This week as I was watching the latest and greatest in video shops, I had an epiphany! It is not often that I have these types of epiphanies, so when I do, I take notice! My epiphany was……….(drum roll please) apartment leasing consultants could save themselves a lot of time and frustration if they ASKED their prospects more questions!
Asking specific questions is the only way you are going to fully understand WHAT your prospect needs and wants in an apartment community. When you fail to do this, it becomes difficult to fine tune your leasing presentation to address these needs, and you end up spewing out information that has no relevance to their leasing decision.
I will give you a great example of the power of asking the right questions. As some of you know, my favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations, however a couple of weeks ago I decided to explore my untapped culinary skills and whip up a gourmet meal for a small group of close friends. So, off I went to Publix to pick up all the ingredients I need to prepare this succulent feast!
As I was staring through the glass in the Meat Department trying to determine what cut of what meat I should buy, I started to feel a little overwhelmed! I was just about ready to make a mad dash to the frozen food section and buy a Stouffer’s frozen lasagna, when I met Al, the manager of the department.
Al could tell I was a bit of a meat department newbie, so he came out from behind the glass, introduced himself, and started asking me questions!
My trepidation slowly started to dissipate!
“How many people will be attending your dinner party?” “Will you be grilling, broiling or baking?” Do you prefer steak or fish?” “What types of side dishes will you be preparing?”
When Al had finished asking me this series of questions, he then stepped back behind the glass and selected 6 of the best looking filet mignons I have ever seen! He gave me some excellent advice on how to prepare them and also suggested a nice bottle of wine that would complement the meal! I was one happy, confident camper and my dinner party was a HUGE success!
Now, I shudder to think what would have happened had Al not stepped in and asked me these questions. I could have walked away with a side a beef large enough to feed half of Rhode Island! Instead, once Al had the information he needed from me, he was able to make recommendations that were specific to my needs!
As apartment leasing consultants, your job isn’t that much different from Al’s. You need to uncover the triggers of your prospects, and you can’t do that if you are busy talking about every little feature about the community or apartment! You have to discover what it is they want in an apartment and apartment community before you are able to provide them with it. And that can ONLY come from asking the right questions and listening to their answers.
Mystery Shopping for the Apartment Industry 