October 7, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Simple.

The system is so simple that it seems silly, but in order to get more of any type of activity,  you must reward that activity.  In other words, if you reward any activity, you will get more of it.  That is our system in a nutshell.  In the office, what we want and need from the agents is for the agents to sell and list houses and to do it properly.  When that happens, we reward that activity.

At four thirty this evening, Prosperity Mortgage  held a cocktail party for the agents at Ruth's Chris steak house.  Long and Foster owns Prosperity Mortgage and in the office we have three loan officers.  These loan officers are excellent and always make more loans than any other office but lag behind other offices in percentages.  But for the past two months their market share of loans has gone up dramatically, so they threw a fancy party for the agents.  It was great.  Good food, lots of people, elegant setting.  A thoroughly fine event, all designed to reward the behaviour of the agents.

Simple is not always easy.  It is easy to observe in others the behaviour that will reward activities they do not want.   I over heard a conversation recently between two managers discussing all the difficulties the agents were having.   They were preparing for their offices to fail rather than think of what the agents could do to be productive.  Rewards are the key.  It is so very simple.