I remember a story I read a few years ago from a book (I think it was Living Large by Sarah Wexler) in which the author described the experiences of a young woman who was a sales associate in a national retail chain. This sales associate proudly explained the strategy that helped her sell jeans to men […]
I have two stories to share with you today that I think will help you in your selling. The first is inspired by my wife Kacy and an experience she had recently with a ring that she ordered from a company called Pure Soul Holistics. The ring was handcrafted by Nicole, the owner of the company, […]
Do you work in a community where the amenities just do not compare to your competitors? All is not lost…you can compete! In this blog post, I’ll show you how! One of my favorite romantic comedies is the movie Hitch starring Will Smith and Kevin James. If you’ve not seen Hitch it’s the story of a consultant […]
As a corporate speaker and consultant one of my most requested topics is on customer service. I imagine you are not surprised by this … I’m not. After all-all businesses require customers to succeed and all customers expect some form of customer service-depending on the business-don’t they? I think we can all agree that […]
I recently looked at some of the online reviews of an apartment community where I used to work, and noticed that the ratings on the site have gone down almost 30% since the community was purchased by a new owner and I (and many of the people I worked with) left. As I read through […]
If you have been in the multifamily housing industry for even a short time you’ve probably noticed that everything often looks and sounds alike between communities. I mean, how many communities have a pool? Fitness center? Covered parking? My guess is many. The apartments even look alike don’t they? Most companies use some type of […]
Now that the Christmas season is in full swing, my wife and I have been enjoying (again) the endless parade of Christmas movies . . . especially those on Hallmark Channel. Yes, I know, these movies are often formulaic, corny and utterly predictable, yet isn’t that why so many people tune in? If there is […]
Some of my favorite things to read online are the things people say when they’re commenting on stories! I am always amazed at how ugly, mean-spirited and downright awful some people can be when they communicate behind a wall of anonymity provided by the computer. Here are some comments I found on a few sites: […]
Over the 11 years my wife and I have been married, I have gotten into many, many, “discussions” with her. Many of them were frustrating, confusing, infuriating and yet illuminating, all at the same time! I realized that I often approached those situations in our relationship in ways that I felt was respectful and thoughtful; however […]
When I became the customer care manager of a large property management company in Southern California, one of the things the outgoing customer care manager showed me in the office was a lunar calendar. She used it to track and prepare herself for the full moon cycle during the year. She had been the customer […]