Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Socialnomics: Social Media Revolution

Socialnomics: Social Media
Please click on this link to view this video.  It's really good!!

I talk to sooo many people who are unaware of the power of Social Media.  So if you're not into Social Media it unlikely you will see this post.  But, if by chance you do, enjoy!

It's only because I love you!!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Celebrate Reaching Occupancy Goals!!!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

Assuming the Sale
By Becky Batista with The Yarco Companies

The mind is a powerful force. Think about the power of positive thinking.


There was a girl I went to high school with who always got the cute, popular
guys. Curious thing was, she was not very pretty by most standards. I made up my mind to study her to try to figure out what she had that the other girls didn't. Simply put, SHE believed she was beautiful. As a result, she carried herself like a beautiful, confident girl and sold it!


Fast forward twenty years, give or take a few. I had taken a position in Vegas as a dreaded telemarketer. Talk about a hard, thankless job! I have a little competitive edge about me and I wanted desperately to succeed, so I positioned myself to sit beside the guy who was the top salesman. Everyone
around us was making a sale every fifteen or twenty minutes, and this guy was cold selling nearly every call. What kind of mojo did he have that the others didn't possess?


Well...it's a practice called assuming the sale. It's pretty much exactly the
way it sounds. When you're talking to a prospective customer, or in our case a prospective resident, you use language that sounds as though you are assuming that they will rent. Remember the girl from high school? She believed she was beautiful, so she made others believe it too. It's no different in business. If you convince the prospect you believe something, you make them believe it too! It might sound something like this, "Let me show you your apartment." You are sending a message subconsciously to the prospect
that you it's assumed they are renting. "This is your living room, and just look at your kitchen!". You are causing the prospect to envision themselves living there. "You're going to be so happy here!". You are imputing a positive emotion that they will remember when they think about their visit.


Now let's look at the flip side. The differences are subtle, but they make a huge difference. "Let me show you an apartment." It may or may not be theirs. There's no assumption that they will be renting. "This is the living
room and this is the kitchen over here." They are busy surveying the floor
plan, but not imagining themselves there. "So, do you like it?" or "What do you think?". You've just transferred the control of the conversation back to them and opened the floor for a negative reaction or comment.

Be confident in your product. Know your product. Assume that the prospect WANTS your product. You will set the stage for a successful close every time.
 Happy leasing!


Sunday, March 6, 2011

The Facebook Fanatic by Jeremy Lawson, NALP

What is your community doing to promote your social media sites?

Upon move-in and at renewal time, are just two great times to easily let your residents know how they can keep in touch with your community online.


Whenever a new resident moves into your community remember they are eager to learn! Why not let tell them all about what your awesome community has to offer. A welcome letter you can leave in the apartment is a great place to tell them all about their new home and how they can connect with you socially.

Do you have a cover sheet that you send out with your lease renewals? If so, make sure your social media logos are at the bottom. If not, making one only takes a few minutes and you will be surprised how many current residents may not know how social you really are. You can also add an area to ask for updated contact information and other housekeeping items.


Help your property stand out on search engines

When posting on Facebook and other sites don’t forget to link readers back to your community website. This will help make your community website rank higher on search results. Ultimately, this can help drive more prospective residents to your community. One great idea is to add detailed events to your community website and then say, “visit www… for more information.”

Speaking of community events pages, did you know having links on your calendar will also make you appear higher on search results pages? The more links you have on your website to other pages, the higher “organically” you will appear to searchers. So, add area links to your “Residents Links” page and your Facebook page too, you may even be able to sell the links on your community website to area merchants.

Tweet to you soon,

Jeremy Lawson, NALP


Wednesday, March 2, 2011

LISTEN TO LEASE - Listenting 101 By: Malissa Silvey

Don’t you just HATE it when people don’t listen to you!


You tell the saleslady exactly what you are looking for and she comes back with something totally inappropriate. You describe, in detail, exactly the look you’re after and still your hairdresser cuts it too short!

On the other hand, occasionally you find a hairdresser that really listens to what you’re saying and actually hears clues about you and your personality during your ‘beauty shop’ chit chat. When they can use that knowledge to suggest new styles, a mani/pedi for a special occasion or a sassy new hair color, you are a customer for life. I’ve even followed my hairdresser to other cities and will drive miles out of my way for a hairdresser that listens to what is important to me.

I call this Listening 101 and it involves listening, really listening to your prospective resident. Listen to what they are saying from the moment they call you or walk through the office door to see your apartment community and continue to listen and absorb the information they are giving you as you engage your prospective resident in conversation. As you begin the tour of your apartment community and discuss the amenities it has to offer, you will already know what your potential resident is looking for in a home and a neighborhood and can discuss the particular benefits that this prospective resident will find the most appealing about your apartment community.

While you are walking to the new apartment home you are planning to show your prospect, you can point out the gated community or a security patrol to a person whose biggest concern is safety, or you can make sure and tour past a playground with a family who expressed interest in a play area for their children. It also bears mentioning now that the better you know your property and what it has to offer, the more apartments you will lease. How will you be able to answer a senior who is concerned about mobility if you don’t know where the nearest grocery store or bus stop is?

When you arrive at the apartment you are showing your prospective resident you will have an advantage because you’ve been listening to them. You can show them that extra storage area and point out that it is big enough to safely store the prospect’s bicycle. Or you can remark on the light in the second bedroom and how perfect it would be for an office area. Or perhaps they mentioned gardening as an interest so knowing that a balcony/patio with the perfect conditions for growing herbs or flowers might be the thing that convinces your prospective resident that they have found their new home.

It doesn’t matter what the person’s hot buttons are, or what they feel is most important, your job is simply to listen to what they want. When you listen, you will lease because you will know exactly how to help your prospect look at the apartment you are showing them and see their new home!

Are You Ready for 2020?!

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