Posted by Steve Contois on February 14, 2005 at 17:47:21:
Cigarettes and Mountain Dew have worked well in the past. Just kidding. It seems a lot of the PM’s are hourly employees. They make $10-$15 an hour and have a brutal job. They are often difficult at first because they are lied to and yelled at by the residence so often. They are motivated by the same thing as most people: Time off, money, systems that make their life easier, building relationships with people they can trust, making their boss happy, etc. She probably has had a negative experiance with an investor in the past or is friends with the park manager down the street that hates investors. I would recommend spending some time building a relationship with her and lay off the business talk until she brings it up. Ask open ended questions about her home, her family, her expertise in the industry, her handbag, her unique necklace, the unusual pictures on the wall in her office. After a few visits, you’ll become buddies and find out what her hot buttons are. Then, you can tailor your approach so she can see how valuable you are to the park. Plus, she probably will want you around just because you know the name of her dog and her grandkids. One more thing, if all else fails, humor sometimes works. I once was in a similar situation and went to Goodwill and found a clown shoe. This thing was the size of Shaquille O’Neals foot. I wrapped it up and mailed it to the PM with a note that said, “Mrs. PM, how about giving me a chance, I’m just trying to get my foot in the door. What do you say.” She called me the next day still laughing and gave me the green light to do business in her park. Best of luck in 05.