Gathering Is Great...Harvesting Is Better! - Part I

By Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach

Gathering information from future residents should be an ongoing part of your marketing efforts.  In addition, the use of better information from smarter technology systems means you can capture and analyze more information than ever before. 

This article will summarize the many ways you can gather information from future residents and, more importantly, next month we'll learn some great ways to harvest this knowledge.  In addition, having a strong follow-up system will allow you to maximize the return on your marketing/advertising dollars and strengthen your success ratios.

Gathering information from future residents

Every time a future resident makes contact with those who run apartment communities you own or manage, you have the opportunity to gather information.  Here is a list of ways you can gather information about future residents.

1.   Every time a future resident calls your apartment communities, begins the gathering process by using either a traffic log or guest card.  During this telephone conversation we hope you will capture this person's name, telephone number, current residence, the marketing source that prompted their call, when they are planning to move and a confirmed appointment.

2.   When telephone calls from future residents are missed, companies like CallSource {www.callsource.com} allow you to gather a telephone number and, in many cases, the caller's name and mailing address.  CallSource also will supply you with zip code and demographic reports, indicating where your future residents currently live.  These reports will deepen your knowledge about future residents and will help to redefine your marketing engine, making it more efficient.

3.   When a future resident sends an E-mail to you, this person's E-mail address and message can be merged with your current tracking systems and folded into your E-mail marketing program.

4.   When each future resident arrives at the leasing center of your apartment communities the information from the above three points can be confirmed.  In addition, new information can be learned from this future resident and your manual or computerized tracking system can record this entire process.

Tip From The Coach

Gathering information is good and learning about the profile of your future residents is time well invested.  How often are you reviewing the gathered information mentioned above?  Do you make each step count?  Can you gather any new information to further enhance your marketing efforts?  Stay tuned next month when we'll conclude this column with some great information on how to harvest this information.

Oriente, The Coach, is founder of PowerHour, a professional business coaching service delivering customized training, by telephone, in management, marketing and sales.  He is a member of the International Coaching Federation and the Professional Coaches Association.  PowerHour is based in Park City, Utah, contact him at 435-615-8486, or by e-mail ernest@powerhour.com.