The Last Impression is Lasting

We are a society that loves firsts: first place, first kisses, first apartment, being first in line, first to adapt, the list goes on. What about last? It’s not quite as exciting to be in last place, last in line, or last to the party. It seems natural then, that marketing efforts focus on first. The power of a first impression cannot be refuted. It is incredibly important to setting the stage and justifying value.

Equally important is the last impression we make. People remember most your last point of contact. What is the last thing a resident experiences from your company/community? A bill? You waving from the office? The dead shrub at the back entrance? Think of it like a book - the cover page, the pages in between and the back cover. The cover visually attracts and serves to create the vision and lifestyle expectation. The pages contain the story, or the living experience. The last lines and the back cover summarize and reinforce the book’s quality and content, and leave a firm impression on the reader.

Have you given as much thought to the last impression as you have the first? Don’t let another day go by without determining your strategy to deliver. What is the last thing you want your residents to remember about you after they say "goodbye"?

Get a Foot In The Box

I came across this product this week and just had to share. TheShoebee.com offers protective liners for your shoes with a twist - just put your foot in the portable shoe box, and the plastic wraps around your feet! Love it! I can think of a dozen uses for this - (client tours of ready apartments the first that comes to mind), and at $29.95 per box it's a no-brainer. Plus, the liners are free...forever. You might even decide to slap your logo on the box! I wonder if I could train my dog to step in the box when he comes in from outside... www.theshoebee.com.

If Your Community Were an Album, How Would You Sell It?

I read with interest a recent USA Today article on the new Susan Boyle CD, Dream. Despite being released in November, it has shattered numerous sales records and is the top selling release for 2009. I personally purchased one for my mother-in-law, and she for her friend. Marketed aggressively in a campaign that didn’t play by the rules, rather, was promoted almost exclusively through word of mouth, TV and the Internet, it became the must-have gift of the season.

A CD. Aren’t CD’s supposed to be dead? Isn’t the new word “download”? Here’s the thing: in an age in which digital is all the word, there are still people (and based on Dream sales, plenty of them) that don’t own an MP3 or IPod and don’t have the first idea how to download Itunes. They own CD players, and would value the gift of a CD by an artist they enjoy hearing. Antiquated they may be, but they have money to spend, and loved ones who will spend on them. While everyone else was going digital, Dream was marketed almost exclusively through word of mouth, TV and the Internet. Labels are recognizing each album is unique and tailoring campaigns accordingly.

As a lesson for our business, take a look at your desired consumer. Analyze how they buy, and what they desire, and develop a campaign that speaks to them. Should a new One Republic album be marketed the same as Susan Boyle? No. Different strokes for different folks. Don’t get so caught up in the rules that you miss a market that is right there, ready to buy.

Are You Talking About You...Or Talking To Them?

I have blogged numerous times about the power of powerful copy, but until now, have not been able to provide resources, (other than hiring a copywriter), that will assist you in preparing more powerful and compelling messages geared toward the consumer, rather than about you or your property. In other words, making it about them, and not about you. (If you have ever had a friend or colleague that can't stop talking about themselves, you know what I am saying here. They rarely understand what a true turn-off they are.)

Future Now offers a WeWe calculator that will help you discover what your word choices say about where your focus really is, and provides a sense of the impression you are making on clients. The tool won't make you a powerful copywriter, but it will allow you to see whether your messages are about the client...or about you. I tested 10 random apartment sites, and not one scored above a 46% in utilizing customer-focused words in their messaging. In other words, every community talked more about themselves using words like "I", "we", "our", and company name (just like a "we"), than they used words like "you" and "your". According to the tool's inventor, there seems to be a clear difference in the clients that score above 60%. That said, other influences can have an effect on your copy,and it's not always what you say, but how you say it, so use the tool simply as a fun exercise in seeing your words through the client eyes.

Have fun. Test each part of your site. Then, take a close look at your text, and make whatever changes you need to make to ensure your visitors feel your only focus is their satisfaction. If you want the consumer to perceive that you are focused on them, talk about them, their needs, their wants, and how they can get those needs and wants satisfied. Make it more about them...and less about you.

Yes, I Can!

I purchased eyeglasses from Target Optical last week, and when I called to see if my glasses were ready, a very pleasant gentleman answered the phone. The call went something like this:

"Target Optical" (nice and to the point)

"Hello, I was wondering if my glasses are ready for pick up."

"I can check on that for you. May I have your name?" (provided name)

15 seconds later...

"Mrs. Snider, it would appear that your sunglasses are here, however, I don't see your glasses. If you don't mind holding for just another moment, I can check another spot for you."

"Certainly."

15 seconds later...

"Hello, again. I don't see them there, either, but there is one more place they might be if they were delivered this afternoon. Do you have time to stay on the line while I check?"

"Sure."

"I don't see them there either, which means they haven't arrived. We do have your sunglasses, so if you were planning on a trip to Target anyway, they are here for you. I am going to make a call to the supplier to determine the status on your glasses. I can call you back when I get that information. May I have your phone number?"

"OK. I appreciate it." (provided phone number, pleasantries and completed call)

Within 30 minutes I had a voicemail indicating my glasses would arrive in 2 days.

Wow. An impression made in less than a minute. I asked for service, the Target team member owned it, saw it through, and delivered an answer, all while providing the greatest respect for my time. The answer I received was not optimal, of course I would have preferred the glasses were in. The fact that I received an answer, and didn't have to call repeatedly or be left hanging as to status, from an individual that engineered my satisfaction by treating me with respect and friendliness, surpassed my expectation regarding delivery.

People, for the most part, don't expect perfection. They want to feel they are important and in the loop as it pertains to a service issue they are experiencing. They want to know somebody's "got their back" and isn't going to pass the ball, or worse, drop it.

Communication is key. See it through. Make sure every resident you serve gets an answer and is kept updated on an issue's progress. No news is, to the client, not good news. Let them know what you can do...not what you can't.

Why You Should Get On Zillow Today

Zillow, one of the largest real estate websites, launched their rentals products division this week, and I must say, the opportunities for exposure, especially right now, are pretty good, mostly because there are very few listings. Given the popularity of the site and the fact that finally, companies are noticing the potential of having real estate sales and rentals play in the same sandbox, I expect that will change. The site offers the industry’s first mapped search by monthly payment, which allows shoppers to simultaneously find for-sale and for-rent homes, based on a monthly payment they can afford. With the appeal of home ownership and its appreciation benefits waning, it stands to reason that increasingly, some consumers will care more about price and location than whether the property is for sale or lease, and when comparing benefits, may elect to lease.

According to their website, the cost is just 9.95 per listing for 180 days to reach 8.3 million people every month, including a million renters and many others who are on the fence over whether to buy or to rent.

For $9.95, it’s a no-brainer. Lease one apartment and you’ve generated quite a return. If you lease nothing, you’re out 10 bucks. Get on Zillow today.

Goal Setting Reminder - A Gentle Nudge

If you’re one of those people (like myself) that creates goals for the New Year, and has really good intentions, but within weeks, forgets the goals, or even where the goal list went, this site is for you.

As seen in the Oprah Magazine, at www.futureme.org, you can jot down one goal or ten, write a letter to yourself, or even make a list of current trends, and then, at the future date of your choosing, (even 10 years from now), your goals/letter/timely trends will pop into your in-box. I set my goals for 6 months down the road…to provide a gentle reminder of the direction I had hoped to be going in.

Simple. Easy. Keeps you on track. Just in time for the New Year.