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Reading Room Articles When You're Not Busy With Traffic: Tips for Time Management By Douglas D. Chasick, CPM, RAM Written for Sales and Marketing Magic Since our job is to write leases, and since we can only write leases if we are making presentations to prospects, our focus must be on generating traffic if no traffic is coming through the door. Successful salespeople do not rely on traffic to just "show up", because no matter how much advertising and marketing we do, there are times when no one walks through our door. We must engage in pro-active practices to ensure a steady flow of prospects in to our office. Old guest cards are an excellent source of traffic. People who came to see you and didn't rent may not have rented anywhere - why not invite them back? Or, if they have rented somewhere else, stay in touch with them and make sure they're satisfied with their choice - they might not be as happy as they thought they would be and would come back to see you when their current lease is up. Resident referrals don't just happen because we send out flyers. After the flyers are sent out, call the residents to see if they know anyone that might be looking for an apartment, and to "re-sell" the resident referral fees. Merchant referrals fall into the same category - just dropping off flyers and spending five minutes with a local merchant won't get you many prospects. Remember, the merchant is much more interested in running their business than in sending you traffic. Visit them regularly, and reinforce the benefits of referring people to your property. "Cold calling" can be done in person, on he phone, or through the use of direct mail. Simply stated, cold calling is the systematic contact of people and businesses who could reasonably be expected to have an interest in your property, either as a prospect or as a source of referrals. The first step in creating a cold call program is to identify the potential contacts, including individuals and businesses, or in the case of direct mail, a mailing list that includes likely prospects. Once you've identified your market, create a sales script for personal visits or calls, or a sales letter or brochure for direct mail. Keep a record of each personal contact, and note each response received from your mailing piece. In many offices, leasing consultants are responsible for various administrative tasks in addition to their leasing duties. It is important to plan properly and manage your time effectively so that these tasks get done without preventing you from devoting the maximum amount of time to leasing. The first rule of time management is to distinguish between those things that are "important" and those that are "urgent". Important tasks are those that contribute to your long-term goals, while urgent tasks are those that scream for your attention. Another way to look at these distinctions is that important tasks are typically pro-active, while urgent tasks are reactive; urgent tasks are usually the result of important tasks not being accomplished. One you've mastered these distinctions, write a plan that identifies your important tasks, and the length of time required to complete them. Remember that your important tasks are those that forward the accomplishment of your goals. Your goals and plans should be kept in a binder that you always carry; the binder should also contain weekly and monthly calendars as well as blank to-do list pages. There are numerous daily planners and time management systems available today; the key to all of them is that you use them on a daily basis. The most important habit to develop in using any daily planner is to write all of your to-do lists and notes in the planner. Stop writing notes and lists on pads, scraps of paper and post-it notes, especially if you later transfer all of those lists into your planner - it's extra work, and a waste of your time. Everything you need should be in one place, at your fingertips, so you can use it daily. Another important issue to resolve is how to keep track of your contacts. If you are comfortable working with a computer, there are many contact management programs available that allow for much greater efficiency than a manual system. If you're not computer literate, don't despair: a handwritten system using index cards works well, too. There are many ways to track your prospects: last name, date of visit, type of apartment desired, date of scheduled call-back,, etc. Whichever method you choose, the system only works if you use it! The importance of receiving constructive criticism cannot be over emphasized. Although we all like to hear how well we're doing, we must also be open to hear what we could be doing better. Our continuing growth and success depends on receiving feedback on EVERYTHING we do, effective and ineffective, so we can constantly improve ourselves and increase our results. Lastly, we cannot overlook the importance of leisure time when we consider how to create and maintain a winning attitude. Human beings cannot thrive when focused exclusively on work - we also need to play! And don't overlook the sacrifices made by your family - they are sacrificing their time with you in order to support you in being successful. Just as you must remain focused on work while working, focus on "not work" when not working. Develop a hobby, engage in sports, or simply relax and read or watch TV - but leave the office AT the office and get away regularly to recharge yourself.