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“We Clean Here Too!” Tent Cards

Place tent cards in cabinets, closet shelving, kitchen appliances, on top

of toilet tanks, kitchen counter tops, and in various other places in the apartment that read: "We Clean Here Too!" along with the Grayco or community logo. This not only emphasizes that the apartment had the care and time taken to clean it, but you can also refer the residents to your cleaner if they have any housekeeping needs.

Can’t Afford a Model Apartment?

Can’t Afford to furnish a Model or have a hard to lease unit style that has no model? No Problem! Contact a local furniture store (example: Pier One Imports) and tell them that you are an apartment community and you would like to promote their furnishings inside one of your apartment homes as a Model apartments for 60-90-days. In-turn you will display the price tags on the furniture, display advertised circulars, and any signage that would normally be displayed in their store. Realtors use this to their advantage when furnishing show-case homes. Apartments are no different, Just ask! You’ll be surprised when they let you furnish your model at the cost of a moving van! 

Online Rent Payment Option...

"WE NOW ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS!"  Consider offering something that your competitors are not offering. With the information superhighway speedily making life more and more luxurious and hassle free, consider offering this option to your residents. For a small cost residents can take advantage of this luxury. Look for soon to come information on online rent payment options for your residents through the live @ website for your community.  Once up and running, promote this program in your advertising publications in bold letters that stand out and every other marketing material item you can think of!  Also promote that you can now accept credit cards. Offer this to also gain easy closing on leases; take your newest resident’s deposit right before they finish the tour... Even if they did forget their check books and have no cash to purchase a money order. Close the back door before they can get away and possibly lease elsewhere and oh yeah, it will also help make rent collection a bit easier!!

Resident Referral Program

Develop a catchy name for the resident referral program. example: ‘Resident Bonus Bucks’ Send out flyers door-to-door promoting the referral just prior to rent time. Also, Have a Bootleg sign made that promotes the current referral amount. Attach a balloon to the sign each day so residents notice it when coming and going.  Also, have inexpensive pin-on buttons made that say "Ask me about Resident Bonus Bucks!" and have your leasing and maintenance team wear them while at work.

WE WILL ROCK YOU

We are excited to announce our  “ Perfecting your  Website Challenge”

 All property Websites will be shopped by net mystery shopper and various other secret shoppers. Each property will be evaluated on:

 Response Time

Customized Response

Website Collateral

Website Marketing

Up To Date Website Information

 The Managers with the top 5 combined shop scores will be sent to Vegas to participate in the Multifamily Brainstorm Session...  

 You’ve never seen, heard, felt or experienced anything like it. It’s not your typical seminar, conference, or convention - it’s all that and more, and supercharged to deliver ready-to-apply solutions and kick-start the creative genius in you. You’ll grow as a person and as a professional and walk away with enough fresh leasing, marketing and management ammunition to rock your world, blow the competition away, and snowball your communities’ income and value.

 At Brainstorming, you’ll join forces with our industry’s best to take on the issues that are most important to you! You’ll have the top

talent of our industry feeding you ideas and solutions to your toughest challenges, including: retention and renewal; operational improvement; traffic generation; advertising effectiveness; closing more leases; increasing ancillary income; motivating and retaining employees; maximizing and raising rents; making the most of the internet and other technologies; streamlining service; improving and measuring training; smart rehab and development; stretching your marketing dollars; and so much more. And every attendee who participates in Brainstorming receives access to every idea that is generated at the event.

 Not only will you receive thousands of ideas worth millions, network with industry leaders, and discover resources that will help you perform better and smarter, but you’ll also benefit from some of the most exciting and informative educational opportunities available inside or outside of our industry.

 

Breakfast on the Go

Provide your residents with breakfast on the go, by setting up a table at your front gate with on the go bags with granola bars, juice and fruit to hand them as they are driving out.

You can save money by using sponsors. Ask a local restaurant such as chick-fila or Dunkin Donuts if they would like to donate some food in exchange for free advertising. A new restaurant would be ideal.

Just some food for thought!

Ideas that Rock

Promote your website through your vendors and save money! You can add them as links on your website as preferred vendors for a small charge of $50.00 a year. You can create a link to there website or add a coupon.

What a great way to save money and promote your website!

Resident of the Week

"Rent & Retain"

Every week choose a different apartment preferably a different building and nominate that person as the resident of the week. Send a gift to this person’s work letting them know that they have been chosen as the, "Resident of the Week."  You could send them a gift basket, cookies, tickets to a sporting event or something that you know they might like. Make sure to include marketing materials representing your property such as, pens, coozies, mugs, cups, key chains.... Make the gift as eye catching as possible so that everyone notices. The point of this is to retain resident’s as well as gaining some new ones. You could also include a lease renewal with the gift.

Summer Siesta

Do you often feel like falling asleep in the afternoon after a huge lunch or on a hot day? During this time of day most people are drained and become unproductive and really need a pick me up. Well the perfect way to wake up and do something productive is to go, “MARKETING,” to area businesses. This is the perfect time of day to not only get you going but also to give other business employees a break! Bring them an ice latté, ice cream or a milkshake and they will be very glad to see you. The break they were looking for with a tasty treat. Not only will they remember you but they will also remember your product.

BINGO, BINGO, BINGO!

Play bingo on your resident calendars. Put a blurb in the monthly newsletter explaining how to play the game advising everyone who wants to play to come to the office to get a,”Bingo,” card. Then put the numbers on each day of the monthly calendar. When someone gets bingo they win a prize such as $25.00 off rent, a gift card, or a dinner for two…. This will not only increase the viewing time of your website, but also increase resident awareness of the website at the same time.

Bucks Card

Promote your website and area businesses through a coupon card. Such as the, “Belle Hall Bucks card.” Put a picture of your property on the front of the card with your property name, phone number and website and put coupons on the back from local businesses. Such as 10% off a purchase at a clothing store or a free ice cream cone from an ice cream shop. Most businesses are more than willing to do this. In return they can advertise for you by giving out these cards at their place of business. This is a very easy way to market your property. Your resident’s and prospects will love it!

The Perfect Storm

We are now entering the Peak of Hurricane Season, with two months to go! How many of your resident’s have renter’s insurance? I’m guessing not as many as you would like. Why deal with the stress when something happens to their personal belongings. Promote insurance by teaming up with an insurance company and adding their link to your website. Also sending out a blurb in your newsletter about the importance of renter’s insurance is a great way to get the word out.

Traveling advertisement

Promote your Property and website with a magnet listing your property name, number and website to stick on your car. What an easy way to market your property!!

Here’s a tip for turning more Internet sales leads into customers:

Experts state it often takes 7 or more messages before prospective customers make a purchase. As we all know a great way to keep in touch with residents is via e-mail. By setting up a couple of customized response letters that you can personalize and send out quickly you can save time on typing e-mails. If you know how to you can even automate these letters to respond to the prospective resident immediately or on a set date so you are able to keep in touch! A great website to help you set up atomized response letters is .

Free Promotional Items

Make your marketing and business documents look more professional. Create brochures, ads, business cards, sales reports, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets and more with Office Ready Professional 4.0 templates for Microsoft Office. You’ll be amazed at the results.

50 Reasons

Here’s an example of a list of 50 reasons that make your property stand out.

 

 

50 Reasons To Live at Alta Shores

 

1. Excellent Customer Service

2. Fabulous social events

3. Spacious accommodations

4. A friendly staff

5. Pet friendly

6. Comfortable Clubhouse

7. 24- hour Fitness Center

8. Cyber Café with wireless internet

9. Music by the pool

10. Wireless internet connection at the pool

11. Car Care center

12. 30 minutes from the beach

13. 20 minutes to downtown Charleston

14. Minutes from restaurants and shopping

15. Close to the airport

16. A stocked pond

17. 1- mile walking trail

18. 4 park benches for lounging around with your neighbors

19. Walking distance fromWannamaker county park

20. Next to Charleston Southern University

21. Across the street from Trident Hospital

22. In beautiful sunny Charleston South Carolina, The home of, “beautiful places, and smiling faces,”

23. Surrounded by beautiful landscaping

24. Sparkling swimming pool

25. Gas grills by the pool

26. Charcoal grills by the pond

27. Boat Parking

28. Spacious garages and storage units

29. Laundry center

30. Brinks home security alarms

31. 24-hour maintenance

32. A Courtesy Officer

33. Package acceptance available

34. Pest Control services

35. Trash pick-up

36. Customer 4 Life program

37. Screened in porches

38. Sunrooms

39. Minutes from the military Bases

40. Close to the Tanger Outlets

41. Handicap units available

42. Walk in closets w/ organizers

43. Pool and Lake views

44. Military and student discounts

45. Preferred employer discounts

46. Online rent payment

47. Billiards room

48. Business Center

49. Awarded most outstanding community in appearance and professionalism in 2005 & 2006.

50. Island style kitchens

LAY-IT-OUT

Don’t have a furnishe model?  Well you could use flat furniture.  Check out .  Placing the light weight furniture in your mini model really helps prospective residents  visualize their own furniture in their new apartment home in your fabulous community.

Felicia Smith/Abbotts Run

Prospect Refreshments

This summer "change up" your prospect refreshments!  Make them different, even different each week.  Some examples:  Bags of trail mix with a label, popcorn bags - "Thanks for popping in", rice crispie treats ( can be made in a microwave in under ten minutes), use candy - lollipops, minature candy bars with cute labels, etc. 

For drinks how about offering lemondade and/or coolaid, bottles of water with labels.

Think about how you can take your prospect refreshments to the XTREME!!

Help posting flyers for Craigslist

If you would like to have a nice brochure or flyer to open in your Craigslist ads then check out . This is a FREE service for the first, then there is a monthly expense.

The first person to call Leah and let her know you’ve used this service receives a $25 gift card!!!! I want to see the ad too....!! To the X-Treme!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Competitive Advantage

Competitive Advantage - When a property develops attributes(benefits) that allow it to out perform its competitors. The ability gained through attributes and resources to perform at a higher level than others in the same industry.

What is YOUR Competitive Advantage?

Value

The definition of VALUE  is the quality of a feature that renders something desirable.

Mini Model Ideas

Here are a few ideas for some simple mini model themes to promote value:

1. Closets - use hangers with rainbow ribbons hanging down (curly ribbon of multiple colors) - "Hang Around" You’ll love it here!" Or " Hang your hat at XYZ apts" and have hats in the closet. or 10 Useful uses....store golf clubs, stroller, coats, holiday decorations, skis, vacuum, beach chairs (add the chair in the closet for visual), picnic basket, umbrella, toys"

2. Refrigerator - "our apts are hot deals, but our refrigerators are cool! Looking for a cool place to call home, open me for a refreshing treat"

3. Laundry -use a box of Cheer laundry detergeant and some pom poms, etc. " We’re somplace to "Cheer" about..... Our special are something to cheer about... Our Laundry rrom, free w/d are something to cheer about.....

4. Front Door - Welcome to your new home - Wreath and/or doormat

5.Wine glasses and wine on nice linen placemet, etc on bar - "Congratulations you made the right decision", "Welcome to your new home", "A toast to finding the perfect apt home".

Stay tuned for more information soon. If you read this send Leah an email for a free lunch! Limited to the first 5 emailers. Offer expires 10/20/10

Marketing Plans

The 4th Quarter 2010 Marketing plans that were created by our X-Treme Leasing DIrectors have been posted in the Forms Center under Marketing. Feel Free to download and use at your property. There were some really creative ideas!

Do you like coffee?

Well, check out ! This website has lots of great ideas, I recommend the “Featured Brews” page. It has information for marketing / advertising, leasing, management, retention etc. You can even sign up and get new info when it is posted. And it is all set in a fun coffee house themed page!



3/11/11

Referral Flyer

Check out the fun Referral Flyer sent to us from Dave Tieri at Legacy.  It is something you may want to use!

documents/userfiles/417//Company+Wide+Friends+and+Family[1](1).jpeg

3/22/11

Marketing Tips

Check out the article below titled "4 Easy Ways to Improve your Customer Marketing Game"



Just copy and paste the link! This has 4 tips that you work on in your office this week.

3/22/11

Why be dull when you can be extraordinary?

want my property to stand out from everyone else’s in every way from my print ad, social media presence, to my sales pitch, and curb appeal. So how do we do this, how do we make a statement to our prospective renters that we are a different management company or community? It is very easy, so easy that you are going to hit your head with the palm of your hand for not thinking to use a little trick that Lisa Trosien talked about in a recent webinar presented by App Folio. Are you ready? Here is the top secret advice: Care about your residents and their voice by sharing what they have to say about your community!

It’s very simple! Your greatest asset is your residents’ voice. They already live at your community and know what your management company can offer them. So why do we not use this great asset? Are we afraid to be the first in the market for our area to be different or are we just comfortable being the same?

I like to think that we can overcome our fears of trying something new. Goodness knows I have tried many new things in many areas of my life. I can tell you what I would do if I had the ability to make my community stand out from everyone else.

First, I would have a testimonial board in my leasing office. I would position this where the first thing the prospect sees is my resident’s testimonial of the community.

Second, in my leasing office I would frame pictures of my residents in their apartment, using the amenities or at a community function. This simple and inexpensive decoration will show that you like your residents; you mean what you say in your sales presentation, print ad, and social media advertising.

Third, I would have additional resident testimonials in the model or mini models. I would put some over the bed in the master bedroom, bathroom mirror, refrigerator and the front door to read as they are leaving the unit. I would even incorporate Toni Blake’s “I Love This” picture book of the residents around town or around the community. I would leave it open on the coffee table as an attention grabber.

Fourth, I would create a slide show of pictures using the testimonials of residents, their pictures and pictures of the community to send as an email follow up.

Lastly and most importantly, I would incorporate resident testimonials and pictures of community events into my print ad, internet marketing, and social media sites.

These five things will set you so far apart from your competitors that you will be remembered. Why would you want to be the same as everyone else when you can be extraordinary? I challenge everyone to do something different with your presentation of your community.

Posted by: Jolene Sopalski

4/5/11

The Psychology of Apt Leasing

I have been surprised lately by how many people react negatively to using psychology in selling situations.  In fact, many site managers have turned up their nose and commented, “We don’t sell.  Selling is beneath us.”  Well, vacancy loss is beneath me.

A friend and I were chatting about this when she commented:  “When a kid wants to get something in the store and the parents are not convinced they need it.... here is born our first concept of sales.  ‘I will die if we do not get a box of Cap’n Crunch cereal!’”

The reality is that all of us are selling all of the time.  Common non-selling selling situations include:  asking your boss for a raise, presenting a budget to an owner, going on a job interview, proposing marriage, trying to get your partner to go to a football game instead of the latest Jennifer Anniston flick, a meeting with your parole board or negotiating the bigger slice of the pie.

Is understanding human behavior and why we do what we do sleazy?  Is understanding how to motivate your child to study sleazy?  Is understanding when the best time to bring an idea to your partner’s attention (vacation spot, home addition, mother-in-law visit) sleazy?  There is a time and a place and a way for everything.

Everyone has to find a technique that is genuine to them.  If you are real you will not come across as contrived.  It is when we try to be someone we are not or we put on a mask of who we think we are supposed to be that we come across as fake.

Solution selling

Hate selling?  Try “Solution Selling”. This is a buzz phrase in our industry today—and it has a nice warm glow to it.  We are selling solutions to our customers’ problems—and that cannot be bad, can it?  When a customer walks into your office, instead of thinking of yourself as a sales person ask, “What can I do to help this customer solve her problems today?”  Frankly, all it takes is a few easy ingredients:

1. A caring, helpful attitude (This is a basic first step; make sure you really care about your job, your product and your customers.  If you do not, ask yourself why?)

2. An understanding of your product and how it can benefit your customers.

3. A ready smile

4. An ability to listen, answer questions and ask for the sale.

However, if we knowingly sell someone something that we know they do not want or cannot afford, that is sleazy.

Manipulative?

In our firm, we have spent a lot of time training clients on understanding personality profiles and how different personality types behave, interact and prefer to communicate (in both sales and management).  This helps us gain a deeper psychological understanding of our customers (and they could be internal—your boss—or external). For example, I once had a boss who preferred e-mail. He also hated information overload—so I learned to condense and bullet point everything.  If he wanted more information, he would ask.  If I left a voice mail it would likely be deleted unheard.  Is my attempt to communicate in a way he could best receive the information manipulative?  This same approach to our customers is really just good customer service.

Emphasizing Your Genuineness

Here are a few tips on creating positive nonverbals to emphasize your genuineness:

• Smile (a real smile includes the eyes)

• Start by being genuine. (Leave ‘masks’ at home.)

• Speak your customers’ language in a respectful way; don’t talk down to them.

• Take the time to listen to your customer.

• Don’t cross your arms (indicates defensiveness)

• Lean forward slightly (indicates interest)

• Don’t sit across a desk from your customer—this creates a barrier. Try and find a position that indicates that you are on their team.

• Maintain good eye contact (unless it is offensive in their culture to do so).

• Don’t speak too quickly.

• Laughter is good:  it is a sign that you are relaxed and at ease with your customer.

• Don’t rub your nose or cover your mouth.  (Benjamin Franklin said:  “Look at someone’s mouth while they’re talking, and at their eyes while you’re talking.”)

Don’t be afraid to show the positive aspects of your personality at work.  It is when we put on masks that people get confused.  Your customers will positively respond to who you genuinely are.

I think I’ll go have that bowl of Cap’n Crunch now!

Jim Baumgartner is Senior Vice President of RentSoda, a consulting company offering apartment marketing, business & operations consulting as well as industry-specific training.

12 Marketing Ideas

These 12 ideas won’t break the bank! We could all use a few of those ideas, right?!  Read the attached article that was created from 12 great ideas at a Brainstorming event held by MultiFamily Pro. The article is attached.

documents/userfiles/417//12 Apartment Marketing Ideas That Won.doc

Lemonade Stand

Check out this FUN article titled 9 Marketing Tips from a 6 Year Olds Lemonade Stand.  

Click on the link below (or copy and paste) to check out the new GoGoPin Page Design for Facebook. Elevate your page to a new, more modern, professional page! Oh, and it’s FREE!



Quotes and written testimonials can be powerful marketing tools, but nothing tells a story like a video. Set up a fun recording space in your clubhouse where you can record videos of residents answering simple questions, such as “Why do you love living at our property?” in return for a small discount or a T-shirt with your logo. You can post these individually to your website on the video "Tour" page and Facebook Page, or string a series of clips together and overlay with music for a fun customer round-up video.

Your Resident Events Stink!!

Is that what your residents are saying?  Are you stuck in the wine and cheese rut?  Lets be honest    wine = whining about your apartment and the office staff  and cheese = the cheesy things we tell them to try to make the event fun for the 5 people who showed up.  Well, below is a fun resident event idea that was posted on .  I will let you read then I will give my 2 cents after!

“Many of our residents do not take advantage of everything our city has to offer. I had always planned on doing a scavenger hunt around the city partnering with other businesses and apartment communities to compete against one another. We would market the scavenger hunt in all places which would get your name out there and help the other businesses as well. Each business would contribute something towards the grand prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize... be it gift cards, tshirts, cups, food... etc. Then after the scavenger hunt a huge party with everything supplied by the businesses. It makes everyone familiar with the local businesses as well as supporting your business. With enough contributors it can become an annual event with a lot of great press!”

Now, you can cater this to your property by doing things around your community or go big like the article suggests. Involve local businesses, let them give you the hint for finding their business in the scavenger hunt.  You could have families make up a team or you could even put each resident who signs up in a building form a team (for example Team Building 200).  Let your local newspaper know about this and enjoy the additional traffic as people like to live somewhere fun! 

9/13/11

Marketing Plan Class Sept 30th

Essential Elements of a Successful Marketing Plan

(A premium webinar presented by Kate Good)

Kate Good is best known for scouring the world to find resources, ideas, and creativity that you can pop into any marketing plan without blowing out the balanced budget. 2012 is right around the corner and that means it is time to write our marketing plans. Attend this powerful program and you will be totally energized with new ideas to continue your sales and marketing success.

  

Join us on September 30th at 2pm Eastern Time (11am Pacific) to learn great ideas for your 2012 marketing plans! The cost of this Webinar is only $29.99, thanks to VaultWare.

Register Now click below :

  

 

|See what others are saying about Kate! |

|   |  |  |

|"Kate should do a 'Kate webinar of |"Kate has an infectious, easy listen |     "I absolutely loved the webinar!|

|the Month!'" |to manner - and she gave some great |This was my first attendance to hear |

| ~Blair Carroll |ideas & websites! Thank you!" |Kate and her energy is amazing!" |

| |~Sharon Rose Wilcox |~Carrie Polonsky |

 

Kate Good presents her programs for more that 10,000 industry professionals a year at all the top events in the United States. Now, you can bring Kate into your office for this Webinar event where you can count on hearing her cutting edge ideas, unique strategies and enthusiasm to generate traffic and lease more apartments. Visit for details on Kate's expertise.

This webinar would not be possible without the support of our sponsor, VaultWare! VaultWare can help you implement your successful marketing plan with their consumer-centric apartment reservation system and smartphone friendly property websites!   

Candy Theme Flyers

On the pop in flyer tape a BlowPop to the open space on the left

in.doc

On the M&M flyer just tape the snack size M&M's to the back.

and m 2.doc

And try not to eat all the candy before you hand them out! =)

Just Posted:  Candy theme flyers for marketing in the Marketing Center - afterall, the fall just reminds me of candy with all that Halloween Candy floating around!  One is a fun M&M theme flyer, just tape a small packet of M&M's to the back and hand out!  The other fun candy themed flyer is a Pop in flyer with a sucker theme, just tape a Blow Pop onto the empty space on the side. 

Don't forget that the Marketing Center area is full of fun flyers and ideas.  So, if you are in a rut take a look.  Dave Tieri has been posting away on there!  Great Job Dave!

9/30/11 

Fax Blast your local businesses

Jan and crew at Discovery at Mandolin have a great idea that can help you too!  They have been fax blasting a flyer to local businesses to bring in more traffic.

How can you do this at your property?  It's simple, just follow these easy steps:

1 - Call around to local businesses (doctors offices, businesses and hospitals)

2 - Ask for their fax number and tell them what it is for, we don't want to send "Fax Spam".

3 - Fax your flyer out a few times a week, make sure you mix up the flyers so they get read!

Check out some of the flyers they use!  Maybe you can modify them for your property!

flyer 1.doc

flyer 2.doc

Fax Blast Flyer.doc

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