5 Dimensions to Include in Your Leasing Spring Training

I just recently completed the first article in what will be a monthly series for NAA’s marketing and sales newsletter. I thought it was so apropos to what senior operators should be thinking about right now, so I thought I would share some of the highlights in this executive newsletter.

The article focuses on how much time athletes spending training and practicing their craft compared to how much time they spend actually executing on the field. Contrast that with how little time our associates typically spend training and practicing versus the time they spend executing.

It goes on to recommend that operators hold their form of “spring training” focused on many of the things that a sports team would focus on. These include:

Focus on Fundamentals

Baseball is a complex combination of essentially simple tasks; so, too, is sales. Think about how to break down the sales process to its fundamental parts and focus on those basics. Where baseball’s fundamentals are throwing, hitting and catching, our fundamentals are asking questions, listening and presentation skills. Leasing teams should practice these basics individually before trying to stitch them together into a full process.

Repetition

Proficiency comes with practice. Professional players constantly drill, and this repetition allows their athletic behaviors to be second nature in the heat of battle. They move from “conscious competence,” where they have to think about the situation and what to do, to “unconscious competence,” where the behaviors happen automatically. The same is true for leasing agents. Through repetition, they gain confidence in their approach and behave in a natural and authentic way. Repetition is key to optimal performance.

Coaching

Players don’t just practice. Instead, they reflect on what worked and what didn’t during video reviews and other coaching sessions. We can borrow from those lessons and coach our leasing agents, asking them worked versus what didn’t work and what they might do differently next time; and if they get stuck, we can give them a tip here or there to help them along.

Teambuilding

Spring training isn’t all the drudgery of drills. There are fun games, pranks, team meetings and other activities to build camaraderie. Our spring training should also bring some fun and games to make it more enjoyable and build a sense of team. There’s nothing wrong with addressing serious topics, but make sure to include some fun when doing so!

Allow for Individuality

In baseball, each hitter has their own unique style. No one tells them exactly how they should stand, hold their bat, etc. But if you study good hitters, they all share a few key similarities at specific points through the swing. Similarly, we should allow our leasing associates to express their own individuality. Forcing them into rote script memorization doesn’t work as well as letting them find their own voice and authentically execute at the key moments of the sales process.

Incorporate these five dimensions in your leasing spring training, and you’ll be sure to have a great season!