Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Dear Bhamloftguy

The kind of property management company you'll be running may have an impact on who, where, how, and when to market your services.

Are you commercial, industrial, or residential? Do you cater to just one city, one state, or region? Who are your clients? High rollers, middle of the road spenders, or some other group?

To market anything you need to be carrying on or getting involved with the conversations going on in people's heads. This means talking to potential customers in language they are used to hearing and that appeals to them, not to you.

You're not just offering walls, floors, and ceilings, you're offering homes offices, places of business, lifestyles and experiences. You're not just providing boxes next to roadways, you're offering strategically placed points from which or in which people can raise families, build careers, and cultivate relationships.

The term "property management company" is a mile wide and an inch deep. By being more specific you'll receive more targeted advice and suggestions.

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Also - are you looking to leverage your father's connections or start afresh? Have you starting asking for referrals from your existing clients (if you have any yet)?

Check out this site:

FullyBookedRentals is a membership site for owners of second homes and investment properties who want to successfully offer their houses or condos as vacation rentals when they aren't using them.

https://www.fullybookedrentals.com/

Almost all of the people who would be good clients for you already have a property management company (unless you're going for the smaller fish, which will be an unbelievable headache).

So the question is: Why should anyone listen to you? Why should they even take the time to consider what you offer? They have an established relationship and switching or even entertaining a switch is a bother.

What do you offer that will make your prospect pay attention? Get specific - things like "Excellent customer service" or "We put the customer first" are completely worthless.

If I were a potential client and I told you "In three sentences or less, tell me why I should choose you - if I like your answer, you're hired", what would you say?