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Reading Room Articles
Sound familiar? • Sit up nights wondering what the new leasing consultant told the prospective resident when asked, "Is there any crime in the area." • Called the property to welcome the leasing consultant to the company and he/she answered the phone. • Called later that day and the new hire was out showing an apartment. • Talked to the consultant at the end of the day to find out the work schedule had changed and she was covering the weekend. • The manager is in budget meetings for the next 3 days and won't be available to train the new consultant. • The new consultant comes to class and says throughout the program, "We don't do it that way at our property." "That's not what I was trained to say." Oops, I didn't know we couldn't say that." If these are any of your challenges in training a new hire you may want to consider developing a Leasing Guide to bridge the gap between the start date and formal classroom training. Listed below in outline format are the benefits of a Leasing Guide and the areas you'll want to consider when developing your guide. BENEFITS OF A LEASING GUIDE • Sets standards and expectations on the first day of employment. The new hire begins learning immediately the organization's guidelines, policies and expectations for leasing. Leasing personnel, especially new hires, need written guidelines. • Bridges the gap between start date and classroom training. New hires can learn about your company and leasing even before orientation or a leasing workshop. • New hire now shares in the responsibility for their training. Because new hires are highly motivated their first few weeks of employment, they'll exceed your expectations regarding completion of this training program. • Manager oversees progress and results. The manager's responsibility is to ensure the new hire understands the material and incorporates the techniques suggested. • Consistency, This guide lends consistency to your organization, in that we really never know how their being trained one-on-one and how the associate interprets what is verbally communicated. Now you'll have it in writing! • Compliments and reinforces what is learned in the classroom. • New Hire is better prepared to receive information in the formal classroom training when it becomes available. They'll understand terms, procedures and will have some experience with a prospect. Learning will increase because of their familiarity with the process. They'll be able to concentrate on the advanced selling techniques introduced. • First 30 days are much more productive. Much less worry about the new hire saying something wrong or illegal. • One hour, on-site team training sessions can be conducted using the material in the guide. THE BASIC INGREDIENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE LEASING GUIDE Each new hire who is responsible for leasing apartments should receive their very own guide on their first day of employment. They will use this guide as their initial training tool, later they'll use it as a valuable reference guide. Every guide should contain the following: Table Of Contents Index
A brief statement of your company's business philosophy and history will build loyalty, commitment and team spirit among your associates. Outlining your performance expectations starts the new hire out on the right foot. Develop a Leasing Guide Training Checklist. This can be used as the manager's tool to ensure understanding and can later become a permanent record in the associate's personnel file.
Provide sample conversations. This will help the associate learn the correct way to communicate with prospects and residents regarding frequently asked questions. You could broaden this topic to Liability, then including sample conversations regarding safety, security and other liable situations.
This section also helps set performance standards and expectations.
These are essential tools to selling and should be addressed in detail. Provide the associate with assignments, such as completing a Product Knowledge Checklist on their community and at least one competitor. Provide examples of Feature/Benefits Selling statements. Provide examples of open, closed, clarifying and developmental questions. State how, when and why these questions are effective when selling. You could add a section regarding behavior styles.
At least 50% of leases should come from the telephone. Studies show that prospects are four times more likely to lease an apartment when an appointment is made on the telephone and that three out of four people who lease apartments, call first. Our telephone is our best marketing tool and we spend major advertising dollars to make it ring. Your leasing staff must know how to convert a call to an appointment. Telephone etiquette should also be covered, as well as helpful tips such as: put a smile in your voice every time you pick up the phone. Setting the appointment should be the key focus of this module. Sample telephone conversations are very beneficial to the new hire.
Creating a trust bond, reducing tension and getting the prospect conversational should be covered during the greeting. "Off Your Seat and On Your Feet" when the prospect arrives at your door. The information gathering process is the most important part of the entire selling process. This is where you meet the prospect, form first impressions, evaluate behavioral styles, reduce tension, uncover the prospect's needs by asking a variety of questions, and discover what some of their objections may or may not be. We learn their likes and dislikes, what they need to change in their present situation and why they are moving. All these concepts should be covered. Also discuss the effective use of the Guest/Information Card. State your procedures regarding using the card and how to sell using the card.
Satisfying the prospect's needs, as discovered during information gathering should be the focus of this module. Introduce creative product demonstration techniques. Consider address on-site safety procedures with the new hire. (It needs to be addressed somewhere.) Provide a list of common objectives with at least two samples of ways to overcome them. Objections begin to arise during the information gathering portion of the selling process because of the probing questions asked. Associates should recognize these objections as buying signals and know how to overcome them effectively.
When you gather information properly, undercover needs and satisfy those needs during the presentation, effectively overcome objections, the close is a foregone conclusion! Provide the associate with at least 10 closing techniques and sample statements using the technique. The key is to encourage the associate to pinpoint three statements that they now use and to encourage them to expand their repertoire. Follow up sets us apart, shows our professionalism and demonstrates commitment. Highlight your companies philosophy regarding follow up with sample notes and/or conversations.
Provide associates with a recommend reading list to encourage them to continue their sales education. Provide motivational articles. The key factor for any salesperson is to be enthusiastic and motivated. Motivational material can be found in catalogs, books, calendars, magazines and even specialized stores which carry general motivational materials for sales. Bonus Inserts
I hope this outline helps get you started. If I can be of any assistance, don't hesitate to call. 
Nadine Francis is the president of Nadine Francis Associates and On-Site Training, Inc. She specializes in designing, developing and conducting seminars in sales, legendary service, leadership training and a host of on-site operational topics. Nadine consults management companies in training program design and developing their internal trainer networks. To read more articles from this author please visit www.smmonline.com. The Sales & Marketing Magic Companies, shares more than 20 years of experience in multifamily housing, encompassing leasing, marketing, management, training, authoring, consulting, developing, and Brainstorming! For more information on , Sales & Marketing Magic for Apartment Managers; the latest Tools & Forms Catalogue; The Annual Multifamily Housing Brainstorming Sessions™; or to receive top ideas, FREE, via e-mail, please call 727-784-9469 or visit www.SMMOnline.com. |
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