Many property management business owners want to transition from managing operational tasks to managing their overall business, but don’t know how. They are worried that if they no longer deal directly with clients, the same level of service and results will not be maintained.
If this sounds like you, here’s how you can successfully transition to a leadership role in your business whilst still maintaining your service standards and results.
1. Systems to replicate you
To successfully make the transition, you need to implement systems which replicate you. This ensures that, even if you are no longer your clients’ point of contact, they still feel like they’re receiving the same level of service and results. You must implement a system for everything: tasks, communication, maintenance, arrears and so on. That way, no matter which team member your clients deal with, you and your brand promises will be maintained.
2. Consistent communication
Communication with your clients must remain consistent; it must sound like you, even if it is now team members communicating with them. To do this, you must teach your team how to communicate with your clients so that it continues to align with you and your brand. Provide templates, teach standard written and verbal formats, and show them how to inject your brand’s personality into everything. This is how you can ensure that communication with your clients remains consistent and on brand.
You must teach your team how to communicate with your clients so that it continues to align with you and your brand.
3. Acknowledge and resolve issues
Transitioning from dealing with clients directly to having team members deal with them means that issues may sometimes occur. To manage this proactively, you should implement a policy to ban blame and instead ‘acknowledge and resolve’ issues instead. This means that you, as the business owner, accept responsibility for clients’ issues and resolve them, without placing blame. That’s because, whilst clients may be responsible, taking ownership and resolving issues keeps you in control of your business. It also shows your clients that you are continuing to uphold your service standards.
4. Manage accountability
Whilst it’s important that you trust your team, it’s equally important that you verify they are continuing to deliver brand promises. To do this, ensure that every task has its own objectives, outcome, priority and timeline. This allows you to easily measure, monitor and manage accountability in your business.
To successfully make the transition, you need to implement systems which replicate you.
Step up as the leader and conduct operational audits so you know whether your team are meeting KPIs and delivering consistent results. Keep informed about your business so you can advise your team what is happening, rather than them telling you. This is how you and your team can be kept accountable, and brand promises continue to be delivered.
5. Scalability, serviceability and sustainability
Business growth is great and, in fact, necessary for success. But never be in a hurry to grow your number of doors managed, revenue or profit margins. To successfully transition from managing operational tasks to managing your overall business, you need to plan for growth, not just let it happen. This means managing the three critical building blocks of growth: scalability, serviceability and sustainability. Doing this allows you to pre-emptively give your business what it needs to grow, including predictive recruiting, infrastructure and training. This is how growth can be scaled, service standards maintained and profits sustained.
Successfully transitioning to a leadership role in your business requires you to implement a strategy which ensures that, no matter how much your business grows or how many team members represent your brand, your service standards and results are always maintained.
