The Likeability Guy

Power Struggle: Do you want it….Do you know it?

At what lengths will you go to in an effort to gain a moment of power?  Do you even realize it?  This is the question that has been on my mind.

Is power simply having a fleeting moment of control during a quick passage with another person?  My curiosity is peeked by the simple actions we take.

Everyone has someone to answer to.  All employees answer to a manager, managers answer to a higher level manager, CEO’s answer to a board of directors.  Children answer to parents, students to teachers, spouses to each other.

In the sales arena, I often see the struggle for control and power between the sales person and the prospect take precedence over providing value and assistance.  It is common to see the sales person try and size up their prey in advance like a hungry lion stalking its next meal. 

People are territorial by nature, so it is only fitting that the sales person feels the internal pride to be the leader of their turf and try and establish the control and power in each encounter.  I see this often in sales environments.  This happens everywhere from new homes to cars to furniture to insurance to financial planners.  The list goes on and on.

Sales Professionals are told that confidence leads to more sales, which is very true.  However, confidence is often mistaken for arrogance in the effort to quickly establish your knowledge and credibility.  This happens when sales people come on too strong before building the relationship.  Credibility isn’t earned by being abrasive, loud, overly talkative, or throwing out random statistics. 

These are the actions that fit into the arsenal of the dominant and arrogant sale person who overcompensate their lack of providing value by being “Over-the-top” in an effort to establish some level of superiority. 

I have been known to visit random sales locations and act as though I am “just looking” so that I can listen to the interactions between sales people and customers.  I can always feel the tension of awkwardness in the room as the sales person tries to establish control and the customer tries to act disinterested.

It’s comical because in 9 out of 10 encounters they both want the same thing…they just play this little subliminal “power” game.  The two reasons that a customer walks into any sales environment are to gain information and to learn how something will benefit them.  That’s it.

At the moment that the customer’s perceived value is greater than the price, a sale is made. 

This is why the “power” game is so fascinating.  Why do people play it?  Can it be prevented? 

The answer to the second question is a resounding YES!  The answer to the first question is a bit more complicated.

In most instances, people do not recognize that this “power” game is even being played.  Sales people typically think their customers are not really buying, not very interested, not a nice enough person to spend time with, or any other myriad of reasons.

Customers generally have a strong dislike for sales people because they are too pushy, non-caring, too aggressive, or too evasive and tricky.
The funny thing is that all of these opinions are typically formed in the few seconds prior to even speaking with each other or the two minutes that start the conversation. These first couple of minutes are so pivotal to the sales and customer interaction that it can be very difficult for a sales person to overcome the customer’s pre-formed opinion.

My theory to overcoming this pre-established barrier of the sales encounter and not falling into the “sales guy power trip” role is simple.

So tell me this…Do you crave power?

And…………Do you know it?

Let me hear your stories.

Do People Really Want To Better Themselves or Justify Actions?

Do people inherently want to improve themselves, or do people seek confirmation for their current actions and views?

Being somewhat of an idealist, I like to tell myself that all people want to better themselves. However, the things that I see with my eyes and hear with my ears tell me that people simply seek comfort from others that tell them that their actions and beliefs are correct.

I think of this question often when I am engaged in training programs or offering tips of advice.

Is it the fear of trying something new and not succeeding, the stubbornness of changing a habit or a routine, or is it procrastination?

What do you think?

My feeling is that change is the key to this.  Change is often thought of as something to fear, simply because it deals with unknown elements.

• What will my results be?
• Will I succeed?
• Maybe what I am doing will work…someday.
• What I am doing used to work.
• Things aren’t that bad.

Do any of these thoughts sound familiar to you?

Don’t worry!  It’s a natural human trait to have apprehension towards a new endeavor.  It’s how you RESPOND to change that will define you.

I recently commented to a blog on a Real Estate networking site to offer advice.  The “blogger” had a question about qualifying prospective home buyers.

The writer of this blog had the contention that no potential client was worth your time to show a home unless they had a pre-approval from a mortgage lender.  As I read through the numerous comments on this blog, I found that many, many people felt exactly the same way.  This is when I chimed in.

I made my best effort to relay a couple of quick points:

1. Your time is extremely valuable.  Time is the one thing you most certainly cannot get back.  Because I understand the importance of time, I knew why this “blogger” did not want to talk with anyone that was not pre-qualified.
2.  It only takes about 5 minutes to pre-qualify someone.  If you ask the right questions either in person or over the phone, you will have your answer very quickly. 
3.  If you learn how to effectively qualify people yourself, you will lessen the stress on your clients and you will gain more clients.  This, in turn, equals success.

As I had one of the few differing opinions on this blog, I expected to get some good dialogue going.  Instead, the writer answered with, “Most people don’t agree, and we can’t all be wrong.”

I have to admit, I couldn’t stop thinking to myself, “that is why you are struggling to gain new clients.”

This person was relaying “What I am doing is right because everyone agrees.”

Well…not so much.

If everyone does the same thing and you still are not getting the results you desire, a change is needed.  After all, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

In most sales arenas, 80% or more of ALL business is generated by 20% of the sales force.  This fact tells you that if you mirror your actions on everyone else, you will most likely be average.

Do you want to be average or do you want to be the best?

In today’s world, you have to be more prepared and more willing to do something that others won’t do, to have success.  As a Real Estate Professional, other than relationship building, the other most critical component of success is finance knowledge.

Do not leave your fate in the hands of another….EVER! 

Want more success?  Do you want to be successful?

Improve Your Knowledge!  Improve Yourself!

The day my eyes opened for the First Time

The day started as innocently as any other before it.   I did the usual routine of waking up, go to work, come home, watch some TV, and go to bed.  Only this time, I could not fall asleep.  To pass the time and try to make myself fall asleep, I decided to go upstairs and read a book.

The only problem with my simple little “get sleepy” plan is that I really began to enjoy the book I was reading.  With every word I read, I become more and more curious of what the next sentence would be, so I read page after page.  After a while, I looked at the clock and it was 2AM and I was less tired than before I started reading.

Talk about the ultimate “get tired” backfires…

In any case, at this point I could not put the book down; I had to find out how the story ended.  As I kept reading, my mind was picturing myself as the main character in the story.  I could actually feel the words on the page and how I would respond to each situation and what I would do.

After I completed the book, my mind was racing.  I had thoughts upon thoughts bombarding me.  I thought about everything I had ever dreamed of.  I thought about things I had never thought of before.  But most of all, I thought about everything I had not done.

At that moment, my life changed forever.

I grabbed a notepad and pencil and wrote down everything that I was ABOUT to do.  I wrote out my goals, my desires, and I wrote down how I was going to accomplish all of them.

This is an exercise that I had done numerous times before, but this time was different….and I could feel it.  It was different for one single reason.  The light turned on for me.  My moment of clarity happened.  My eyes opened for the first time.

It wasn’t about any new desires, as I have always had big dreams.  It wasn’t about writing anything down as I had also done this numerous times before.  It was about TAKING ACTION!

On this day I decided that each action I took would only be in direct correlation to getting me one step closer to reaching my dreams. 

I know that WE can ALL do this.  It is no great secret or great feat that is involved to dream achievement.  Only an attitude of hope, desire, and TAKING ACTION is required.

I know what I am writing is not a new concept.  What I want to accomplish by telling this story is to say that this concept is real.  It is tangible.  If you believe you can do something, you are half way there.  The rest is simply taking the steps to actually do it.

All people are inherently similar.  We all have dreams that we wish we could accomplish and we all have fears that we wish we did not have.  So why is it that some people are “lucky” or “more fortunate” than others?

TAKE ACTION!

You CAN DO what you allow yourself to.  Stop holding back the rewards that you have waiting for you.  Rid yourself of the silly notion that success may not be meant for you.   Success IS meant for you…as soon as you allow it.

Procrastination and negativity are NOT going to allow you to take what is rightfully yours.  Eliminate the naysayers and doomsayers from your circle of influence.

If you hear the word “no” figure out how to turn it into a “yes.”

Expect Success and it will happen.  Go out and take it.  DO NOT settle for anything less than what you desire and deserve.  Tenacity will bring you the prize!

Be Different. Be Excited…..It’s Contagious!!

“You never achieve real success unless you like what you are doing.”

-Dale Carnegie

I have sat down and talked to some of the most successful people in many different types of businesses and asked them all the same question.

If you could pinpoint one thing that has contributed the most to your success, what would it be? The resounding answer almost always comes back the same.

Enjoyment.

To be a true success, more often than not, you need to enjoy what you are doing. You have to actually like showing up at the office each day. We all refer to our sources of income as our work, and the real estate business is without a doubt serious hard work, but the word “work” brings with it a certain feeling of hassle or discontent.

Try to think of your employment as something else; think of yourself as a consultant or as a business owner.

As real estate professionals, we are in a great position of power.Think of the impact that you have on a person or a family’s life. It is up to us to determine if our community and one of our homes is a good fit for someone else.

To do this well, let it be natural and free.

Have fun with the sales process. Change up your line of questions from the standard “sales speak” that buyers have heard over and over. Find the technique that works for you and make it fun.

Let your buyers and prospects know how much you enjoy your job. Energy feeds energy. When you get happy and excited about your community and your homes, the prospect will start to feel it and want to see more of the home and learn more about the community.

Their voice will start to get louder, and they will stand more upright as their interest continues to grow! Feed this moment! This is what you want. Don’t bog it down.

Give them answers with inflection in your voice; start to smile as you describe your community! Let them know with excitement and confidence how much you believe in it! They will see it in your eyes, and their anticipation of knowing more will continue to grow!

Before you know it, the prospect’s new energy is feeding your energy! Keep it going!  This is called momentum. Continue to feed off of each other until they have no other alternative than to want to live there!

The key is you! Be happy! Show excitement!

What do you do different?

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy

Author of “How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income”

Are you Boring Your Clients into NOT Buying a Home?

A few days ago, a guy walked into my office with his wife and a friend.  I didn’t have the opportunity to spend much time with him as I was writing another contract at the time.  However, I did politely excuse myself from the contract to introduce myself, as I went to leave my office to greet them, my assistant had already been speaking with them and was on her way to show them some homes.

As I walked out into the lobby area..before I could say a word, the guy said, “Did you used to work for (insert home builder name) homes?”  This guy had remembered a brief encounter we had almost 5 years ago when they were purchasing their first home.

Back then, they did not buy a home from me because I did not have the right home to meet their needs at the time, but he never forgot the encounter we had.

Why is that?

I was a memory point for him.  I provided value, made it fun,  and did not try and sell him the “wrong” home in the wrong location for his family.

He is buying a home from me this week.

Do people remember you when you meet them?

In today’s world it is more important than ever to “STAND OUT!”  Get your clients and FUTURE clients laughing and smiling and having fun!  Don’t be ALL Business, that’s BORING!

People expect boring from their Accountant or lawyer.

People WANT to have FUN when they are BUYING a home!!  It is a fun time!! Make it FUN!!

I walk into so many offices and talk to TONS of Real Estate Professionals each week and MOST of them have the same thing in common….THEY ARE BORING!!  Their clients look bored!!  They make it about the numbers and not about the memories.

Several times each week, my clients, existing home buyers, and future clients call me or come and visit me thanking me for be being so helpful and making our time together FUN and Memorable!!

What do you do to Stand out?

Are you a Memory Point?

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy

Author of How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income

Who wants to play…Let’s Make a Deal!

These days we are all bombarded with the “experts” saying less than flattering things about OUR Business.  Comments like, “don’t buy”, or “make sure you get a good deal” are everywhere. 

Even many people in OUR own profession, imply to their clients you can and should get a “deal.”
“THE DEAL” is EVERYWHERE!!

Now, all of our clients and potential clients have been trained to think “deal” first, “Home” second. 

TIME TO CHANGE!

Get back to the HOME!  Get back to the REAL Buying Motives! 

Unless you are an investor, you are not going to buy a home, just to have one.  You are fulfilling some other need.  Whether it is for Family, Security, Culture, Privacy, Convenience…the “REAL” Emotional Buying motives are ALL STILL THERE!

The trick today, is uncovering them.  We have to fight through several layers of “deal” talk to get there, but I assure you they are all there.

Everyday I am asked from potential clients about the “Buyers Market” and what “DEALS” are out there. 

My first response is typically this…”If you found two homes, one that you loved and one that you didn’t and both were free, which would you choose?” Obviously, they are going to say the one that they loved.

Then I often say, “If I can get you a great “deal” on a home, only you cannot look at, will you buy it right now?”  Of course they say, “No, we have to see if it works for us first.”

From there, I simply say, “It isn’t about the deal is it?  It is more important for me to fully understand your buying needs and desires so that I can help you find the Best Home for you.  After-all, wouldn’t you rather invest a little bit more in the perfect home than a little less for a home that does not satisfy the needs of you and your family?”

…and they always say “yes.”

The key here is be sincere and actually mean this when you say it.  You see, I know with 100% certainty that people do not simply want to buy the deal, but rather the BEST Home for them.  So this comes easy for me. 

I do believe that many Real Estate Professionals do not believe this and will not try it and they will continue to struggle with less than desired results.  I sell between 8-12 Homes each and every month….how do I do this?

It is my goal with every client I interact with to DISCOVER their true buying motives.  I don’t take any answers at face value, I dig deeper and deeper with each question, piggy backing all my questions from their responses.  You have to LISTEN VERY CLOSELY to do this!

Don’t perpetuate the talk of the deal, DISCOVER the Emotional Buying Needs First and the “DEAL” talk will slowly disappear.

How do you respond to the “Deal” questions?

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy

Author of How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income

Don’t work hard, work SMART!!

How many times have you heard someone say they work hard?  How many times have you described someone else has a hard worker?  How many times have you described yourself as a hard worker?

I’m willing to make a sizeable wager that the answer is….

ALL THE TIME!

EVERYDAY!

A LOT!

Here is the thing, working hard is very commendable.  It is a trait that is very admirable and desired by most employers, but it is a phrase that lacks a key word….SMART!

I have always been a big proponent of working smart, not hard. 

Do you have any co-workers that always seem busy?  It seems that no matter what time of the year or time of day, they always have papers on their desk, are on the phone, or are doing some other task?

In a previous corporate life of mine, I noticed this all the time.  To me, I felt like I had nothing but spare time on my hands while I would look around and see others buried in their work.  I always had more responsibility, more job tasks, more meetings to attend, and more people to help, but yet always seemed to have the most free time.

I see the same thing in the sales world.  Follow-up calls get behind schedule or just missed altogether.  Thank you letter’s not sent, poor presentations to potential buyers, and mostly marginally satisfied customers at best.

Why is that?

Abraham Lincoln once said “If I had nine hours to cut down a tree, I would spend six hours sharpening my axe.”

Preparation is the key to Working Smart.

Without the proper smart preparation, you ARE working OUT OF CONTROL!  You are at the mercy of the day and all the time robbers that live in it!

Time Robbers are people that do nothing except steal your time.  They add no value to the accomplishment of your goals, but they DO hinder your ability to maximize your time.

BEWARE of these people.  You know them as the guy that calls you and talks F-O-R-E-V-E-R.  Or the people that “stop by” to say hello.  They talk you into the 2-hour lunch.  Time Robbers steal both your time and energy!

Think about it, most people have about 8-9 hours in the average work day.  How is that not enough time to handle your daily goals?

I know what you are thinking.  “You wouldn’t understand, I have so much responsibility,” or “I have to make sure everyone else is doing their job,” or “I can’t just not talk to people that need me.”

Seriously, unless you are the President of your own Country or care for 5 or more children five and under at the same time, you have plenty of time to accomplish everything you need to do in a day and prepare for the next day.

Working hard often comes at the expense of working smart. 

TIPS for working smart

1)  Start your day with a plan.  Write down the task (goals) you WILL complete each day.

2) Set time goals for your tasks.  Detail when you will do each task and how long they will take.

3) Avoid time Robbers…People that interrupt you from completed your daily goals.

4) Always be control of your time.

How do you spend your time?

Now That is WOW Service!!

If you would like the Magical Secret of Success, today is your lucky day.  If you spend any amount of time racking your brain trying to figure out how to….

• Sell More of Anything….Including Yourself
• Gain Referrals!
• Get a Pay Raise
• Increase your prospect traffic
• Improve your Sales Conversion Rate
• Have More Friends
• Enjoy a Happy Marriage
• Make a Positive Impact on someone else’s life

Guess what?

GIVE WOW SERVICE!

Not okay service or “satisfied” service.  Not mediocre or “average” service.  Provide WOW service!

The number one reason why most businesses don’t turn a profit, real estate or any sales careers stall, relationships fail, is poor customer service.  In today’s world, everyone has gotten so “me” oriented that customer service needs to be better than ever.

What was okay yesterday is not okay today.  There are so many choices out there; you cannot afford to have your customers fire you!  You have to be better.

A couple days ago, I was sort of in a time crunch, but needed to get a haircut.  Typically, I just run up to any one of the local “quick” type haircut places around my house.  I have not really committed to any particular place to go for a “regular” cut because it is always the same no matter which place I decide to go.

I haven’t really ever experienced any “stand-out” service.  The conversation, if there is any, while I am getting the hair cut is usually awkward or very broad.   The “Weather sure is crazy,” conversation is a frequent player. 

This particular day I decided to stop at a “Supercuts.”  The experience started off the same, walk in, sign your name, and wait for my turn.  When it was my turn, I went over and sat down in the chair.  The lady asked me what kind of “cut” I would like.  As I was explaining my “typical” haircut, I could tell she was analyzing my hair.

She was kind of messing with it, analyzing what she was going to do next.  As she started cutting, she was giving me “hair compliments.”  Never a bad thing…

Then it was time for the small talk, or so I thought.  She started asking me about my family, hobbies, Holiday Plans…..before I knew what hit me, she knew where I grew up, what my favorite things to do are and what I was doing for Christmas. 

She was amazing!  She just kept asking questions about me, while also giving me “pointers” on how my hair would look best, and she was smiling the whole time.  Who doesn’t like to talk about themselves, right?

By the time my haircut was finished, I felt that I had my haircut by the best “haircutter” in the area.  She gave me styling tips (and I am not usually interested in this at all), and I bought some new hair style stuff (again, not something I would ever do). 

It goes without saying that I gave her a great tip, but I will now only go to that Supercuts and have my hair cut by Edith.

That was WOW service!  Do you think I have told anyone about my experience?  Heck yah.  I have told everyone about Edith, and if they want a great experience, to ask for her.

WOW service means that your customers will not only stay your customers, but they will be happy and refer as many people that they can without being asked.  That is the key, Without Being Asked!

So, do you want more business, better relationships, and happier experiences?

What are you willing to do to provide WOW service?

Here are 5 ways to Provide WOW service:

1. DON’T talk about you, DO ask questions about them. 
2. Provide Value FIRST, before asking for anything in return.
3. DO something FOR them Above and Beyond the “normal” transaction…make this NEW your “normal” policy.
4. Find out what makes them tick and talk about it more…this is a HOT BUTTON!
5. DON’T think about what’s in it for you; DO think about what you CAN DO for them.

Welcome to the Likeability Network

Check Out My Real Estate Blog

Check Out my Likeability Blog

Sales Tip: Setting The 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!