In a highly relevant and articulate article, 2015’s IREM president Lori Burger takes the time to highlight the importance of connecting with clients and others in the industry. However, she notes that it’s more than a simple e-mail or Facebook post meant to engage; in order to really foster a significant and lasting relationship, a company has to use some more “traditional” methods. For example, one of the simplest in concept is listening, which can be much more difficult than it seems, particularly in the modern world where everyone has something to say and wants to say it now. However, if your business and all its employees practice real listening, the other party will notice, feel more valued, and become more invested in you and your work.
A second tip given by Burger to encourage these relationships is to “read and share what you have learned.” The reason that so many companies have social media accounts and blogs should be to share content that they found or created. Engagement is a huge part of maintaining these connections; if business partners or customers are being passed information that is pertinent to them, they will feel more involved in what you do. Reading up on industry trends and tips in the first place can only benefit you and can remind consumers that you have their needs in mind.
Making connections is always beneficial, but particularly, you should try and reach out to those who have more experience than you in your field or have another comparable advantage. Networking with organizations that have somehow made more headway can do a lot of good, such as inspiring workers to achieve, providing a model to which management could strive and, most importantly, looking for what the other group is doing well in order to learn and grow within your own work. Having a model of success can reveal what may be lacking and encourage increased professionalism while widening your network. Conversely, you should act as a model for others in order to fill that same role. Share your tips and advice (when appropriate) to help your fellows; you never know when they will turn around and be able to help you as a result.
Two more suggestions that might not immediately come to mind are to volunteer and to emphasize ethics. The former can be done in varying ways within your industry, but it can also be a boon to show that you care about the local community (which can then bring you positive attention aside from all the good it does inherently). While you want your central focus to be business, taking a professional interest in others in a more charitable way does a lot of good for everyone involved. Further, keeping an ethical focus in all business dealings fosters trust and good work habits.
In order to assure that you’re most effectively connecting with customers, you want to go above and beyond to communicate with them and to exceed their expectations. This is where Anton System’ SKYLINE software can really shine. Its database makes it easy for you to manage and organize information about properties so that the entire experience is painless for everyone involved. The speedy, but thorough process allows for tenants to move in as quickly as possible while still giving you a complete report of the necessary details. Because the system is continuously reviewed and updated, each year brings improvements that enhance your work experience and client relationships. SKYLINE makes it easy to stay on top of things so that you can increase your efforts to keep your customers engaged and happy.
SKYLINE Property Management software is trusted by property managers who use it to keep things organized. Tenants expect a lot from their managers and you will lose their trust if things are not done in a timely and attentive way. Don’t make things more difficult for yourself and put your company at risk by leaving anything to chance. SKYLINE software is a complete solution that Anton Systems can customize to fit your specific needs so that the experience is completely effective for you.