The Power of the 3 C's: Communication builds Connection and Community!

The Three C's are the fundamental pillars which are intertwined and crucial for building strong networks. According to Lia Nicole Smith of Satisfacts Research, the 2023 Biennial Online Renters Study showcased effective communication and inclusivity matters in creating a sense of community. She shares, “If Renters feel that information is not transparent or inclusive, or they perceptive a lack of effort to involve residents, it can negatively impact their sense of community. ”

Despite having a variety of technological options available for communication with residents, it seems that technology alone is not sufficient. While software that enables staff to email and text, and AI that can assist in communication content, nothing can replace human to human communication. Only onsite team members possess the necessary knowledge about what is happening on the property. Therefore, as an industry, we must focus not only on how and what we are communicating, but also why we are saying it. It's important for everyone to understand the reasoning behind the message when speaking with residents, prospects, and colleagues. Understanding the "why" in communication is crucial for providing context, inspiring action, building comprehension, and cultivating positive relationships. It contributes to effective and meaningful communication.

• Communication: Is the foundation

• It involves sharing information, thoughts, ideas, and feelings clearly and openly. Good communication skills help in conveying messages accurately, avoiding misunderstandings, and promoting understanding between individuals or groups. Effective communication isn't merely about transmitting words; it's about ensuring that the intended message is understood. Whether verbal or non-verbal, clear communication is essential for building trust, resolving conflicts, and fostering healthy relationships.

• When it comes to Onsite team members and residents, open and honest communication forms the basis of trust. Statistics from 2023 Satisfacts Biennial Online Renter Study shows 71.1% of residents prefer text message, 72% overall prefer Email, and 60.8% prefer a phone call. Truly there is not a reason you can be over communicating with residents. We should be focused on sharing more than “rent is due” to our residents. Other opportunities to build communication updates and progress on capital ex projects, monthly aspects which Maintenance is focused on, landscaping maintenance & improvements, amenity updates. Look for the projects or investments being made around the community in which are not usually communicated.

• Connection: The Thread That Unites

• Communication lays the groundwork, but connection is the emotional bond that emerges from it. Communication leads to connection. It's the bridge that links individuals. A genuine connection transcends mere acquaintance; it's about truly engaging with others, listening attentively, and empathizing with their experiences. It cultivates a sense of belonging and support, enriching our lives with companionship, emotional sustenance, and shared experiences.

• What does connection look like for a community? Onsite team members should be focused on creating experiences, not events.,“WOW” moments even on a one to one bases not just for the entire community at once. This can be accomplished by getting to know each resident and celebrating the moments. Things like: et’s birthday, residents birthday, celebrating a monumental moment for a resident, or even doing something unexpected.

• Community: The Tapestry of Togetherness

• As connections solidify, residents form the intricate threads of a community. A community is a group of people who share common goals, interests, or values. Effective communication and strong connections among its members are vital for the community to thrive. A healthy community provides support, collaboration, and a sense of belonging for its residents.

• Do your residents feel their home is a community? The data speaks loudly. From SatisFacts & ApartmentRatings most recent Biennial Online Renter Study shows residents expectations are not being met. Sense of community remains the #1 driver for perception of value in our latest. The gap between expectation (3.93) and reality (3.34) highlights an area for improvement within the multifamily industry. We must go beyond what "we" feel creates a sense of community, and look to what the residents want and need. We are in the business of hospitality and we must focus on serving the resident.

The interplay between these three elements forms the backbone of society. A breakdown in communication disrupts connection; severed connections weaken communities. Conversely, strengthening communication fosters deeper connections, which in turn fortify communities. In our pursuit of a harmonious and thriving community, recognizing the importance of the 3 C's is paramount. So let's embrace the power of Communication, foster meaningful Connections, and contribute positively to our Communities, weaving a vibrant tapestry of understanding, support, and togetherness.

Building Trustworthiness: Elevating Your Company's Brand with Personal Brand Trust Values

The concept of personal brand trust can extend beyond individuals to also influence the trustworthiness of a company. A company's brand is essentially the sum of the perceptions and experiences people have with it, and trust is a fundamental element of a strong and positive brand. 

What are the components that create trust for a personal brand which leads to an increase in a company’s brand?

Be authentic

One of the best ways to build brand trust is to be authentic and consistent in your marketing. Don't try to be something you're not, or copy what others are doing. Instead, focus on your unique qualities and your target audience's needs and preferences. Show your personality, your passion, and your purpose through your content, your design, and your interactions. Authenticity builds credibility, loyalty, and emotional connection.

Be transparent

Another key factor for building brand trust is to be transparent and honest. This means being open and clear about your products, services, prices, policies, and processes. Don't hide or exaggerate any information, or make false or misleading claims. Instead, provide accurate and complete details, disclose any risks or limitations, and admit any mistakes or failures. Transparency builds confidence, respect, and trustworthiness.

Be responsive

A third way to build brand trust is to be responsive and attentive. This means being available and accessible to your network which is full of customers, prospects, and partners. Don't ignore or delay any feedback, questions, or complaints. Instead, acknowledge and address them promptly, professionally, and politely. Use multiple channels and platforms to communicate and engage with your audience, and provide helpful and relevant information and solutions. Responsiveness builds satisfaction, retention, and advocacy.

Be valuable

A fourth way to build brand trust is to be valuable and useful.  This means providing value and benefit to your audience, not just selling or promoting your products or services. Don't spam or annoy your audience with irrelevant or intrusive content. Instead, create and share content that educates, entertains, inspires, or solves their problems. 

Be ethical

A fifth way to build brand trust is to be ethical and responsible. This means respecting and protecting your audience's privacy, data, and rights. Don't collect or use any personal or sensitive information without their consent, or share it with third parties without their knowledge.. Ethics builds security, reliability, and reputation.

Be adaptable

A sixth way to build brand trust is to be adaptable and flexible. This means being able to adjust and improve according to the changing needs, preferences, and behaviors of your audience, as well as the evolving trends, technologies, and opportunities in the digital landscape. Instead, monitor and measure your performance, and use data and feedback to optimize and innovate your digital marketing tactics. Adaptability builds relevance, differentiation, and growth.

If you have an employee who has built a personal brand, the work the employee is doing is also connecting the dots to the company in so many ways. I couldn’t just choose a few, so bear with me as there are 10 benefits to an employee who has built their personal brand and how it can have a positive effect on a company. 

1. Enhanced Company Reputation: When employees build strong personal brands, it reflects positively on the company. A credible, knowledgeable, and influential employee can elevate the company's reputation within their industry.

2. Increased Credibility and Trust: Employees with strong personal brands often have a dedicated following or network. Their endorsements or recommendations for the company's products or services carry weight, increasing credibility and trust among potential customers.

3. Better Customer Engagement: Employees with well-established personal brands often have a direct line of communication with their followers or network. Engaging with these individuals can improve customer relations and enhance the customer experience.

4. Attracting Talent: A company associated with employees known for their expertise, thought leadership, or innovation becomes an attractive place to work. This can lead to a more talented pool of potential employees wanting to join the company.

5. Content and Thought Leadership: Employees with strong personal brands often create valuable content that positions them as thought leaders. When they share insights related to the company's industry or products, it indirectly benefits the business.

6. Networking and Partnerships: Employees with strong personal brands can open doors to new partnerships, collaborations, or networking opportunities that benefit the company. Their connections can introduce the company to potential clients, vendors, or industry leaders.

7. Amplified Marketing Reach: Employees who actively promote the company through their personal brand can significantly expand the company's marketing reach. Their social media presence, speaking engagements, or contributions to industry publications can all bring positive attention to the business.

8. Increased Sales and Revenue: Engaged and influential employees can influence purchase decisions by recommending the company's products or services. Their endorsements often lead to increased sales and revenue.

9. Brand Advocacy: Employees with strong personal brands are more likely to advocate for the company both online and offline. They can positively represent the brand and its values in various contexts.

10. Employee Retention and Motivation: When employees are encouraged to build their personal brands, they often feel more valued and empowered. This can lead to higher job satisfaction, improved morale, and increased loyalty to the company.

The one thing to remember regarding building brand trust, is it takes time. It is the long game, one may not see the ROI within 3 months, so patience and consistency is really key to seeing the benefits. Encouraging and supporting employees in developing their personal brands can be a strategic move for companies to leverage the collective influence and expertise of their workforce, ultimately benefiting the business as a whole. 

High Tech and Higher Maintenance: The Evolution of Maintenance

April 22, 2019, 1,418 days ago I published a blog called High Tech and Higher Touch: The Evolution of Leasing. Much as happened in the last 1,418 days. We have had the world shut down, human interaction has changed, expectations of consumer habits have evolved, but one thing has stayed the same: the need for exceptional customer experience.  

Our industry has made great strides around leasing centralization, where many have realized that technology like self guided tours was not created to replace human interaction, but the right technology must enhance the customer's experience. 

In my previous blog, I mentioned from SatisFacts 2019 Online Renter Study, the perception of quality customer service is ranked #2 in importance regarding the leasing decision, which lets us know elimination of leasing jobs will not be a thing of the future. Self-guided tours allow us to better customize a prospects experience, ultimately complimenting the onsite team’s quality customer service. This has not changed in the last 5 years, customer service is still just as important. 

Moving forward, the evolution of Maintenance; now that residents have had to deal with many changes over the last years, what is their expectation?  We continue to hear about maintenance centralization; will that become equally as important as leasing in the next 5 years?  The need for exceptional customer service still stands as important if not more important. With instant gratification, DIY and such flexible schedules where residents continue to balance all that is thrown their way, how can the onsite teams handle the expectations? Better yet, how can they handle the needs from residents with an astounding increase in open maintenance positions, current employees are looking for more work life balance and much more. Is “centralization maintenance” the answer? What does the term even mean? 

When we think about “centralizing" anything, it doesn’t mean just removing current people from their positions, perhaps we can look at this opportunity to focus more on the quality of our current employees and invest in those and allow companies to help improve the customer experience through customer satisfaction. Currently in our industry we continue to see the average response time to a service request to be a standard 24/48 hour or even 72 hour time frame. Most residents' service requests are those easy ones to fix, garbage disposal, microwave filter, the switch in the electrical box or even a blind slat replacement. In order to increase or even maintain our residents expectations we must look to innovative solutions that will allow our residents to be heard as well as meet the residents preferences. 

Understanding the residents' expectations around maintenance including  DIY and instant gratification and putting together the struggle of so many open employee positions, innovative solutions like Happy Force leads to increased residents satisfaction, which ultimately leads to a lease renewal. What we can be confident in remembering; when a resident is deciding about renewing their lease, what impacts their decision? The  #2 impact, "quality of maintenance service provided scored a 4.61 out of 5, on the SatisFacts Biennial Online Survey. This lets us know that just like leasing and the options to tour in person, virtual or self guided,  there needs to be an option to be able to exceed residents expectations around maintenance service. DIY, Facetime service calls and optimizing current maintenance techs time on each service request must become part of the future in multifamily. According to a 2020 Survey from Kingsely, “The requirement for social distance, as well as continued focus on worker health and safety, will remain yet for some time. To help in communication and improving work, virtual technology should be a more widely used method of performing maintenance diagnostics and troubleshooting.”

When a resident reaches out for assistance within their home, we must look for opportunities to increase resident satisfaction, reduce the response time and be accepting of the new options such as video tutorial, FAQ guides, remote technicians and still the option for a tech to enter the home. It comes down to optimizing the team while giving the options the resident would like to have available at their fingertips. 

My opinion 1,418 days ago still stands true, we must look at the traditional role of maintenance and view new solutions as an evolution not as an elimination to keep up with the changing preferences of renters.