Good communication is one of the most important aspects of running a successful business. Whether you’re dealing with customers, employees, partners or vendors, clear and effective communication affects just about everything else.
In the landlord business, your customers are your tenants, and it’s vitally important to keep your communication as effective as possible. Not only does great communication improve everyone’s day, but it can keep the headaches to a minimum—and even keep you out of legal trouble.
Here are 7 tips to improve tenant communication:
- Be a good listener. Everyone wants to be heard. By focusing on what your tenants are saying to you, you’ll be better prepared to respond appropriately. Give them time to express their needs, wants and feelings, instead of simply sharing yours.
- Recognize different communication styles. Some tenants speak quickly and want quick resolutions. So, get right to the point. Others want more details and background, so give them more explanations. Some don’t want to know you as a person, and are happy to have a text-only relationship, while others want to connect with you. Take a little time to learn about tenants, and you’ll figure out their style.
- Share expectations. Be very clear about what you expect and need from your tenants. None of your tenants are mind readers, so if you want them to change their behavior, let them know.
- Make it collaborative. Say “I need you to help me with this,” or “how can we work together to make this happen?” Let tenants know you’re willing to try to give them what they want, but let them know what you need in return.
- Be polite. Say “good morning.” Call tenants “ma’am” and “sir.” Ask tenants if you can come in—even if it’s a scheduled maintenance visit. If their child is screaming, ask if it would be better for you to come back later.
- Be respectful. Treat each tenant with the same respect you give your lawyer, banker or your grandmother. Even if they’re giving you a hard time, you’ll gain far more in return when you treat tenants with respect and dignity.
- Don’t get emotional. Sometimes things get heated, but if you keep a cool head and remain professional, you’ll have a better chance of diffusing the situation and solving the problem.
Adapting to tenants’ communication styles, being polite and respectful, and sharing expectations will improve your tenant relationships. Better communication can lead to less stress, fewer tenant turnovers and better profits, too!
