mike brewer

Customers; In Customer Service

Two ways to hear the customer/prospect; A. You hear the customer/prospect as a troubled child who has nothing better to do but complain. B. You hear the customer/prospect as busy but intelligent professions who have something valuable to say.

Many times you catch the next best idea by learning how to listen to the customer/prospect.

I have a friend, Jackie Weissmiller who used to play a game with her associates called "we can answer any question." Okay, I made up the name but it fits. She challenged her associates to make a list of every question they could not or did not have an answer and guess what they did with them. Right, they answered them and pretty soon there really was not a question they could not answer and along the way in researching some of the answers to those questions they created valuable services for their prospects and residents alike.

Leadership vs. Management

Managers "do things right" and Leaders "do the right things"

We need both. Leaders keep everyone headed in the right direction while managers make sure that the T's are crossed and the i's are dotted.

Golden Paw Awards

Here is a novel resident retention idea for those residents that have pets. The annual Golden Paw Awards!

The ideas with regard to how to pull it off and what to award are boundless. Have fun with this!

Consumer Pricing Tools

The property management industry is moving towards a revenue model that is reflective of the airline industry and all for good reason. Among a number of other reasons, first and foremost it brings consistency to the process of pricing homes.

That being said, I was pleased and alarmed at the article posted by Cory over at Boing Boing. Could we see a day when a "Forecasting for finding best day to rent an Apartment" shows up.

Boing Boing

FareCast for finding best day to buy plane tickets goes public By noemail@noemail.org (Cory Doctorow) Cory Doctorow: Farecast, a site that predicts what date you should buy a plane ticket to get the best deal, has concluded its private beta and is now open to the public. I've been dreaming of a service like this for years. I hate that every time I buy a plane ticket, I'm sure I'm getting ripped off. Unfortunately, the public beta still only encompasses flights originating in Boston or Seattle. Link (via Kottke)

Business from the Dashboard

With many Property Management Companies having adopted web-based platforms, the next phase of business is shaping up.

That next phase will be managed by dashboards that will be accessible not only by the on-site manager but by company execs anywhere in the world. Anywhere in the world? Yes, I believe that we are moving toward handheld devices that will put us in a position to be out in the world more. No longer with senior management has reason to be tied to a desk as they will have real time access to any and all reports right on their handheld device. Everything right there in the palm of your hand.

Loads for middle managers will increase to 12 to 15 assets and the really good ones might be able to handle more. And guess what they will touch everyone of those deals physically and more often.