multifamily monday
Selling Apartments: The Six Must Haves
Selling
Selling apartments is an art and it is not for everyone. If you think about it, most sales people hear no, we will get back to you, we were just checking the price, we are not ready to commit, we – we – we – we…
The fail rate in selling is off the charts so it takes someone with a thick skin and a constant willing to go after it which brings me to a quick story before we list the six must haves. One of my real estate mentors told me that early in his selling career, he would go door to door trying to get people to buy his service. He would knock, give the pitch, communicate the features and benefits and wait for the answer. And, if the answer was no – he walked the end of the driveway – jumped in the air and when he landed – he would give a simultaneous fist pump and ‘yes’ shout.
Yes – he was excited that his attempt at selling failed in a sense. When I asked him for the punch line – he looked at me steely eyed and said, “Mike, for every no I heard, I knew I was that much closer to a yes.” I am certain that at the tender age of 23 – I exerted one of the smarty pants – really!? remarks. But, he was dead serious. And, I know that it worked for him as he was the hands down, award laden, captain master of the real estate sales world. At least in our small town. When I think of the six must haves I can’t help but to think Bob was the master of all them.
Solution
Start with the end in mind. You are selling a solution to a problem that someone has when they email, tweet, comment in the way of, text, call you on the phone or walk in your front door. Discern their interest and desires and marry up your best solution.
Success
You must ooze success. Get your attitude right. Get the behavior right that back up that attitude. Dress the part. Talk the part. And, guess what you will experience success. Reason: people feel you as much as they hear you. Even the most analytical amongst us. They feel the frauds and they move on. Be the real deal, be the difference and people will buy you all day long.
Experience
Selling apartments should be an experience that gets talked about. From curb to commode you are an artist actor playing out a part in an award-winning real-time documentary. Your apartment selling is the feature of the film. Everything from curb to commode is the stage where you play out the acts of your selling. Make it a compelling one.
Dream Come True
Be the dream come true for the audience you are acting (Read: Real Deal) out for. When the time comes for the credits to role – expect a standing ovation for the fine work you have just demonstrated. Bask in the fact that you have just given the performance of a life time and the audience has no choice but to shower you with a – yes – yes – yes and one more yes for good measure.
Love
Love is what you are after. Love is what you get when you are part of the solutions for other people. I am not suggesting that love should be tied to task – but, it should be tied to a genuine need to help others without expecting anything in return. If you do what you do because you love it that screams loud and clear in your being and your actions. And, it makes others want to love you back through their actions. In this case – signing leases and moving in.
Dramatic Difference
One could posit that apartments are a commodity and selling them is just a ho-hum part of the routine. And, that might be right. But, not for you. In the end, you are the dramatic difference. You are the one that brings compelling to the table. You are the one that ‘brings the thunder’ as they say. You are the difference that makes a difference when it comes time for someone to say – yes.
My charge to you today – Go for the oscar every time you get a lead…
Your, promoting the six this week, multifamily manic
M
Multifamily Monday: 1 = 1
We have all heard it before: K.I.S.S – The keep is simple saying that rings out in/across every boardroom, clubroom, round, square and oblong table around the world. Nothing novel here but that is the point of our Multifamily Monday blog post. We get right to the point of oft remembered but oft not practiced truths.
Get to The Point
When communicating information, we often think that backdrop or off topic analogies are going to really bring our point home. Not so much. Especially in an attention deficit economy. Few listen/hear anymore and often draw conclusions well before you have reached your second sentence. So start with the punch line and follow with the build up. Hit the crescendo and follow with the introduction.
Tell Them What You are About to Tell Them
There is a truism in public speaking that makes sense here; it goes something like this, tell them what you are about to tell them, tell them and then tell them what you just told them. It’s a frame of reference so that the audience knows what they are about to learn. It helps them track the broad topic as the stories unfold. The key being that they know what the punch line is well before it is communicated in length.
Take away: Keeping it simple starts with giving away the punch line…
Your, practicing brevity and clarity, multifamily maniac,
M
Multifamily Monday: Listen – Body Language
Good morning!
Very quick note this morning.
We could get really deep into the art of body language as it relates to listening. Speaking to things like bending your brow as a show of concern, thinning your lip to show you understand the anger , leaning in, unfolding arms and the king of them all – eye contact. While not exhaustive, all good topics and in the same respect not possible without the nugget we will put out there today.
The Most Meaningful Body Language – Listen Technique I Know
Front and center to the person you are talking with – Pick up your phone and turn it OFF. Not silence, not vibrate – OFF. Or, don’t bring it along at all. Put your what if’s to rest as we could debate that to death. If you want meaningful conversation – demonstrate willingness through action – the action of turning off and tuning in.
Your – working on listening through meaningful body language – multifamily maniac,
M
Multifamily Monday: Practice
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect –
If you read our blog regularly then you have no doubt read the story about my high school basketball coach and his perfect practice statement.
Go Out There and Work Hard For Forty Minutes
The story I have not shared up to now is the pre-game pep-talk. Every coach that I ever played for, from pee-wee leagues to AAU leagues and right up to Texas Tech University had a way with words during the pre-game prep. And, they range from semi-inspirational/motivational to down right in-your-face set the world on fire or else.
Nearly twenty years removed from the high of playing NCAA basketball, I can still recall some pretty cool speeches, the following being one of my favs –
Paraphrased: Every one of you look me in the eye – go out there and keep your eyes focused on playing the game. Keep your eyes off of the scoreboard and play every last second like it is your last second. Look at me – if you go out there and give everything you have right down to the very last second you are on that court – the scoreboard will take care of itself.
He otherwise meant that if we would just focus on translating perfect practices into hard-core results on the court. If we just focused on taking care of business – we would win the game.
Go Out There and Work Hard Every Minute
I would suggest that it is no different in the business world. Your organization awarded you an opportunity to come to work everyday in lieu of standing in an unemployment line. They gave you a chance to exercise your mind and your body. They gave you a chance to move the meter. They gave you a chance to make a difference. They gave you a chance to produce results.
Everyday is your time to shine. Everyday is your time to keep your eyes focused on playing the game. [Read: perfectly practicing the fundamentals]. One who does so should never have to pay close attention to the plethora of reports that measure the success of an asset.
Work hard (and, smart) and the scoreboard will take care of itself.
Your – focused on the game – multifamily maniac,
M
