|
|
Reading Room Articles
Need a traffic boost? Here are a few hot opportunities that you may have overlooked!
- Read the paper - especially the Business or Money section. Look for corporate
relocations, and contact the Human Resource Managers of large companies that are
new to your area. Ofer your assistance in finding temporary or permanent housing
solutions for relocating employees!
- Offer your clubhouse or grounds to local business or non-profit organizations
for meetings or social events. This will start lots of people talking about your
community, and imagine the great things they'll say!
- Keep in touch with everyone you know who will help to bring you future residents.
Send birthday cards, postcards, and personal notes to residents, future residents,
and previous residents! Even your personal circle of friends can be a valuable
networking source.
- Spread the word at community events - festivals and other outdoor events are
great opportunities to pass out flyers or other promotional materials. One community
I know hands out "Frisbees" with the community name and phone number
on them at outdoor concerts in the park - and they're a great hit!
- Celebrate the kids at your community! - Each month, plan a birthday party in
the clubhouse for the kids whose birthdays are in that month. Serve cake and punch,
provide party games, and invite the kids to bring their friends… where there
are kids, there are parents!
- Get active in your local Chamber of Commerce. Attend meetings and allow your
staff to as well. Theis is a valuable opportunity to boost your community's market
presence in the kinds of business circles where good word-of-mouth spreads easily.
Your fellow attendees often sit at the top of large pyramids of future residents
and other business contacts, and their reference is well worth seeking.
- Hang out with local clubs and special interest groups - this is especially
effective for new construction communities. When a local country club or social
organization holds an open-invitation event, send someone (dressed to the nines)
to just network and talk about your community. Party chatter can really pay off!
- Look for new future residents at places where you're a customer - talk to the
owners and managers at the businesses you patronize, and let them know what's
going on at your community. This is a great way to network, and run your errands
at the same time! Salons, doctors offices, and other places where people wait
to be served are also great places to leave newsletters or fliers.
- Cooperate with local businesses - ask them to post flyers, business cards,
or brochures about your community. In return, include them in your move-in packet
or advertise them in your newsletter. You'll really be on top of things if you
can get them to offer your residents a discount.
- Never fail to ask for a referral! When you lose a lease, for whatever reason,
apologize for not being able to meet their needs and ask if they know someone
who would be interested. You'll get a somewhat qualified referral in return, since
the lost future resident knows enough about your community to know what you're
looking for in a resident.
As Chief Imagination Officer of The Sales & Marketing Magic
Companies, Tami Siewruk shares more than 20 years of experience in multifamily
housing, encompassing leasing, marketing, management, training, authoring, consulting,
developing, and Brainstorming! For more information on Tami's newsletter, Sales
& Marketing Magic for Apartment Managers; the latest Tools & Forms
Catalogue; The Annual Multifamily Housing Brainstorming Sessions™; or
to receive Tami's top ideas, FREE, via e-mail, please call 727-784-9469 or visit
www.SMMOnline.com.
|
|
|
Equal Housing Opportunity.