Status Quo. We need to ALL stand Up together as ONE. We are a Nation divided, but we CAN again be a Nation Together.

All people desire for Hope, Health, Opportunity, Security, and Comfort. These are not just the desires of certain people, they are the dreams of ALL People.

Allow your voice to be heard as an American Citizen! The time has come to drop the labels of political parties and agendas and BEGIN serving the greater good of ALL Citizens.

Am I naive to think this can happen?

Perhaps I am.

But as an American Citizen with ONLY one opportunity to live my life, it is my Desire to Unite not divide.

It is my goal to live in happiness not fear.

It is my dream to succeed and help others do the same.

We CAN make this happen. It is within our grasp. It is our Time.

Let's Lead Together and take back control of the Country I Love!

Curt Fletcher is a Real Estate Expert, New Home Sales Professional, 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!

Time to throw away the OLD Sales Grading System!

As a Professional New Home Sales Manager I have given more presentations than I can recall.

As a Professional Sale Trainer I have watched more "Shop Tapes" that I can remember.

As a Normal Consumer of everyday products and services I have listened to more Sales Spiel's than I wish to recount.

My Conclusion:

• Canned Sales Presentations are Terrible
• Forced Sales Presentations are Forgettable
• Company Mandated Questions are Boring
• 95% of Sales Presentations are Predictable

What do the following words relay to you?

• Terrible
• Forgettable
• Boring
• Predictable

My thoughts exactly!

The majority of sales presentations have NOT evolved over time.

*(Que Movie Voice Guy)*

In a world where virtually every product or service has enhanced over time, why has the presentation part been left behind?

The product is important, the presentation is Crucial.

The Product may be necessary, the Perceived Benefits are Key.

The Product fills a void, a good presentation fulfills an Emotional Desire.

Has your presentation Evolved?


Curt Fletcher is a Real Estate Expert, New Home Sales Professional, 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!

Leadership is in what you DO, not what you say.

We are living in a an era where it seems change and guarded optimism is abundant.

In this time, many obstacles stand between us and the fruitful gains of a nation.

It seems, we as a people are looking to others for answers. We want someone to wave a magic wand of change that will transform the negativity and replace it with Prosperity overnight.

That is "the herd" mentality. People are hoping to embrace the ideals, convictions, and beliefs of others just for the slight chance that their lives can and will improve.

The ONLY way to effectively change anything is to Lead.

Leaders don't wait. They seize the moment.

Leaders don't follow. They are two steps ahead...always.

Leaders don't talk. They act.

Leaders turn a Vision into Reality.

For any Real change to ever take place, it will take the actions of many NEW leaders to stand up, clear the path, and guide the way.

In the housing market, negative stories rule the day.

We need ALL Real Estate Professionals, Home Builders, Mortgage Companies, Construction Workers, and Home Owners to STAND UP!

It's time for everyone to UNITE and push back the false negative stories and replace them with positive stories. Every single day all across the country, new home owners are handed the keys to their beautiful new home.

Where are those stories?

It's time to tell your story.

It's time to let your voice be known.

It's time to stand up and Lead.

Let me hear your stories.

Curt Fletcher is a Real Estate Expert, New Home Sales Professional, 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!