Okay, I've heard it all.
I have a friend who just started selling real estate. She hired on with a Big Name company that promises lotsa training. So far, my friend is underwhelmed, but the other night she called me almost hysterical.
My friend can't get anyone to help her role-play writing an offer, yet she was encouraged to attend "Charm School." Charm School? Yes, Charm school. As part of her training.
What, you ask, is charm school?
Well, as far as I can tell, it was a corporate-sponsored training class where agents were instructed on the niceties of life. Such as, "Get a good haircut." "Make sure to wash your car before taking buyers out." "Don't swear in front of customers." "Dress appropriately." And my favorite - "Make sure your fingernails are clean. "
Are you kidding me? Seriously, someone in power thought it was a good idea to ask grown-up professional men and women to attend a class on fingernail maintenance?
To make it even more comical, my friend's office is in a rather ritzy part of town - one where I doubt it's necessary to encourage the local adult human beings to spend money on personal grooming. This is an area where the cheapest car in the lot is a Lexus, and $600 handbags on sale for $399 are considered a steal.
I can't imagine that this presentation didn't offend every real estate agent without shouting distance.
The training offered to newbies in our industry never fails to entertain me.
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Perhaps she wasn't holding her cup of tea properly when she asked others to assist her in role-playing. If the pinkie is not extended properly, it is a real sign of disrespect. Seriously, one has to wonder about the priorities of the brokerage.