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 You become slightly withdrawn and disconnected.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!

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!

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!

Course Evaluation Forms....Tell the Truth or Not?

Course Evaluation forms are a tricky proposition for many people.

These of course are the forms that an instructor typically hands out at the end of a seminar or training event in an effort to gain some form of feedback.

The actual goal of the form is different though for different trainers or speakers. Most of them ask for honest feedback so they can figure out what to tweak, change, remove, or add to a presentation which is great.

Some just want testimonials so they can add them to a web page or other marketing materials and don't really care to change up their presentation.

Others do it in an effort to simply gain a form of contact information so they can broaden their "network."

Then of course, there are the folks that do a combo of all scenarios.

The kicker is this. Most people fill these forms out in a very polite manner for fear of insulting the presenter. They will write nice things and leave out much of the improvement type feedback altogether.

There is of course, always the few that will totally light you up with negative feedback which also doesn't always help.

The real trick is getting people to submit honest and constructive feedback. That is the only way to really improve a presentation. The ALL positive stuff or ALL negative stuff is not really very helpful.

Next time you fill out one of these forms, be honest in an effort to allow the presenter to grow and improve, but also and perhaps more importantly, so the next presentation that person gives the audience will also benefit.

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!

The always Illusive and Tricky "Value" Proposition

If there is a bigger sales buzzword than "value" I'm certainly not aware of it. Value is almost always talked about by training professionals as one of the most important measures of having a successful sales outcome.

It's often said that by providing "value" first, you will increase your odds of making the sale.

I don't disagree with this logic at all. As a matter of fact, I believe it whole heartily and have experienced many years of personal success having done exactly that.

Where this conversation gets a little "muddy" is the definition of "value."

1. What is it?


2. Who defines it?


3. Where can I get it?

Value IS anything (Verbal Exchange / Tangible Exchange) viewed in the CUSTOMERS eyes as important and it is provided by YOU.

Value IS ONLY defined by the CUSTOMER. It can never be assumed by the Sales Person what might be of importance to the customer.

Value can ONLY be found in understanding the TRUE needs of the customer. If a Sales Person guesses value and tries to provide their version...it will never be found.

Value can be construed in so many different ways it is difficult to provide a simple answer to the "what is it" question.

It can be simply that you are a fantastic listener and you make the customer feel comfortable and confidant.

It can be that you offered them a great "deal" after determining what is important for them.

It may be that you build great rapport (Likeability) and the customer really enjoys being around you and working with you.

• How do you Really know if you have been successful in your Value Proposition?

The way I can always tell is that the conversation will turn from a more superficial (generic)conversation to a way more meaningful discussion. The customer starts to describe their thoughts in descriptive paragraph like details rather then one word or odd single sentence type speak.

Many sales people think that Most prospective customers are a pain because they give them the "Heisman-(Stiff arm)" during their interactions. The truth is they are avoiding you as a defense mechanism to avoid the annoying and often clueless sales person.

You MUST prove otherwise for them to "open" up.

During conversations with past assistants or with sales people looking for help, I typically turn the topic to specific encounters. I like to always ask how the conversation typically ends with certain customers.

The customers I like to ask about are the ones that the sales person thinks were decent prospects, but they could not convert them to a sale. In essence, they were duped by the customer which creates frustration for the sales person.

If it is a cordial but still mostly generic conversation you may think you have a good prospect...most likely you don't.

If the customer is doing most of the talking and asking more and more questions you most likely have a winner. They are "hot." Don't blow this opportunity. Follow-Up quickly with answers to their questions.

Understand that every single customer is different so assuming the same value is good for each person will NOT yield the results you want.

Be aware that value is not a random buzzword but a very real transfer that must occur, in the customers eyes, from the sales person to them. The quicker in the conversation that this occurs the better odds the sales person will have in a successful outcome.

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 Face of your company is the person that answers the Phone!

Yesterday, I decided I was going to look for a different printing and design company to assist with a few different ventures. I was looking to design a new logo, get a few different types of brochures made, letterhead, envelopes, and a few more items.

In any case, I was referred to a particular company from a friend and colleague of mine. So, I did what I normally do and checked them out via the Internet to see what kind of capability they had.

I was satisfied by what I read, but still had some particular questions since I had various items for a few different projects to take care of.

They had one of those nice little "Web Chat" type deals on their web site, so I signed in and asked for some assistance regarding my questions. In just a few seconds, a customer representative replied with a very generic "pre-typed" response.

I replied again, re-stating my question and again received a "pre-typed" response. Though this only took a few seconds, it was already very annoying. This time I replied politely, that he was not answering my questions, and asked if we could speak.

The response was, "Yes, call the number on the screen and ask for the design department." I'm thinking great, this will probably be much easier. Not so fast.

So I call the number and ask for the "design team." Not more then a second after I make that statement am I getting stiff armed by the receptionist saying they don't really allow people to talk to them without paying first. My response was that I understood, but had a volume of different materials needed and first needed to speak with someone before paying for something that may not be correct.

I even stated that I was told to call and ask for the design team. He put me on hold for a minute or so then came back and asked for my sign up ID and Order number. I told him again, that I had not paid anything to get an order number, because it was necessary to speak with someone first.

After a bit of sarcasm from the Representative as he re-stated that speaking to someone about what you need is not really their protocol before any money is transferred, I was placed on hold again for about 5 minutes. I got the hint.

Clearly this company was ALL about the bottom line first, and actually helping a customer was not even a priority. Naturally, I hung up. There is not a chance in the world I would ever work or trust a company like this with my money, design needs, or schedule deliveries.

Within a few minutes, I called another company, and everything has been smooth since the first step. Amazing what a little common sense and courtesy can do.

In any case, my suggestion to any company is that if you have someone that is either inept, unwilling, or just naturally unpleasant, DO NOT allow them to speak with customers. Especially if they are your front line. To me, the face of the company is that person that I speak to first.

I sent this company a short little email stating how they could improve their business and how I would not do business with them because of the rudeness I experienced at the outset of the process. After I told them who I was and what I was doing, their interest in helping was very high and asked if they could reconcile.

Politely, I said no thank you and that I had already made a new commitment with a company that desired my business from the first phone call NOT after the first mistake.

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!

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.

Doppler Radar Marketing

As I'm typing this here in Dallas / Fort Worth, we are under a severe weather storm warning. This time of year, we are pretty much always under the threat of a severe rain storm at some point during the day. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it doesn't.

I started thinking though. When there is even a small hint of possible severe weather around here it glues people to their TVs. It could be rain, wind, snow, ice...you name it. It is "stop down" viewing when the weather person interrupts your regularly scheduled TV show to give an update.

What if you could tap into that kind of "stop down" reading for your marketing efforts? What would that entail? How could anyone possibly pull that off?

My thoughts are this:

1. Be Original...ALL the time. Don't start out with original thoughts then revert to what everyone else in your business does.


2. Don't be in people's face ALL the time. It's good to stay in touch and communicating with your fans, but I am referring to the emails, commercials, ads, etc, that are ALWAYS preaching "limited time" or "unique." We all know that is crap. If you are selling something for one price today, I guarantee I can get if for the same price tomorrow. Stop lying to us. We are not that dumb.


3. Don't always hold the details back from the public. If you are going to build up your skills, products, or whatever, then give us a taste. A good taste. Don't provide a million testimonials from people we don't know and think we will hand our money over. I want to see a decent sample of your "uniqueness," not just words.

Watching weather reports on TV and looking at their ratings, should be a message to everyone that it is still VERY possible to hold someone else's attention span for longer then 2 minutes. All you have to do is provide people with valuable information that has an impact on their life. The trick is creating your information in such a way that people have no doubt that you can have an impact on them.

When you do that. People will listen. Everything else is just noise.

Article Comments..Feeding the "herd" mentality?

For about the last 10 years or so, I have primarily read the news via the Internet rather then the newspaper. The Internet has been my source for basically everything over that period of time. Not surprisingly, that seems to be the case for a huge percentage of people.

Several years back, it became the norm for "reader feedback" via a comments section at the conclusion of every article. The initial thought was to get the readers involved and "feeling" as if they were contributing to something, which leads to greater loyalty and interest.

The results were good. The website (news outlet) would get increased traffic to the site because people that left comments would often tell their friends about it, thus raising awareness of a particular web site or a specific news column.

The writer of the article enjoyed it because they could receive immediate vindication about their article and they would also increase people's awareness about who exactly "they" were. Which has created several quasi celebrity Internet authors.

My theory is this:

At some point in time, with every venture or any idea, you get to a point of diminishing returns. Basically meaning, without corrective action or change, the initial idea / plan no longer receives a worthwhile return on investment. That "idea' actually starts to have a negative effect on business returns or public perception.

If you read any article on a major news type website today there is a comments section. When you click on the comments tab to see what others are saying about that particular piece, it has become a virtual zoo. When people decide to make a comment via the Internet, they write things they would never say in front of people. They insight hatred, nonsense, ridiculousness, or just crazy talk.

It is confusing to me, why they don't just shut off the comments feed to these articles. For any information that is to be gained by reading an article, it becomes diluted in all the nonsense that "cyber" commentators unleash on it.

It doesn't even matter what the article is about anymore. You will find a ridiculous division of wild comments and almost silly view points.

I am all for free speech, but in my world and in my mind, if you are not willing to stand up and make the exact same comment in person, you should not have the ability to make a written comment.

I also believe in different view points. Differing thoughts should be the fuel that creates progress and opportunities. However, adamant "hateful" opinions only further divide people from ever wanting to make a concession or agreement.

With millions and millions of people around the world viewing the same content and reading other people's nonsense type opinions we are falling further and further into a large division of groups. For whatever reason, people read these comments and get rilled up about them.

Here is the truth about what is happening:

Let's use politics as an example since it is a very divisive subject.

An author writes a story that delivers a factual account of the Presidents Actions. The story contains no bias, it is just relating information to the public.

Suddenly, in the comments section, you have certain individuals that make dumb statements that stereotype a Republican view and then you get equally ignorant comments that stereotype the Democrat view point.

To the somewhat non super political following reader (which is most people), they start to believe that ALL Republicans believe a certain thing or ALL Democrats feel a certain way about something else. Truth be told. The wild and careless commentators are not smart people. They are simply representative of random people sitting at home that enjoy inciting chaos.

But guess what? The perception is now out there in the public arena that certain people believe this because they affiliate with Republicans or those people believe that because they are Democrats. It is ALL Ignorant "sheep" type thinking.

Stereotyping has NEVER been a good idea. It still isn't. With gender and race, stereotyping is perceived as one of the worst things that can be done....somehow though, in recent times, stereotyping people based on political thoughts has become accepted.

It's time to cutout the comments field from articles because it perpetuates "herd" thinking and has in some part contributed to many false judgements about other people. It's time for people to learn to form their own thoughts about an article or an individual again. People inherently want to belong to something, it makes them feel "safe." But belonging to groups based on false information and theories is one of the most dangerous things that can happen.

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.

Social Networking a Crutch?

Social Networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc, have become sensations in a very short amount of time. There are scores of articles and blog posts about these sites and how great they are. I'm gonna take a slightly different approach.

If your an aspiring speaker, trainer, marketer of any sort, or your goal is somehow to create new business by networking on such sites, its gonna be a tough road for you. The reason these sites are so popular is simply because they pique that little twinge that 95% of people have called curiosity.

These sites make people feel like they are part of a group. It really helps those people that are more reserved or shy in their real life interactions, but the mask of the Internet allows people to come out of their shell just a bit.

However, creating new business and marketing yourself via these sites will have very little impact on your future success. People use these sites as an escape from their workday reality. They want to relax and communicate with their friends or acquaintances. That being said, it makes these sites not very receptive to being hit with solicitations.

Unless you are already established in your business with lots of followers, this will most likely not be a good payoff for you to spend time marketing to these sites. I'm not saying don't do it, I am just suggesting that if your allocating your time to certain areas of business development, this should not be the area with the most time allocated.

There is no substitute for face to face encounters and good old fashioned hard work. Build your business by hitting the street and talking to warm bodies. Maintain that contact with your business via these social networking sites. That's the order. Not the other way around.

The Vegas Principle

I'm not sure if this is a Real Theory or not, so I'm gonna proceed as though it isn't.

I just spent the better part of this week in Las Vegas and came away with great appreciation.

Now I have been to Vegas on several different occasions, but it never really dawned on me until this week what they do so well.

You see, everyone that works in Vegas understands this principle already.

They ALL understand the simple theory of being nice and courteous.

When you have a problem with your room.

No questions or doubt, just quick assistance and a gift card.

When you have a problem with where something is.

Just solutions, maps, and directions.

If you don't understand when to "hit" in Blackjack.

Ask the dealer, they will help you...if you listen, you will actually win.

What they ALL understand is that by making EVERYTHING hassle free by being nice and courteous, YOU WILL hand over your money to them!

Simple right?

Well, it really is. Take care of your customers, make things easy, and be courteous.

Vegas is such a perfect example.

I believe people want to give their money to you, but you MUST provide them with Value First.

Why is Likeability SO IMPORTANT?

Over the years as products and various services have improved the mind set of many people is that the product will sell itself.

There are not many training programs that currently exist that focus on much more than increasing product knowledge and demonstration skills.

The BIG reason why YOU make the difference is this exact reason.

As products have improved and sales people have a better understanding of the product itself...the personal touch has been left behind.

People have learned to sell stats and facts rather than focus on the buying needs of your prospect.

Here are some Quick facts:

• There are TONS of choices for people today.


• Sales People generally sell Stats and Facts.


• Prospects Assume comparable products are the same..except price.

This data tells me that with so many similar choices in the market place and most sales people giving the same stats and facts presentation...providing a different experience to a prospect WILL create a NEW and Unique experience.

Many important choices in life come down to Likeability.

1. If someone likes you, they will talk to.


2. If someone talks to you, they will become more comfortable with you.


3. When they become more comfortable, they will open up and become truthful.


4. When they become truthful and open, you can listen to their real needs.


5. When you hear their real needs, you can tailor your presentation and product demo around helping them.


6. When people feel helped, they perceive Value.


7. When value is greater than price.....A Sale is made.


8. When you provide Outstanding value and complete a sale, you gain a NEW Fan.


9. New Fans create referrals.

This is the cycle of Success and Likeability is the Key Component!

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!

When Training Works!

If you want to be a better golfer, you have to practice hitting golf balls.

If you want to be a better basketball player, you have to shoot more baskets.

If you want to be a better quarterback, you throw more footballs.

If you want to be a better hitter, you hit more baseballs.

Obvious right?

Why is it that most people only equate improving skills to athletic competition?

If you want to be a better sales person, you MUST practice that too!

Here are 3 items that WILL improve your sales skills:

Read positive books and articles about self-improvement

Improvement will happen because it is a proven fact the more confident you are in your own ability, the more success you will have in your endeavors.

Prepare yourself in advance for the most common objections you hear

If you sell anything, you know that objections are merely a defense mechanism that are designed to gain more information. You CAN also plan in ADVANCE for the objections you will hear. Perhaps not all of them, but most of them.

Learn to Listen Before Responding

No effective communication can take place without properly listening. Don't wait to talk, actually listen so you can respond. This takes discipline and effort to do it effectively.

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!

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.

You do not want to have them show up randomly on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. This is your prime fishing time for new future buyers. 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.

Try this for one month and watch your sales grow!

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!

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!