mike brewer
Staging the Unexpected
I read about the idea of staging the unexpected some time ago. It rung a bell with me – at the time – and I recall starting down the path of thinking about what we could do to blow people away. And then I got distracted so I am just now circling back to the idea.
The story I read involved Macaroni Grill. The unexpected in their case: giving meals away to patrons who were otherwise expecting to pay. They did so on random nights every month of the year. So, instead of receiving a check for their meal, patrons received a letter that suggested that it seemed awkward to charge a guest for a meal. How cool is that?
Blowing People Away In the past, I wrote about a plumbing company that actually took the time to wash a sink full of dirty dishes after completing a routine garbage disposal repair. Boom! Now that has impact.
Not such a far-fetched idea for our industry. Start tomorrow. Consider taking the time to randomly clean someone’s kitchen after a routine leaky faucet repair. Do it with great care and supreme detail. Leave a nice hand-written note suggesting how your service tech felt compelled to ease a small burden in the resident’s day. And – stop now with all the things that are going through your mind: what if we break something, what if we miss this or don’t do that. Who cares! Don’t miss the point with your negative self-talk. Just act. And then come back here and tell us about your experience.
Your loving the idea of staging the unexpected Multifamily Maniac,
M
Share this:
Apartment Motivation
Listening to Michael Tolcher tonight and thinking hard about a the lead stanza of his song – Sooner or Later. Under the premise of motivation – give this a read/listen:
Pull the hair back from your eyes
Let the people see your pretty face
Try not to say anything weird
Save your questions without answers
‘Til your old enough to know that things ain’t as they appeared
Before you go out in the sun
Cover your skin and don’t get burned
Beware the cancer, it might kill you when you’re old
Be first in line, raise your hand
Remember everything you hear
And playing in the rain is worth catching cold
Apartment Maniacs – The Point Is
The apartment management world is plenty full of people who will tell you what to do. And it is plenty full of people who will sit back and take it. Are you one of the sit back and wait for what people have to say kind? Are you one that learns the hard way. Or are you one of the try like hell, never sit still, over the top, drive everyone around you crazy to the point that they finally believe in the flavor of the punch you are drinking types?
The multifamily space is no different from any other business in the world. And odds are pretty good that the person tasked with leading you is no more sure of him or herself than you are. They just have a higher level of responsibility. But lead they will not if they don’t know what they are doing. It the best parts of those who think they are leading with no one following are only taking a walk kind of stuff.
I will never forget the day (thumb and first finger held millimeters away from each other) that I was that close to my supervisor having to make a tough call. A call that would have put me on the downside of my career. Why? He and I did not view the world the same way.It was the proverbial butting of heads. In his mind it was a defining moment. In mine – (youthful arrogance included) it was a wild waste of time.
Did I shift? No way on gods green earth. I knew in my heart of hearts what I was after. No deviation. No compromise. And no chance did I run down a road that I didn’t believe in.
What happened? We took 750+ units to 98.8% occupancy and less than 2 percent left to lease. And rent bumps of $100+ in some cases. Some would posit that the economy took over and I would posit back that someone had to lead the team.
Now I am under no illusion that I did that myself. But what I’m aware of is that I was relentless in drawing that team together under a premise that was larger than all of us combined. And they believed it. What I smile about to this day is that the other guy didn’t.
That Guy
He was that guy in Michael’s song that worried about me saying something weird or not putting my sunblock on before I went outside.
My lead for him and for you – playing in the rain is worth getting wet! Do it often Do it tomorrow.
Make this year your #gameon year – exclamation points included (for those that rest on the proper use of such endings – a life based on emotion and expressing is it liberating)!
Your encouraging and granting you permission to speak freely multifamily maniac,
M
Share this:
Property Manager: You Really Taught Me a Lesson
How many of you can identify with this one? You stand your ground over the $4.37 Mr. Moore from apartment 23 owes on his account. You make calls, you send letters escalating in tone with each stamp you stick. And you blow up his email all in the name of getting him off your delinquency. You need to prove a point to Mr. Moore from Apt 23; he is really getting on your last nerve.
You are Really Teaching Him
You think you are doing a good thing by teaching him a lesson. You are the big bad property manager sheriff in these here parts. And people are going to comply or get out.
Well guess what – Mr. Moore is not going to learn that lesson. No – instead he is going to teach you a lesson. One that comes in a stealth package. One that sneaks up on you like that older bully brother of yours did when you were kids. He is going to pounce in the name of a notice to vacate (NTV).
Oh – he will pay the $4.37.
My question – was it worth it?
Your have some common sense Multifamily Maniac,
M
Share this:
Writing Tip for Apartment Bloggers
Are your spelling and grammar skills on the downside of good? Do you struggle with the use of its, it’s, affect, effect and other words?
Guess what Apartment Bloggers
Your not alone.
Not to long ago I had a conversation with someone about this apartment blog.
They told me that they read nearly every post. I thanked them and asked why they did not chime in with a comment from time to time as I admired their contributions in the property managment field.
Well you see I am not real good with words. I retorted – are you kidding me – have you really read my stuff? It’s ripe with bad editing. Missed grammar, spelling and inane mistakes born out of a rush to deliver.
Back in the day – I really fretted over it. Today I file it under the remark in the pic above.
Every article that I post is as much about my desire to be a better writer, thinker and doer as it is about displacing some value on the industry I love.
Want to be a Better Apartment Blogger?
Get busy writing, publishing, commenting, correcting and doing it all over again the next day.
Your getting sharper every day that I take the time to write Multifamily Maniac,
M
Share this:
Decide
What are you waiting on? What is it that will move your multifamily project forward?
Question: More time?
Answer: Decide
Question: More resource?
Answer: Adapt
Question: More support?
Answer: Go it alone
Question: More knowledge
Answer: Fail forward
Share this:
- « Go to Previous Page
- Page 1
- Interim pages omitted …
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Interim pages omitted …
- Page 37
- Go to Next Page »