At the NAA 2010 Education Conference last week in New Orleans, the keynote speaker was George W. Bush.
I didn’t know what to expect and was a little leery how this would fit into the rest of the week. When I walked out from the session, not only did I have a little crush on George W., I had a new-found appreciation for him. As I reflected on his session, I realized, there were many things we can apply from George W.’s speaking techniques that could help us lease apartments! How did he turn me from “a little leery” to a “fan with newfound appreciation?” Here are some of my observations:
1. George talked about his family. He openly appreciated his wife, talked about his struggles with his children regarding his work, and how much he loved his parents. In the first few minutes of his speech, he became immediately human to me - I quickly identified with him. Looking around the audience, I saw that almost everyone could identify with appreciating a spouse, struggles with family-work balance, and love of parents. As apartment leasing agents, sales professionals, or in any business interactions, identifying with your prospect/client/ business associate sets the stage for transition to the next stage of the sale – your pitch.
2. Next, George W. spoke about his beliefs and his values. In this portion, he was passionate and moving. Whatever my position was, I found myself understanding his point of view. In the leasing of apartments, this would be your value proposition. Whatever objections your prospects might have, you’ll need to find a way to overcome them or at the very least, have them believe in your value proposition. Being passionate and believable makes this process an easier transition to the next step – the closing.
3. Lastly, George W spoke about his toughest decisions, and why he made the decisions he made. He was convincing – and if he were selling something, I would have happily signed on the dotted line right then and there.
George W. made we laugh with his humor, nod in agreement with his personality and cheer out loud for his passions. When he was done I GOT IT.
What were your observations of George W. Bush at the NAA (National Apartment Association) Education Conference?
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-Daisy Nguyen in Minneapolis, Minnesota MN
CEO
Business, Operations & Marketing Consulting to the Apartment Industry
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I totally agree Daisy! I wanted to rush the stage and give him a BIG hug, but the big men in blue suits discouraged me from that. He was genuine, passionate and regardless of your position or politics he has to be admired for the hard decisions he made and his sincere love and passion for his family and this country. I gained so much respect for him when he started with explaining that the office should be respected and because of that he would not criticize the current president. He is truly a man of honor and integrity and a perfect speaker for this conference.