 |
|
|
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
Reading Room Articles
You've probably heard the old adage: "The first impression is a lasting impression." In our business, that couldn't be truer. How a prospect is greeted when entering your leasing center will determine whether or not they decide to live in your community. How welcome they feel depends upon two very important factors: (1) the environment presented by your leasing center; and (2) how they are greeted by your leasing staff. It's important to realize that nothing creates a bad first impression quite as effectively as complacency. Conversely, nothing goes farther to create a fantastic first impression than putting forth just a little bit of effort to treat your prospects well -- from meeting, greeting, and qualifying, all the way through to signing the lease! Prospects Meet Your Leasing Center Before They Meet You! How inviting your leasing center seems to your prospects when they enter can either make or break the sale. Let me tell you a little about what we do in one community, every morning, just to get ready for our prospects - and we know it works because we can see it in their eyes and sense it in their attitudes as soon as they walk in the door. First we light the candles, put a log in the fireplace, make certain the candy dishes are full, fill the ice buckets, make sure that sodas are ready and waiting along with the coffee, and put out a few snacks. Next, we make doubly certain that the office is well cleaned, turn on some soothing music, adjust the temperature, and place fresh flowers outside the front door. Finally, before the door opens for business, we check the closing room to ensure that there are plenty of guest cards, applications, and pens on hand. We call it "Setting the Stage". It may seem like a lot of work, but to anyone who walks in our door, it's obvious that we've been waiting for him or her! Take Control By Properly Greeting Whether you are on the telephone, in the middle of paperwork, or speaking to a prospect or resident, you must always acknowledge a person who walks through your door. If you are on the telephone, stand up, smile, and motion for the person to have a seat. Conclude your conversation as quickly as possible, and then introduce yourself. A Leasing Professional must always stand up (this means walking around from behind the desk) to greet the prospect, introduce yourself, establish eye contact, and SMILE! Once you have obtained the prospect's name, don't rush to write it down on a welcome card at that very moment. Repeat the name back to the prospect to help yourself remember it and ensure that you're using the correct pronunciation, and then use it throughout your conversation. One very important point: if you shake the prospect's hand, don't give a wimpy handshake. A handshake is just what the word implies. Put your web (skin between your thumb and fingers) next to the prospect's web and shake. Don't be timid, you won't break his/her hand unless you're Hulk Hogan. Qualifying…Developing A Relationship With A Prospect The purpose of qualifying is to determine the needs and wants of the prospect and to determine if they meet your community's leasing criteria. Qualifying not only saves the leasing professional time, but also saves the prospect time as well. Keep in mind that the qualifying process is more of a conversation than an interview. Your voice and manner will convey a more friendly than inquisitorial tone, your prospect will feel more at ease, and they'll respond accordingly. The use of a guest card is very important in qualifying, but before you bring it out, you'll want to "warm up" the prospect, or begin to develop the relationship that will allow you to relate on a more personal level. Start out by asking some very simple questions, like "How long have you been looking for a new home?"; "Do you prefer living upstairs or downstairs?"; "Do you have any oversized furniture?"; or "Are there any special things your looking for in your new home?" These examples show the prospect that you are interested in finding the right apartment for them -- the home that suits their needs and wants rather than just trying to find out what you need to know in order to complete the guest card. In other words, put the prospects needs and wants in front of the needs of your community's. I can't say this enough: it's important, before you even write the first thing on the guest card, to take a minute to simply converse with them, person to person. Ask at least 3 to 4 questions, and listen perceptively to their responses. If you listen carefully, you'll begin to sense when the time is right to move on to the business of the guest card. Offer them a beverage, or invite them to help themselves to drinks and snacks set out for visitors. When they're ready, gently move on to the business of the guest card. My favorite transitional technique is to say "____, if you will give me just a few more minutes of your time so that I can get a little bit more information, I'd be happy to show you an apartment home that will best suit your needs" while leading them to the area where you'll obtain the remaining information needed. The best area for this is away from your desk and telephone, possibly on a sofa (use a clipboard so you won't have to lean over the coffee table) or in a specially designed room. Try to avoid sitting across a desk from your prospect. This creates an unnecessary barrier and breaks down the feeling of a personal relationship. Remember the person sitting beside you is the most important person in the world at that time. Please do not answer the telephone, discuss service requests with a resident, or otherwise turn your undivided attention away from your next RESIDENT. Consider how you would feel if you were in a jewelry store or car dealership getting ready to spend $12,000.00 or more (the value of a two-bedroom apartment on a one-year lease), and the person assisting you left you to answer the phone or to talk to another customer. Use the seven key qualifying questions. (Linda actually uses eight) These questions must be asked as if the prospect is indeed moving in to the community (assume they have already leased). This sales technique is called the assumptive close. Be careful to use a friendly, conversational manner and tone of voice, or your prospect will feel that you are being unduly presumptive, and may respond defensively. It's also important that you view this method not as a "slam dunk" close, but as a means of making the prospect feel comfortable with the idea of saying "yes". The goal is to suggest a positive response, not to overtly extract one. Let's examine the seven classic qualifying questions used by most successful salespeople, from both passive and assumptive perspectives, so that you'll have a better idea of how the assumptive technique works: #1 Passive: How did you hear about us? Assumptive: Before we get started, may I ask you how you heard about our community? #2 Passive: When do you need the apartment? Assumptive: How soon will you be moving into our community? #3 Passive: Who would be moving in with you? Assumptive: Who is going to occupy the apartment? Pets? #4 Passive: What size home are you looking for? Assumptive: Which of our floorplans, 1-, 2-, or 3-bedroom, will best suit your needs? #5 Passive: Is there are price range you'd like to stay within? Assumptive: How much have you budgeted for your new home here? (Note: Bear in mind that when you ask this question, you may be asked a question in return, like "How much is the rent here?" Respond by quoting ranges that cover all the floor plans you have available within their move-in timeframe. Also, avoid the words "hundred" and "dollars" when quoting rental rates (i.e. say "from seven forty five…" instead of "between seven hundred and forty five dollars…". These are words associated with expense, and your goal is to associate your rental rate with value. For the same reason, I also recommend never writing the dollar sign or cents along with a rental rate (i.e. 000 vice $000.00) #6 Passive: Are you employed nearby? Assumptive: What company are you with now, and how long have you been with them? #7 Passive: Are you new to the area? Assumptive: Why are you moving here from where you are living now? (Note: This question gives you an idea of what they are really looking for in their new home. You will be able to use this information to make certain that you are fulfilling their needs, and it may clue you in to problems they may have had with their previous apartment.) Linda's favorite question # 8: If I show you an apartment today that you like, and that completely meets your needs, are you prepared to leave a deposit? The secret to asking this question effectively is to simply ask, then don't say another word! They won't think twice about answering the question since you've shown a genuine concern for their wishes, and a desire to meet their needs and wants. A positive answer from your prospect means you'll lease the apartment today if you effectively overcome any objections posed along the way. If they say no, after you've given them the full tour and asked for the deposit, you'll know that there are hidden objections to be uncovered and overcome. Perhaps a husband or wife has to approve the final decision, or maybe they simply don't need the apartment right away. In either case, and in many other circumstances, you can move closer to the lease by asking for a refundable deposit to hold the apartment for an agreed upon length of time. Linda loves this question because it works. If you want to increase your closing ratio, try it on your next ten prospects. You'll find that it gets a little easier to ask each time, and your increasing level of confidence will also positively influence your results. First Impressions Last! Following these tips will ensure that you make a positive and lasting first impression, from welcoming a prospect to your leasing center, through welcoming them as a new member of your community. Remember to set the stage, develop a relationship, qualify effectively, and ask for the deposit! If you do, you'll have formed a solid foundation upon which to build an effective resident retention strategy that will keep your new residents coming back for more! Happy leasing! 
As Chief Imagination Officer of The Sales & Marketing Magic Companies, Tami Siewruk shares more than 20 years of experience in multifamily housing, encompassing leasing, marketing, management, training, authoring, consulting, developing, and Brainstorming! For more information on Tami's newsletter, Sales & Marketing Magic for Apartment Managers; the latest Tools & Forms Catalogue; The Annual Multifamily Housing Brainstorming Sessions™; or to receive Tami's top ideas, FREE, via e-mail, please call 727-784-9469 or visit www.SMMOnline.com. |
|
|
|
|
Site Map | Feedback | Help | RENTNET Terms of Use and Privacy Policy © Copyright Homestore.com, Inc., 1997-2002. All rights reserved.  Equal Housing Opportunity. |