Apartment Trends Magazine April 2019 | Page 27

MARLA POSEY 2019 PRESENTER APARTMENTALIZE EDUCATION CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW 2019 Spark a connection with your customers! I am a huge promoter of technology and innovation; they really do make life better, faster and more efficient however, I believe that it’s vital not to underestimate the need to strike a balance between innovation and a personal emotional connection. For instance, it wasn’t too long ago that my daughter had us drive over an hour to simply have breakfast at a small diner along the New Jersey shore. While the food at Meg’s Grill is undeniably tasty and the vibe quirky and fun, the real draw is the way they make you feel; the way that they know your name, chat with you at your table, bring you coffee while you wait in line, and make you feel like you are the most important person that walked through the doorway that morning. In my mind, they have irrefutably created an emotional brand connection through their personal touch and stellar customer service which I see is validated by the parade of loyal customers that creates the long line that extends out the door every weekend, waiting for their turn to share in the experience. Psychologists have said that humans relate to a brand based on the last, most extreme experience that they had with the brand or, the last most extreme experience they heard someone else had with a brand. So, creating a positive, emotional connection with customers creates more than just traditional customer loyalty; it creates vocal, engaged ambassadors for your brand. Much like me, those that have a positive connection with a brand share their experience with their network – family, friends and colleagues. For us in the multifamily space, this translates to improved lease renewals and resident referrals as well as extended reach through engagement on social media posts and promotion of the brand by the residents themselves. So how do we do it? How do we connect with customers on this type of emotional level that would create such fierce loyalty? In this session we explore how to do just that. We uncover ways to connect with customers through both technology and, through basic human interaction. In my experience, you don’t need a brand-new apartment community, an extensive list of amenities or, a big budget to provide your customers what they really want – a connection that is both meaningful and memorable. If you accomplish that, you’ll have created loyalty through an emotional connection with your prospective, and current residents that will rise above the tide and will stand the test of time. REGISTER FOR THE 2019 EDUCATION CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW AT WWW.AAMDHQ.ORG (OR SCAN THIS QR CODE) www.aamdhq.org APRIL 2019 TRENDS | 25