WESTWOOD LEASING UNIVERSITY

1. GREETING, QUALIFYING, DEMONSTRATING AND CLOSING THE SALE WESTWOOD LEASING UNIVERSITY

2. TODAY’S AGENDA • Review some basics of leasing. • Using the leasing tools offered to you. • Greeting – the importance of the first impression. • Qualifying – getting to know your prospects wants and needs. • Demonstrating – find your groove! • Closing the Sale – making it happen and asking for the money. • Questions and Answers

3. Characteristics of a Successful Leasing Professional • What do you love about leasing? • What are you hoping to take away from this class?

4. Characteristics of a Successful Leasing Professional • The first responsibility to my community and my owner is leasing and customer service! • Friendliness – In all situations, it’s service with a smile. • Helpfulness – Give more that what’s expected to each person you encounter.

5. Characteristics of a Successful Leasing Professional • Professionalism – You are a professional service provider! Always speak and act in a professional manner representing your community and Westwood in the best light. • Listen – Active listening is essential to successful leasing. The only way to meet someone’s needs is to listen to what their needs are. Use eye contact, take notes and repeat information to ensure accuracy.

6. Characteristics of a Successful Leasing Professional • Team Builder – You are a part of an interdependent team. Understand each person’s role and support their function. • Committed – Be committed to your job! Have a mission, goal, or game plan for each day and make the best contribution you can.

7. Professional Image • Personal Appearance • Career Apparel • Clean and styled hair • Conservative makeup, perfume, and jewelry • No gum chewing! • Body Language • SMILE! • Make eye contact • Stand tall and shake hands • Let your positive personality shine • Focus • Listen

8. Wrapping up the Basics On average we are exposed to over 3,000 advertisements per day! Do you remember a single ad from yesterday or today? Your challenge – MAKE YOURSELF AND YOUR COMMUNITY STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD!

9. Leasing Professionals STAND OUT from the Crowd

10. Tools for Success • Brochure • Site Map • Product Knowledge • Pens • Measuring Tape • Calculator • Rental Applications What else?

11. Tools for Success – Leasing Book Do you know your Product Knowledge? • Availability • Prices • Special Rates • Lease Terms • Locations • Premium Views • Floor Plans • Room Dimensions • Unique Features

12. Tools for Success – Leasing Book • Community • Amenities • Brands and types of appliances • Cost/availability of carports, garages, storages • Water/sewer/trash/pest control add-on’s • Energy efficiency features • Office hours • Internet, cable, other utilities • Pest control schedule • Ways to pay rent – market on-line services • How to enter a service request through your website • Decoration or alteration policy – painting, ceiling fans, etc. • Cost to rent the clubhouse

13. Tools for Success – Leasing Book • Neighborhood • Schools (Address, phone number, website) • Banks • Post Office • Driver’s License Office • Grocery and Drug Stores • Public Transportation • Sister Communities

14. Tools for Success – Leasing Book • Maps • Site map • Street and City maps • Directions • Utilities • How to connect? • Customer Service numbers • Community specific information • Market Survey • Others?

15. Tools for Success – Guest Card • Who completes the Guest Card? • Why use the Guest Card? • Identifying needs, wants and desires • Qualifying tool • Documentation and Fair Housing compliance • Track our marketing sources • Organized follow-up • Memory

16. Tools for Success – Market Survey • Why review the market survey? • You are the EXPERT! • Know what is going on at other communities to save your prospect from going to visit them. • Physically shop your competitors • Visit their website • Listen to what prospects are saying

17. Tools for Success – Shopping Report • Mystery Video Shopping • Measure your success… • Improve your technique… • Ensure you are receiving the training and support you need to be successful!

18. The Visit – 4 Steps to Successful Sales • Step 1: Greeting – Sets the tone • Step 2: Qualifying – Gather information • Step 3: Demonstrating – Present your product knowledge • Step 4: Close, close, close IMPORTANT! Don’t forget to follow-up!

19. The Greeting – A Note About First Impressions • When do you make your first impression? • Within the first 7-30 seconds • First impression is 90% of the sale • What’s your first impression? • What else impacts the first impression? • Curb appeal • Tour path • Model or vacant home

20. The Greeting – Make a GREAT Impression • Greet prospects and guests in the following way: • IMMEDIATELY acknowledge them • JUMP, SMILE, SHAKE • Are you expecting them? – Use their name! • Offer a refreshment and a seat • Establish eye contact • Welcome them to your community • If you are on the phone – nod, smile, stand and acknowledge them.

21. Qualifying – Knowing your Prospects Wants and Needs • Why do we gather information? • We need to gather information to understand how the prospect is going to make their buying decision. • You provide them with the information and guidance they need to make an informed choice. • You are a Leasing Professional, not a Tour Guide! • How do we gather information? • Ask open ended questions • Ask closed ended questions.

22. Qualifying – Knowing your Prospects Wants and Needs • What questions do you ask? • When do you want to move? • How many people will be living in the home? • Why are you moving? • Do you have any pets? • How did you hear about us? • What else? • What do I do with all this information? • Guest Card! • Name • Apartment size desired • Date needed • Number of residents/occupants • Pets • Budget • Marketing source • Reason for Moving • Employer • Address or e-mail address • Phone number Goal of Qualifying: Find out your client’s HOT BUTTONS!!

23. Qualifying – Tips and Pointers • Qualifying Time – Short and sweet • Know the critical questions that must be asked in the office • Ask probing questions • Qualify in a conversational manner • Ask more open than closed questions • LISTEN FOR WANTS AND NEEDS • GUEST CARD – Basic Qualifying Tool • It is your road map to their wants and needs • Complete a Guest Card for every phone call and visit to your community

24. The Demonstration – Find Your Groove! • What’s your favorite part of the demonstration? • What’s unique about your demonstration? • Are you a Tour Guide or Leasing Professional? • Find your groove and demonstrate in the same manner every time you tour. Be consistent.

25. The Demonstration – Find Your Groove! • Why do we demonstrate or tour? • Show the value of our product. • Show the value of our community, services and location. • Show our professionalism and customer service focus. • Show the prospective resident that you can meet their needs, wants and desires! What is the goal of the demonstration……?

26. The Demonstration – Find your Groove • The GOAL of the presentation is - • To get them to lease • To uncover the needs, wants and desires of the prospective resident and to demonstrate how your community satisfies them. The presentation should create desire out of the prospect’s interests. • To be successful you MUST focus on their HOT BUTTONS!

27. The Demonstration – Find your Groove • Hot Buttons • What’s in it for me? • How do you see your community? • Do not carry your personal biases with you. • A feature you don’t like might be a benefit to someone else. • Your client will look through your eyes. • Believe in your community!

28. Demonstration Tips and Tricks PRESENTATION TIPS • Pre-plan your tour route to achieve maximum effect • Start the tour with the amenities--->model---> vacant move in ready apartment • Have an opening statement • Control the presentation • Get the prospect involved • Use feature vs. benefit selling • Don’t Point out the obvious! • Know Your Product!

29. Demonstration Tips and Tricks • What is feature vs. benefit selling? • FEATURE – Description; hard, cold fact. Comes from Product Knowledge • BENEFIT – Tells how the FEATURE aids or contributes to the prospect’s needs or quality of life. • Fireplace • Vaulted ceiling • Self-cleaning oven What are the benefits for these features? • Large windows • Storage • Double paned windows • Individual apartment entry • Pool • Business Center • YOU!

30. Demonstration – NEVER EVERS • Discuss your personal life. • Talk simply about the weather. • Make any negative comments about management or the residents. • Make any negative comments about your competition or the area. • Walk too fast and hurry the prospect through the door. • Gossip about employees, residents or competition. • Make promises you are unable to keep. • Step over a piece of trash (Always pick it up!) • Use slang or profane language. • Ask personal information about the prospect’s family status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, race or age.

31. Demonstration Tips and Tricks • How to LEASE TO ANYONE • In a hurry • Personality conflict • Disabled • Blind or hearing impaired • Looking way in the future • Pet owners • From out of state • Getting divorced/other life changing event • ? • ? • ?

32. Demonstrating – Overcoming the Objections • What are objections? • Objections are buying signals! • The Prospect is wanting more information. STEPS IN HANDLING/MANAGING OBJECTIONS • Recognize there is a concern – voice, facial expressions, body language. • Identify the type of objection raised. • Listen carefully to understand the objection completely. • Respect the prospect’s point of view. • Be brief and to the point with your answers. • Be confident. Objections help you gain ground. • Be prepared to use proof sources – such as lease, utilities book, market survey. • Question skillfully. • Get agreement from prospect that you have answered the objection satisfactorily.

33. Demonstrating – The difficult Questions • What are the 2 most difficult questions? • What kind of people live here? • Is it safe here?

34. Closing the Sale – Asking for the Money • What is closing? • Motivating the prospect to make a decision! • Closing Techniques • Summary close • Assumptive close • Price increase close • Urgency close • YES close

35. Closing the Sale – Asking for the Money • 6 Steps to an Effective Close • Closing the Sale begins the moment the prospect walks in the door. • The close should be a series of little choices. • Powerful, personalized presentation. • Ask questions. • Assume the sale. • Ask for the sale.

36. Follow-Up • Why follow-up? • Differentiate yourself from the competition. • Be prepared to follow up. • Prepare the prospective resident. • Use follow-up to keep your customer informed. • You are in control. • Review Follow-up PowerPoint.

37. HOMEWORK • Using the Westwood Mystery Shopping form as a guide – shop a property! • Complete shop and report within one week and email or fax me. • Use examples of what was good or not so good during your shop. • Will it change anything that you are doing?

38. Q &A Thank you for your participation!