I do not like buying cars. And just a few minutes after I walked into a dealership many years ago to test drive a car, I was reminded why I hated it so much. The salespeople. Oh, the salespeople. Especially the salespeople that do not seem to know that it isn’t 1972 anymore.
The last time I bought a new car I did lots and lots of research. I finally settled on the car I wanted and visited the dealership closest to our home and told the salesperson exactly what I wanted. When I asked him if he had what I was looking for, he said “Yes!”
Imagine my (almost) surprise when he pulled up in a car that was a higher level (i.e. more expensive) trim package than I was looking for. First problem.
I let him know that the first thing I wanted to do was test drive the car. I knew the specs of the vehicle, after I had been researching it for a month! I just wanted to see if I liked the way it handled on the road.
So, of course, before we jump in, he opens the hood to show off the engine. Second problem.
The salesperson drove off the lot and then pulled off to the side of the road to do the transition from his driving it to my driving it. But before he did that, he wanted to show me one more thing…third problem.
He turns the car hard left to show the incredible turning radius of the vehicle and the agility of the “drive-by-wire” steering. The funny thing is, I already let him know I did tons of research and in looking back, wouldn’t it have been better for me to drive experience the drive-by-wire steering myself???
By this time, I’m ticked…and convinced he was like EVERY salesperson I’ve met. I gave them a chance, and they blew it. It’s like they didn’t listen to a word I said. He had a script he was going to follow and he was going to make me fit into that script! I hated it.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
When leasing apartments it’s crucial for you to know what’s important for your customer! If your customer doesn’t want to see the Clubhouse, don’t go to the clubhouse! If your prospect prefers an apartment with a washer/dryer, do you need to take her to the laundry room on the tour? If someone is on a quick lunch break, speed up the tour and focus on the essentials, instead of a lot of unnecessary “chit-chat.” Get the point?
In sales you have to be flexible. And that requires you to pay attention to the cues, verbal and non-verbal, that your customer is giving you. When your customer gives you signs that what you’re doing is working, keeping doing that! And don’t forget to ask for sale!
If what you’re doing isn’t working, do something different!
Like the car salesman I mentioned earlier, in property management we have a tendency to want to do the same things, in the same way, over and over again. I’m here to tell you that there is more than one way to lease an apartment … so have some fun and try to find them all!
