The Fish Stinks From The Head Down

 

For those of you who know me well, you know "The Fish Stinks From The Head Down" was a saying taught to me by my mother referring to upper management ... or possibly sometimes my dad! None-the-less, it became a saying that has stuck with me and reared its fishy head many times throughout my career. I cannot tell you how many times I have watched employees from differing companies and industries give the, "They Just Don't Get It" look, when discussing topics regarding their supervisors.

In the beginning, I used to believe it was the employees, maybe the employees didn't understand there were budget constraints or specific company goals and procedures. Unfortunately, as time goes on, I am beginning to realize ... often times upper management doesn't get it, AND THAT STINKS!

While I happen to be a technology lover, it is becoming evident to me how easy it is for management to become disengaged with "Real Time Reality", due to the infinite availability of online information. It has become a prevalent behavior for upper management to sit in offices and review reports, analyze numbers and pontificate strategies without ever having step foot on site or solicited first hand comments from the employees they entrusted their beloved assets to.

I think back (way back) on my days as a Leasing Professional and I try to imagine how I would have felt about call centers booking my appointments. Personally, I loved building the relationship over the phone, and for the most part, couldn't wait to meet the person and put a face to the voice. I remember asking tons of questions regarding furniture, children names, pet names and even getting them to share some hobbies or interests. I copiously wrote the information onto the guest card and carefully reviewed it before they arrived, so I could greet them by name and customize their tour based upon the relationship I had built over the phone and the personal information I had gathered from them. If a call center was responsible, I wonder how engaged I would be?

I think back (again way back) on my days as a Leasing Direct and try to imagine how I would have felt about online market surveys. Personally, I always found it very exciting to visit the competition, meet the Leasing Professionals I was competing against and see the product first hand. Today, that opportunity has been greatly reduced, with almost no need to communicate with the competition, all due to online access of market surveys. I wonder how engaged I would be?

As I rose in the ranks and reached that middle and upper management plateau, I remember us all being road warriors, visiting assets every week, meeting with community employees, always in the thick of things and experiencing it first-hand. Today, be it a focus on reducing travel expenses or pure convenience, I witness executives in every industry across the nation, sitting behind their desks scanning computer reports, analyzing from afar exercising little to no communication with the asset teams other than via email. I have to wonder, how engaged could they possibly be.

I remember reading a book, Lincoln on Leadership by Donald T. Phillips, and his theory regarding Lincoln being so successful was predominantly based on the fact that Lincoln got out and met the people, saw the problems, became aware of what laid ahead ... he was actively engaged!

Executives, when was the last time you sat down and spoke with housekeeping, grounds, maintenance or leasing team members? Are you engaged? These are the people running the asset ... and "They Do Get It"!

So dig that top hat out of the archives and go shake some hands … it is time to RE-ENGAGE! Do you get it?

What Type Of Vendor Are You? Salesperson or Partner?

 

 

As a Vice President of Marketing I am bombarded on a weekly basis with existing vendor phone calls as well as phone calls by potential new vendors.  Everyone has something to sell and of course it is always better than the competitors.

As I tell my Leasing Specialists, "We are not selling anything that unique"!  All two bedroom apartments have two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms, closets, wall-to-wall neutral carpet or tile, window blinds and ceiling fans.  What makes the apartment unique, is you as their professional specialist.

I think the same rule applies to vendors.  Though they do not want to admit to it, a guide is a guide, a painter is a painter, a .com is a .com, a laundry company is a laundry company, accounting software is accounting software, etc.  Sure, every company has its "Bling", be it granite counter tops, maintenance inventory program, reputation management module, automated reporting ... whatever, but in the words of my grandfather, "Same sh-crap (edited), different flies"!

I once read, "It is not who you are in business, it is how you are in business".  Wow, does this ring true to my business decisions!  I listen carefully to vendors, alert to egos that cloud, statistics written as commandments, sales approaches that feel like tongue depressors ... and when I recognize these traits, I turn and RUN LIKE HELL!!!

It is funny how the human mind works, when I watch commercials on television, I am always disappointed in the ones that directly bash their competitor.  In fact, if Pepsi bashes Coke, I go out and buy Coke.  If Tide bashes All, I go out and buy All.  Just as I tell my Leasing Specialists, "Never bash your competitor".  However, you may want to lead your client to ask good questions when considering your competitors product - "I totally understand why you would want to visit Mini-Manor, it is a lovely community.  Be sure to ask about their fitness center (you know it is small) and you may want to check to see if they have a car care center (you know they don't)".

I believe there are 4 types of vendors.

1. The Blind Vendor - this is the vendor who knows nothing about your business but has the perfect product for you.On a weekly basis I receive calls from internet surfing salespeople who have found my name and/or title.  They have construction equipment to sell me, they have office equipment to sell me, they have vacation programs to sell me, etc.  Typically, I interrupt with a "Remove me from your solicitation list please".  But the most frustrating are the ones who actually have something that might be of interest to me, but don't take the time to research my specific company (i.e. Tax Credit / Income Restricted, therefore wasting my time with a market rate sales approach)
2. The Evangelist Vendor - this is the vendor that identifies your ways of error and has the product to save your business.This one ticks me off the most, much like religious fanatics.  Weekly I receive emails or phone calls from SEO strategists who have apparently gone to our website, prayed over it and the SEO Gods have told them it needs to be saved.  Quickly they construct a not so lovely written or oral message in which they ever so humbly point out our SEO sins and attempt to set up a healing session.
3. The Rock Star Vendor - this vendor believes that they first and their product second are superior, and you are a complete idiot for even considering their competitor.They are #1 listen to all of their amazing personal accomplishments.  Their company is #1 ask anyone, everyone knows.  Their strategy is #1 that is why they have no competition.  Their product is #1 they have the statistics to prove it.  Blah, blah, blah.  In the infamous words of Heidi Klum, "One day you’re in, and the next day you are out"!
4. The Vendor Partner - this vendor wants to learn more about your product and needs - in order to analyze if their product may or may not support your business efforts.  Upon becoming a partner, they want the truth - how is their product working, what can they do better, etc.I love the cold call that starts out with, "My name is John and I work for a company that specializes in multi-family housing products and services.  I don't want to waste your time, we may or may not have something that could support your business goals ... but if you ever have time and could share with me more about you, your company, your goals and areas of needs - I would love to have the opportunity to learn more and see if we can assist".  OMG, sign me up, I will meet with this vendor all day long!!!

I love vendor partners; they become part of your "Family of Success".  While sometimes I may be forced to work with the Blind, the Evangelist or the Rock Star, I do not consider them part of my family, nor ever will.  And if given the opportunity, I will put their account up for adoption in a heartbeat.

I had the good fortune of contracting with a company a few years ago whose owner had a "Vendor Partner" mentality.  When his team shared with him that I had identified weaknesses in his product and services, he did not get defensive, he invited me to an all-expense paid trip to his corporate office to meet with him and his team to discuss the issues, which ultimately lead to him putting together a customer guiding committee of sorts.  Later, I had the misfortune of him selling the company to a less receptive owner.  I unveiled to my new salesperson (who is awesome) some of my continued concerns and she and her boss truly did their best to extinguish them.  Unfortunately, the new owner is a "Rock Star".  I received an email from him and in the subject line it read, "I would cancel too".  I feel bad for my salesperson, I would hire her in a split second, but I have no time for tantrums from the top.  If I am unable to express my concerns without someone going all "Lindsay Lohan" on me, forget it!

So vendors, take heed in your style of approach, it makes a difference in our decisions. 

 

Become part of our family, know Mondays suck and stay away, stop selling more and be thankful for what we have bought, respect us as professionals and stop with the unannounced visits, train us to use what we have to the ultimate capacity (and we will want more), reward us with your non-defensive ear, recognize your product is one of many - it is YOU we are contracting, not the product.

The question is:  Do we dread doing business with you, or are you considered one of the family members?

In other words, are you WANTED … DEAD or ALIVE?



 

 

To Speak Or Not To Speak, That Is The Question

As a keynote speaker I often am approached by aspiring speakers who want to know what it takes to be a successful presenter.  I always hesitate to tell them what I think it takes, because there are so many different types of speakers that have grown to be far more successful than I, such as Tony Robbins (author of Unleash the Power Within), yet I do not find him that great of a speaker, in fact, walked out of his seminar the first time I heard him.  So, I don't know that I have the right set of tips ... but here is my take on what makes a great speaker.

1. Be Comfortable In Your Own Skin
   Standing in front of a large group of people is basically like bearing your soul to the world.  They not only assess what you are saying, but also your age, your appearance, your manners, your body language, your experience level, your thought process ... EVERYTHING!  Therefore, you have to be very comfortable with yourself, the worse traits for speakers to have are inflated egos, defensive behaviors and know-it-all attitudes.  In my estimation, these people will crash and burn in the first 10 minutes on stage.
2. Be Comfortable With Your Content
   As a presenter, audience members are attending to gain knowledge and ideas from an expert regarding the topic being presented.  Therefore, presenting on a book you have just read, or a trend you have just heard about, is probably not a good idea.  Present on something that you are comfortable with, have first hand experience with and have implemented or practiced multiple times.  You have to remember, on stage is not the time to be making stuff up!
3. Be Comfortable Not Knowing
   Sometimes I think you gain tons of audience trust by admitting that you don't know something.  It is inevitable that at some point, someone from the audience is going to ask a questions that you don't know the answer to ... awkward!  The best thing you can do is compliment them for asking such an insightful question, admit to having not previously thought about the content of their great question and then throw it out to the audience to see if they have an answer.  You know the old saying, "Two heads are better than one", well, you have an audience of heads so you are sure to come up with a buffet of great potential answers.
4. Be Comfortable Sharing The Good And The Bad
   The best and most inspiring teaching method is life experience.  Don't make the mistake of sticking to your success stories, while they are great and lend credibility to you as a speaker, they tend to get boring.  Your "Epic Failures" are what are truly entertaining, and again, I believe by sharing these failure stories you gain the audience trust, you seem more real and trustworthy to them.
5. Be Comfortable Making A Fool Of Yourself
   The key to a successful speaking engagement is comprehension, retention and implementation.  Many studies have proven that laughter creates a positive learning attitude aiding the brain to comprehend at a more rapid rate.  Additionally, this positive attitude inflates the motivational desire to implement the skill the audience member has learned.  Therefore, make a fool of yourself, tell embarrassing stories, create bizarre scenarios to drive your point home.  Now is not the time to dress yourself in the armor of pride, now is the time to strip and show them your foolish self.  If they are not laughing, they are not learning!!!

I am blessed enough to have a friendship with Joel Zeff', one of America's funniest motivational speakers.  He has the innate ability to not only make a fool of himself, but also complete strangers from the audience, and might I add, without getting a fist thrown at him.  His ability to engage a crowd through humor, present a point and drive it home with a summary is inspiring.  He once told me, you have to treat the stage like your home, say what you want to say, be what you want to be, do what you want to do ... and people will want to come and visit you at your home, the stage.  Because of this comment and his undeniable success, I have presented my Top 5 "Be Comfortable..." speaking tips!  I hope that you find the stage as comfortable as Joel and I have, and soon call it home.

Break A Leg, and hope to see you on the next speaking circuit!

Welcome, I'm Your Door Staff, Responsible For Your Emotional First And Last Impression

I have had the luxury of living in many hi-rise buildings as well as managing them, and I quickly learned that who you have at your entry can make or break you.  Your community drive by is your "Visual" first impression. Your door person is your "Emotional" first & last impression, and if that first & last impression is not good, things will decline quickly.

I lived in a beautiful hi-rise just off of Lake Shore Dr. in Chicago that had the best "Door Staff" I have ever experienced, one specifically standing out by the name of Debra.  This amazing employee, originally from Ireland, set the bar for the team, and this team strived to equal her service practices.  Here were the things that I learned from Debra that allowed me to better manage my door teams.

1. Own The Entrance - Debra took great pride in owning the entrance, not just the coming and going of the people, but also the cleanliness and the appearance.  She believed that the entrance was not limited to the front desk, but also to the driveway as well as the lobby.  Many times I witnessed Debra chasing after a gum wrapper, locating an empty can in the entrance landscaping, picking up a cigarette butt from a flower pot or pulling the Windex from beneath her desk to eliminate finger prints on the entrance door.  On her watch, her entrance was going to be "Spick-n-Span".  Once, I actually witnessed Debra walking to Dominick's (grocery store) and purchasing inpatients (flowers) to replace the six that had died at her entrance.  I couldn't help but think, "WOW"!
2. Manage The Behavior - Debra knew that the front entrance was the hub of all coming and going and had to run smoothly and expeditiously at busy times.  If a taxi, limo or car pulled through the entrance circle but remained in the center of the two unmarked lanes, she would quickly go out and ask them to go through the circle again and pull to the side so other cars could pass.  If she saw people approaching with their hands full, she was "Johnny-on-the-Spot" to open the large swing door as opposed to having them maneuver the revolving door.  And yes, there were those few times that I witnessed her calming the late night resident who had just stumbled in with friends from a great party, asking them to all quiet down before entering the lobby and resident hallways.  My favorite, was when a pet owner would make the fatal mistake of allowing their dog to pee (or should I say attempt to pee) near the entrance.  Debra was like "Super Man", leaping over the desk and through the door in a single bound...there would be no puppy pee smell at her front door!
3. Guard The Resident - No one got past Debra!  I don't know if possibly she was a prison guard in Ireland before coming to America (certainly not that her upbeat delightful sweet personality ever reflected that), but she took her job seriously and no one got past her without checking in.  Not once did a friend, pizza delivery boy or solicitor ever knock on my door prior to having received a call from Debra requesting approval to let them enter.  In fact, even family members whom visited regularly, who she knew well, would never get past her without her first calling for approval.
4. Man The Desk - The front desk was NEVER WITHOUT personnel.  During lunch, dinner, breaks or bathroom visits - the front desk was covered by maintenance or office personnel.  The desk was never unmanned for more than a few seconds when she had to run and get a key or grab a package. However, during those few seconds the doors were secured and visitors were required to wait, always receiving a sincere apology for any inconvenience they may have experienced upon her return.
5. Go The Extra Mile - Debra fully understood the concept of customer service, and took it to a "Rock Star" level.  She knew that she was the first service experience upon entering and the last service experience upon exiting, and you were not going to go past her without being impressed.  Many a morning, I would leave at 5:30 to get in a limo for the airport.  Each morning, Debra would be there, opening the door, taking my luggage, putting it in the trunk, closing my door and wishing me safe travels.  Upon my return, all was repeated, but this time with a warm welcome home and a sincere comment noting that I had been missed.

Oh how I miss Debra and the team that supported her.  Today I live in a beautiful well managed hi-rise but unfortunately the door staff does not have a Debra to lead and polish them.

Each morning I disembark from the elevator and receive no greeting from the door staff, exhausted from their night shift that they are eager to conclude.  Oh how I yearn to hear "Good Morning" in an Irish accent.

Anxious to start my early morning beach walk I step outside with my morning coffee and am overwhelmed by the stench of dog urine caused from unmanaged pet owners allowing their dogs to urinate on the base of the poles supporting the entrance canopy.  Oh how I yearn to see Debra leaping from the desk and redirecting the pet owners to a more optimum location for their dog to take care of business.

I take note of the four large decorative entrance pots, one that has existed for many months with merely the trunk of a once beautiful variegated corn plant that most likely a malicious teen has beheaded.  At the base of the pot, vines are attempting to survive but have become a temporary resting place for drink containers and cigarette butts, only to be extracted by the morning cleaning team.  I cannot help but take note of the white car, owned by the door man, sitting in the entrance fire lane, prepared for the quick get-away once his shift is complete.  Oh how I yearn for Debra's landscaping and entrance management skills to be imagined where I now live.

I quickly move on, and engage in my morning walk, knowing upon my return that the morning subcontracted cleaning team will be working to sterilize the entrance, that there will have been a shift change, and while Alan might not be Debra, he is the best of the team and will greet me as I return from my walk, as well as when I leave soon after to go to work.

Unfortunately, upon my return from work, will also be the return of the puddles of yellow urine at the base of the poles, the trash in the pots and the shift change to an unengaged door staff, of whom will most likely have their car parked in the fire lane.  Oh how I yearn for Debra to take charge!

I can just imagine Debra entering my building and taking charge of the door staff.  1st - pull back these curtains so you can see what is going on at your entrance, "Stop being Helen Keller the Doorman".  2nd - start using the valet door to get out there and assist or manage the residents and visitors.  3rd - get yourself a box of rubber gloves and trash bags and make sure your entrance is spotless at all times.  4th - don't let one person get by you without greeting them.  5th - no sleeping, eating, newspaper reading or feet up on the desk at anytime ... you should be working!

Unfortunately, I would probably have to give up the sunshine of beautiful Florida and return to the snow of Chicago in order to have my "Door Woman" dreams of Debra again.  But hopefully, this blog will influence managers of hi-rise buildings to recognize the important role the door staff plays, and to take a closer look at their "Emotional First and Last Impression" that their door staff imparts.

So in the words of Debra, "Goodbye, safe travels and I look forward to your reading return".