Who is the decision maker?

Hello,

I just recently started a small business and would love to get some insight as to whom I need to speak with to get business at apartment complexes. Can I just walk in and speak with whoever is there? Do i need to get on a vendors list? if so, what is the process? Who are the decision makers that I need to contact?

Great question, Duke, and I'm surprised nobody has answered you yet. You first need to understand who your decision maker is for your particular service. Some decisions are made by the property manager, some by the maintenance supervisor, some by the regional manager, and some even higher up the chain. A lot of that is going to also depend on whether this is a service they already have, and if it is a service they have a portfolio based contract for already. For example, a company might contract one landscaping company to handle all their properties in a given area, so the property manager would have no control over that decision, and even taking away one property would be difficult.

The next part is how to approach them. I would say before you do that, you potentially need to lay a little ground work. Volunteering and becoming active in the local apartment association can help people start to recognize you, and smooth the process of getting a meeting. Just be careful not to make the #1 mistake most new people make, which is immediately start trying to sell at a networking event, rather than simply getting to know people.

You can also do this process really effectively online. If your association has a fan page or group, start participating in that, just so people start recognizing your name.

As for how to make that actual initial contact, I have heard that regionals and up prefer to be contacted by email. Simply showing up at their office will probably not be a good move. As for on-site, I really don't know, so hopefully someone else will chime in, but I do know that goodies are always a good idea, assuming their company allows them to accept them. You might even try the soft approach, where you walk in not with the intent of talking right there, but simply to set up a meeting. Bring some cookies with you, and I think you would have pretty good odds with scoring a meeting a bit later. Bringing home baked cookies might be good since you are just starting up, and they also send the message that you took some time to make them.

Hopefully there are a few ideas there to work with, and maybe someone else will chime in with some more!

Good Advice, Brent. It really does depend on what type of service you are trying to set up. I'm an on-site property manager. I have vendors that pop in to meet with me to pitch whatever service they offer. Depending on what it is can determine who the decision maker is, and that can change property to property. Some management companies give their property managers more autonomy than others. From personal experience, I always prefer if someone pops in to make an appointment to see me later. My day to day schedule is usually pretty full and can be chaotic, so when someone comes in unplanned and expects to be able to discuss services for an extended conversation, it can be frustrating.

I agree with Brent...The association route is a great avenue to take to get your name/business out there but can become an expense if you're not careful.

Personally, I prefer having information ready via email/paper/business card. Most new companies/vendors in my area drop if off at the rental office. If it is a needed product then the information can be discussed with the appropriate decision maker from there.

The regional manager usually makes any vendor change decisions but for some products the managers decide. I would avoid being too forceful because first impressions are everything in our industry so make a quick introduction and if the person in the rental office seems interested, sell sell sell...If not, thank them for their time and ask them to spread the word. If you leave a great impression with them they may know someone that will need your product, even though they may not. That's my two-cents.

Hi Duke!

The onsite manager is often the person making purchasing decisions, up to a certain dollar amount. And if it is not them, they are still your best gateway to the person who is the decision maker.

Matt

Any thoughts on what purchase dollar amounts are generally within the Property Manager's authority?

We provide fairly low cost (under $40/month) services which of course would approach $500/year on the annual budget.

I find that often the Property manager will say 'I'll pass it on to my regional'. It's hard to tell if the regional really needs to make the decision or if it is a polite way of saying 'thanks but no thanks'.

John,

I'm sure it varies from one company to another, but I think the on site manager usually has discretionary authority for purchases in the $200 - $500 range.

And saying "I'll pass it on to the regional" is definitely a frequently used way of saying "thanks but no thanks."

You might work the property manager a bit by asking them if they can recommend approval to the regional manager. If the property manager is in your corner you are more likely to get a favorable response from the regional.