Lease Up! Pro Learning Series
The Lease Up! Pro Learning Series consists of topics about leasing, marketing and customer service for management, leasing and maintenance professionals. These sessions are available in half and/or full day sessions for apartment associations and private companies.
NEW FOR 2011:
MARKETING TRENDS FOR 2011 - It’s NOT Business as usual – Or is it? - Half Day Session
Let’s face it, our industry has changed dramatically over the last few years and communities that expect to survive and thrive need to have a hybrid marketing plan that blends new technology with the tried and true techniques of the past. In this session you will discover the latest trends along with how to bring new life to the marketing tools of the past to increase traffic and lease more apartments. Topics covered include:
- Getting the Most out of Online Classified Advertising – RentLinx, Craigslist and others
- Social Media – Fad, foe or friend? Where to start
- Resident Referrals 2.0 – How to tap into the online referral market
- Apartment Ratings Sites – Why you must join in the conversation
- Follow Up The Lost Art of Sales – How to capture the “Be Back” market with a four point follow up formula
- Communication Tools that get the attention of prospects, residents & outreach contacts
- How to maximize Internet and Print advertising sources
- Grass Roots Outreach Marketing - Five Types of Outreach that produce more referrals
- How to create “Slam on the Brakes” Curb Appeal
- And many more ideas to “Market on the Skinny!” with no or low cost solutions
MASTERING BASIC LEASING SKILLS - How to Lease in a Competitive and Challenging Market - Full or Half Day Session
Rental housing options today are plentiful and more diverse as single family homes and condos are now available for lease. This combined with a higher applicant denial rate makes increasing occupancy more of a challenge. In order to succeed we need to focus on the things we can control by being the best we can be at leasing apartments. Beginners and Ol’ Pros alike will benefit from this session as we review the Basics with a Fresh Approach and learn how to lease in a highly competitive and challenging market. In this session you will learn how to
- Effectively turn internet leads and callers into visitors
- Go from Tour Guide to Professional Leasing Consultant and still keep it real
- Be Prepared – Tools for Success and Becoming an Expert
- Build rapport through Generational Leasing Techniques
- Determine if the prospect is “ready, willing and able” to lease and what type of commitment you can get on the first visit
- Show the apartment and community as it relates to the visitor
- Sell the benefits of apartment living compared to houses and condos
- Capture the “Be Back” market with an effective four point follow up formula
- ASK FOR THE SALE!
MARKETING “B” & “C” GRADE COMMUNITIES - Generating Qualified Traffic on a Tight Budget - Half Day Session
Many managers have the challenge of increasing occupancy at properties that are either physically or financially distressed. Many markets are experiencing the affect of high unemployment rates which in turn influence the amount of qualified traffic and resident retention. In this session you will learn how to focus on the things you can control that in the end will have a positive effect on your occupancy. Topics covered include:
- “Market on the Skinny!” with no or low cost solutions
- Getting the Most out of Online Classified Advertising
- Marketing for low and middle income properties
- Grass Roots Outreach Marketing - Five Types of Outreach that produce more referrals
- Managing a “bruised” reputation
- Repositioning and maximizing rents
- Apartment Ratings Sites – Why you must join in the conversation
- Social Media – Fad, foe or friend? Where to start
- Services and activities that residents will participate in and appreciate
- Resident Retention – Creating loyalty that encourages residents to stay
- Keeping your “chin up” when times are down
FAIR HOUSING – Best Practices for Compliance
This session focuses on real life application of Fair Housing Laws specifically for the apartment industry. Owners, managers, leasing consultants and service techs will all benefit from knowing how the laws and most importantly the best practices to stay in compliance affect them.
- Why is Fair Housing Important?
- History of the Laws
- Protected Classes - Federal, State, Local
- Accommodations or Modifications? - Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Current Issues
- Victims of Domestic Violence
- Medical Marijuana
- Sources of Income
- Voice and Name Profiling
- The “Helpful” Sales Process – “I was only trying to help!”
- Fair Housing and the Maintenance Team - Providing Customer Service Equally
- Accountability
- Who is accountable?
- Who can file a complaint?
- Penalties
- Keys to Compliance
- Where is your “Safe Zone”?
- Resources – Who to call for help
FOLLOW UP - The Lost Art of Sales - Half Day Session
Only a small percentage of prospects actually lease on their first visit. We are a “Be Back” business where the Leasing Professional who makes the best impression and makes an effort to follow up gets the most leases. Learn
- To follow up……or not?
- Who, what, when, how - Email, Phone call, thank you note, text or…..??
- Which type of follow up to use for different generations
- Follow up that gets attention, is personalized, creates urgency and gets a response
- Simple Lead management
- Service request follow up
- Resident referrals – the biggest compliment a resident can give! How to follow through to make the sale!
CLOSING SUCCESS – Signed, Sealed and Delivered - How to get the Prospect to say “I’m YOURS”! - Half Day Session
- The two most important questions to ask to know if a prospect is “ready, willing & able” to lease
- The five types of commitments and how to get one from every prospect
- How to extend the invitation to lease
- How to recognize verbal and nonverbal leasing signals
- Your competitive advantages and how to make them work for you
- Creative and timely Follow Up – The Lost Art of Sales
SALES TRAINING FOR SENIOR HOUSING - It’s the “heart” sell not the “hard” sell - Full Day Session – 6 hours
This session is designed for senior housing leasing specialists that sell independent, assisted living or memory care housing. The focus is managing the often times extended and multifaceted sales cycle of senior housing.
Background of the Senior Living Industry ■ Principals in marketing and selling to Seniors ■ Salesmanship ■ The Prep ■ Probing and listening skills ■ Telephone techniques ■ Presentation ■ Closing ■ Handling objections ■ Follow up ■ Identifying the true competitor ■ Expectations
THE POWER OF OUTREACH MARKETING
Why do outreach? ■ Reasons why we don’t do outreach ■ How much traffic do we really need? ■ Taking the “fear” out of “going out” ■ Three Keys to successful outreach ■ Five types of outreach contacts ■ Identifying the target market ■ Organizing and reporting ■ Expectations
Outreach Marketing is no longer an optional part of a Marketing Plan. It is a necessary form of marketing required in today’s market. A pre-seminar assignment identifies the resident demographics. Each attendee will leave with a 90 day Outreach Marketing Plan with specific schedules and contacts along with an Outreach Notebook to organize and track leads.
CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR THE MAINTENANCE TEAM
How your level of service can make a difference ■ What it costs to “turn” an apartment ■ Move In Day and creating an exceptional and positive first impression ■ How to have a Responsive Maintenance Service Program ■ Plan your work and work your plan ■ What to do when your day doesn’t go as planned ■ Grooming – Looking good! ■ Working as a team ■ Fair Housing Practices
The maintenance team has the most potential to determine if a resident renews their lease or not based on the level of customer service experienced from the day of move in. Learn how to make a difference in resident retention and how your efforts affect the bottom line.
DISCOVER YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
The purpose of knowing your competitive advantage ■ How to identify your competitor’s ■ Evaluating products, service, services, features and amenities ■ How to complete a market survey and get real information ■ Now that you know…What will you do…?
Never before has the apartment industry been as competitive as it is today. Learn how to stand out in the crowd and not only get your fair share of the rental market but more!
CUSTOMER SERVICE – Don’t Stop Selling!
Why service and what is it? ■ What it costs to “turn” an apartment ■ Resident Retention – Build loyalty by giving residents a reason to stay ■ Service vs. Services ■ “Moments of Truth – Moments of Opportunity” ■ Calming upset residents ■ Avoiding the situation ■ How to win over a difficult customer ■ Mastering the art of calm
Once the prospect says “I’ll take it” is when the service part of our business begins. In this seminar the emphasis is on how service is the essence of our job while our “to do” list is the function of our job.
RESIDENT RETENTION – You can make a difference!
Know your clients intentions ■ Move in day – Make it easy! ■ Follow through and follow up ■ Maximize your Resident Services ■ Build Community ■ Have a Responsive Maintenance Program ■ Social programs that work ■ Make it easy to renew
Resident turnover can be reduced with a specific plan designed around quality customer service that builds resident loyalty. Give your residents reasons to stay and they will. It’s not just about a pool party!
