Get out to get knowledge!

I can't even begin to count how many times I have asked a site team about their competition, only to get a blank stare or answers that were far from reality.  "Tell me about ABC Apartments which you list as one of your primary competitors on your comp sheet."  Most of the time they can tell me if they are newer, older, etc., but not the details to help them understand or help them sell their own site and product.  Many times, unfortunately, they say they have never physically shopped them.  OMG!

I have written about the shortfalls of really knowing their own product (how many outlets in the living room, feet of counter top space in the kitchen, how many drawers in the kitchen, etc.), and how this knowledge can make them a better leasing/sales person.  You can't truly sell your own apartments or come across as credible if you don't know your own site and apartments.  The other side of the coin is knowing your competition. On occasion I have had managers who have visited the competitors, but then it may have been last year or cannot really answer specifics about the product.  Everyone....everyone at your site should visit the comp's at least twice a year.  So the question is, what do your really get and what areas are critical?

Nothing is permanent but change, and sites change.  Staff changes, fixtures change, amenities change, and sometimes for the bad as well as the good.  How good of a job are their leasing people doing?  What does their office and desk area look like?  What does their advertising and lease package look like?  How well is the site being maintained?  Have traffic patterns changed making it easier or harder to ingress and egress the site?  How is their lighting (means you should look at after dark as well and review breezeways as well as parking areas)?  Have they made upgrades to their interiors?  Have they upgraded counter tops and appliances?  How does their floor plan compare to ours and what are the positive and negative points?  Does their square footage include balcony and patio?  Are their dimensions listed accurate?  Have they changed their pet policies?  Are they using lease optimizer software?  Have they changed how they accept payments?  What does their web site look like and what is available as far as features through their site?

As you can see so much can be obtained, analyzed, and used and all you have to do is take a field trip and get out of your office.  Observe and learn is also another key point.  You might learn a new way of saying something listening to them talk on the phone or to a prospect.  You might also learn what not to say as well, but let's focus on the positive.  On the other hand, never...and I repeat never, say anything negative about your competitors to your prospects.  Point out the positive and how you are better.   If a prospects states they have visited XYZ Apartments use your gained knowledge to show how you are better.   I have actually had leasing specialists say, "Oh you don't want to live at XYZ Apartments because their kitchens are small."  Instead say, "I am sure if you visit our competitors you will find we have the largest kitchen space in the market and more cabinet space to provide the highest quality of living."  

We must constantly be learning and to do that constantly be assessing the market.  We also must be continually find ways to excel and exceed, as well as making sure we are the most knowledgeable we can be by training ourselves and others.  Knowledge is power and can lead to success for you and your team.   

Motivation

I once had someone come up to me after speaking at a convention and said, "You have inspired and motivated me.  Why don't you do more motivational speaking?"  

How many of us have gone to a "motivational" presentation, got pumped up at the event and felt entertained (and maybe motivated), only go to work the next day and not feel the motivation?  Now don't get me wrong as there are some people that I have heard which have made me feel very motivated.  So where does motivation come from and what makes us highly motivated.  My belief is motivation comes from within and around us (by those that work and lead us), more than it does from any seminar or speaker.  That is where effective and continued motivation makes a difference.

First, motivation must come from within.  If we don't want to be motivated or do not have the desire to be motivated, it likely will not happen.  Positive attitude has a lot to do with drawing motivation from within us.  You have heard the saying, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."  Motivation is no different, herein the "within" factor comes into play.  Those that are positive instill motivation not only for ourselves, but with those around us.  We have all been around co-workers who did not enjoy what they did, or were not willing to give 100%, dragging other members of a team down.  We have also had the opportunity to be around team members that were always happy, enjoyed their work, and took great pride in what they did.  Look back at those different team members and remember how it had an impact on you and your team.  This is especially important for leadership because nothing will drag a team down faster than a leader who is not positive, excited, and inspiring. 

Which brings me to the "around" us part of motivation.  Creating a motivational environment is the second part of the equation.  A leader take people where they want to go.  A great leader takes people where they ought to be!  You cannot equate a favorable motivational environment in any one area.  It takes compassion, communication, clarity, effective listening, empowerment, openness, and a host of other talents from a leadership standpoint to create a true and effective motivational environment.  So if you are the leader, motivation for others begins with you!

So the next time you attend one of these "motivational" events, do not expect to go to work the next day with fire coming out of your....self, all the stars to be in alignment, and your co-workers begin a rendition of "Kumbaya" as you enter the room.  Nothing you hear will have harps playing in the background as you make important decisions and interact with your team.  Isn't going to happen unless you want it to, and those around you including leadership are motivated along with you.  It does however, start with you, which can be infectious and motivational to those around you.  This is why I would rather speak on topics that help others excel at what they do and create motivational conditions that last for extended periods of time, than tell a few jokes and build a short term result.

Developing Talents and Identifying Greatness

One of the great traits of a leader is empowerment and identifying the talents of others.  To only focus on what we have done as individuals and not looking at helping others in their career is selfish and short-sighted.  There have been many associates I have worked with which I saw great potential in their abilities, including some that I knew would some day exceed mine. 

Leadership is sometimes focused so much on the end result, they forget how important the steps are in getting there.  It's like climbing a ladder and seeing the top as you rise, and loosing your footing because we didn't see the steps or identify where our feet need to go in the process.  It is those steps that help us the next time we need to climb the ladder of success, and understanding the support and what it takes to lead to greatness.  Management is helping others climb the wall of success.  Leadership is making sure the ladder is on the right wall and is tall enough to reach the goal!  This means making sure the people that help us  have the talents and environment to help us reach the objective. 

Everyone that knows me understands my passion for education and training, and always looking to develop our personal skills and those that I work with.  This is only one of the rungs of the ladder to success.  We first must identify team members and the potential they possess who will hold the ladder and provide stability in the work environment.  Second, we must not be afraid to empower these future leaders, sometimes letting them learn from mistakes.  One of our greatest national treasures was a man named Thomas A. Edison.  He once said:  “Negative results are just what I want. They’re just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don’t.”  













No one reaches greatness alone.  No great leader was successful without surrounding themselves with great people to work beside them as they work as a team, walk in front of them to sometimes shed light on alternative solutions, and behind them to support and at times encourage even the greatest leaders.  No great leader neglected to identify and acknowledge the hard work and support of those that held the ladder. 
 

Therapy

In addition to property management and performing training and education, one of my job’s is diving, I am in the water several days a week performing maintenance on the aquarium or leading dive groups for a guest underwater experience where I work at Disney.    In a few weeks I will be embarking on a vacation to a Caribbean island and take a guess what I will be doing!  Ok... you guessed!    So my wife and I were talking after watching a show where a boss goes undercover in a ski resort where he is the Chief Executive Officer.  One of the workers who is a ski instructor communicates he wants to go on vacation and visit a ski location in Alaska.  My wife turns to me and says, “sounds like you.”  Now some might say I’m obsessed with diving and if you looked at my garage and the amount of gear I have as well as the pictures of the underwater world I have on my computer, guilty as charged.    You also need to understand my wife is not a diver, however; she loves to travel with me to exotic destinations.  She can been seen waving at me as the boat leaves the dock, and laying in a hammock on a white sandy beach with a good book and a cocktail in hand when I return (umbrella and fruit usually included). For you married divers, the true definition of a safety stop is; “picking up flowers on the way home from a dive trip.”

So, why do I go on vacation and dive when I dive almost every day at work?  I can sum it up in one word, “therapy.”  Those who have found the tranquility of the underwater world understand what I am talking about.  No cell phones, internet, text messages, or other life distractions can be found on a reef at forty feet.   Nothing but my bubbles and the natural environment that took thousands of years to create and is there for me to take in, and for a change (no offense to those I lead on dive groups or act as safety diver for) I don’t have to watch anyone else.  It’s just me and my aquatic friends, and there is nothing like it anywhere else!  As the commercial goes: Cost of a new dive knife…. $60.  Boat trip to a reef with my friends ….$100.  Hours underwater in a world others only see on National Geographic and experiencing it personally…Priceless!  To watch a shark as he stalks a reef, see a sting ray as he hides himself in the sand, or view beautiful angelfish as they dance across the coral, it is a world special to me.

We may dive for different reasons.  To escape the stresses at work and use it as therapy.  To teach others what diving is all about.  To share what we see with others through photography and video.  To study the animals we see and even some we cannot without the use of a microscope.  To check on the changes our planet is going through and perhaps find ways to protect it for generations to come.  To discover new species and perhaps understand more about our past.  To go where others have never gone before and set new records.  No matter what the reason, diving has become a hobby for some and an occupation for others; and there is nothing wrong with using my talents of my occupation as a conduit for enjoying it as a hobby.   So the next time you call my home and ask if I am able to come to the phone and I’m on a dive trip, don’t be surprised when my wife replies, “Sorry, he’s not available he’s in therapy.”  I just hope it’s not someone calling to ask me about the submission of my resume for a job.  Doubt I will get the interview with that response.

Developing new talent

I have been speaking over the years and all those that know me understand my passion for training and education.  I would never have been the person I am today without those along my career line sharing information and believing in me.  Leaders should constantly be looking for, molding, and developing new talent for the future.  It is also extremely rewarding to see others move up the ladder of success because you played a part in their development.

Training and education should never stop, however, most times in most positions after initial orientation and training a training plan is not available or encouraged.  Why not you ask?  Because most organizations do not see the reward with the expense or understand the motivational environment it creates.  When not in property management I am a cast member for Disney diving with sharks.  Yes, I'm in the water with real very large sharks every day and it is awesome.    This is a company that not only encourages training and education, but has one of the largest divisions related to training and education in the country...if maybe not the world.  Maybe, just maybe, this is one of the reasons Disney is known for excellence in guest services and the many years of success.  When a need was identified related to a safety issues, my coordinator asked me to develop operating procedures and head up the training program.  No long drawn out process, just do it.  Whow, what a fresh and welcoming way to enhance education within our group.  When a need was identified to conduct shark suit training for our aquarium team, I was again approached since I had training in that area.  Want to take a course to take you to the next level, Disney has one for just about every area and subject matter.  Have to say, Disney does it right!

Part of the reason for promoting education and training is helping to not only develop, but identify new talent.  Who will lead your organization in the future?  What exceptional talent may you loose if you do not identify future stars?   Leaders look for opportunity and new responsibilities, and true leaders are never complacent with where they are at and where their team is at.  I remember a young man I had once in a CAM class I was teaching.  His responses, attention, and openness told me he wanted to learn and had great potential.  I had the opportunity to work with him as his regional and he says with my guidance developed leadership traits he has today.   He later when on to become a Regional Director and has truly become a leader and someone who also sees the abilities in others.  One of my proudest moments of many similar stories.

 Seek out new talent through education, training, sharing, and believing.  Find ways to make education fun and exciting.  Develop a strategy to identify the leaders of tomorrow, and in the process you may find you are educating yourself.  Developing new talent does not have to be difficult.  A little training, motivation, education, and inspiration can take any team to the next level and in reaching new goals.  If it isn't there create it!  If not provided, seek it and find where you can learn!  If you desire it, ask for it! 

Managing My Marketing

If it's not broke, don't fix it!  We have all heard that expression and at times maybe even used it.  Problem is, when it comes to marketing it may not be broken, just not maximizing your return which in my opinion is the same thing as broken.  Marketing mediums are not all alike, and the efficacy of marketing mediums depend on many variables.  What demographics is the site or publication hitting, what is the distribution and is it hitting your target market?  How easily can content be updated and changed, as well as who can make these changes and how quickly?  How is the traffic tracked, and what data do you get for follow-up and what segments of data are available to help you understand the profile of your guests?  How can you determine which mediums create the most benefit from the expense?  What mediums should I be in and how can I provide rationale to ownership and management to add marketing dollars?  How is technology changing how I market, and how do we stay ahead of the curve when contracts are signed for long obligation periods?  And last but not least, is your message driving leases or just phone calls?   So many questions, so little time to write...so we'll touch on a few of these area!

Let's start with all the options we have and the different mediums trying to vie for your marketing dollars.  Having prepared hundreds of budgets and managed for owners, REIT's, and third party companies, ownership (and upper leadership in some cases) is not always understanding to the expense side of the financial and budget when it comes to marketing dollars.  We are constantly asked, "How can we minimize or reduce expenses and is what your asking for absolutely necessary?"  We must also acknowledge every marketing provider can say, "We are the best."  So, how do we know we are putting our marketing eggs in the right basket and can get the maximum result to increase revenue and occupancy?   Not all of the questions are aimed at marketing mediums nor do they place responsibility on them.  First line of responsibility is with us as property managers and business owners!  Do your homework, check references and statistics yourself, verify your analysis with someone you trust, listen to others, and be prepared to justify your recommendations and decision. 

I have always been an advocate of looking at leases and not just leads when reviewing and analyzing marketing mediums.  This is of course assuming you believe your team is doing the basics related to what I call "first position" leasing.  What is "first position?"  Well, glad you asked.  Are they great at handling telephone leasing and are they maximizing conversion ratio's from call to visit?  Are they quantifying the marketing source that lead them to the call or visit?  Are they performing effective and timely follow-up?  Are they superstars when it comes to leasing and closing?  If so, the next step is looking at your message.  What am I saying in my advertisement and is it generating interest to get the call and the visit?  Is my message in the ad representative of the property being presented?  Last thing you want is your ad gives a Class A feel and a Class C visit.   When you ask these questions and go back to the lead versus the lease analogy, leases put money in the bank...leads do not! 

Second position is content, the words you choose, the pictures and other content presented, and does the ad hit your target market.   Once again does the message fit the community and is it motivational (create action to call or visit)?  What do you use as bullet points and what order do you put them in?  What are you saying in your "paragraph" section, and are you keeping it brief because we all know people review advertising today in bites and more is not necessarily better?  Do your pictures really tell a story and are they representative of what the guest will see upon visiting your site? 

How do I convince ownership or upper leadership to give me more marketing dollars, or in some cases keep what marketing dollars you have had?  First question, have you answered all the questions already talked about above and made good decisions in the past to provide a basis for justification of what you are asking for?  If not, your chances are already reduced.  Second, prepare a CBA or Cost Benefit Analysis for what you are asking for or trying to justify.  Basically, you have to sell your marketing dollars just as you would a budget.  Those that have attended my "How to sell a budget" workshop know what I am talking about.  Call references and document the contact and their results.  Compare apples to apples with your analysis related to the  type of community, advertising mediums used, leases provided, leads produced, and personnel.  A well prepared, documented, and presented analysis and plan can make the difference between getting a yes...and having to hear a no!

So, what is the answer?  Not all the questions I have raised have been answered and maybe the answer is in all the questions I have raised.  My intent here is not to give you all the answers as every community, ownership, and medium is different.  My goal is to get you to open your mind, really think through the process, and ask the right questions.   I could write an entire article or even a book on this topic (wait a minute...I have), and have only scratched the surface in how to look at marketing.  Knowledge is not in having all the answers, but knowing where to find them.  

Traits of a Leader

When I do seminars on leadership (my favorite topic and the most requested), I am often asked what are the qualities of a successful leader?  In asking others what they seek and desire in leaders, the answers are as varied as the weather in Florida. So what do you look at in qualities and why?  In my studies I also find it depends on many variables such as type of position and industry, level of workers and leaders, and more importantly how involved leaders are with their teams. A few of the top qualities include honesty, a great listener, effective communicator, a sense of humor, believable, passionate, fairness, trustworthy, and of course decisive.  Those that have followed my blog know I have written on this topic before, however, a recent discussion I had a with a friend raised my interest to write on this further.  I received a call from this person saying my name came up in a seminar when a question was asked, "Have you had a leader you admired and you felt really listened and cared about their subordinates."  Two people I had previously worked with responded and I was told the response directed at me.  Talk about raising my spirits when i got the call.  Thanks Bryan and Travis, I also admire and have a high degree of respect for you as well.  Let's look at a few of the more subtle but equally important qualities.

Sense of Humor - Yes, and I don't mean able to tell a joke!  Being able to laugh and sometimes at themselves, able to use humor effectively and taking into consideration sensitivity issues, and making the work environment fun in a motivational way.  I remember one time challenging my team at a property to getting forty leases in a month, a feat that had never been achieved at this particular site and a goal many thought unachievable.  Well, after first showing them how it could be achieved by how it was presented (not just presenting it as forty leases but less than 1.5 leases per day an amount that was possible), I offered part of the prize for me to stand in front of the property in a banana costume holding a sign saying, "We have apartments with appeal!"  As soon as I said what I would do the first question was "for how long?"  I said I would do it for two hours, and the Assistant Manager said, "Give us three hours and we'll hand out bananas to guests."  Needless to say, I look great in a banana costume and the team exceeded the goal by doing forty two leases.  One of our greatest leaders known in time was Winston Churchill, and he was known for having a sense of humor.  At a dinner one night he was telling some let's say sensitive jokes to which one lady at the table took offense to.  The lady said, Mr. Churchill, if I was your wife I would consider putting poison in your drink.  Without missing a beat he turned to the lady and said, "Madam, if I was your husband I would drink it."

Being Decisive -  Teams will follow a leader who is not afraid to make a decision, and will not follow someone who indecisive.  Making decisions is critical, and the end result making decisions that the team can relate to or understand is equally important.  Providing the "why" in addition to the "what" develops an understanding of the rational behind a decision, especially one that might not be accepted by the team without it.  Leaders make decisions all the time, however, seldom share the why behind it.  This can create a misunderstanding of a task or goal, and not allow for acceptance of what is to be done.  We need to get forty leases this month.  Why?  Well with having a higher number of lease expiration's and an above average number of notices, this will allow us to meet budget and maintain our chances of meeting bonus.  Now they understand the why behind the what. 

Willing to share the glory - Too often leaders or managers are quick to be critical, and slow to share praise or not praise with sincerity.  If someone is doing a good job let them know it and share it with others, and equally as important praise quickly.  Be specific about the praise by telling them "specifically" what they did well and ask them what they believe were key factors in doing the job well.  You probably will learn about what motivates them, and they will also take away a feeling you are truly caring about accepting input related to the task.  By asking questions and being specific about the accomplishment, a team or team member will accept praise as sincere and believable.  If we constantly just say, "good job" without specifics, after while they will look at the praise as simply lip service. 

Able to listen effectively - Team members want to know you are listening, and listening with understanding and compassion.  There is an art to listening as a leader and I hear way too often, "We think they are listening but nothing is ever done or they really don't care."  Acknowledging you are listening, repeating what you heard to create understanding, and helping them understand your limitations in what can and cannot be done will develop a path where they know you are listening and not just being a sounding board.  Listening also means asking for feedback and sometimes their input on solutions.  None of us knows all the answers and others just may have a better solution.  My wise and wonderful Father once told me, "Knowledge is not knowing the answers...but knowing where to find them." 

I could write for days on this, however, everyone looks at leadership differently.  What I hope to generate from this is discussion and thought processes related to what you look for and why, then share it with others.  Now go lead!