Never Give Up!

It is odd how the most unsuspecting characters in your life can become mentors.

As many of you know, my father was a truck driver, therefore I had limited "Dad Time" due to the many hours he spent on the road providing for his wife and children.  The times I looked most forward to, were those Saturday mornings when he returned from his long hauls with a Dunkin' Doughnuts Bear Claw or Toasted Coconut doughnut, especially selected for me.  Of course I knew he was trying to make up for his absence, and as much as I enjoyed the treat, I even more enjoyed the short time on the sofa with him  watching The Road Runner and Wiley Coyote on those precious Saturday mornings.

Don't get me wrong, my father was an incredible inspiration to me who instilled great values, the most notable - work ethic.  Equally mentor worthy was the Road Runner, both deserving of my recognition for intelligence, expediency and ability to get themselves out of tight spots.  But with all of that being said, oddly enough, Wiley Coyote was my first recognized life mentor and inspiration.

I watched this character on TV get blown up by dynamite, get ran over by trains, get anvils dropped on his head from cliffs and a multitude of other road blocks thrown at him each and every Saturday morning.  I quickly realized that many of his cartoon competitors would not have been able to handle his challenges, yet he rose from the dust, brushed himself off and tried again the following Saturday morning.  When you are young, you think your Dad is a Super Hero that can save all, but deep down inside, you know that a super hero only exists on TV.

Well, Super Hero or not, Wiley Coyote became my first mentor in life.  He taught me that life was not going to be easy.  He taught me that major road blocks were going to be put in my way.  He taught me that I had a choice, a choice to give up, or a choice to get up - brush myself off - and try again for success.

As a kid growing up in a small Central Illinois farming community, I was unfortunately blessed with infinite road blocks from birth.  Sports took priority over education, especially any creative arts.  The safety of remaining within a small community took priority over the exploration through travel.  Limited parental world experiences instilled a rigid acceptance thought processes in the majority of the population.

Screw it, let's cut to the chase, I grew up in a narrow minded redneck community of morons.  Their minds absolutely could not process anything beyond their severely limited experience.  Anything outside of that, terrified them and was adamantly condemned to protect what they considered their safe world.

Wiley taught me safe is boring!  Wiley taught me stepping out on a cliff is exciting!  Wiley taught me, you may fail, but if you dig deep you always can find the courage to get up and try again.  Wiley taught me, just because one thing doesn't work, it doesn't mean that something else won't.  Wiley taught me fear prevents you from traveling outside your comfort zone, which is where a better life may exist.  Wiley taught me, renewed energy comes from trying.  Wiley taught me, NEVER FREAKIN GIVE UP!!!

Wow, how lucky I was as a child.  Awesome father, safe town and well provided for ... yet, something told me deep inside - Escape!  Wiley Coyote instilled that courage to leave the safety, to leave the known and to explore.

To each of you who have uttered the words, "We've tried that and it didn't work", I am so sorry that you have so easily accepted permanent defeat.  For those of you who have uttered the words every week, "Thank God it's Friday", I am so sorry you can't see beyond your present unhappy state.  For those of you who have uttered, "No one understands", I am so sorry that you have isolated yourself from human comprehension.  But, most of all, I am sorry that you don't realize that if life sucks, you are the only one who can change it!!!

So, as Wiley Coyote taught me ... take the anvil off of your supposedly smashed head, pull yourself together having been blown to pieces from your unnoticed hard work and get up from under the bus that everyone has thrown you under .... and try again!

Or stay there, and know, IT SUCKS TO BE YOU!

Meet John, Your Maintenance Renewal Hero!

Who are we kidding, our maintenance team plays one of the most important roles in our renewal success.  As communities and third party companies poll residents regarding reasons for non-renewal, inevitably poor maintenance service floats to the top.  Conversely, when we poll why they are renewing, great maintenance service takes the top ranking.

It actually makes sense.  The office staff deals with the beginning process of recruiting and the ending process of renewals.  After move-in, rental checks are dropped in slots or paid online, giving the office staff little to no opportunity to have face to face interaction. However, the maintenance team deals with the in between times.  Maintenance is seen more consistently due to the fact that they are regularly out on property, in common areas or working within the resident's apartment home.

Keeping this in mind, I pose the question:  Have you told each of your maintenance team members that they have the opportunity to become your RENEWAL HERO?  Have you taken time to train them on how to be a Renewal Hero?  Do they understand the importance of greeting everyone, waving if they are not within speaking distance, thanking the residents for the opportunity to repair their apartment home issues, asking the resident if they have exceeded their expectations, helping them if they are overloaded with groceries, etc. 

Many companies have a 24 hour maintenance guarantee, which is good if met.  My questions is, are we tracking and acknowledging teams that beat that expectation?  Do we have some type of independent or shared bonus program in place to reward our maintenance teams for their vital role in renewals?

Let's face it, while we are sitting in our toasty warm offices, they are out scooping snow so our residents can get from their apartment to the car.  While we are sitting in our cool air conditioned offices, they are sweating their butts off in the burning sun fixing an air conditioner.  While we are curled up dreaming sound asleep in our beds, they are out on an emergency maintenance call plunging a plugged toilet. 

No, they do not seem to have a very glamorous job, but their dedicated efforts certainly have a glamorous impact on our increased revenues and decreased expenses.  So, give credit where credit is deserved.  Acknowledge their outstanding efforts, especially if they exceed expectations and give them a slice of the bonus pie ... they actually may deserve it, even more than you.

Are You Effectively Delivering Rental Prices Over The Phone?

I often call and shop competitors and am consistently amazed at how easily they deliver the rental amount for a specific floor plan at the beginning of their apartment description.  Equally as shocking, as I do training sessions for apartment associations, I am amazed at how defensive leasing consultants become when I attempt to provide tactics on how to avoid immediately providing the rental amount.  Like an angry demon escaping during an exorcism Leasing Consultants tend to yell out, "It doesn't work, they just want to know the priiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!"

Unfortunately this is not true.  As I am phone shopping the competition I never ask for the price, I only ask for a description of the floor plan.  Yet, like a bad case of verbal diarrhea, they first and foremost spew forth the price.  "Our 2 bedroom apartment rents for $1685."  This all followed by a litany of interrogative questions and strict instructions relating to multiple money orders that I need to bring if I choose to pursue the honor of renting with them.

The fact of the matter is, most prospectives have found us on a website or in a guide book and actually have the rental information in front of them.  In a sense, they are actually calling for a description of the floor plan and amenities in order to justify the price.  In today's economy, I am finding more people are calling asking about specials and are not focused on base rents.  No matter what they are calling about, we must do some justifying of price through amenity descriptions before we deliver the monthly rental amount.

You have to think of it like retail shopping.  You go to the store to by a sweater with a budget of $65.  You find a great sweater but the price tag is $125.  You immediately look at what it is made of hoping to justify the price.  It ends up being made of a pure wool and silk mix, therefore justifying the price.  You like it, the material is worth it, so you go out of your budget and buy it.  In leasing apartments our amenities, granite counter tops and ceramic floors, are our wool and silk.  These amenities collectively justify our rental price.  These items must be introduced, prior to announcing the monthly rent.

In the case that the prospective resident does demand just the price, we still want to control the delivery of that information.  The best way to do this is to start by providing a price, like a deposit or an application fee, any price that is equal to your competitors so you are not immediately ruled out.  By giving these types of prices, the prospective renter gets the subconscious feeling that you are willing to deliver all prices as requested, so their price demanding demeanor calms down.  The next step is to verbally commit to giving the exact rental price, but letting them know, in order to do so you just need to ask three quick questions.  At this point, your questions need to contain amenity choices.  "Do you prefer a ground floor apartment with a spacious patio, or an upper apartment with a grand balcony?"  "Do you prefer an apartment with a serene lake view, or one with a view of our resort style pool?" and finally "Do you prefer the floor plan with the open loft like kitchen, or the one with the galley style kitchen?"  By implementing this technique, you are actually introducing amenities, all of which they believe are allowing you to come up with the exact rental amount.  Obviously summarize by saying:  "And for all of that, the monthly rent is only $1685, what time today can you take a tour of your new apartment home?"

In summary, here are the steps of an effective sales call.

1. Listen closely to what the caller is requesting.  Often, it is not price.
2. Always provide a stimulating description of amenities prior to discussing price.
3. If pushed to give price, start with not competitive prices such as:  deposits, application fees, etc.
4. Implement a summary closing statement implying that the loaded amenity package more than justifies the price.
5. ALWAYS ask for a tour appointment!

My hope is that this article can become the cure to Leasing Consultant "Verbal Sales Diarrhea" throughout the world!

So, stop spewing the same sales pitch on your customers!  Mix it up a little bit, customize it to their questions and watch your call to appointment ratio increase.