Brainstorming

Sometimes marketing can be stressful. If you feel you have tried everything and you are not getting results or if you are just trying to keep things fresh but have no fresh ideas. Try having a staff meeting. Call it a brainstorming meeting. In order for this to work you will need to do a few things. First invite your entire staff. This will include maintenance, housekeeping, painter, porter, and of course leasing. Have the meeting in the morning when everyone is fresh and ready for the day. Take away all distractions. It might be a good idea to have the meeting in the model so that you will not be interrupted. Hand out pens and paper for jotting down random ideas. Have refreshments but drinks only so that the staff is not preoccupied with eating. When you begin the meeting, keep it positive. Let them know how much you value their opinions and that you would love to hear their ideas! They may have tried a marketing strategy at communities they worked at in the past or maybe they have driven by a community that caught their eye on the way to work. Maybe it’s a wish list of things that they want to do but never thought you had the budget for it. Let them know that the sky’s the limit. You may be able to take their ideas and tweak it so that it will be something you can afford. Ask them to write down their ideas and then go around the room one by one and ask that they share them. Be sure to invite everyone to be a part of the conversation. Time each person so that everyone has a chance and keep the meeting to about an hour so that you start with a goal and end with an action. You will more than likely end up with several great ideas but even if you come out with just one great idea it’s worth it. It also increases moral amongst your staff so you cannot go wrong!