Coming from a girl who would wear flip-flops and yoga pants every single day of her life, regardless of where she was, fashion advice is pretty funny.   I’m not someone you’d find on the People Of Walmart – I at least put on jeans and a bra before I leave the house – but I’m not a Madison Avenue fashion plate either.   But since what I’m here to offer you is practicality in shoes that still maintain your visual credibility, I guess we’re good.

 

While I hate to admit it, my mother was right: Shoes can make or break you professionally.

 

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I've been so blessed in my professional life to have mentors and friends who cared deeply for me. These people are irreplaceable role models in my world - and I have recently lost one such soul. Greg Taylor, who served as a district manager for UDR out here, and who spent countless hours volunteering time to our local apartment association, passed away recently. It has taken me sometime to compose my thoughts on Greg's death, and seeing as how he admitted to me that he was an avid reader of my blog, I cannot think of a better place for these words and memories.

Greg was an inspiration, a mentor, an ally, but mostly Greg was a dear dear friend.We started conversing through the magic of connections that only an apartment association can provide, and once we got past the shop talk, Greg and I realized that we had a lot in common - a mutual love of fine arts, music and theatre, a sense of realistic humor about the world around us, and a desire to make the world a better place for the people in it.<< MORE >>

It’s okay to change your mind, but it should probably be less often than you change your underwear.

 

I’m not a fan of Mike Arrington over at Tech Crunch.   For those of you who don’t have time to waste on the drama of tech blogs, he’s usually the guy at the center of that vortex, stirring the pot between Google hating Facebook, Tech lawsuits, patent claims, Twitter beat downs, and Apple hating …well, anyone who doesn’t worship their products or the man in the turtleneck.

 

Arrington writes whatever he thinks will get the most attention in the second that he pushes the post button.   He’s the reason when faced with the choice between subscribing to Mashable or TechCrunch on my new Kindle, Mashable gets my $2.99 a month.<< MORE >>

Have you ever gotten that call from a resident with something broken but they won't tell you what happened or why it's now busted?  I know why. First hand.

I have moments in my life where what little senses of grace and poise I usually have abandon me fully. One such moment was about two weeks ago, when, while hosting a surprise birthday party for a dear friend, I made my way to the grill on the back balcony and didn't realize that the screen door was closed. I was walking at full speed and thinking, and when I think and walk at the same time I often close my eyes to focus on my thoughts.<< MORE >>

 Almost every morning, after I check my email and take care of anything that's pressing, I open up Facebook. It's kind of like my morning newspaper - with the stories I actually care about. Yesterday's top story: A dear friend from college, whom I've not spoken to in a while, is suffering abject misery at the hands of his apartment community management.

Now, call me a crusader if you will, but this stuck in my craw. I shot him a message and asked if I could help in any way and he gave me a call back.<< MORE >>

Some of you may have seen this on my Facebook Page, but I was told by several people that it needed to be reposted to my blog in honor of Fair Housing Month. I post this collection in it's current condition, but if you want to watch it grow, you'll have to keep track of it here. You can also subscribe to my page on Facebook and, for the month of April, you'll find that I'm posting a FH haiku each day. (Did I mention that April is also National Poetry Month?  It's nice to combine these two... like chocolate and peanut butter!)

Also, bear in mind that I started this on a Friday afternoon when my brain was fried, AND I blame the fine folks at Grace Hill for the whole thing.

And now, for your reading amusement, my Fair Housing Haiku Collection


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When you’re three and your mom tells you not to touch the stove because it’s hot, you touch it anyway.   And then you never touch it again, because in your moment of tactile petulance, the nerves in your fingers sent a lightning fast signal to your brain that said, “HOT HOT HOT!” and your brain told you to move your hand and not ignore your mom the next time. And to go get some Bactine.

            It’s a pretty simple interchange.   And yet, amazingly, the same interchange attempts to happen online every single day between companies and their consumers, and many companies neglect to move their hands off the scalding stoves.<< MORE >>

*Warning* This post relies on stereotypes of men and women.   I tell you this upfront so that we don’t have to have a comment section fight about it later.   Plus, there’s a grain of truth in these stereotypes…admit it.

 Men and women do not speak the same language.   This is not a bombshell to anyone.<< MORE >>

So, you finally want to go “Social?”  You’ve sat back and watched to see if it works for other companies and properties in your area before taking the leap yourself, but now, you’re pretty sure that this Facebook thing isn’t going away.   Time to suck it up and deal with this mess, right?

There are a lot of people who are being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the social media world, and if what I said above is your take on this situation, you’re right about one thing.   Barring a worldwide shut down of the internet, Facebook isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.   But is Facebook really where you want to start?

 I say no.

 Granted, when I’m working with a company that wants a social media presence, a Facebook page (NOT PROFILE) is central to that development.<< MORE >>

               You’ve got a good job.   It pays your bills, you’re not *too* stressed out, and, for the most part, you like your boss and coworkers. Heck, on most days, you even enjoy going into work. If you move up, you’re going to have to deal with a new boss, a new office, maybe some new staff.   Add in to that the new responsibilities, and about 20 more ways to get yourself into deep trouble and stress out, going after that promotion right now might not feel like the smartest move.<< MORE >>

As important as price is to the buying decision, it’s not everything.

 It turns out that corn and a lot of other grains are not good for dogs.   As anyone who’s ever had a toddler can tell you, humans can digest a lot of very interesting things.   Dogs are not quite as lucky.   Harsh grains are really tough on their systems, and some of those corn heavy foods have recently been linked to bone cancer in dogs.<< MORE >>

I'm currently working on a writing project about "Pay for Performance," and I need your help!  To write a really good piece, I need some data from you, so if you could take about 3 minutes and take this quick survey, I would be VERY appreciative!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PP6MLNY
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I came across a really interesting article in the Seattle PI from the 11th of January about the massive rental hikes that are expected and being handed out in the Belltown area (and all over the rest of the Seattle Metro area as well). More interesting than the article were the comments that followed. There is a TOTAL disconnect!  I can tell you that, yes, unless you get VERY lucky, it's going to be a rental increase this year when you renew. However, the cited $400 leaves not only a bad taste in a renter's mouth, but ...well you look like Satan.

Yes. You are now the Rental Prince of Darkness.<< MORE >>

Exploration is a natural human urge...So, why are we so resistant to exploration in a professional setting?<< MORE >>

Many of you may remember my rant about fingerprint IDs at my local gym that I wrote earlier this year. My unwillingness to submit my thumbprint causes the people at the front desk approximately 45 seconds of work time. While I realize that 45 seconds per person might add up to a lot of time, frankly my opinion is that  you work the front desk, so do your job.

The story has thickened. I recently took about a two month break away from the gym during the holidays, partially due to time constraints, and partially because I got tired of the bullying that would happen each time when I'd decline the fingerprint ID.<< MORE >>

It's a new twist on an old standby tool for Leasing Consultants - A digital tape measure.   If your property can't afford to invest in a Lay-It-Out set or in the wall cling couches from, for a fraction of that cost, you can purchase one of these little beauties. 

I found this nifty little gadget on Think Geek for around $25.  They come in black or white and they have 16 feet of tape in them, which is more than enough to show someone how their couch, if standard sized, will fit on the wall.  It's also a fantastic tool for people at properties who haven't yet ordered floor plans with measurements on them.

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I'm still on Post it Notes today. I love them, and, though I have the luxury of an office that other people never see, I still feel guilty when it comes time to sift through the tens of them that ring my monitor on a regular basis. I never just want to throw them away or straight away recycle them - It just seems like such a waste.

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Injecting a sense of whimsy and enjoyment in to your day doesn't have to be difficult.  For example, if you're going to use post it notes in your office anyway, why not make the occasional pack of them a little more fun?

 Think Geek has these cool little notes that come complete with origami instructions on them.  Once you're done with the task, take a moment and celebrate your accomplishment by folding it in to one of those cool flapping cranes.  They run about $4 a package, so they're obviously not an every day item, but they could be a very fun sporadic surprise for your office staff.

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With the nasty business of evictions or skips, it can often fall to our maintenance team to clear and clean out that apartment. Show them your appreciation this year with a set of Fork Lift straps.  This set, again from Amazon , is currently under $15 and that's a heck of a lot cheaper than paying for a chiropractor's bill down the line when one of your team members forgets momentarily to lift with their legs.

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Today, I want to give you a cool little gift that can make your maintenance team's outdoor maintenance projects go a bit faster. One of the most annoying parts of those Cap Maint projects is the clean up. We send out our techs or porters to pick up all the nails and screws that would otherwise end up in the tires of our residents. It can be an annoying, but necessary task.

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To cap off the week, I want to give you 4 reading suggestions for your maintenance team members, starting with "Sustaining Knock Your Socks Off Service " by Zemke, a great book about how to keep high level service in the for front of everything that we do. People underestimate how important your maintenance staff can be to not only a smooth running property, but to resident retention and NOI as a whole, and by encouraging them to be efficient and delivering great service, you're not only helping your bottom line, but you're helping to foster pride in their jobs.

It is for the same reason that I also love the book put out by J.D. Power the 4th, "Satisfaction ," as our maintenance techs are satisfaction agents. This book talks about listening to the voice of the customer, and since our techs have the advantage of being in the customer's home, there's no better place for them to hear that voice.<< MORE >>

Books for the manager. I could list at least 35 books here that I think most managers could pull good information out of, but, as promised, I'll stick with only the 5. I've tried to give a good cross section of book topics here.

Start with a short little read I love called "Managing to have Fun " by Weinstein. One of the great secrets to boosting your bottom line NOI in any work place is to run a workplace where people WANT to come to work, and a great manager is all that makes the difference between hiring someone for a "job" and inspiring them to have a "career."  Matt's book has great practical suggestions about how to boost productivity in your team while inspring a culture of fun that helps you retain your employees (and we know when that happens, we also seem to retain residents better too!).<< MORE >>

Books for the office staff are great, but what about books for your maintenance staff?  I have here 5 more great recommendations for Maintenance Supervisors.

I start with "Love Leadership " by John Hope Bryant. This book is great for the new leader or for the experienced. It  helps people connect with why they wanted to lead in the first place, and and Bryant's 5 rules for Love Leadership are great guides for anyone in a supervisory position. Add that to the fact that it's written in an easy flow and very readable manner and you've got one awesome book.<< MORE >>

For today, I want to give you 5 book suggestions for your Assistant Manager to help groom them into the amazing apartment industry professional  that you know they can be!

Start with "The Art Of Speed Reading People " by Tieger. This book helps your employee hone their rapport building skills, and teaches them to more quickly spot the motives of people so that they can not only excel in sales, but also in managing others, and resolving conflicts!

I also love "Getting Stuff Done " by Allen. It's a short book with a powerful message - execution is paramount!  The ability to go beyond being a big picture idea kind of person down to the execution of the fine detail work that draws the difference between an idea and a masterpiece is a skill that not many have, and our industry tends to prize.<< MORE >>

This week, I decided to focus my efforts on gifts for the mind. Those of you who know me in person are well aware that I never travel without at least two or three books at a time. I love getting and giving books as gifts, because I feel that they are an excellent way to express respect for the intelligence of the recipient. So in the next 5 days, each day I'm going to give you 5 book titles for one of the people that you work with. These are all business books, and if that's not your cup of tea, then I completely understand.<< MORE >>

The opposite of yesterday's treat of cold hands, today's idea might be a great way to thank anyone on your staff who's without an ergonomic keyboard, or who has wrist and hand pain from repetitive motion tasks. With today's intensely computer centric work places and ever increasing dependence on text messaging, arthritis and joint pain in the hands is more and more common, even for people as young as 20 years old. (It turns out that typing with your thumbs is not great for your hands... who knew?!)
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 While it's true that snow isn't so much fun to mess with when we're trying to clear a parking lot and de-ice sidewalks, it can be a fun treat for your staff to play with then it's time to decorate for the holidays.   As a special gift to your staff, why not give them a chance to play with snow this year?  If you can't get the weather makers to work with you and produce snow the natural way, then it's time to turn to the scientists, or at least the people who make things that are "AS SEEN ON TV!"

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Maybe I'm becoming an "Old Person", but sometimes simply stepping out of my heels isn't enough to make my feet stop throbbing these days. For those of you out there who can't find total relief with my gift suggestion from yesterday, I'm going to share one of the essential pieces of  my "Conference Attendance" kit.  This single product has made everything from NAA, to Brainstorming, to even walking from Navy Pier to the Roosevelt St. Station in Chicago bearable in dress shoes, and while it might not be the easiest thing to stick a bow on with a straight face, it's something that, once the recipient tries it, they will express much gratitude for!

Gold Bond Pain Relieving Foot Cream. << MORE >>

Yesterday we talked about cold fingers, so today, let's discuss your toes!  When it's hard to make it through the day in your ultra pointies sometimes, or, maybe you thought it would be a good day to "break in" those new shoes but instead found yourself not sitting down for the first 6 hours of the day, don't let the pain in your feet kill your good mood, or the good mood of your staff!  You don't have to tough it out and wait until you get home to find relief for your feet.

Instead, I recommend this gift for the female manager or leasing consultant that, for today at least, just can't stay in those high heels any longer:
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Kicking off the holiday season, let's begin with the practical gift. If you're in a colder climate right now, like much of the United States, it's easy to get the blues, and I'm not talking about depression. I'm talking about the beds of your fingernails!

Cold weather slows down the circulation in the human body. This effect makes us cranky and irritable, among other things.<< MORE >>

(This post was supposed to launch Dec 1, but was delayed due to my duties in judging WMFHA's exciting new Emerald Awards. I love you all, but for now, you'll have to deal with a doubled up couple of posts!  I'm counting on your generous holiday spirit to get you to forgive my procrastination!)

Some will be for the heart. Some will be for the mind. Still yet, others are for the soul. And some, well some are just to clutter your desk.<< MORE >>

An idea that transcends employee retention and resident retention into boosting your overall NOI this year. And all it costs you is $35 per staff member.
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Today is National Coming Out day. For those of you who aren't working on a student property where the world is more cushioned in liberal arts tolerance teachings, this is a day where people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual,and transgendered are encouraged to "Come Out" of the closet and live their lives as the people they really are.

Today is a very awesome day. It's also a pretty scary day for many people.

I grew up in the Midwest and was proud to go to college at Kansas State University (GO WILDCATS!!!). We had a fairly vocal and active GLBT alliance, and they were even responsible for helping the local high school students start their own chapter.<< MORE >>

WMFHA did an awesome job with this year's Washington Apartment Outlook Summit in September!  I was there, and the energy in the room was fantastic, optimistic -  It was pretty darned positive, overall, which is a change from last year's harsh reality check (one, I might add, that we ALL needed to hear). Thanks to my partnership awesomeness over at TuxTechSoftware , I was able to capture and index my twitter notes from the session, so I've made them available to you at the Hashtag Haven on my consulting site. I recommend scrolling to the bottom and reading up, as I didn't have time to get them put in reverse order yet.<< MORE >>

Is it time to redesign your website for Mobile Marketing?
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Which is more important to you?
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Making good on your goals
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Another great marketing idea that was shared during my CAM classes this year!
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There's no truthful way to start that sentence except, "If I just learned to enjoy my day more..."<< MORE >>

My friend Kim Lee with Community Northwest has often told me about her philosophy on resident event success:

 

            “Feed them, and they will come.   Feed them well, and they will come again.   Feed them well and introduce them to a friend, and they will keep coming.”

 

She’s a smart lady.   Food is a huge motivating factor when it comes to enticing people out of their apartments and in to a social scene.   It’s also a great motivating factor in gaining engagement on your Facebook page.<< MORE >>

I love Frontier/Midwest Airlines!  They’ve always done me right as far as getting me where I needed to go and treating me well (which isn’t something I can say of some of the really big names), despite the fact that when it comes down to it, I’m not really anyone important to them, besides just being their customer.   Sure, I’ve got my frequent flyer status, but that’s something many folks have.  Recently, on my trips to Dallas and Kansas City, they took exceptional care of me.

 

For anyone who travels, you know that storms in the Midwest can throw airports nationally in to a jumbled up mess where planes sit 97^th in line for take off on the run way while the people inside them get…cranky.   On my way out of Dallas on Friday, this was exactly the case.<< MORE >>

“If I only had enough money in my budget for one conference a year, Brainstorming would be it.” –Karen @ Kettler Management

 

This year’s Brainstorming Conference in Dallas was another incredibly well put together and executed event by Multifamily Pro. (My only wish on improvement with this event is that they would move it back to November, in the time frame it was last year.)

 Down to the smallest detail, this idea love fest was an ideal experience (save my ride to the event with Crazy Cabbie Guy…but MFP couldn’t really help that!).   Facilitating the Brainstorming sessions here and being asked to speak on the Friday idea panel are two of the highest honors of my year, and my time at this conference was AMAZING this year!

 

I want to invite you to take a look at the transcript of the tweets from the conference and even consider joining us next year.   Put it in your budgets now – this is an event that makes CENTS to attend.   After all, don’t you want to be in the space where million dollar ideas are flying?  My 8 pages of notes from Friday morning’s idea panel hosted by Anne Sadovsky are full of tasty little golden nuggets of good business ideas, and that’s just from ONE session!  The class sessions here are on an amazing combination of intellectualism, professionalism, and the newest trending topics, telling people how to implement these ideas in to actionable plans on their properties.<< MORE >>

Are you going? Will I see you there? Come say HI! and pick up a prescription for success!<< MORE >>

It's time to look past that shiny little apple...<< MORE >>

Improvement is always an option!
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Thank You goes awry. Here's how to turn it back in to a powerful marketing tool!
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97 Degrees and 85% humidity.

Heat index of 106 degrees.

And we want those fine folks on site to wear a wool suit while we sit behind our desks all day in an air conditioned office.

I've just come back from NAA in New Orleans, so maybe I'm a little heat sensitive right now, and correct me if I'm way out there, but there is something on the whole that is illogical about this train of thought. Don't get me wrong, here.<< MORE >>

The date just isn't really working well in my marketing calendar.
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What do Balloons mean to you?
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So, from time to time, I've been known to share the #FAIL social media mistakes that I find. Today, I'm happy because what I have to share with you is about as far from a #FAIL as it can get!  

Meet Mark Mullet. Mark is the Owner/head-honcho/marketing mind behind our local Zeek's Pizza here in Issaquah. Zeek's is a regional chain in the Seattle area that makes, hands down, the best pizza in the whole region. It's a must eat if you ever come out to the Pacific North West.<< MORE >>

I thought that I had posted this presentation earlier, so I have to apologize for my tardiness on this one!  This presentation was done for the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound's Spring Education Conference on March 17th this year. Not all of the information that I talked about is on these slides, so if there was something that I covered that isn't in the slides, and you would like clarification on any of the points, please don't hesitate to reach out to me!
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I want to thank all of you who came to yesterday's Washington Multi-Family Housing Association's Education Conference and Expo!  It was an amazing show, and I was so impressed with the quality of the classes offered - and let us not forget that amazing keynote given by the awesome Jackie Ramstedt!  If you were there, you were probably laughing as hard as I was. She is one very funny lady!

As promised, here are the slides from my classes yesterday - "Retain Who You Train!" and "Recessions, Concessions, and Marketing - OH MY!"  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via this blog, my homepage at BTLD Consulting or via email at heather@behindtheleasingdesk.com

Retain Who You Train!



Recessions, Concessions, and Marketing - OH MY!

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Breath and smile...even online.
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What a story to kick off a set of posts about Fair Housing month!
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What does an employee REALLY need to know to function in the first week?
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What you can learn from Toyota
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Part of the monthly series on marketing that I write for Appfolio's Property Manager E-Zine. Check them out at www.propertymanager.com
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This morning, my hair wouldn't do what I wanted it to. And you know what? I still look Good!
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A quick follow up idea for yesterday's blog, courtesy of my father
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I really should wait until October to write this post. October is National Fire Prevention Month. But the fact of the matter is, I loved this idea so very much that I couldn't contain it within myself until October!

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You'll be seeing some changes on Behind the Leasing Desk's layout in the coming weeks as we transition it as part of BTLD Consulting. Our URL will remain the same, but the look will change  to mirror  that of the consulting site, and this set up will make it so much easier for my faithful readers to find all of our content in one place. Not only will you find my blog posts, but also the Multifamily 5x5 broadcasts and the Dear Heather Letters column, as well as all of the tips, tools and tricks that I keep adding to the consulting site. I got some great advice from Mark Juleen and Mike Whaling about incorporating everything together, and since they are two of the smartest multifamily SEO guys I know, it would be careless of me to disregard their words.

Bear with us as we transition and I can promise you the occasional weird mouse click paths will be well worth it!<< MORE >>

It's Monday morning, and you know what that means - Another Multifamily 5x5!  Check out our weekly web show here!
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Bringing green to your property and your budget one unit at a time
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Is anyone else taking bets to see if March rolls in like a lion or a lamb this year?  I'm not sure many parts of the country could take much more of this lion winter weather. I think we're all craving more of  those beautiful spring time days that seem to tease us sporadically this time of year. I've been itching for a picnic since the first day it topped 62 degrees in the Seattle area. Best of all, we in the property management world know that sunshine brings in the tours, something that has proven to be a major challenge this year. To encourage a little more traffic, here are 3 ideas for your marketing teams!<< MORE >>

The MOST Dynamic and off the charts post you'll read in this lifetime! ...What do you mean words in advertising have to mean what you say they do? Fine then. "A post that is semi cool and rags on Luke Wilson."
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A new Multifamily 5x5 broadcast is up on our sister site at www.btldconsulting.com!

Today's topics included:
Marketing and Retention with NCAA March Madness!
Conference Conversation on the NAA Student Housing Conference
Reading Recommendation for "The Levity Effect"
Technology Talk about Texting Tips
Maintenance Minute focused on Assembling a Sparkle Kit

5 minutes traded for 5 ideas to start the week off with a bang!
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In case you were not aware, Tuesday is "Dear Heather" letter day on BTLD Consulting. This week's letter - Done Playing Nice - hit a bit of a chord with me, and I'd love it if you'd click over there and check it out!

I'm still working through all of the letters I received this week, so if you haven't heard back yet, no fear, I am on it!  And if you have a problem or idea that you'd like to ask my advice on, submit it in email form to Heather@behindtheleasingdesk.com, with a subject line of "Dear Heather Letter." ( I promise a response, and I promise honesty, but remember, if the problem is you, I'll tell you the truth, just as I did in my letter today.)
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Check out this week's Multifamily 5x5 at the BTLD Consulting site! 
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The newest example of how the social media sword has two sharp edges.
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Have you seen what the NAA has to offer to your recruiters this month?
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This month's winner is a Seattle manager with a great heart!
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Bigger isn’t always better.  

 

When she was in 8^th grade, as is tradition in my family, my sister got her first set of matched luggage.   It was dark blue with tan piping and I remember it was from Jaguar.   For 8^thgrade promotion, I think she received all the pieces to that luggage set that she hadn’t gotten for the holiday season prior.  There was a garment bag, and a little overnight suitcase, and there were also make-up cases and duffel bags.<< MORE >>

Take a moment today to skate on over to BTLDConsulting.com, our new sister site, and home of Heather's new weekly Multifamily 5x5 broadcasts and the "Dear Heather" Advice column!  That's just the tip of the all new site content to come in the future months, so check back frequently as new links and lists are published, new Right On Ribbon Winners are announced, and new contests, polls and more are brought to life for this digital audience!

Today is the first broadcast of  Episode 1:1 of the Multifamily 5 by 5 with Heather, so take 5 min from your day and grab some new ideas and information!


www.btldconsulting.com<< MORE >>

Travel back with me to the college class of a theatre major and learn a little...
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On the list of things that make me want to gag...
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A Seattle apartment community website that is a shining example
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Grabbing a bit of perspective on the perceived "awesomeness" of Craigslist
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You can't avoid it all the time...
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The phone run-around makes me tired... and I'm not even moving.
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How much fun are you having? How much do you want to have?
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What diamonds are in the rough around your community?
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Google Wave: Your online collaboration station
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More of a reason than ever before to get your BTLD Right On Ribbon nominations in!
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Is it any wonder in an industry where we refer to our great workers as "stars" that some of them supernova over time?
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A moment of insight into the workspace of yours truly.
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You look great in that tie! ... You don't like that tie? Well then I hate it too!
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Venting of some social media frustration for the world to see
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You're at the place where the song "Centerfold" and Facebook unfortunately meet.
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Does your Stress Amp go all the way up to 11?
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If you have to question whether or not you're too sick to work, you probably are.
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Have you put Brainstorming in your budget for this year? Do it now!!!
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Energize with Education!
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Rekindle the Passion in the coming year
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Prozac, Xanax, Wellbutrin, and no more complaints! No, not really...
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Iconic doesn't mean expensive.
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How many times have you heard that someone is "sorry" this week?
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Tab A in to Slot Q, then fold perpendicular to the second line...
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All I want for Christmas is a high mold count...No, wait...
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As promised, the Prezi from my presentation at Seattle's TRENDS show today!
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December's winner knocked my socks off in person!
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It's a fact of life that 99% of the time, when you mess up, everyone sees it, and 99% of the time when you do something right, no one notices. This inequity can easily grate on nerves at a micro and macro level, whether you're one rotating cog or the machine as a whole, and it can bring destruction to good employees, good systems and good ideas. It is for this reason, and a recent trip to Kansas City where I shopped one of the most outstanding communities EVER, I've been inspired.

That's why I'm introducing a new regular addition to my blog. I'm calling it my, "Right On!" Ribbon, and will be sending it to properties or employees who go above and beyond.<< MORE >>

Why a chip on your shoulder isn't going to help your bottom line<< MORE >>

Have you underestimated the Sneakiness?
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A Customer service case study in "DON'T"
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No, It is not my intention to RickRoll you.
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Do you know why people are de-friending you on Facebook and unfollowing you on Twitter?
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5 fun ways to have a good time with your Halloween marketing!
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What's it going to be? Loki or Fox?
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Snoopy will like this one...
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It's a conversation starter that I just can't pass up...
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Facebook, I've got a a beef with you.
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The little engine that could didn't need a cheerleader, but maybe your team does.
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Daydreaming isn't always a bad thing.
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I smell something...Oh, it looks like I stepped in another BLOG SERIES!
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Got a question? I wanna hear it!
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Have you read Mike Brewer's Blog yet? Why not?
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It happens on even the best of properties. Graffiti, tagging - whatever you want to call it, these uninvited spray paint masterpieces on your buildings aren't a welcome addition to your asset. Depending on the surface, a coat of KILZ and some paint might not cut it for the clean up. Here are some tricks to getting graffiti off of other surfaces your teams might have to deal with:

Aluminum- Signage or siding, the first step to removing the offending tag is to discern if the paint is latex or oil based. To find that out, it's as simple as testing the paint with a little GOOF OFF in a spot, which should lift up latex paint.<< MORE >>

Getting your property ready for the winter months can be a daunting task for any maintenance team, but asking your office staff to send out a maintenance survey at this time of year can help your team prioritize the upcoming tasks and deliver outstanding customer service at the same time. Here's how it works:

Develop a survey with your team about the most commonly placed work action items over the winter. Examples of what you can include are: Fireplace pilot light relighting (which everyone forgets about until that first super cold day), Replacing damaged weather stripping or caulking on doors and windows, loose railings on stairwells, any low hanging branches or branches that may be responsible for the disconnection of power in an ice storm, or any outstanding leaks that could turn in to even bigger problems if the pipes froze. Sending this to your residents as a Winter Home Wellness checklist gives them time to evaluate possible problems in their own homes. When the surveys/checklists have been returned (set a specific date on this one for efficiency's sake), the office staff can enter the repairs needed in to a database and your team can then begin systematically working through the process of getting your property winterized, building by building.<< MORE >>

Don't leave your residents with no other option but Apartment Ratings
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How do we treat the resident referrals who don't move in?
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Check out the Halloween marketing ideas post at www.propertymanager.com
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If I haven't convinced you to try Brainstorming this year, maybe Lisa Trosien, Toni Blake, Kate Good or Lori Snyder can!
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Follow up idea from last week's #aptchat. Have you been to #Aptchat yet? Fridays, 4PM Eastern time on Twitter, moderated by Lisa Trosien and Mike Whaling!
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Double Sceens is way better than Double Mint. Then again, I'm not a big fan of mint.
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If you're going to shell out the money for a mystery shopper, then pay for useful information
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12 in a room? I've heard of economizing, but this is just ridiculous...
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Were you at the Washington Multi Family Housing Association's "Washington Apartment Outlook" on Sept 29th?
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Technology Happens.

Behind the Leasing Desk is happy to announce that we are back after a short hiatus caused by a software bug that has recently been fixed. I was not able to post any articles that weren't already preset to publish, so it was annoying to say the least. Unfortounately, our down time came during the middle of the 7 Deadly sins series, so I'd like to invite you to click back and take a look at the end of the series that you missed, as well as some of the blogs from last week!


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Come check out Multifamily Pro's Brainstorming this year! I'd love to shake your hand and thank you for your readership!
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Making the most of the first 48 hours
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Lessons from 80s TV are always fun...
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Kick Taz out.
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Where Monkeys and Broadway Musicals Meet
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Losing your temper bites
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Have you checked your hoard for spoilage?
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Inside - The secret to how to REALLY advance your career!
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Pride goeth before the fall, or at least the power trip
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I would have had this post on sloth up sooner, but I was just too tired...
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Next week's BTLD posts will be a bit different. I've decided if the History Channel can rock the 7 deadly sins, so can Behind the Leasing Desk, with a slight twist to the multifamily industry. We'll have your favorite PM sins here, one each day, from the 7th through the 13th, so don't forget to check back each day. Seeing as how Monday is Labor Day, my sense of Irony tells me that it's right to start with Sloth.

See you then, if you're not too tired to check in!<< MORE >>

Another great set of ideas inspired by Rent and Retain Magazine!!!
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Back to school time gives you opportunity for resident retention!
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Do you have a baking soda and lemon juice office mix?
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You might be smarter than a 5th grader, but what if your handwriting doesn't look like it?
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Sometimes it's better to let the butterfly fight the cocoon
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Here's the link to my August 18th article on making the most of move in day with your residents. Check it out on www.propertymanager.com!
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Do you know what your one friend said about you when you weren't there?
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It's starting in 10 minutes!  Today's #aptchat topic is on Gearing up for the slow down in the leasing season and what your teams can do/are doing to prepare for it. Come join in and share your industry expertise with the group!  I like to use tweetchat, which just links right up with twitter and seems to be the best way to view everything without getting confused.

Remember to add a #aptchat hastag to your posts so that they run in the stream.  If you're not ready to join in yet, you can watch the AptChat or read the transcripts on the facebook page, or on Multifamily Insiders.

Can't wait to see you there!


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My July 15th article for Appfolio's Property Manager E-Zine. Check them out over at www.propertymanager.com!
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To my very dear and much appreciated readers,
Behind The Leasing Desk is one year old Today!  We're definely up and walking, taking more and more strong steps to providing you with awesome content for your on site and regional teams, and, like any toddler, we have some HUGE surprises in store for you this year!  Keep referring us to your friends, because and readership grows, so does my ability to bring you more and more awesome ideas.   Our growth this first year has been amazing, this blog getting between 5K to 7K hits a month, and we would like to thank our supporters. A huge thank you out to the following folks who have supported me as a writer in the last year:

My amazing readers, who keep coming back and keep googling to find me. You're why I'm here!
Mike Brewer (who's blog inspired me to blog in the first place)
Lisa Trosien at The Apartment Expert
Mark Juleen at JC Hart
Brent Williams and his amazing community at Multifamily Insiders.com
Mike Whaling at 30 Lines
Charity Hisle at Benson Media
Jesse Hartman, Steve DeMuth, Darcey Forbes and the rest of the amazing marketing and communications E-Team
Eric Brown with Urbane Apartments
Amiee Miller and her team at AppFolio
Mindy Williams with Rent and Retain
Toni Blake with Totally Toni
The amazing team at the Washington Multi Family Housing Association who have given me so much encouragement
All my favorite human beings on Twitter
My patient and understanding guy, Alan, who has spent far too much time waiting for me to, "finish just one more paragraph."
And last, but certainly not least, my company, Career Strategies Inc., who have patiently waited for my efforts to yield the relationships we now prize.<< MORE >>

How three inches in the Summer months can save you money and look lush at the same time
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Have you smelled your pool lately?
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Scoot on over to Multifamily Insiders to see this exclusive post!  Leave me a comment there and let me know what you think!  Thank you!
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We can do a lot better than spaghetti in the kitchen.
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"... Even though we know you won't."

What can we do when the pool isn't cooperating with our plans?
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The takeaway from the convention is conversation and connection.
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What's on top of your cone?
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That's right... just SIX DOLLARS!

Also, did you know they made pickle Popsicles? The things you learn from FoodTV...
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5 quick ideas to maximize your greatest summertime asset: Your Pool!
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A totally personal entry about banned books- Not property management related in the slightest.<< MORE >>

I do the site vists and bring the cool stuff I see back home with me!
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I thought I was brand loyal. Turns out, I'm customer service timing loyal.
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It's all about the cookie
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Are you ready for the new Carbon Monoxide Detector Law in WA State?
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So, what exactly DO you believe in?
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A list of blogs I'd recommend anyone check out for new multifamily thoughts and happier leasing!
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Twitter's applications are endless! Here's one more to add to your lists of reasons to reach out and tweet out!
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Thank you so much for coming to see me at the Education Conference! If you missed my presentation, you're still welcome to the slides and information. I hope that your onsite teams find these slides and resources helpful!  Remember, When we connect, We retain!
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Are you a leasing litter bug? You might not even know it!
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Sometimes the old ways are the right way... just jazz it up with the new technology!
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A moment to show off some of my recent marketing efforts
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The grey space in myspace
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A great quote for your wall of great quotes. And if you don't have a wall of great quotes, you need to start one!
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Not 99 Red Balloons(sorry Nena!), but something even better! Some helpful suggestions to make your balloons POP!
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Are you making the best use of those note cards in your drawer?
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Fair Housing Signage "Whoopsie!" in the Seattle Area!
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Essex leads the big boys in social media community building!
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You must be THIS organized to sit behind the leasing desk...
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Some cold day ideas to heat up your resident retention!
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Who's got internal team conflict? Raise your hands... and read this post! :)
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I love a good deal, and so does everyone else. Make them use their scissors for your move in special this weekend!
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A few marketing banners I wish I could see out there!
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140 Characters made me feel special!
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3 great resources to resident retention<< MORE >>

Cutting your budget a little, up your resident retention and go green all in the same step!

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Trying to sell by screaming in someone's ear all day works about as well as trying to get to the bottom of the ocean without an oxygen tank. Either way, at the end of it, you're dead in the water.<< MORE >>

A $50 resident retention idea from the community I live in!<< MORE >>

Let's face it - Sugar sells, and not just to people under the age of 10.




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Where Microsoft and fish tending meet...<< MORE >>

I wrote this piece for our January newsletter, and I really liked the ideas, so I wanted to share them with everyone else out there, even if they weren't on our property mailing list!  Enjoy!<< MORE >>

If you learn only one thing about me as a person, I ask that it be the indisputable fact that I am an Insatiable and  Voracious reader.  After being raised by a librarian, I feel like a piece of me is starving if I don't have my nose in a book at least once a day.  Alan swears that I keep my local branch of Half Price Books in business with my quenchless vice.  And I think I'm okay with that.  I can stimulate my brain AND the economy in one fail swoop.

This is a list of the books I have read during 2008 and eventually, I hope it will include a short review of each as well.  Enjoy!
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If you've ever wondered why no one listened to your new ideas...<< MORE >>

The math just isn't in our favor right now, folks. Maybe we need a new formula for success.<< MORE >>

As a young child, I had an English teacher who was obsessed with what she called, "the verb words," because they were active and led to more and more action in writing.  She used to make us stand up and act out all the verb words in our papers when we read them to the class.  I liked the writing part of that class, but the acting out "verb word" madness not so much.  I was the fat kid, you understand.  But what I did take away from that teacher is the importance of action, not only in our writing but also in our doing.<< MORE >>

Plant some seeds now to grow some awesome groups and resident retention in the future!<< MORE >>

So, how much are YOUR two bedrooms?<< MORE >>

I'm a hippie at heart. In third grade, I decided that ecology was cool and have pretty much been hooked on saving the dolphins and trees ever since. I didn't know it was science until I was way too far sucked in to decide it was too hard to understand. Science is sneaky that way. But, to me, dolphins and trees are totally worth it.<< MORE >>

I'm going to need to know where doggy day care is, where a good hair stylist is, and where I can buy a new toaster.<< MORE >>

Olfactory Demonology and how it can help you sell.<< MORE >>

Unconventional pets on your property?<< MORE >>

Where IS your good talent going?
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Kicking up the carpet cleaning another notch!
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How Human Resources departments can teach us resident retention
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How NOT to entice my people to work for you!
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Where rock climbing and throwing resident functions meet, and how to get over the mountain of both
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Exploring the reasons why I hate the C word!
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Upping resident retention and renting numbers tweet by tweet!
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Small incentives can be more powerful than the big stuff
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A sweeter sales approach
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The teacher in me speaks up...
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I call Dregs!
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An experiment in getting to the hot buttons
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Stealing marketing ideas from a cup of joe
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I spend a lot of time talking with different property managers these days. Sometimes I get really awesome gossip, sometimes I get some interesting ideas out in the market today, and sometimes I get either really great feedback or really great complaints. Either way, I'd say talking with my managers is one of the highlights to my day, even when they're less than happy with me in that particular minute.

There is a manager that I met a few months ago who is doing something GREAT as a side business that I must shout to the world. She looked at the properties she had been at and found that while mini models can be a great sales tool there were some definite draw backs to using them.<< MORE >>

A few months ago, Lisa Trosien wrote about how Ikea had done a studio apartment in a box stunt that was working out really well. Before I moved to Seattle, I had heard of IKEA, but I had no idea who they were or what they did. The Swedish furniture trend has yet to hit it big out there in Kansas... but we're usually about 5 years behind everyone else. However, in the Seattle metro area, IKEA is HUGE. They have this large store that you can just utterly get LOST in while you wander through, living the rest of your life on meatballs and sleeping in faux rooms that have the best solutions for storage you can possibly imagine! 

As I was thinking about the section of my training course that discusses overcoming objections, I was listing the most common hurdles that I remember hearing from my days as a leasing consultant.<< MORE >>

Back in the day, a property manager changed the course of my life. I know, it's a little dramatic for a starting sentence, but just go with me on this. You see, at the time, I was in the middle of a 6 month course of chemotherapy for  lymphoma, and I pretty much refused to acknowledge that when one is in treatment, one cannot do all the things that a normal person can do. I wasn't working at the time (there are perks to having a phenomenal boyfriend who have incredibly marketable computer skills) and I was suffering that variety of boredom and loneliness where you start singing to your dog just because you need someone to talk to. One day on a break from serenading my dog, Fox, I wandered down to the management office of the community where we were living.<< MORE >>