Sometimes days can be completely crazy, and we get the urge to fill those minutes of downtime with checking Facebook, so we have made a list of seven small tasks that take roughly 5 minutes to complete that will help your organization, sales, retention, and career growth efforts. If you get a short lull in your day, grab one of these tasks and make the most of those minutes!
In 2002, the movie Moneyball brought the world of statistical analysis and sabermetrics to the big screen (it’s also a must-read book by Michael Lewis). In the film, as in real life, math stars as the Oakland A’s MVP, forever changing the way we think about how to win baseball games. In a pivotal scene, Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill) describes the fundamental flaw in the conventional understanding of baseball recruitment:
The argument has always been that corporate office people don’t understand what it’s like to work onsite. We can get gruff and less patient. We can be snippy with you about some random paperwork, not having any idea that a resident had just been in your office for 10 minutes screaming about their faucet. Some say that because of that deficiency, we expect too much. Leasing calls often go unanswered but it’s hard for “The Corporate” folks to understand that you had to help that resident in 405 get into their apartment, and the one, you know the one, from 609, she called relentlessly about her garbage disposal. The important work stacks up, time gets away from everyone, and you don’t get more budget money to help.
This book was published in 2011 but you can find the author’s Ted talk on the Internet. I recently came across it again and I must say, it is fascinating! Studies show that the average person gets lied to 200 times a day. Wow! You, our dear manager and leasing consultant, probably know this to be true since you come into contact with customers and future customers daily. A selling point for the book is that the research was meticulous: only data which was confirmed by more than one study was included. Here are some great tips for sales people, both new and experienced, to learn from. Continue Reading →
At the center of many apartment communities across the country you will find the apartment community clubhouse — commonly utilized as a sales, center, management office, resident amenity utopia and general command center. Some of these buildings are quite ornate and over the top, designed for a “wow” factor. Others are more simplistic, and utilized primarily for business functions. Either way, if you have the building, the question to ask, is “How is this area selling for us?”
What kinds of things should we consider?
Years ago I visited a car dealership after seeing that they had two demo cars advertised at a reduced price. I didn’t really need a new vehicle immediately, but was going to be in the market within the next year. My current car was purchased from this dealership, so I knew their service department was excellent. The saleswoman, Joy, was charming and had recently taken the sales job after being a fan of the make for years and being challenged by friends to try selling it herself. We took a test drive, and I was mildly interested. She asked if I’d like to fill out an application to see if I’d qualify for preferred financing, so I did. All was going perfectly fine until I said I’d like to think about it. Then The Manager became part of the process. “So,” The Manager said, “we’d like to see you in this car, and we’d like to see this happen for Joy.” Okay, I thought, Joy’s a nice gal, but I’m not going to buy a car just to make her happy. He continued, “We can offer you this great interest rate today, but not if we wait until tomorrow.” I looked at The Manager and told him “Urgency is a great closing technique, and I train people how to use it. But today is Saturday, and there’s no reason that the same interest rate won’t be available to me tomorrow.” He looked at the floor and said “You’re right.”
✓I will strive to respond to every lead that crosses my desk within 24 hours at the longest.
✓ I will follow up on every maintenance work order that happens on my property.
✓ I will commit to sending either an email, handwritten note, making a phone call, or otherwise somehow following up with each and every tour I give this year.
✓ I will shut off my computer screen when I sit down to have a conversation with a resident or prospective resident.
Setting Goals
1. Ask yourself, “Do I really want this?”
2. Is this goal consistent with your beliefs and other goals?
3. Can you really commit yourself to this goal or is it wishful thinking?
4. If you achieve this goal, will it really make you happy? If you answer “yes” to these four questions, proceed!
Don’t text more than 5 times a month.
