How People See You Is How They Hear You – Mike Forza
I’ve shared this image before, but today, I want to dive a little deeper.
One of my favorite business coaches on the planet is Mike Forza, a KW MAPS Leadership Coach. He’s a genius in so many areas—finances, recruiting, neuro-linguistic programming—and even more impressively, in how they all fit together.
One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from him is about the ladder of relationships we have with our clients (or, if you're building a team, your agents).
This concept, from Mike isn’t about who you want to be—it’s about who your clients or prospects perceive you as.
Recruiter: Take an inventory of your most recent conversations. How were you seen? Was it purely positional, where they viewed you as just doing your job?
Nice Person: Maybe it was slightly warmer—they recognized you as a nice person. (I don’t often get accused of being a nice person, but believe it or not, I do try to build rapport! It just comes a lot easier to my wife than to me.)
Knows Stuff: Here’s the truth: No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. One reason I love teaching is that it helps me reach the next rung of the ladder—the person who “knows stuff.” That’s probably why I started sending these emails—to add value and contribute. (Don’t worry, I’m not trying to recruit you! 😆)
Help You: But the next level goes beyond just knowledge. It’s about combining knowledge with care, candor, and accountability. You know you’ve reached this stage when a client asks you to coach and consult them—and, more importantly, gives you permission to hold them accountable.
Trusted Advisor: At the top of the ladder is what I call the “Dream Manager” level. There’s actually a great book on this concept—The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly. At this stage, you’re not just a coach—you’re a high-level mentor and confidant.
I remember a client recently telling me: “Seth, we trust you. Just tell us what to sign, and we trust you with everything else.”
This was about the biggest asset they owned. That kind of trust isn’t built overnight. It’s earned—through consistency, honesty, and adding real value.
We all know what it feels like when a client (or a team member) sees us as their Dream Manager.
Want to learn more about Mike Forza? Check him out here: MAPS Coaching – Mike Forza.
