by Doug Chasick

Posted June 6, 2003

The 12 Step Program for more effective Leasing!

Are you satisfied with your leasing results? Or, like most people, are you still looking for that magical mystery close, the secret potion of powerful presentations, the charm that will allow you to hypnotize every prospect into signing a lease without you lifting a finger? Or, would you like to try for what’s behind door number 2?

As we all know, the bad news is that there simply are no magical formulas or potions - there are no shortcuts! The good news is that by following these twelve simple steps, you will definitely increase your selling effectiveness. And yes, I know you've heard it all before. But are you doing these things now?

1. ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING: Study after study reveals that "techniques" account for only 20% of the success achieved by professional salespeople (that's us!); 80% of their success is due to their attitude. And, although a positive mental attitude is important, it's not everything: the most successful people have an attitude of achievement. They have clearly defined, achievable written goals, an action plan to achieve their goals, and a commitment to "make it" - that's the attitude common to all winners!

2. ESTABLISH A RAPPORT WITH YOUR PROSPECT: Stop rushing into your leasing presentation the moment you are sitting face to face with your prospect! Just asking their name and how they heard about your community does not qualify as establishing a rapport. Find out a little about them: notice how they're dressed, what kind of jewelry they wear, what kind of car they drive. Ask where they work, what they do for a living, what they like to do for fun. Find some "common ground" and use it in customizing your presentation.

3. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN: What most people call listening is really them not talking while they figure out the next brilliant thing they're going to say. The fact that the other person is talking is merely a coincidence! That's not listening. Let’s look at another of those ubiquitous 80/20 rules: The salesperson should listen 80% of the time, and speak 20% of the time – and most of that should be devoted to asking open-ended questions! The more your prospect talks, the more engaged they are in the selling process. So talk less, listen more, and increase your leasing effectiveness!

4. BE AWARE OF HOW YOU LOOK AND SOUND TO THE PROSPECT: When was the last time you tape recorded your presentation and listened to the tone and volume of your voice, the speed at which you talk and the number of distractions that you let escape from your mouth? (Do you always say "Uh" when you pause, or do you repeat certain words or phrases alot?) When was the last time you video taped your presentation and watched the way you look while making your presentation? Do you have any gestures that need to be eliminated, like playing with your pen, your jewelry, your clothing or your glasses? If you don't have access to a video camera, make more sales and buy your own! In the meantime, practice in front of a full-length mirror, or in front of someone you trust enough not to get mad at them when they tell you the truth about how your presentation REALLY looks and sounds!

5. DESCRIBE THE BENEFITS OF YOUR COMMUNITY AS THE SOLUTION TO THE PROSPECT'S PROBLEM: What is the prospect's problem? Why did they get up, get dressed and drive to your community today, walk into your office and ask about an apartment? Think it has anything to do with the fact the prospect is unhappy with their current living conditions? Probably, but what exactly is their problem? You'll find out if you establish a rapport and listen, listen, listen! We all know that selling features is a waste of time, so we switched to selling benefits. What about selling solutions? If your prospect has a problem with closet space, maybe your closets are the solution. Or if their current apartment is noisy or dark, you might have the perfect quiet, sunny new home for them. Find out what they have a problem with at their current apartment home and solve it for them. Don't worry about all those other features and benefits you may not have to talk about; those will be "gravy"!

6. ALWAYS BE CLOSING: Studies show that, on the average, you must ask for the order seven times. That means you'll close some on the second try and some on the 12th! How many times do you ask for the order? If it's not at least seven, you now know why you don't close as many leases as you'd like to. And here's another interesting statistic: 80% of all leases are made after the 5th contact!

• 48% of all salespeople give up after their first contact - these salespeople get 2% of the sales.
• 73% of all salespeople give up after their second contact - these salespeople get 3% of the sales.
• 85% of all salespeople give up after their third contact - these salespeople get 5% of the sales.
• 90% of all salespeople give up after their fourth contact - these salespeople get 10% of the sales.

7. FOLLOW THE S.S.T.T.P. FORMULA FOR EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS: That's Short, Sweet and To The Point! The most successful salespeople choose EVERY WORD they use very carefully. Use big, beautiful, descriptive, engaging words and phrases and body language that cause your prospect to visualize their wonderful, comfortable, convenient, hassle-free life in their new, clean, spacious apartment home. BE enthusiastic, BE excited, and go beyond closing and into enrollment! (That's where your prospects lose control and catch your enthusiasm!) If you're a real pro, the amount of time you spend creating and practicing your presentation will far exceed the actual length of your presentation.

8. HAVE SPECIFIC WRITTEN GOALS FOR EACH DAY: At the beginning of each week, make a written commitment of how many presentations you will give and how many leases you will sign. Each day, score yourself and adjust the following day's goals accordingly. If your goals aren't measurable and aren't written down, they're not goals – they’re dreams! (Yes, I hear your question: "But what if we don't get enough traffic that day for me to meet my presentation goal?" How about calling your be-backs, old traffic cards, current residents for referrals, your merchant contacts for referrals or the "roommates wanted" section of your newspaper? Get them down to see your property, and on your waiting list for when their current lease expires!)

9. REVIEW AND EVALUATE EVERY PRESENTATION: After each presentation, whether or not you signed a lease, take a few minutes to review your presentation and make written notes about what worked and what didn't work. We're all great at realizing what we should have done, AFTER the fact, so MAKE NOTES - that way, you'll remember to do what you should have done when it counts - during the presentation! Keep a small spiral notebook with you, or start a special section in your organizer. And don't focus only on what didn't work: although it's very important to analyze and correct the areas of your presentation that didn't work, it's equally important to look at what did work, and why it worked. You can then repeat your success - it's the difference between being successful because of yourself instead of being successful in spite of yourself!

10. YOU ARE THE PRODUCT - ARE YOU RENT READY: Before you sell anything, you've got to sell yourself. Are you a "10", or do you need to call the turnkey company? Shoes shined, heels with tips, no runs, clothes clean and pressed, fingernails and hair clean and well groomed? Ladies, how's your make-up and jewelry; dressed for success or decked out for a night on the town? Gentlemen, do you need to re-apply the razor around 2:00 pm? Of course there's no smoking or eating in the office, and we always rise to greet our visitors, right? Try keeping a small mirror on your desk, facing you: this will help you remind your face how excited you are when a prospect walks in your door!

11. MANAGE YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH: Successful selling involves the effective use of words to paint pictures and establish trust and confidence. If you want to build your muscles, you lift weights; the best way to build your word muscles is to read! Fiction, non-fiction and magazine articles can all inspire you and help you build your vocabulary. And speaking of non-fiction and magazines, please don't limit yourself strictly to apartment management related publications. Read about marketing and selling in general, and other businesses such as retailing, hospitality and food service. Read a few books about writing advertising and direct mail copy. Always read!

12. THIS IS FUN; SO ACT LIKE IT: Life is too short to spend eight or ten hours a day being miserable. Selling is a game and it's fun. You get to solve people's housing problems by leasing them an apartment at your property. If that doesn't genuinely turn you on each day, you're in the wrong business! Need a lift in the morning to remind you? Forget the coffee, watch reruns of "The Three Stooges" every morning! (Yes, I think they were in the apartment business!)

These 12 steps are proven methods for improving your selling effectiveness. The fact that these are not new, revolutionary techniques doesn't reduce their effectiveness. If you do these things, they will work for you! So plug these old stand-bys into your daily routine, and go lease some apartments!

Douglas D. Chasick, CPM®, CAPS, CAS, Adv. RAM, CLP, is The Apartment Doctor™, a Multifamily speaker and consultant specializing in restoring rental health to ailing apartment communities and management companies. Doug is also the Multifamily Distance Learning Consultant for CallSource®.