Pre-Training Ticket

Transcription

Pre-Training Ticket

table of contents
management 3-10
Management Focus:
Management Ideas From Across America
Resident Service: Setting A New Standard by Tami Siewruk
The ABCs of Ancillary Income by Shawna Brynildssen
In The Management Spotlight: Pamela Shubert
Setting A New Standard For Resident Service
page 6
marketing 12-17
Marketing Focus:
Marketing Ideas From Across America
Mini-Models: Making Your Focus Units Look Like Home by Rick Ellis, CPM
In The Marketing Spotlight: Kate Good
training 18-22
Make Your Focus Units Feel More Like Home
page 16
Training Focus:
Mapping the Moments: Using the Accelerated Learning Map by Sharon Bowman
Training Ideas From Across America
In The Training Spotlight: Donna Olson
on-site 23-28
On-Site Focus:
page 20
Survey Says…Enhance Value to Reduce Resistance to Rent Increases by Doug Miller
On-Site Ideas From Across America
In The On-site Spotlight: Gerry Hunt
extras 29
Upcoming Events
Marketplace Resources
Increase Rent Without Resident Resistance
page 23
Multifamilypro (formerly Sales &
Marketing Magic for Apartment Professionals) is published six times a
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Copyright 2003
The Sales & Marketing
Magic Companies, Inc.
ISSN#1078-1412
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Website: www.Multifamilypro.com
Chief Imagination Officer
Tami Siewruk
Director of Order, Reason
and Reality
Barbie Figueroa
Director of Making Stuff Work
Monique Guion-Kimball
Director of Getting Stuff
Done Now
JoAnn Follert
Director of National Sales
Jennifer James
Director of Making Stuff
Look Good
Leslie Zane
Director of Getting Stuff
to the Right Address
Jeff Marriott
T
his issue of Multifamilypro is all about ideas. From coast to coast and from
cover to cover, we've filled our pages with fresh ideas for you to put into
action toward increasing your bottom line, decreasing expenses, increasing
traffic, training and inspiring your team, improving
performance, retaining residents, and much, much
more. They represent some of the latest and greatest
thoughts, tips, tools and techniques that came to us
from the Annual Multifamily Housing Brainstorming
Sessions™ and the Brainstorming Idea Exchange™, the
Multifamilypro.com Idea Bank, via email from our
readers and web site visitors, and even old fashioned word-of-mouth; and now they're all yours!
We hope you'll drop us a line at info@smmonline
from the editor
to share how well they work for you.
While we're enjoying the holiday season with our families, Team Multifamilypro
is also busy gearing up for another fun and exciting year to come. We have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for as we prepare for Brainstorming 2004 EAST in Atlanta on
April 29th through May 1st. We're looking forward to the thousands of new, innovative
ideas that will take shape at our next two events! Log on to www.Multifamilypro.com/
brainstorming.htm for all the latest on Brainstorming EAST and WEST in 2004, and
be sure to register while seats or exhibit opportunities are still available.
The coming year of Multifamilypro has a wealth of fresh information in store,
with topics including employee motivation and retention; specialty housing; presenting your community; climbing the corporate ladder, preparedness, and even
more amazing ideas, so stay tuned!
And now, friends, I can’t close the last issue of 2003 without paying tribute to
a very special woman. On August 23rd our industry suffered a great loss. Gloria
Tibbs came to the end of a seemingly fearless battle with cancer. As many of you
know, many of our events are themed; and I’ll never forget the sight of Gloria
entering the room in a costume that spoke volumes about her spirit - she was dressed
as Wonder Woman. This wonderful woman will be deeply missed.
Wishing you happy holidays, a new year full of amazing ideas,
and may all your challenges find solutions!
Tami L. Siewruk
Tami Siewruk is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Siewruk Development
Corporation, the Chief Imagination Officer of The Sales & Marketing Magic Companies, and
the Editor in Chief of Multifamilypro, based in Palm Harbor, Florida. Her companies specialize
in providing the multifamily housing industry with the most current leasing, marketing, management, and training information available.
Look for the
throughout this issue for suggested resources that we’ve provided
to help you put these great ideas into action!
2 Multifamilypro
Management Ideas From Across America
By Tracey Downey
Create an expiration planner that
breaks out each floor plan by month.
Look at the status daily and expirations for next 60 days, analyze your
inventory, and price each unit based on
availability and length of lease term.
You'll never have to tell a prospect that
you don't have a particular lease term
available because everything you have
to offer can be priced from monthto-month through 12 months.
service providers who can help your
employees manage many of their
important personal issues, such as elder
and child care, legal services, automotive products and services, travel, etc.
Inform your employees of these benefits at orientation, via email and with
company newsletter reminders. Be sure
to let everyone know each time a new
provider is added to the list. The more
discounts you can offer your employees
the better!
for your company provides them
with thousands more than their gross
salary's dollar value alone!
Phone Line Discounts
By Richard
Ask your local telephone company
if they are willing to offer a discount for
your leasing center, fire service lines, etc.
Currently you can negotiate 10-20% for
a multi-year commitment. This can
amount to $50-$500 per month
depending upon the size of
your community.
? Did you know that many
communities have one to
two telephone lines per
building dedicated to their
fire systems?
For expert help in optimizing your
pricing strategy, contact Bravo
Strategic Marketing by calling (775)
786-4242 or visit them online at
www.bravostrategicmarketing.com.
Corporate Discounts
Make Great Benefits
Security Deposit
Forteitures
By Suzanne Dennis
If you are working in a tight
labor market and are looking for
quality, innovative programs to
incorporate into your benefit plan,
corporate discounts are a great "no
cost" benefit you can offer your
employees. Many of your vendors
probably already offer your employees
discounts on their services and products (furniture providers, cleaning
services, flooring companies, etc.).
Create a method of distributing this
great benefit to your employees and
remind them of why they work for
your great company. This is a great
way to make your benefits package
stand out in the crowd, and also
increase employee loyalty!
Initiate the program by asking
current vendors to put in writing any
discounts they offer specifically for
your employees. Contact additional
management
Uniquely Price Every
Leasing Transaction
By Sandy Avery
The Dollar Value of
Benefits
By Tamara Bondurant
When hiring and interviewing,
present the prospect with a worksheet,
printed nicely on corporate letterhead,
which indicates approximately how
much your company's benefits (i.e.,
health insurance, holiday bonus,
dental, stock, 401K, etc.) will add up
to in monetary value. Each sheet
should be customized with the
prospect's name, family status (for
health insurance choices), and proposed salary. This can help your
prospective and current employees to
value their benefits by seeing just how
much they're worth, and that working
Here's one more reason
why a digital camera is a
good investment for your
community. When conducting moveout inspections, we have our team take
digital photographs of the condition of
the apartment and any damages they
find. We then print a copy of the photographs and attach them to the security deposit disposition form. This can
be mailed or emailed to the resident so
that they can see why they're being
charged for certain items.
We began implementing this program several years ago, and have since
seen a dramatic decrease in the number of
calls regarding forfeitures. Additionally,
parents or lease guarantors (and their
attorneys) can also see the damages.
Now, when a parent or attorney calls, the
first thing we ask is whether or not they
Visit our website at www.Multifamilypro.com to subscribe or call 800-363-7384
3
management
have seen the pictures. If they
haven't we ask them to please look
first and then call us back if they still
have questions - those second calls
rarely happen.
Stop Giving $$$
Concessions
By Brad Marting
Here's how one decision on how
we managed our concessions made a
positive difference in our image and
our bottom line.
We are in a heavy concession area
(who isn't?). Free rent had become the
status quo, with only how many
months being the variable. We made
the decision to stop all rental concessions, and instead, give each leasing
team the authority to spend up to one
month's free rent in the form of personalized items for the resident (i.e. an
LCD monitor, computer, or other item
for their personal use - not the typical
ceiling fan or decorator upgrade for
the apartment home). Leasing professionals were also authorized to ask the
resident what they would like, but they
were no longer allowed to offer cash
or free rent.
The selected gift item was presented to the resident, upon signing
the lease, in a gift-wrapped package.
Our success was at least fourfold:
leases increased above our average for
free rent promotions; we gave residents a reason to think of us often
(each time they use the gift that they
received); we stood out in a crowd
where free rent was the norm; and the
leasing team realized for the first time
that there are alternatives to free rent
or cash giveaways.
We didn't spend anything more than
we were already giving away on free
rent concessions, but we spent it more
wisely, and that made all the difference!
4 Multifamilypro
Educate Your Service Staff
"Leasing Professional" (or Leasing
By Dawn M. Cook
Agent, Leasing Consultant, Leasing
We held our first annual Service
Supervisor Meeting, where we introduced the service staff to their NOI
and explained to them how their jobs
affect the company's overall success.
We actually showed them profit and
loss statements (P&Ls), how they
flow, net operating income (NOI)
charts, etc.
Whatever), what do you think your
new employee is going to do? Lease
apartments, right? Of course - especially if they are paid a leasing commission for each lease that is written!
A lease = commission = money.
So, what happens when a resident
walks into the office? No lease = No
commission = No money! (Yes, I
know you pay them a salary for doing
all that other stuff, and my experience
is that they don't focus on that - they
focus on writing leases!) The solution?
Step One: Get rid of the job title/
position called Leasing ________ and
start hiring customer service representatives. Do you have a leasing manager? Great - now they are the customer service manager.
Step Two:
Get rid of leasing
We asked them to go back to their
commissions. Raise your base salary
communities and ask their property
by the amount that they would have
supervisor to show them their commu-
made in a good month in commis-
nity P&Ls so they could see if they
sions, and get them focused on anyone
were meeting their NOI.
Our service team now knows how
important the NOI is and how they can
help achieve their community goals.
They also feel like a part of the team.
They were so excited! Several have
already asked when the next meeting
will be. They want to learn more; and
not just about maintenance, but the
whole process!
who walks into the office, not just the
Get Rid of All Your
Leasing Professionals!
By Douglas D. Chasick
CPM, CAPS, CAS
It's about human nature - if you
hire someone to fill a position called
non-residents! (And what's the deal
with these leasing commissions - you
hire someone to lease, pay them a
salary, and then give them a bonus
when they do what you hired them to
do? I guess you also hire maintenance
employees, pay them a salary, and pay
them a bonus every time they complete a service request, right? Of
course not! Implement an incentive/
bonus plan that rewards everyone
equally and watch your NOI grow!)
Try it - it works!
management
P
R
spOtlight
Pamela Shubert
Vice President of Property Management
Dominium Management Services, Inc.
Located in: Minneapolis, MN
Responsible for: Approx. 5,000 Apartment Homes
Years in the Apartment Industry: 17
What does it take to be the best?
Dedication and a passion for what you believe in, and
what you are doing.
What performance tip or suggestion would you offer
to someone who's just starting out in your field of
expertise?
Don't be afraid to take a step back or a lateral move if it
will give you exposure and experience in another
market or different product type, with a new housing
program or a new company. This industry is everchanging; and you have to be open to new ideas, new
technology, and new ways of thinking, or you’ll find
yourself left behind or “in a rut.”
What is your favorite idea, tool, tip, or technique?
It’s a tried-and-true favorite: microwave popcorn!
Among its many flexible uses are:
· Outreach: print labels in your office to place on individually wrapped packs to read "Just popping by to let you
know about the best apartment living in town!"
· Resident appreciation: include a free video rental
coupon with a couple of bags of popcorn and a note or
label that reads "Just popping in to let you know we
appreciate you! Enjoy a movie and popcorn in the
comfort of your own apartment home - compliments
of our staff!”
· Renewal: it’s a great renewal reminder when you
include an invitation to a renewal movie night in your
clubhouse, or to “pop in” to the office to sign a new lease.
· Chocolate bars, bottled water, etc. are equally flexible
with a good dose of imagination, a color printer, and
lots of labels. There’s no end to how you can personalize your message!
5
management
Resident Service:
Service
Setting a New
Standard
By Tami Siewruk
Ask any number of multifamily housing professionals
about the importance of resident service, and you will
receive the nearly unanimous response: good resident service is critical to our
success. It seems that there is
little or no argument on this
point; and neither is there any
shortage of information or
opinions on the topic. It's
addressed in virtually every
industry publication you
read or at every industry conference you might attend.
It's not only our industry's executives and managers
who are getting an earful. Good resident service is typically preached to front-line, on-site staff in training session
after training session, backed up by such scary statistics as
these:
· 69% of residents leave their community for peoplebased reasons.
· A dissatisfied resident tells 13-16 people about his or
her experience.
It would stand to reason that with all the emphasis
placed on it, excellent service would be the rule in our
industry. To the contrary, poor resident service continues
to be a consistent problem. If you doubt this, try asking a
focus group of residents for examples of good and bad
service. You will probably find that they can recall two or
three examples of bad service for every one example of
good service. Of course, this could be due to negative
experiences causing stronger, more memorable emotions
than positive experiences; but that's not really much of a
consolation. Let's face facts. Perception is reality when it
comes to resident satisfaction.
Who's to Blame?
Front-line staffs are usually the ones who take the heat for
providing poor resident service, since they are the ones
who actually interface with the residents. In meetings, it
is not uncommon to hear multi-site managers or vice
presidents lament, "What's happened to our staff these
6 Multifamilypro
days…can't they think for themselves?" or "You just can't find
good people any more."
Certainly, front-line staff can be at fault for resident
dissatisfaction. Some employees respond to residents in a
programmed manner, showing no real emotion or interest;
go through the motions of the job, doing absolutely no
more than what's required; or some won't even do that
much. Though front-line indifference might seem to be
the cause of a problem, sometimes the root cause of resident issues can be traced to higher levels of the company's hierarchy. This is especially common in companies where mergers, takeovers, and redundancies have
eaten away at the corporate culture, causing values and
objectives (like providing superior service) that may have
once driven the organization, to become diluted. When
this occurs, team members at all levels can cease to identify with the company's aims and begin looking out for
themselves.
This possibility might not be openly acknowledged
among employees, but when it happens, it's usually all
too evident in office politics, finger pointing, and the
withholding of information. In this kind of a corporate
culture, it can be downright risky to put resident service
first. We know from experience that a multi-site manager
who wants her on-site teams to provide truly excellent
service must empower them to make decisions on the fly,
even if it means making exceptions. When a company
values "playing by the rules" more than service, the manager who values her job will "play by the rules," even if
it means giving sub-standard resident service. The
rationale is that a dissatisfied resident is better than a dissatisfied boss, and taking care of the resident becomes
secondary to taking care of oneself.
Employees on the front lines quickly get this message from the behaviors and attitudes of their superiors,
and they pass it along to residents: taking care of you is
secondary to taking care of me.
Changing the Mindset
Conveying this message to your residents is nothing less
than disastrous. It's the exact opposite of excellent service.
To truly serve another person, you must put his or her
needs before your own, albeit for a limited period of time.
This is already difficult enough for our front-line teams to
accomplish because our society trains us to be assertive
and aggressive in getting what we want rather than putting others first. It's virtually impossible for your team to
overcome the natural impulse to self-preserve in a corporate culture that has embraced the "me-first" mindset.
To really provide excellent resident service, we have
to learn to think differently. It's not enough to just parrot
the company's commitment to service or to train on-site
teams to "handle" residents. The task is twofold: to teach
a service mindset where resident's needs are put first, and
to lead by example. From the top down, your company
must be one that believes in and demonstrates compassion, discipline, and self-awareness through personal and
professional development. Armed with these tools, frontline employees must be empowered to serve residents,
and be held accountable for doing so. Most importantly,
this new mindset must be cultivated, monitored, and managed at all levels of the company.
Not Easy, But Worthwhile
Reculturing a company to have a service mindset is not an
easy task. It takes courage, commitment, and just plain hard
work. It may meet with resistance from those who are
deeply entrenched in the "look out for number one" mode
and are hesitant to take responsibility for providing excellent
service; but with time and effort, you can shift your company from a me-first to a resident-first perspective.
If you do, the rewards will be great. With so many
communities offering nearly identical accommodations,
amenities, and rates, resident service is fast becoming the
main competitive advantage. By training your organization to put resident needs first, you can offer the kind of
unparalleled service that will both attract and retain!
management
Service Service Service Service
Where do I
begin?
1. Conduct an audit. Identify areas of service strengths and
weaknesses, and examine the implications of shortfalls in
service standards. Also, test out the climate for change.
Evaluate how it will be received, and who will support it,
oppose it, or sit on the fence. Identify the issues and concerns
of the on-site teams and look for ways to address them.
2. Develop a resident service strategy. Use market
research to determine what each community should be
offering its residents. Conduct a competitor analysis, analyze trends, and review past and present images of the
community as perceived by residents. Consider the opportunities, and consider how each community can best be
positioned to take advantage of them.
3. Train for service. Review existing processes, procedures, skill sets, and levels of team accountability, then
develop a training and communication program that's based
on resident service. Promote the communities as champions
of resident service to both the on-site team and the residents, and keep your on-site teams informed of progress on
the new initiative. Be sure that training encompasses the
higher levels of the company as well. Multi-site managers,
in particular, will need to model the behaviors they wish to
cultivate in their on-site teams.
4. Provide ongoing support. To keep the new initiative
from becoming simply the "flavor of the month," build in
a system of rewards to reinforce new behavior. Plan for
and monitor gradual, sustained improvements over a twoto three-year period. This will ensure that the new service
ethic, culture, and skills become fully integrated.
5. Review hiring and recruiting practices. Be sure that
HR understands the new service ethic and is hiring
accordingly. It is easier to recruit employees who already
have an aptitude for resident service than to "reculture"
those who don't.
7
management
The ABCs
of Ancillary Income
By Shawna Brynildssen
So you've trimmed your operating costs to the bare
bones. You've raised rents as high as you dare. You've done
everything you can think of to lease those vacants. Now
what do you do if your bottom line still needs a boost?
Maybe it's time to pay more attention to non-rent income.
You may be surprised at the amount of extra revenue you
can generate and at some of the clever ways you can go
about it. To get you started, we've put together a list of
ideas, from A to Z!
a
Appliance rental. Does your community have
washer/dryer hookups? If so, why not rent the washers and
dryers themselves for a monthly fee? Many apartment residents would love the convenience of having these appliances in their apartment, but aren't willing to purchase
them. According to Cathy LaPrade, H.H. Hunt Property
Management rents its residents washers and dryers for $35
per month. The cost to the company is only $18 per month.
You can also rent smaller appliances, like vacuum cleaners,
microwave ovens, and televisions. Ambling Management
Company, of Kent, Ohio, allows its residents to rent
vacuum cleaners for a $5 fee.
Ads. Sell advertising space in your resident newsletter or
community intranet to local restaurants and merchants.
Many of them may be happy to pay reasonable rates for
such geographically targeted coverage. You might also
consider selling wall space in your laundry rooms to local
advertisers.
b
Boat Parking. Faye Morgan, of Benchmark
Management, shared this great idea with us. One of her
properties had a large, unused area where grass didn't grow
well, so the quick-thinking management decided to turn a
problem area into an opportunity for revenue! They filled
the area with white rock, and designated it as a "recreational
vehicle parking lot." For $20 per month, residents can park
their boats, trailers, campers, jet skies, and so forth. Faye
reports that the parking area currently brings in between
$160 and $220 each month.
c
also be marketed to residents who are having guests from
out of town.
d
DVD and Video Rentals. You can
either maintain your own library, or contract with one of
the several vendors who specialize in this amenity. Don't
forget to establish a late fee policy to maximize earnings!
resources
Woodland Entertainment - www.woodlandent.com
call: 800-875-3797
Amenity Services - Movies & Games www.moviesngames.us or call: 850-654-9889
Video Rental Services - www.videorentalservices.com
call: 800-475-5184
e
Equipment Rental. Think of things your
residents might do periodically, but not often enough that
they want to maintain their own equipment for; then put
together rental packages to provide that equipment. For
example, if outdoor recreation is big among your residents,
consider renting sports and/or game equipment (i.e. hiking
gear, camping gear, tennis racquets and balls, lawn game
sets, etc.). Other kinds of "equipment packages" you might
consider renting could include car-washing equipment
(vacuum with attachments, bucket, hose, sponges, chamois),
cleaning equipment (vacuum cleaner, broom, mop, feather
dusters, cleaning supplies, and rags), or barbecue equipment (grill, utensils, etc.).
f
Furniture. Furniture rental can be especially lucrative, because it can pay twice. That is, you typically get a
commission from the furniture rental company in addition
to the rental income you make from the resident.
resources
Aaron Rents - www.aaronrents.com
Swingles Furniture Rental - www.swingles.com
call: 1-888-SWINGLES
Cort Furniture Rental - www.cort1.com
call: 1-888-669-CORT
Brook Furniture Rental - www.bfr.com
call: 1-800-933-RENT
g
Garages. Garage or carport space is usually
an easy sell, even at high prices, and especially in regions
that get lots of ice and snow in the winter. Monthly fees of
$100 and more are not uncommon.
Cleaning. Use your housekeeping staff to
boost your bottom line! Offer your residents fee-based
cleaning services.
Guest Amenity Passes. Charge residents a
small fee for a pass that allows their guests access to the
property's amenities (like the pool, tennis court, or the fitness center). Fees might range from $5-$10 for a weeklong
pass to $3-$5 for a day pass.
Corporate Suites. Many properties maintain fully
furnished apartments that can be rented by the day for anywhere from $50 to $100. These can be marketed to local
employers, who may need them for out-of-town employees
who need to be on-site for several days or weeks. They can
High-Speed Internet. Dial-up is
quickly becoming a thing of the past, and residents are
willing to pay extra for the convenience of a high-speed
connection.
8 Multifamilypro
h
resources
Tut Systems, Inc. - www.tutsys.com
Roadrunner by Time Warner - www.roadrunner.com
j
Jukebox. Put one in your clubhouse, with speakers
both inside and outside, around your pool area. Fill it with
good music, and let residents drop quarters in to listen to
their favorites.
resources
Check out the next generation in jukebox - el dj (extra
large digital jukebox) - www.eldj.com.
k
l
Kiosks. Do you have lots of unused space in
your lobby or other common area? Why not install a kiosk,
similar to those found in hotel lobbies? Rent the space to a
vendor, like a newsstand, coffee shop, pastry cart, etc.
Location. A number of the folks we surveyed
charge extra for more desirable apartments, including those
close to the pool or with especially good views. For
example, Brookwood Apartments, of Archdale, North
Carolina, charges an additional $20 per month for units
with a poolside view.
Labor. Let residents "lease" one of your maintenance
techs for an hour or so, to help with minor household work
like hanging pictures, moving furniture, or wiring the electronic equipment.
m
Mortgage Verification. According to
Claire Moyers, there is ancillary income to be made even
from those residents who leave us to buy homes. Her company, Focus Management, charges a $100 fee for mortgage
verification. Claire says that residents are notified about
the fee up front, in a lease addendum. She also notes that
most residents don't complain, because their mortgage
companies usually pay the fee.
Meeting Facility Rentals. Does your property
have a good meeting facility? Does it often sit empty? If so,
open it up to local groups who need a place to gather.
Check rental prices for comparable spaces in your area to
determine how much to charge.
n
Non-refundable Deposits and
Fees. Non-refundable pet deposits have been in use for
a long time. Now properties are discovering that the concept can be used in other ways as well. For example,
Brookwood Apartments charges a $100 non-refundable
amenities fee. Brookwood's Property Manager, Nahla
Somogyi, says that selling the fee to residents was challenging at first, but her staff eventually found the right
o
Office Services. Charge residents a small
fee for using your fax and your copier. You might also keep
a stash of office supplies, like large mailing envelopes,
copier paper, stamps, and whatnot, to sell. While this won't
generate tons of revenue, it is a nice extra!
resource
Buy stamps online! www.usps.com
management
i
Increased Fees. Take a look at what you are
currently charging for applications, late rent, bad checks,
etc., and see if you can raise them by a few dollars. It may
not sound like much, but it adds up!
approach. The fee currently generates around $1,000
income per month, making it well worth the extra trouble!
p
Pets. By now, everyone should be aware of the
income-generating potential of critters…but just to recap:
Nonrefundable pet deposits and monthly pet fees can add
up to serious extra income. In addition, some communities
now offer pet care services, like feeding and walking,
which are billed on a per-day basis.
resource
If you accept pets, become a People With Pets
Community - www.peoplewithpets.com
Plant Care. Some of the same communities offering
pet care are also offering plant care. For around $5 per day,
residents can have their houseplants and flowers tended to
while they are away.
Poolside Service. Earn extra points and cash by
making your residents feel like they're at a resort. Have a
poolside stand that provides beverages, snacks, tanning
lotion, towels, floaties, etc., for a fee.
q
r
Quick Stop Market. Joanie Milar, of
Flournoy Properties, says some of her properties maintain
their own mini-convenience stores, selling sundries and
snacks during regular business hours.
Relocation Services. The average new resident
has to conduct a large number of business transactions
during the move-in process (set up phone, cable, utilities,
renters insurance, etc.). You can make life easier for them
and generate extra income by offering to handle the various
relocation transactions for a fee. While you're at it, how
about offering other move-in assistance such as providing
packing supplies or arranging for moving trucks or vans.
resource
Become a MoveForFree.com Property - now serving
the major Texas markets, and growing fast:
http://management.moveforfree.com/
Referrals. Squeeze some extra income out of residents
you lose to home ownership! Establish a program with
local builders and/or realtors, under which your community gets a referral fee for any business you send to them.
s
Storage. One of the well-known drawbacks
to apartment living is the lack of storage space which is
why many residents are quite willing to pay for any extra
9
management
storage you can offer them. Look for areas of your property
that are currently unused, and convert them into storage.
The monthly rate you can charge will depend largely on the
size of the storage space you are offering; rates between $1
and $2.50 per square foot are not uncommon.
resource
The Noble Locker Company:
http://www.thenoble-locker.com/condo_locker.htm
or call: 1-800-209-8798
y
Yard Sale. We're all familiar with "leftovers"
- those odds and ends residents leave behind when they
move out. Sure, sometimes it's just junk. But one man's
trash is another man's treasure. Store anything that might
be worth selling, and have a big community yard sale once
each year. You can make your sale pay off even more by
allowing residents to purchase "booth" space and sell their
own items.
z
Satellite TV. You can structure this as either a monthly
fee, included with the rent, or as an up-front fee, built into
the move-in costs.
resource
DirecTV® for your property call:1-800-383-4388
t
Trash Pick-up. A number of companies are
currently charging for door-to-door trash pickup. Fee structures vary, with some companies charging by the bag ($5)
and others charging a flat monthly fee ($10 to $15).
Tanning. Add a tanning bed to your fitness center, and
charge between $2 and $5 for a half-hour session.
u
Upgrades. Offer minor apartment upgrades, such
as a repaint, a carpet cleaning, a ceiling fan or lighting
upgrade, etc., for a fixed fee. This kills two birds with one
stone, allowing you to maintain and add value to the property while generating income at the same time!
v
Vendors. There are a number of vendors you
can partner with, such as coin-operated laundry machines,
soft drink and snack machines, prepaid phone card
machines, etc. Depending on the vendor, you may either
lease space for the machines for a flat fee or receive a portion of the income generated by the machine. Either way,
don't miss these opportunities to both serve your residents
and enhance your revenue. Gerry Hunt, of Paragon
Properties, says that leasing space in each building to a
laundry vendor generates more than $255,000 in ancillary
income per year.
w
Water. Submetering may still be a dirty word
with residents, but its benefit to property owners is undeniable. Jennifer Stull, of RAM Realty Service, says that her
properties are able to recover around 85% of their water
costs through submetering.
x
X-tra Services. When you put yourself in
a service mindset, there's almost no limit to the number of
extras you can offer your residents. Think five-star hotel
concierge - and then start creating a menu of fee-based
services. They might include making restaurant reservations, ordering tickets to events, picking up or dropping off
dry cleaning and groceries, arranging for transportation to
and from the airport, and so forth.
10 Multifamilypro
Zero In On Your Resident’s Needs.
This list is by no means comprehensive. When it comes to
finding new ways to generate ancillary income, you are
limited only by your imagination. And the best way to
unleash your imagination is to look at the world through
your residents' eyes. Try to understand their lifestyles and
their needs. Then look for ways to meet those needs, for a
small fee!
resource
Measure resident satisfaction (and find out what your
residents want and need) www.satisfacts.net call:1-866655-1490
Visit us online to learn about hundreds of additional
product and service providers that can help you put these
great ideas into action, visit the Marketplace Resources
section of www.Multifamilypro.com!
For more great management ideas, visit our
website at www.Multifamilypro.com. The
items listed below are available in our
“PRO” area under Management.
Click on Reports and Forms for:
Unit Inventory (in MS Excel)
Section 8 Application Log (in MS Excel)
CSF Sheet for Managers (in MS Excel)
Occupancy Projection Report (in MS Excel)
Rent Adjustment Worksheet (in MS Excel)
Rent Concession Agreement (in MS Word)
Here's a great tip
quick tip
from Lee at Century
Court Apartments.
Add chairs and a stocked bookshelf to create a
comfortable "library" in your laundry center.
At cost of only around $100, Lee increased
use of the community's laundry facility, and
corresponding revenue, by 20%.
Marketing Ideas From Across America
Marketing Binder
Closing Strategy
marketing
By Alice Eason
This isn't a new idea, but it works.
Each leasing office shops their competition and collects all of the collateral
they use to sell their product - everything - brochures, floor plans, sitemaps, flyers, coupons, specials and
vendor information, etc. They must
also take photographs of their competitors' marketing window and curb
appeal. Create a binder that's divided
into 5 or 6 sections. The first section
will be their own community, and each
competing community has a section
thereafter. Add a section for Chamber
of Commerce info, photographs, and
community activities. An area advantage map is also a great asset. Current
market surveys are essential, including
accurate prices and specials. Make
sure that all information is updated
monthly and prices weekly.
The binder cover can be very creative - I've even seen some that look
scrapbooks! We’ve had Marketing
Binder Contests to choose the best
one, with first, second, and third place
prizes awarded, with managers and
leasing professionals as judges.
This Binder is used as a final
closing tool. At the end of a tour, if the
leasing professional has not yet closed,
he/she will ask, "Which properties do
you plan to visit?" When the future
resident responds, the leasing professional can answer with, "Oh, I have
their brochure right here! Let me share
it with you." Use this actively to outshine your competition and show that
you have the information that they
need, from who does or doesn't allow
pets to which floor plans are smaller,
and more. It's a great closing strategy!
12 Multifamilypro
The Virtual Marketing
Manager
By Esther Bonardi-Basden
With 120 properties and a small
marketing department, it is difficult to
provide adequate marketing support to
all people at all times. With the help of
our staff web developer, we have created an online marketing department
that any on-site person can access
24/7. We began with a customer care
program featuring monthly resident
retentions that the team can choose
from. Once they have chosen a resident
event, they can download the newsletter
article and flyer to customize and implement. Flyers and ads can also be found
online - again, completely ready to customize and print. Next, we will be
adding a graphics library to help them
create their own flyers! We've received
great feedback from our sites, as we
have helped them to help themselves.
National Make a
Difference Day
By Brenda Coons
The fourth Saturday of October is
National Make a Difference Day. We
participated by partnering with Fox
Network to help Gleaners Food Bank
host a curbside food drive. Residents
were able to place a card on their door
for staff to pick up food contributions
door to door. Fox was at the site for
two hours with five live broadcasts.
We generated over one ton of food,
along with some local live television
and radio, and press in three publications - all free! The event was promoted with t-shirts, bandit signs, and
banners. Along with the positive PR
came five rentals in two weeks (who
mentioned the drive by and media).
National Make a Difference Day http://www.usaweekend.com/diffday/
Banner Library
By Karen Mordue
We bought a dozen banners featuring key marketing phrases, and split
the cost among all 36 of our properties. Communities "sign out" the banners for up to two weeks, and can
renew for up to two more weeks as
needed. banners are stored at the
regional office. Communities bring
banners back to the regional office as
soon as they're done with them, so
there's always a central "library."
Because communities use banners for
only the time needed, this saves the
cost of buying a banner that one of our
communities may only use for a short
time. Because there are a lot of phrases
to choose from, the advertising message to the prospect is always fresh.
All banners are on a yellow background with red letters, featuring key
messages such as: "Supersize Your
Lifestyle!” “Spectacular Savings!” “Huge
Floorplans!” “Fantastic Savings,” and
“Immediate Move-Ins!” We paid around
$170 per 3'x15', high-quality banner
(make sure they're made to last).
To start your own library, you'll
need a flyer to announce the library to
the communities, and a system whereby
you can send monthly emails to let
everyone know what's "due" and what's
"in stock" in the banner library.
Web Based Follow-Up
By Kris Wegener
We implemented a program to
ensure quality follow-up on all traffic
(phone, Internet, in-person) through
email. The email is property specific.
The program includes "check boxes" to
select according to what was discussed
with the future resident (i.e. golf,
schools, etc.) The last box allows the
leasing professional to personalize the
email. When the future resident receives
and opens the email message, the first
thing he or she sees is a community or
was: "On the first day of Christmas,
Wynslow Park gave to me, two shiny
keys to a great new apartment in a brand
new community!"
Post-it Notes
A few years ago, I heard an idea at
Brainstorming about how to get your
foot in the door of an HR director's
By Lisa McLeod
Through Printgrafix, we had
post-it notes pre-printed advertising our community. They're
easy to work with for outreach
marketing, and you can stick them
everywhere - cars, restroom stalls,
ATMs, books, magazines, bulletin
boards, local merchants, etc.
Outreach With a
Caffeine Kick
By Tandi Tucker Toni
Outside Marketing:
Merchant Trade-outs
By Marie Madden
Holiday Song Fax
By Michelle Simon
We rewrote a familiar song, The
Twelve Days of Christmas, and made it
related to a brand new community, then
sent one new stanza per day via broadcast fax to local realtors, locators, and
employers' HR Departments. We printed
the fax sheet on holiday paper to add to
the festive holiday theme. I included the
amenities and features of the community
in the song. For example, the first verse
We have all of our properties email
their awesome marketing flyers, resident programs or marketing action
plans; then select a winner in each category and award cash prizes.
We supply company logos' and fair
housing logos to include on flyers.
Every entry is emailed back out to the
properties so they can receive
awesome ideas throughout
the month. The result: a
great store of flyers that we
can all share. The cost: nada!
Something to
Cheer About
Printgrafix Post-It-Notes
http://www.printgrafix.com/
apartmenttools.html
Have your best salesperson visit
local merchants (Wal-Mart, Staples,
etc.) with special flyers for each merchant that includes their logo. The
flyers should read: "bring this flyer
and lease an apartment to receive a
$100 gift certificate" from the merchant (which the apartment community buys).
We tried this idea, and not only
did it increase traffic tremendously,
but lots of other communities wanted
to know how we did it!
Marketing
Brainstorm Contest
marketing
lifestyle picture. The message also
includes web links to specific items of
interest that are created according to
which box(es) the leasing professional
checked following the inquiry. The
result: consistent follow-up, company
wide.
office at a large company, and we
implemented it with great success! We
visited a large company several days
in a row, at the same time each day,
with a delivery of steaming Starbuck's
coffee and lemon iced pound cake for
the HR department. On the 4th or 5th
day, the whole department was waiting
for their goodies, and to find out who
they were from and why. Try it! For
only $50-100, you too can create the
perfect opportunity to give a quick
presentation!
Piggyback Ideas:
· You could leave clues each day, such
as a puzzle piece.
· You could send a box with a lock on
it that reads: "Don't open until
Thursday." On Thursday you deliver
the key to unlock the gift inside.
· You could leave a note on the locked
box that reads: "If you give us 10
minutes of your time we'll bring you
the key."
The new community
across the street had
washer and dryer connections; but we had washers
and dryers. So, during it's
lease-up, we purchased
vending-size boxes of
Cheer laundry detergent,
added business cards for our community (without a name or title), and the
message: "We have something to
CHEER about… washers and dryers in
every home!" We handed them out to
every prospect, whether they toured
the community or not. The first week
of the new community's lease-up, we
earned 4 new leases, then 1 to 2 each
week thereafter, until the soap boxes
are all gone!
School Supply Baskets
In today's economy, elementary
school teachers are constantly in need
of school supplies. However, funding
is very tight, so they tend to rely on
donations from parents, etc. One great
way to market to teachers and create
positive word of mouth is to create
school supply baskets to be delivered
to area schools. Here's how:
· Contact your local schools and find
out what items are needed. Purchase
baskets from your local craft store
13
marketing
and fill them with the needed
items. Be sure to label each item
with your property's custom labels,
include a flyer with current pricing, etc
and community brochures, then top the
whole thing off with clear wrap and a
bow, gift-basket style. You can create a
really impressive gift for only around
$25 per basket!
· Deliver the basket to the School's
Principal, so that the items can be
divided as needed.
Benefits include referrals and/or
leases from teachers, positive "community service," possibly press for
your community, and enhanced
name/ brand recognition! In fact, you
can tie this program up nicely by
offering a huge, $100 basket filled
with supplies (enough to last all year)
to the teacher who refers the most
friends who move-in!
14 Multifamilypro
Pick of the Week
By Lori Snider
In an effort to help inspire creativity and make marketing less
"thought consuming" for on-site personnel, each community was encouraged to enter one creative idea per
week that they were implementing at
their communities. The most creative
or "marketing smart" idea won a
prize, and the idea was shared with
the rest of the portfolio. Business
managers and leasing directors loved
the program, as it provided them with
easy, quick, ready-to-implement marketing ideas. Our portfolio implemented a number of creative campaigns that included a wide range of
marketing strategies, from "Burger
Madness Monday" (free burgers to all
residents and clients each Monday) to
a "What's a Movie Without Popcorn?"
campaign that provided a free bag
of popcorn and two cokes to every
resident that checked out a movie
from our video library during a specific time period. At a cost of only
$50-75 per week for prizes, we were
able to reward creativity while providing fresh marketing strategies to
the whole portfolio.
Free Gas
By Tamara Fleckenstine
With gas prices going up again,
why not try offering free gas instead
of matching or beating the competitions' free rent offers? Begin by
approaching gas stations in your area,
and be sure to discuss joint advertising (i.e., ads at the pump that read:
"If you lived at ABC Apartments,
your gas would be free right now!").
P
R
spOtlight
Located in: Atlanta, GA
I have been so fortunate throughout my career to be
surrounded by "the best!" This applies to the people I
have worked with, the properties I have worked on to
lease and promote, and the companies that have
employed me. The consistent characteristic I see in
the industry's best is their quest for continuous and
never ending improvement. This is the fuel for innovation and expertise.
Being a student of what you do for a living
means you are always discovering new ideas and
information. I am so motivated by discovering new
theories, and there is much to be found outside our
industry. The best people and companies seem to
know this and have the ability to look outside the
window and find the learning opportunities.
What performance tip or suggestion would you
offer to someone who's just starting out in your
field of expertise?
My advice is to be brilliant at what you have been
hired to do. It seems like a statement that is almost too
simplistic, but I have to say, I meet people all the time
who tell me they want to be a director, vice president,
consultant, speaker and so on. However, they are not
focused on being a great leasing professional or whatever their current position might be. Some of the best
people in our industry are professionals who started
out in entry level positions such as leasing professional or even housekeeper. Now, these people are
running management companies and developing
apartment communities. Just look at Joy Anzalone
with Consolidated Management. She is one of my
heroes.
Next, every person you meet will have something to teach you. Always look for the lesson.
Sometimes, it may not be clear for weeks or months.
I remember back to a situation that I encountered as
marketing
Kate Good
Marketing Solutions Expert,
Professional Speaker & Chief Cyber Shopper
Net Mystery Shopper
a leasing professional. I did not agree with the way a member
of the management staff had reacted to a problem. I was
taught a valuable lesson by my supervisor at the time, Glenn
Rand, who told me that I may not be able to do much about
this now, but I should remember the experience for when I
become the manager. Glenn not only gave me a great
example of what it means to be a continuous student, but he
also showed me that he believed in my ability to grow with
the company. And I did!
Next, set goals. This is not just for rah rah seminars!
They really work. During the first few weeks of my career in
the apartment industry, I was asked to attend a full week of
leasing training. Josie Tinker was the educator who put us all
through a series of goal writing exercises. One of the goals
we wrote was to decide where we saw ourselves in 3-5 years.
We learned that setting a goal means that it should be measurable and have a specific deadline. I really looked up to
Josie and decided I wanted to be a training director so my
goal was just that and my deadline was June 10, 1992. On
Friday, June 12, 1992, the President of my company, Bruce
Webster, called me into his office and offered me a promotion from training coordinator to director. I accepted the position but pointed out that he was two days late! You can see
why I think goal setting is important for all careers, projects
and plans.
My favorite idea is always the one I just thought about! As I
said, I am motivated by discovering something so when a
new idea pops in my head, I can't wait to get rolling with it.
By the time that idea becomes a plan of action it is typically
transformed so that it works. So, don't be afraid of your wild
ideas, they are destined to be the best use of your time.
My favorite tool is the Internet, what did we ever do
without the world at our fingertips?
My favorite marketing tip is to subscribe to dozens of
publications for industries other than the apartment business.
You will find they are rich with great marketing ideas that we
can apply to what we do everyday.
For more great marketing ideas, visit our
website at www.Multifamilypro.com. The
items listed below are available in our
"PRO" area under Marketing.
Click on Click Tips, Tools, and Techniques for:
Community Marketing Analysis (Word document)
You Never Know Who's Watching, by Lisa Trosien
Occupancy Projection Report (Excel Spreadsheet)
Click on Community Outreach, Marketing Calls & Referrals for:
The Art of Outreach
Check Out Our Perks Corporate Leasing Outreach
(Adobe Acrobat)
Getting Your Foot in the Door
Complete Market Saturation! Flyer Mania!
15
experience has proven that available apartments that
are mini-models lease faster and with less resistance.
marketing
How do you accessorize a Mini-Model?
Mini-Models:
Making Your Focus
Units Look Lik e Home
by Rick Ellis, CPM
What is a Mini-Model?
A mini-model is an accessorized, vacant, and available
"market-ready" apartment. Normally, the kitchen and
bathroom(s) are "lightly" accessorized with everyday
items found in any typical occupied apartment home. As
the mini-model is leased, the accessories are moved to
another available unit.
Why use Mini-Models?
Although a complete model apartment might be available,
a mini-model gives the rental prospect a more desirable perception of the actual available apartment. A properly accessorized mini-model gives each vacancy personality and creates a homey and comfortable feeling. Most importantly,
Mini-Model
Shopping List
Accessorizing Your Focus Units
Accessorizing a focus or "show"
unit can cost from $20 to $200 per
apartment home. Below is an extensive mini-model shopping list to aid
in collecting the proper accessories.
Note that many of these items can be
bought at a garage sale or may be sitting around someone's apartment
right now, gathering dust. Be creative in "securing" these items, but
make sure all accessories are desirable and classy in their appearance
16 Multifamilypro
A mini-model is accessorized or "furnished" with
everyday household items, such as towels, canisters,
small rugs, etc., but no furniture. Most items can be
purchased at a discount store, such as K-Mart,
Target, or Wal-Mart. The accessories can be packed
into a large clothing basket or duffle bag and easily
moved from vacancy to vacancy. Use the minimodel concept along with your "tent cards" ("talking
apartment" cards or "thought clouds") and other
focus unit enhancers. A more elaborate mini-model
can actually serve as a temporary model, if necessary. It is ideal to keep these accessories as light and
mobile as possible. Make sure that your accessories are
bright and colorful, but blend with the color scheme of
the focus unit apartment.
Recommended Mini-Model Accessories
Front Door/Entrance
Welcome mat and an appropriate front door decoration,
such as a wreath or "Welcome Home" sign. First impressions are lasting impressions.
Entry Closet
Bright, colorful plastic hangers with rainbow ribbons and
a large, easily readable sign that reads: "Hang around!
You'll love it here!"
Kitchen
Hang colorful kitchen towels from the oven and refrigerator
handles. Place a matching canister set on the kitchen counter,
along with a spoon rest and an attractive spice rack. Place a
teakettle and a ceramic utensil holder with brightly colored
utensils on the stovetop. Bright refrigerator magnets also
and would be something you would
not mind having in your home. The
asterisk denotes the mini-model
"musts."
Front Door/Entrance
Outside Welcome Mat*
Door Wreath
Door Welcome Sign
Entry Closet
Colorful Plastic Hangers With
Ribbons
Kitchen
Kitchen Towels*
Canister Set*
Spoon Rest*
Spice Rack
Tea Kettle
Utensil Holder*
Assortment of Colorful Utensils*
Refrigerator Magnets
Recipe Book
Recipe Book Holder
Cutting Board
Colorful Dish Rack
Kitchen Rug
Wine & Wine Rack
create that homey feeling. Other kitchen accessories to
consider include:
Create Mini-Model themes such as this "Enchanted
Evening" idea! In the middle of the living room, place a
small round table (like a lamp table or pitcher holder)
with a clean white tablecloth. On the tablecloth, place a
bottle of champagne with two wine glasses and some
color, such as flowers, ribbon, or confetti. The tent card
simply reads: "Congratulations . . . You Made the Right
Decision!"
◗ Recipe book and book holder
◗ Cutting board with a loaf of bread (plastic)
◗ Colorful dish rack in the sink
◗ Tent card in the refrigerator that reads: "Our apartments
are hot deals, but our refrigerators are cool!"
◗ An appropriate kitchen rug by the sink
◗ Artificial or plastic food: fruit bowl, cheese, vegetables, etc.
◗ Bottle or two of wine and a small wine rack
resources
Artificial Food for Display: www.artificialfood.com
“Thought” Tent Cards: www.Multifamilypro.com
Bathroom(s)
Start with a bright shower curtain and matching towels on
all towel racks. A small bathroom rug that blends with the
other items further enhances the bathroom. On the counter,
have a colorful soap dish with soap and a toothbrush holder
and two colorful toothbrushes. Top this all off with a colorful clothes hamper, if room permits. A colorful tissue box
holder can be placed on the commode tank. If there is a
vanity area in the bathroom or just outside the bathroom,
set up a makeup mirror, brushes and combs, and an assortment of cologne and/or perfume bottles.
marketing
Rick Ellis, CPM, has been successfully
involved in the management and operation
of apartments and other residential rental
real estate since 1980, handling a portfolio
as large as 6,000 units in four major markets. He is a sought after speaker, recognized as an
industry expert in apartment marketing, property positioning, and evaluation of rental markets and sub-markets
throughout the country; and his consulting clients include
management companies nationwide. For more information, visit Ellis Property Management Services, AMO
online at www.epmsonline.com, or call 972-256-3767.
Utility Room
If the apartment has a utility area or room with washer/
dryer connections or a washer/dryer included, place a
large box of Cheer laundry detergent and fabric softener
on the shelf and a colorful plastic clothes' basket on the
floor, filled with colorful towels. The message is
obvious... "We're some place to CHEER about!"
"All Out" Mini-Model
Take the mini-model concept one step further by adding
this final touch:
Bathroom(s)
Utility Room
Shower Curtain*
Towels & Wash Cloths*
Bathroom Rug*
Soap and Soap Dish*
Toothbrush Holder
Toothbrushes
Clothes Hamper
Decorative Tissue Box*
Candles
Laundry Detergent Box
Fabric Softener Box/Bottle
Clothes Basket filled with towels
Vanity Area
Make-Up Mirror
Brush & Comb
Cologne & Perfume Bottles
"All Out" Mini-Model
Champagne
Wine Glasses
Small Round Table
White Tablecloth
Confetti
Ribbon
Flowers
Candles
Quality Counts!
Look for high quality accessories
that make the right statement to your
VIP's - Very Important Prospects. It
is better to spend more money on
fewer items rather than fill the minimodels with tacky knick-knacks
from the Dollar Store...although you
can find some good accessories even
at the Dollar Store!
17
Mapping the Moments:
Using the Accelerated Learning Map
training
By Sharon Bowman
Overview
Step Four: Celebrating Success (Performance)
The accelerated learning "map" is a four-step learning
and teaching model that helps people learn better and
remember more. It is based on the best of brain research,
including: Experiential Learning by David Kolb, Human
Brain and Human Learning by Leslie Hart, The
Accelerated Learning Handbook by David Meier, About
Learning by Bernice McCarthy, How To Give It So They
Get It by Sharon Bowman, and on the work of a host of
other educators, trainers, and business people.
Nothing works all the time. But the accelerated
learning map works most of the time for most of your
learners. When you use it to design, develop, and present
your meetings, presentations, and training, you know you
have:
To build real-life commitment and celebration, end your
presentation with an activity in which your participants
make a commitment to use what they've learned and in
which they celebrate their learning.
"On-going learning is given team-based
support," both in and out of the classroom.
-David Meier
A brain-based balance of active and passive ways of
learning.
A learning experience that meets the needs of the four
basic learning styles.
A training that includes all learning modalities:
auditory, visual, kinesthetic.
A learning experience that helps learners not only
hear information, but learn it, remember it and use it
long after the learning session is over.
Step One: Getting Connected (Preparation)
To build a learning community and personal connections
to the topic, begin your presentation with an activity that
connects your participants to each other and to what they
already know about the topic.
This step "awakens the minds and
removes the barriers to learning."
-David Meier
Step Two: Sharing the Wealth (Presentation)
To build knowledge and understanding, as you lecture or
present information, involve your participants by having
them see, say, hear, and do.
"Learners are involved with the contextual learning in multi-sensory ways."
-David Meier
Step Three: Making it Happen (Practice)
Building skills and hands-on practice. Have your participants practice a skill or do a review activity related to
the topic. Learners do hands-on projects, games, and
activities to bring the learning as close to real life as
possible.
18 Multifamilypro
Sharon L. Bowman, M.A., has been
an Author, Teacher, Trainer, and
Consultant for over thirty years. She
works with people who want to finetune their information-giving skills
and companies that want to offer
exceptional staff development programs. She provides staff development and human resource programs
for colleges, school districts, government agencies, and private businesses
across the country.
resource
To contact or order books by Sharon Bowman, including
How to Give it So They Get It, visit www.bowperson.com.
P
R
spOtlight
"Trainer Donna" Olson
National Speaker/Trainer/Consultant
Olson Training & Professional Growth Seminars
Located in: Coppell, Texas
training
As a small girl growing up in a time when diversity was
not so popular, my Grandmother told me I could do anything. My parents told me I could be anything. I believed
them! My motto: "If it has to be it's up to me - attitude
is everything!"
Over the past year I have used the piece below by creating gift bags with the items listed. It puts things in
perspective. It's a great tool to use when your team
needs a little motivation.
Items To Improve Your Life!
1. Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good
qualities in others.
2. Rubber Band - to remind you to be flexible. Things
may not always go the way you want, but it will
work out.
3. Band-Aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings,
yours or someone else's.
4. Pencil - to remind you to list your blessings everyday.
5. Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes,
and it's OK.
6. Chewing Gum - to remind you to stick with it and
you can accomplish anything.
7. Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint.
8. Candy Kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a
kiss and a hug everyday.
9. Tea Bag - to remind you to relax daily and go over
your list of blessings.
10. Ruler - to remind you taking the extra foot or step
can and will get you where you want to be.
19
Workplace Spanish
Language Training
By Ann Smith
training
We implemented a workplace
Spanish class that's available to all our
associates. Here's how:
· Hire an outside instructor from a
community college (people like
to see new faces).
· Plan class time around your teams'
schedules (we settled on half-day
sessions on 2 days per week for
8 weeks).
· Advertise the course
through flyers, emails,
and word-of-mouth
(phone calls).
· Get commitment (we
needed at least 25
attendees in order to
cover the cost of the
instructor).
· Assemble and develop
your supporting materials (emails, flyers,
CDs/cassettes, books,
etc.).
· After running the course, send
follow-up emails in Spanish!
The results were amazing! Our
leasing professionals started making
cards (in Spanish!) with questions to
ask prospective residents immediately
after training. The biggest benefit has
been the new level of communication
among our team members. Estimated
cost: $1,400
Spanish for Gringos (book and
cassettes) by William Harvey, ISBN#
0764173073, around $17 at Amazon.com
Join the Spanish Word Of The Day
email list from About.com:
http://www.spanishdict.com/wod.cfm
Internet Secret Shops
Have your communities professionally Cyber Shopped by the team at Net
Mystery Shopper:
www.netmysteryshopper.com.
manager sends in a leasing mentor
request.
· The leasing mentor makes an introductory phone call, and schedules the first
training session: the new associate's
first two days on the job, which are
spent at the leasing mentor's property.
· Following the first two days of
training, the new associate has a
week to complete market shops, read
their orientation & information
packet, and get to know their community.
· The leasing mentor then spends 1-2
days at the new associate's property,
role-playing, observing, and
helping the new associate
get comfortable.
You'll need training
guides for both your leasing
mentors and new associates.
Our cost is approximately
$50 per new associate
trained, and it works wonderfully!
Leasing Mentors
One-On-One Mentoring
is one of many electronic
training courses available for an
annual subscription fee per property,
from e-Training Solutions, Inc.,
www.e-tsonline.com.
By Crystal Albershardt
Set up an email address and send
an Internet inquiry to 6-8 sites per
week, as though you are the customer.
Reward the first person to respond (I
use a $50 cash reward).
This has increased our Internet
response time by 60%, and it's still
rising!
By Melissa Smith
Our company is relatively small,
and spread out over 12 cities. We were
having trouble getting new associates
trained immediately. We were also
looking for ways to provide professional
development and recognition to our
superstars due to a lack of promotional
opportunities. Our “Leasing Mentor
Program” addressed both issues.
We "promoted" one leasing superstar per city to the position of leasing
mentor, and made them responsible
for training all new associates in their
area. Here's how it works:
· When a new associate is hired, their
20 Multifamilypro
The Closing Game
By Linda Hansen
This is a great way to teach closing
techniques to a class of no more than
12 trainees. Begin by passing out cards
with the name of a particular closing
technique to each person in the class.
Have them take turns explaining their
technique to the entire class and then
using it in a "real world" example. To
make things more fun, allow each
class member to act out a closing technique (without talking) for the rest of
the class to guess. This will help make
the training "stick," and result in a
better understanding of closing techniques and how to use them effectively. Estimated Cost: $2 for cards.
Telephone Techniques
Toy Box
By Michelle Rogers
Many of the above items are available via the Oriental Trading Company,
www.orientaltrading.com.
Lunch & Learn
By Danielle Winchell
Once a month, we get our whole
office staff together for a potluck
“learning lunch” where I present a
new topic each time (i.e. time management; sharing ideas and philosophies from a particular book, like
F.I.S.H. Philosophy; watching an
educational video together, etc.). Not
only are we learning, but the time
together has also made us more conscious of each other’s personalities
and goals, and how to get along.
Custom crossword puzzles are a
fun way to reinforce a training message. Send them out via email or fax as
a post-training reminder, or have a
puzzle contest (first person to send
back a correctly completed puzzle
wins a prize)!
Crossword Weaver Software,
www.crosswordweaver.com, $39.95
(free trial demo).
Ten-Day Training Program
By Sara Warren
Our new leasing and management employees for the first 10 days
on the job:
· Shadow two experienced leasing
professionals.
· Shop the competition, and then discuss
their findings with their supervisor.
· Read our Fair Housing and marketing
manuals, cover to cover.
· Set up their leasing binder (this can
be done with help and guidance from
an experienced team member).
· Observe closely (but do not participate
in) answering the phone and serving
customers, so that they have the
opportunity to get to know the property and the responsibilities of their
new position first, rather than being
"thrown in" to the job.
Use a "Sign-Off" sheet that includes
the items above as they apply to your
company to ensure that these requirements are met before your new
employee officially takes on his or her
new responsibilities.
Seeing is Believing
By Karen Robertson
As a customer service exercise, I
conduct a field trip to a local warehouse store to observe the people who
staff the "free sample" tables. There is
one in particular who stands out. Jacob
wears a chef's hat, decorates his sta-
tion, and puts on a show… all on
his own initiative. He is doing the
same job as his colleagues, but he does
it better, and the difference is obvious.
This is a great way to show my students
exactly what I mean by "exceeding
expectations," and in this case, showing
is a lot more effective than telling!
Try this - it works! Select different
types of stores or facilities for each
quarter; and don't forget to involve
your maintenance teams, too! In addition to places where you can see customer service in action, you should
also choose places where curb appeal
(good and bad) makes a difference.
The "Fish" and "Whale" books
are great rewards and support tools for
this kind of training.
training
To remind your team to apply all
of the key elements of a successful
phone call, create a "toy box" with the
following items:
· A smiley face sticker or other item smile!
· A paintbrush - paint a picture of your
community!
· An appointment calendar - make the
appointment!
· A small pack of toy soldiers - how
many people?
· A button - what's their "hot button"?
· A dog bone - how many pets?
· A toy car - remember to give complete
driving directions.
· A toy phone or Rolodex card printed
with the reminder to get their
number!
Keeping this toy kit near the telephone will help to encourage creative
and complete telephone presentations!
Custom Crossword Puzzles
Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost
Morale and Improve Results by
Stephen C. Lundin; ISBN: 0786866020
around $14
Whale Done! : The Power of Positive
Relationships by Kenneth Blanchard,
Thad Lacinak, Chuck Tompkins, Jim
Ballard, and Ken Blanchard; ISBN:
074323538X; around $14
Intranet Training
By Steve Matre
We have been improving training
via our Sherman Residential Intranet.
My two favorite upgrades are the use
of .avi files (digital movies) and online quizzes. Our intranet features a
"show me" feature for software training.
An associate simply clicks on "show
me," and the list of possible actions pops
up. For example: if they are taking an
online course to learn our accounting
software, they can click on Show Me
New Resident Application, and a popup movie, that they can watch as many
times as they wish, shows them the
required data being entered into the
appropriate form.
21
We tie this feature to online testing. Each training
session ends in an online quiz. Upon completion of the
quiz, the grade is computed and the questions reappear
on the screen with a hyperlink to that section of the
Intranet training module so that they can review immediately, as needed.
Results have included easing the burden for personal
visits to each community for software training, and
development of an instant, around-the-clock training
resource for all associates. These training modules reside
on our corporate server; and with each of our sites
linked with T-1 service, our Intranet is always live and
available for use by Sherman associates.
training
Overcoming Objections
is a Matter of Perspective
By Sue Lange
Choose the least desirable apartment that you have
available. You know, the one. Nobody seems to want it,
and your team is convinced that it simply "can't be
leased." It's time to find out why.
Arm each of your team members with a notepad and
pen and walk the apartment, room-by-room, making note
of every single thing that's standing between that particular apartment and a lease (age of appliances, size of the
floor plan, location, view, etc.). Next, sit the whole group
down in the middle of the living room, discuss all of the
objections everyone came up with, and brainstorm ways
to overcome them!
This approach gets everyone in-volved and
enables the members of your team to see things from a
future resident's perspective. You'll be amazed how
quickly that unwanted, "can't be leased" apartment
gets leased. Using this technique, we were able to lease
all of those available apartments that we were loosing
revenue on, simply because our team now has the confidence to overcome virtually any objection!
Listening Skill-Builder
By Diane Lucas
We recently started using a technique where each
participant is given a quiz to assess his or her listening
skills. Participants are placed in small groups where
they take turns reading newspaper articles to each other.
The articles vary in length and topic. After each article,
the reader asks the listeners a variety of questions (who,
22 Multifamilypro
what, when, where, how, etc.). Participants frequently found that they hadn't listened as attentively as
they thought they had. This simple and inexpensive
exercise made our participants more aware of the level
of attention it takes to really listen to what others have
to say!
Leadership College
By Liz Spivey
Our company paired up with the local community
college to provide a series of courses on "Vital Learning Skills" that would enhance the leadership skills of
our supervisors. The cost is approximately $54 per participant, per class. Courses include fundamentals of
communication, dealing with conflict, coaching, etc.
Participants attend class at the community college and
receive certificates of completion from the college, as
well as recognition at company events. We've received
terrific feedback on the course material; and the program has been an excellent outside training resource
for our employees.
Pre-Training Ticket
By Michelle Rogers
Before each training event, send each attendee a
"ticket" to attend the class that asks them to think about
what they expect to get out of the session, and also gives
them three thoughts to think about before they attend!
This helps attendees to focus their learning energy
on what they want to achieve from the session, think
about the topic in advance, and walk away with better
learning results!
For more great training ideas, visit our
website at www.Multifamilypro.com.
The items listed below are available in
our "PRO" area under Training.
Click on Designed Programs and Guides for:
Training Cost-Benefit Analysis Worksheet in Microsoft Excel
Above And Beyond Service Training Program (Adobe Acrobat)
All Stars Quarterly Training Program (Adobe Acrobat)
Training Program Evaluation (PowerPoint)
Welcome to the MAGIC of Marketing and Leasing (PowerPoint)
Letterman's Top Ten Outreach Excuses (PowerPoint)
Learning in a Soaring Firm with Cynthiann King (PowerPoint)
Survey Says …
Enhance Value to Reduce Resistance to Rent Increases
R
esident retention dramatically impacts a
property's financial
performance. Our research
confirms that 65% of turnover
is controllable, and that a focus
on residents' basic needs - clean
and well-maintained buildings,
common areas, apartments and
amenities, plus prompt and
professional service - pays off.
We ask residents how likely
they are to renew their lease, and
we also ask them why. Fortyfour percent respond that they
are "not very likely." This article
focuses on the second most frequently rated potential nonrenewal reason: the infamous
rent increase.
By Doug Miller
Residents Say
It Best
Our Surveys Reveal CLEAR
Implications
Rent increases impact turnover.
Turnover can be controlled without impacting revenue.
Often the issue is not the increase, but the residents':
1. Perception that they are not receiving as good a
value as new residents.
How P roperty
Managers Can
Enhance Perceived
Value
Survey Residents
You can't control what you
don't know about, so check
resident satisfaction regularly.
Create resident feedback loops.
Incorporate findings into
action plans.
Resident Communication
Get marketing mileage from every improvement dollar.
Promote improvements with flyers, letters, displays,
website, newsletters, etc.
Incorporate any/all community improvements into
lease renewal letters.
on-site
"New people coming in should have to pay higher rent.
They're almost getting a brand new apartment. Their apartment has been painted, remodeled and totally done over.
People like me who've been here 14 years have paid a lot
more money than the newer people ever will, and the
things in my apartment are a lot older. My apartment hasn't
been painted in 14 years. Why should I have to pay such a
huge rent increase?" "There's been a lot of turnover
recently. People who lived here for a very long time have
moved. Why? Because when someone moves out, they
renovate, put in dishwashers and update everything for the
people moving in; but the people who have lived here for
a while have the same apartment with no upgrades or renovations and still have to pay a $35 rent increase every
year. That's not right." "I am not happy that the people who
are moving in now are getting lower rent than we do."
2. Desire to be recognized
and rewarded for their
longevity.
Residents rate their apartments
as "average," therefore the
rent increase:
1. Makes them pay more for
something they are not in
love with.
2. Pushes them to look for
something they like more.
Cost Savings
Identify ways to reduce residents' expenses.
Negotiate deals for services like long distance, cable,
Internet, and utilities.
Service P rograms
Exceptional service reduces resistance to rent
increases.
Develop service guarantee programs.
P roperty Improvements
Identify/address common issues impacting satisfaction.
Typical issues include community cleanliness/condition,
laundry rooms, landscaping, security and parking.
Empower Staff
Identify typical in-unit deficiencies.
Give staff authority to perform modest in-unit
improvements.
P re -Renewal Warm Calls
Call 60 days before any rent increase/renewal letter is
sent.
Check satisfaction, and identify attention required items.
23
Longevity P ricing
Reward longer-term residents with discounted rent
increases.
Alternate Renewal Rents
Rent increase for a one year renewal is less than for
shorter terms.
Strategic Renewal P ricing
Floor plans with high vacancy rates do not receive as
high an increase as floor plans in greater demand.
Rewards/Incentives Menu
For one-year lease renewals, residents select from an
in-unit improvement menu.
Menu includes items such as carpet-cleaning, painting,
ceiling fans, closet organizers, etc.
Value increases depending on length of residency.
Saving Notices
When a resident gives notice citing the increase, probe
for the real issues and address them.
on-site
Annual Action Plans
Address apartment, property, services, amenity and
management issues impacting satisfaction.
Doug Miller, President of SatisFacts
Research LLC, has nearly 20 years experience
in multifamily marketing, research and
training, and has worked with nearly 1,000
communities nationwide. SatisFacts Research,
LLC specializes in Resident Relationship Management
Services™, including resident satisfaction research. Doug can
be reached at 866.655.1490, [email protected], or
http://www.satisfacts.net.
For more great on-site ideas, visit our
website at www.Multifamilypro.com.
The items listed below are available in
our "PRO" area under Management.
Click on Reports and Forms for:
Concession Agreement (Microsoft Word document)
Here's a fun tip
quick tip
from Jason Lindsay
of RAM Partners,
LLC. Purchase "smile" magnets from Oriental
Trading (www.orientaltrading.com) and use
them to attach a note to the refrigerator at the
completion of each service request. Jason's
note reads: "Residents like you give us reason
to smile!"
24 Multifamilypro
On- Site Ideas From Across America
Don’t Break Our Hearts
By Surjet Rappold
For February renewal letters, our
catch phrase was "Don't break our
hearts! Please say you'll stay and
renew today!" At the end of the letter,
we added, "This sweet deal is just for
you!" and included an offer of $75 for
signing a 6-month lease, or $150 for
signing a 12-month lease. The letter
was printed on pink paper with heart
stickers, and a bag of sweetheart message candies attached.
Custom Printed Candy Hearts:
www.elmercandy.com, $100 for 10 lbs.
The Money Tree
By Sara Greenough
Lease Addendum
Mail Merge
By Janis Cowey
We had no less than 14 different
addenda to add to each lease packet,
in addition to a 6-page lease. To make
compiling the lease packet easier, I
created a mail merge (one of the features of most word processing applications, including Microsoft Word)
with the 14 addendums so that our
leasing professionals need only type
customized information into a few
fields, click "print," and all 14 pages
are created in one beautiful, ready-toprint and easy-to-read document.
Tips: Be sure to save your main
document (lease and addenda) as a
template and use the "protect form"
feature to prevent it from being modified. Condense multiple addenda into
fewer pages.
? Do you have a "smooth move" program? This is a great idea anytime you
have lots of paperwork to be signed!
Set an appointment to explain all of the
forms (and reasons for them) before
move-in day. Meet in a quiet, out of the
way space in the leasing center or in a
model apartment, and serve refresh-
ments. This is an excellent way to
reduce stress for both your team and
your new residents!
Break the Bank!
By Melissa Lawson
To play "Break the Bank," you'll
need to purchase a child's toy safe with
a changeable combination (around
$10-20 at Zany Brainy or Toys R Us),
and a deck of playing cards.
Each week, the community manager sets a new combination on the
safe (usually 4 digits), and adds a surprise in the safe, like a small amount
of money; a gift certificate; or coupons
that can be redeemed for extra commission, late arrival, early departure,
or a long lunch period. The cache of
prizes builds for each week that the
safe goes "uncracked."
Each time an associate makes a
sale during the week, they receive a
playing card. The playing card represents one of the digits to the safe combination, but not in any particular
order. Each associate can earn up to
four cards for the week. After they've
earned their four cards for the week,
additional sales within the week earn
them additional time to crack the safe
(i.e. 30 seconds for each sale).
Gather your team together at the
end of each week for a chance to
“Break the Bank.” The associate with
the most cards and time gets to go
first. All associates start with 60 seconds of time. Everyone loves this, and
it's fun and motivational!
on-site
The next time you need a great
incentive program for your leasing
team to rent a certain number of apartments in a specified time frame, plant
a money tree!
Post a large paper tree with bare
branches on a wall in your break
room, or in an area of the leasing
center that's out of future residents'
view. Label it "The Money Tree."
Beside the tree, hang an envelope
filled with paper leaves. Staple two
leaf shapes together with a bonus
amount hidden on the inside ($5-25).
The number of leaves in the envelope
corresponds to the total number of
apartment homes that must be leased.
Each time a member of your team
leases an apartment, they select a leaf
from the envelope, write their name on
it, and tape it to the tree. Your team
will immediately begin to be inspired
by the "fruits of their labor" as the
leaves begin to move from the envelope onto the tree. They'll also enjoy
the mystery of guessing what's inside
of each leaf - choosing the "right leaf"
is part of the fun!
Once the leasing goal has been
reached and leaves are taped to the
tree, throw a pizza party to celebrate
the team's success. During the party,
each leasing professional removes all
of their leaves and tears them open to
see how much money they "grew"! To
make things even more exciting, you
can even reward them with cash, right
on the spot! It's inspiring, competitive,
fun, and can be easily adapted to your
reward budget!
3x6' tree with 50 leaves, Item #CD1701, www.teachingsupplies.com, $10.99
Senior-Friendly
Retention & Renewals
By Shawn-Elyn Fahrny
I have a lot of seniors in our community, so I'm setting up a seminar
with a Medicare representative to visit
25
and speak about Medicare benefits.
Residents can invite friends, family, etc.
to take part in the session, which will also
result in leads. Medicare provides this
service free of charge, so the only cost to
produce the event will be for refreshments and to advertise the event via
flyers and in local seniors publications!
(Be sure to call Medicare well in
advance, because it may take some time
for them to schedule a representative to
visit your community.)
For information on scheduling a
Medicare seminar, call 1-800-MEDICARE,
or visit www.medicare.gov.
on-site
Express Renewals
Sometimes it can be a challenge
to get in touch with residents at
renewal time. One trick that works,
when all else fails, is to print a renewal
lease and send it to their door with a
personalized, handwritten note that
reads: "We know how busy you are,
and that you probably haven't been
able to find time to discuss your
renewal. To save you some valuable
time, we've enclosed a renewal lease
that you need only sign and drop off at
our office!"
In most cases, your signed
renewal will be in your drop slot
within 48 hours. If they did not intend
to renew, you'll probably get a call
right away, in which case you'll be
able to discuss their reasons for not
wanting to stay, and possibly convince
them otherwise!
Residents First!
By Tina Barfield
As part of our community's
Residents First Customer Service
Management Program (CRMP), we
give each resident a flyer that explains
the program in detail, as well as a
Residents First card that is stamped
each time the resident pays their rent
on or before the first of the month.
26 Multifamilypro
Once the card is completely stamped,
the resident gets to choose from a
menu of rewards that includes a
goodie basket; movie tickets; free hour
of maintenance; carpet cleaned in one
room of their choice; $25 off of next
month's rent; a $25 Home Depot gift
card; etc. The selections can be varied
seasonally, or as needed throughout
the year.
The program also includes a oneminute questionnaire for completed
work orders, move-ins, and move-outs.
As part of our “Residents First” mission,
we respond to work orders within 24
hours, even if the only response we
can provide is a phone call to let the
resident know when we will be there
to service them. If residents are unable
to come to the office, we assign a team
member to go to their home when
needed (i.e. to complete paperwork or
discuss an issue).
Prewalk Wednesdays
By Tracey Downey
Each Wednesday, our maintenance team walks all units that are on
notice to vacate. By walking the apartment prior to move-out, they can
schedule the unit turn in advance,
order appliances, fixtures, carpet, etc.,
if needed. This gives the team at least
a 24-hour head start on the turn.
When a resident gives notice,
there is a paragraph on the intention to
vacate form that states: "we will be
entering your apartment for a premove-out inspection on (date)." The
leasing professional writes the next
Wednesday's date on the form, makes
a copy of the notice for the resident,
and that becomes our constructive
notice of entry. One copy goes in the
file, and another goes to the maintenance department attached to the
move-in/move-out inspection form.
Maintenance then walks the unit,
annotating the inspection form with a
blue pen. After the move-out, the same
form is used with a red pen to
finalize any charges and/or changes to
the schedule. Move-in notes are done
in black.
This is an easy-to-use program
that keeps everyone organized. Moveouts don't get lost and the team is
ready to turn on the day of move-out!
Sweet Treats Make
Maintenance Complete
By Ruthie Ritter
We wanted to prevent our residents from associating our maintenance department only with "something that is broken," and change the
perception to "Wow, aren't those guys
great!" Now, at the completion of each
service call, the technician who handled the request hand-delivers a small
bag of candy with a card attached that
reads "Your repair is complete, enjoy
your treat!" Our residents love it, and
the maintenance techs have a chance
to see the smile on each satisfied resident's face (a great morale booster all
around)!
? Did you know that you could buy
M&M's® candies in your community's
colors? Visit www.colorworks.com!
Picnic in the Park
By Trish at Lakeview Estates
We decorated our office to look
like a picnic in the park!
We placed a mound of play sand
in the middle of the office (place paper
underneath for easy clean-up), and
buried specials in the sand where
prospects could dig for them. You can
limit the number of "digs" allowed, if
you don't want to make this too easy we allowed each future resident to dig
only twice.
Because no picnic is complete
without ants, we made our own by
tying together black balloons and
adding legs. We also placed our
"ants" outside to draw attention,
along with a sign that read: Let the
ants lead the way and you'll find
the special of the day! Everyone
loved the idea, prospects had a blast
digging for their special, and we
leased several apartments!
Make your own ants by visiting:
www.daniellesplace.com/html/bugs.html
When the package is opened, the
leasing professional gets to keep one
of the cards, and the other is given to
the maintenance tech or housekeeper.
The gifts can be opened one at a time,
or labeled with gift tags as they're
selected and opened together at a holiday party. You may also add an addi-
Same Day Deposit and
Leasing Signing
By Michelle Barthel
Christmas Leasing Bonus
By Mary Ceparski
We ran this holiday incentive program from December 1st through
15th. We purchased gift cards in a
variety of denominations, two for each
vacant apartment home. The gift cards
are wrapped two per package (same
denomination) and placed beneath the
tree. Each time a lease is signed, the
leasing professional chooses a package
from beneath the tree, and at the same
time, draws the name of a maintenance and housekeeping employee.
tional prize for all team members if all
available apartments are leased before
the program ends.
This is a great incentive for all
employees to work together as a team
to strive for a successful month of
leasing!
One-stop shopping for merchant
gift cards: www.giftcards.com
Movies by the Pool
By Michelle Carswell
We began hosting movies at the
pool during the summer! We do this on
two Wednesdays per month, showing
recently-released DVD movies on a
large screen TV, beginning at 9:00 pm.
Our residents are college students, so
the time is accommodating; and running the shows after dark makes the
large screen more visible. We rent a
popcorn machine, and in addition to
freshly popped popcorn, we also provide a large jar of dill pickles and either
a pizza or hot dogs with all the trimmings. The residents love the fresh
night air, and the chance to kick back in
the cushioned chaise loungers sur-
Preprinted
Follow-up Cards
By Maitri Johnson
Follow-up is always a challenge. To increase momentum in
the follow-up area with all customers, we designed a general
postcard serving as a written
Thank You. The card features a
cool design on front with the
message: Thank you for visiting
our community and we look forward to welcoming you as a resident. Leasing professionals have
the option of adding a customized comment to the card.
Piggyback Idea: Attach it as a perforation to the "Welcome/Guest" card.
We Welcome Work Orders
By Thai Starks
on-site
We decided that when a
prospect visited the property and
toured, we would offer them the
opportunity to put down their
deposit to reserve the apartment,
and complete their paperwork
(lease, addenda, parking affidavit, etc.) right then and there.
Not only would that save them a
trip back, but they would not
have to worry for one more second
about where else to look, or about
having a place to live. We offered
refreshments while they took a moment
to think about the decision.
As a result, we had more leases
signed and accounted for which eliminated the entire process of adding them
to the waiting list, calling them to bring
in the rest of the deposit, and wondering
if they'd change their mind or cancel.
Since this was a student property, this
also alleviated the parents' concern about
their child having a place to live.
rounding the pool or float in the pool on
the provided lounge floats while they
watch a free, "hot rental" movie. The
results are fantastic - for only around
$150 per month!
Sometimes residents are hesitant
to submit a work order because they
don't want to be thought of as "problem
residents." To make them feel more
comfortable calling problems to our
attention immediately, I include several copies of our work request with
every move-in and renewal letter.
These requests can be simply dropped
into our drop box in the event that the
resident prefers not to report the
problem by phone. The fact that they
receive several copies lets them know
that we don't expect a service request
from them to be a one-time thing.
This demonstrates our dedication
to serve them and make their stay at
our community as enjoyable as possible, and it increases renewals and
referrals. Residents report their maintenance requests in a more timely
fashion, allowing us to serve them in a
timely manner, as well!
27
P
R
spOtlight
Gerry Hunt
Property Manager
Paragon Properties Company
on-site
Located in: Bingham Farms, Michigan (Metro Detroit)
Responsible for: 990
Years in the Apartment Industry: We purchased our first
two-apartment house in 1963! I started working for other
companies in the multi-housing industry in 1992.
Being the best takes a passion for life and for what you are
doing. With that passion comes enthusiasm and a drive for
excellence. Our industry has settled for mediocrity for many
years, settling for 'warm bodies' instead of seeking superstars. When we train, we cannot give a new staff member a
greater gift than being honest with them. If they do not have
the passion to succeed, I believe that we need to tell them to
find something else to do. When the passion is there, the
drive for excellence follows. We also need to realize that this
is not a 'life and death' matter… have fun with what you do.
Life is so short, so enjoy it! Choose your attitude!
What performance tip or suggestion would you offer to
someone who's just starting out in your field of expertise?
Find a mentor: someone who loves what they do. Look at
each person walking through your door as an opportunity, and
not an interruption - have a servant's heart! Read everything
you can get your hands on that pertains to our industry. Take
Grace Hill's online training courses (www.gracehill.com),
even if you have to pay for them yourself. Strive for excellence in all that you do!
An idea that is a new favorite of mine started at
Brainstorming East! On Thursday, the last day of
Brainstorming, I sat at a table with some awesome marketing people. I explained that I had a brand new, 5 star
property with every amenity you can think of, and an occupancy problem. We had literally stopped building! I needed
an idea to help establish name recognition, and fast! The
28 Multifamilypro
community is set in a residential area, and just isn't a “driveby” location! The resulting idea was to host a Taste Fest,
complete with a theme and several giveaways.
Well, I came back home and contacted a local restaurant owner and suggested the idea, and it took off from
there. We held the "Taste of Harrison Township" on
September 6th, and we were overwhelmed with the
turnout! We expected between 100 and 150 people, and we
had between 750 and 1000! Here's what we did:
There were 18 restaurants involved. We used one of the
carports for the food area. We also partnered with a nonprofit volunteer organization that promotes tourism in our
area (we are right next to a huge lake and the area is called
"Boat Town"). We charged $10 to those folks that wanted to
sample the food. We had a DJ, carnival rides for the kids,
and the local Fire Department was there all afternoon,
allowing kids to hold the hose and climb on the truck; and
offering adults the chance to ride up in the engine's "bucket."
Budweiser set-up a beer and wine tent. A local classic car
group set up a display - what fun to see all of those shiny old
cars! We had local merchants giving away coupons. We
even had a "trackless train" riding the property! There were
three local newspaper photographers there, as well as one of
the Detroit TV stations.
In our community center, we had cheese and crackers
and desserts. We gave away smiley face bags (from great
American Business Products) with our name on them. The
bags were filled with our private label water bottle (from
Granny's Goodies), a pot holder shaped like a house with
our name and the theme of the event, (also from Granny's
Goodies) and of course a colorful coupon for a rent incentive. Residents volunteered to take people on tours of our
community, Prentiss Pointe. The theme was "Let's get to the
Pointe" And “Living anywhere else is POINTE less.” Four
visitors applied that afternoon, two the next day, and two
the following week - not a huge number, but remember the
event was to promote name recognition!
Everyone loved it - residents, staff, the restaurant, and
the community. Our name is still being mentioned, and it all
started at Brainstorming East! I paid for the Carnival rides,
cheese and crackers, potholders, water bottle labels, and
port-a-potties. All of the printing of the signage was donated
(directional, names of restaurants, etc). The newspaper
donated a full back page ad plus five 3x3 inch ads.
Everyone donated their time, including the DJ and my staff!
My total investment was about $5000, and the property was
as clean after the four-hour event as it was before. Most
importantly, there are a lot more people who now know
about Prentiss Pointe and how awesome we are!
Reserve Your Seat NOW for Brainstorming EAST 2004!
Visit www.Multifamilypro.com/brainstorming.htm
(see back cover for details!)
Marketplace
resources
upcoming
events
November 2-4, 2003
NMHC Technology Conference (non-members invited), the
Fairmont, Dallas, TX. For information visit www.nmhc.org.
November 6-8, 2003
NAA Assembly of Delegates (election of officers and planning
for 2004), the Westin, Copley Place, Boston, MA.
For information visit www.naahq.org.
April 29-May 1, 2004
Multifamilypro Presents The 15th Annual Multifamily Housing
Brainstorming Sessions™ - EAST, The Renaissance Waverly,
Atlanta, GA. For the latest information and to reserve your seat
now, visit www.Multifamilypro.com!
June 24-26, 2004
NAA Conference and Exposition, Las Vegas, NV.
For information, visit www.naahq.org.
October 17-19, 2004
Multifamily Executive Educational Conference, Mandalay Bay, Las
Vegas, NV. For information visit www.multifamilyexecutive.com.
November 2004
Multifamilypro Presents The 15th Annual Multifamily Housing
Brainstorming Sessions™ - WEST.
Stay tuned to www.Multifamilypro.com!
29

Pre-Training Ticket

Transcription

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