Have you ever felt stuck at a crossroads in your business, unsure of which path to tread next? This episode offers a rare perspective into the world of property management through the lens of Skye Taylor, the founder of Taylored Property Management.
Skye shares her journey, right from the nascent days of starting her business at a young age, dealing with burnout, managing student accommodations to chartering her way through the impacts of COVID-19.
Communication is the bedrock of our industry, but how often do we invest in honing it? The role of voice coaching in property management is an interesting one that I hadn't thought of previously, we share our experiences and the transformative impacts it has had on our client interactions. This episode nudges you to look at voice coaching as an investment that can enhance your communication skills, build trust with clients, and ultimately excel in your career.
The PIP Advantage for Landlord Insurance
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14 months cover for just 12 months premium in your first year
Further discounts when you have three or more properties insured through PIP
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Online Real Estate Agent Portal for easy access and management
Visit their website
Keep your property managers doing what they love and outsource the things they don’t to a company that thrives on positive feedback and guarantees a premium personalised service
www.propertyassistwa.com.au
This weeks sponsor is On Tap Plumbing & Gas - 24/7 Plumbing servicing all of Perth from Mandurah to Two Rocks.
www.ontapplumbinggas.com.au
6206 6888
Have you ever felt stuck at a crossroads in your business, unsure of which path to tread next? This episode offers a rare perspective into the world of property management through the lens of Skye Taylor, the founder of Taylored Property Management.
Skye shares her journey, right from the nascent days of starting her business at a young age, dealing with burnout, managing student accommodations to chartering her way through the impacts of COVID-19.
Communication is the bedrock of our industry, but how often do we invest in honing it? The role of voice coaching in property management is an interesting one that I hadn't thought of previously, we share our experiences and the transformative impacts it has had on our client interactions. This episode nudges you to look at voice coaching as an investment that can enhance your communication skills, build trust with clients, and ultimately excel in your career.
The PIP Advantage for Landlord Insurance
Up to $70,000 contents cover included in our landlords policies
14 months cover for just 12 months premium in your first year
Further discounts when you have three or more properties insured through PIP
24/7 Australia-wide claims service
Online Real Estate Agent Portal for easy access and management
Visit their website
Keep your property managers doing what they love and outsource the things they don’t to a company that thrives on positive feedback and guarantees a premium personalised service
www.propertyassistwa.com.au
This weeks sponsor is On Tap Plumbing & Gas - 24/7 Plumbing servicing all of Perth from Mandurah to Two Rocks.
www.ontapplumbinggas.com.au
6206 6888
Welcome to the PM Collective, a dynamic hub designed to empower business owners, property managers and BDMs to excel in their careers Through access to intimate conversations, cutting edge of video training, mental health support and unparalleled motivation. Our community is the ultimate destination for individuals seeking to elevate their professional lives to new heights. So sit back, relax and enjoy our next conversation on our weekly podcast, the Art of Property Management. All right, I am super excited today to have Sky Taylor from Tailored Property Management joining us. Sky welcome.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me, Ash. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Now I didn't ask you before, but is this like the first podcast that you've done, or have you done them before?
Speaker 2:No, this is my first podcast.
Speaker 1:I'm so excited so we were just talking before we hit record that there's two different people in the world and there's the people that liked everything to be scripted and know what they're doing, and then there's people like myself that just like to ask questions and keep a conversation, which is why people do love listening to these podcasts.
Speaker 1:So hopefully I don't ask too many questions that are going to put you in the lurch and scare you away. But I'm delighted to have you with us because you reached out to me a while ago and you are one of our state leaders for PM Collective in South Australia, which is wonderful. So I guess a big thank you to you for jumping in and helping with that role. So those that do live in Adelaide, in South Australia, sky helps facilitate the coffee and conversations for that area and they're just a really great catch up. Super, super casual I can't stress how casual they are just for people just to connect with their industry and colleagues and to just a good opportunity just to chat about like stuff, like I don't know Sky like because I've been to sort of one in Adelaide, but did you find that as well? Like the same sort of vibe where you just chat about Google reviews and new management and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, and it just so happens that we end up talking about mum life and the juggle and sometimes we weren't even talking about property at all. But yeah, we were definitely covering off on some of the things we were doing in our business and then what we can do to improve it. So it's been really beneficial to just not only have that support I've gotten a lot out of it but to just connect with people that I wouldn't otherwise connect with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and it's all about those. You know, talking about life issues as well is actually really good. Just gives you peace of mind that everyone else is the same, and quite often I think we feel like we're the only people that has juggling. You know, yeah, I don't know, like this week I'm juggling children who don't want to go to school, for example, and I'm sure there's lots of people out there, but it feels like I'm the only person that has the fucking with my kids every single morning and negotiating schooling. So it's yeah, so it's one of those. You're definitely not alone, yeah, and I don't know whether you saw, but and I don't think I'm loving it or hating it but I just noticed today that Queensland have announced that they're introducing a four-day school week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I saw that I know. So I don't think it's hard. Yeah, I don't know how I feel about it just yet. I'm given my situation at the moment with the kids. I sort of feel like you know what? I probably would be okay with that because they're not like loving school. But I think, yeah, it'll be interesting to see how quick that gets around the other states, I think. But just also how much it affects like it's going to affect parents that are working and property management, like as business owners. Are we now going to find that our teams are wanting to go four days a week because their kids go four days a week? Like it affects?
Speaker 2:everything, everything. It's a pretty big decision and how it's going to roll out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely so. It'll be super cool to see anyway the school system improve over time, I think, so I'm sort of going to treat it, hopefully, as a good thing. Now let's go over to you. Give everyone a little bit of a brief history about sort of yourself, your experience in property management and your startup tailored property management.
Speaker 2:Thank you. I started tailored property management technically 12 years ago. I had been selling houses prior to that and thought I'm going to open a property management business. I was 25, had no idea what I was doing, but worked it out. I did actually get to the point, though, that I think I had reached burnout. I had no idea that burnout was even a thing at that age. So I followed the rent role and went and did a whole heap of other things. I was in student accommodation for a decade, which is essentially for those who don't know what this student accommodation industry is. It's property management on steroids, because the volume at which you transact is just significantly more. The turnover is higher. It's an entirely huge industry. But then that changed with COVID, with no students coming in and borders being closed. So then I've gone back into residential property management and decided that now is the great time to launch tailored property management again. So I've been operating for about a year, just slowly growing that, and, yeah, I'm really excited to see where that goes.
Speaker 1:And do you have any regrets selling the rent role, or was it the?
Speaker 2:best? Absolutely no. I do regret selling it and this is why I think I said to you the PM Collective and the Kaffee catchups are so pivotal. I had no one in my corner at 25, no one in my group was running a business. I didn't know anyone. I didn't know such a thing was available. There was no social media at that point, really, that I could reach out and go hey, I've got a business. I'm struggling Now. I've had so many people reach out and say hey, if you ever need a hand, like if you just want to vent, like running a business is hard, lerlone, when you're in your early 20s and you don't have, I guess, other people doing similar things. So, yeah, I wish I hadn't have sold it, but I've learned a lot of valuable lessons since then and it's great to be able to do it again and bring all that Experience back to it now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely so. Would it be safe to say like that? Then, when you sold it, you have under a hundred properties or over a hundred?
Speaker 2:I'm just like I had like 98 or something, quite that. So, and it was at that point too that You're almost at the point going do I put on staff? It's that crunch point of I need to progress to get to here. It's that pit of pivotal point of you need to make a move somewhere. But this isn't sustainable long-term.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's exactly where I was going to go with that. That's where I find that people need to either decide, okay, am I going into business owner mode and going to bring in stuff, but then if they have people to talk to To find out, okay, what did you do? What did you do? It's definitely a yeah. Like you said, it would have been a heaps more support to have a bit of a plan, because I am noticing an increase in people selling their rent rolls around a hundred mark, because I mean it is good money I won't lie, but it's some. Yeah, it's just daunting and we go into business Because we want the flexibility generally, but then yeah, Stuff gets stuck to get to that point and it gets too busy and you can't sustain that.
Speaker 2:Where do we go from here?
Speaker 1:Correct. Yes, so, and I guess just if we just start to that subject a bit longer for those people that maybe at that crisis point You've got the option of getting an in-person like an actual Safe human it's probably really bad to say that, but you know what I mean? Actual stuff, man, but that's that. You Onside every day yeah, oh, my god, I'm making it sound worse yet on site. Secondly, you could get a VA and have that sort of admin support so you can keep on going out, or you could just say no to any business and go. You know what? I'm really happy and comfortable. And what's actually interesting is I very rarely come across people that go I'm really comfortable, I'm just not gonna do anything more and I'm just gonna sit with your properties. It's really funny how we automatically go to ourselves. What do I have to do next instead of just going? I'm actually okay. Is that a good idea? Yeah?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I'm aware of One particular person that she just kept growing and has done a similar thing and I think she's at 230 properties with a part-time person and she's that's a lot, with not a lot of support and she's now at the point that she wants to get out. And there are so many other options you could take. Like a VA wasn't an option 12 years ago. For me it was a full-time staff member or nothing. It wasn't really flexible the way it is now, even down to the technology that we have you know, can you implement something quite taffy to perhaps Release some resources off of your workload. Look into all the different technology that's available to streamline that process if you choose to grow or If you decide to stay with the number that you're out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, in the hindsight, back your, you know, 20 something self. What do you think you would have chosen or what would you wish you had chosen?
Speaker 2:Mmm, um, I guess looking at what I plan on doing moving forward, is I will be starting with a virtual assistant to begin with, as soon as I can practically afford that, so that I can continue to grow. But I do think that there will be a number for me, just personally, that I will potentially stop at. Yeah, and then it becomes a fee revenue question. You know, do we need to Increase fees in order to turn down potentially new business, to ensure that the business is profitable?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I had that same thought when I was 20 something, starting up. I just want to get to 100 properties. I remember saying that to myself, I'll be happy to answer it, and Next minute we are just over a thousand properties, and it just keeps on going.
Speaker 2:It's going.
Speaker 1:I lame bit at night and I just think as she read up sleep idiot. Like why do you keep on pushing yourself? Like why do you just not be happy with what you've got like?
Speaker 2:So I do you think you keep going?
Speaker 1:Oh, I don't know, I'm gonna say and blame it just on a personality trait. I don't, I don't why I, I Don't know why I just don't sit and go like I could have a really, really Cruisy life, like everything aside, like, even, like even PN Collective, for example. You know, pn Collective I run as a not-for-profit. I don't act in charities. I, you know, put time into events to help charities and all of that. And sometimes I think to myself, like that's why, like my part time job you know what I mean I do that work on that in the evenings. And sometimes I think, like why, ash, like you don't have to do all these things. You could just go home at nine and watch Netflix, netflix like every other normal person. But there is that's why I think it's just a personality thing for me. I don't, I'm not comfortable just sitting still.
Speaker 2:So-.
Speaker 1:Doing nothing? No, not, and I would absolutely rather sit and muck around with Canva and schedule social media and create content and arrange events than sitting watching.
Speaker 2:Netflix.
Speaker 1:So and some people it's a funny stigma because I think some people will go oh, you know you're at risk of burnout and you work too much, but I genuinely relax doing that type of stuff. Like it would stress me out, I think nothing to do, yeah, I would just feel so unaccomplished, like it just I don't think that was what my mentor, but my partner he loves Netflix Like he struggled, he doesn't. You know, he finding the next show that he hasn't watched before is a real struggle for him. So that's with him. Like he's on time, so it's.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know, but I think as well, like I'm pretty aware of, like burnout, if I'm getting grumpy or stressed generally, my burnout would come out being like a real bitch, like to everybody, and I can feel myself getting angry and then I go I have to slow something down, and then I know what I need to slow down or putting my computer away. So I guess, at the end of the day, as long as you're aware of yourself enough, then that's the most important thing. But, like you know, you can say that if you get older but, like you said, when you're in your twenties you're not aware of that, so-.
Speaker 2:Not at all, and I think even the world is different now, like we're all more self-aware of everything and, like you say, you start to feel it you're getting cranky. Okay, let's pull it back. What can we do to not feel like this? Or, as I, just worked into this crazy spiral and had no idea how to get out of it and I had no idea I was even in burnout. No one said, hey, maybe just take a break, as opposed to selling your business. You know, maybe that's a viable option if someone is at that point in their own business and you put someone on and have a four week break and then see if you really want to get out of it. Maybe you're just tired.
Speaker 1:Exactly what did I say? They always say just go have a holiday and then just yeah, yeah. And also, like I try not to make decisions. Like try not to make decisions when you're angry or in that state. So not Not You're angry for selling, but you know what I mean. When you're in any emotional state, that is like not the time to be making decisions, so like is it having a holiday and then making a decision afterwards would be, oh my God, the best idea. Yeah, if you're one who's listening that is feeling like they've got to make some drastic decisions, whether it's work related, like shaving your head I don't know what people do these days yeah, leaving a relationship. You know, if I had that holiday first and then just side-.
Speaker 2:Mm.
Speaker 1:You still want to-.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I'm not sure that I would have sold it if I just had a four-week break. I think I just worked myself to the bone trying to build the business and then it was like, oh my goodness, I'm tired and this business is now so busy I even need to keep growing it to put on that staff member and I'm exhausted. I don't know how I keep going. So yeah, holiday would have been a game changer, but that's okay. Lessons learned.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and now we've just taught that. Listen to all the people listening. So that Letter I mean mistake and listen for those that are listening. That was completely sort of off topic, because that's not our topic of discussion today. No, but it's about take home for the people that needed to hear that. Because the people are listening, they need to hear that they need to have a holiday if they're feeling that, especially because, at the time of recording this, we're getting to the end of the year, we're all getting exhausted and having some fatigue, so that is what Sky and I want you to get out of listening today. However, that's our topic, which you were talking to me about voice and the importance of voice and something that you've noticed with maybe some younger people and having that confidence. So have a chat to me about. I had a chat to everyone about your thoughts surrounding the importance of voice and sound when working property management.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I guess the key function of any good property manager is trying to build trust and a relationship with the landlord, and so, looking into how we do that, there's obviously a number of different things, but the one thing that I find the younger or the newer property managers aren't aware of and part of that comes with age, but part of it comes with life experience is just how we use our voice. So when I was 18, I was selling houses and my principal realised that perhaps I needed some voice coaching, and I will be forever grateful. Thank you, Patty, for sending me off on voice coaching, because when you're 18, everything you say goes up in a question. So you might say, hi, Mr Vendor, I'd like to sell your home, and everything goes up.
Speaker 2:Whereas when you are aware of how you're speaking and everything you finish a sentence with has that physical sentence and it's just all one level you come across as a lot more authoritative, which is what we're trying to achieve with our landlords and get them to trust the conversation and the decisions or solutions that we're presenting to them.
Speaker 2:So if you were to ring, perhaps, a landlord you haven't met before maybe it's a new portfolio and you don't know this landlord and he's going to be. He or she will be potentially wary of you and the things you're saying and you want to ring him and say hey, Mr Landlord, the oven's not working. He's naturally not going to respond very well to that, as opposed to if you went to the landlord and said hi, Mr Landlord, the oven's not working. This is what's happening. This is what I think we can do. The difference is significant in how they're going to respond to you and they're going to immediately not only respond in a better manner, but you're already building that trust just because they're trusting what you're saying, because you're saying it with conviction and you're not asking them a question when you speak.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to go straight back to the start. I have never heard of like has it not even come in my brain voice coaching, and I want to know why. A principal and I'm so glad that it was a great experience and something that you forever have taken into the property management job role, but what were you doing for someone to suggest a voice coach? Like what were the symptoms? But what were the things that he noticed to recommend it?
Speaker 2:Well, it was definitely. Yeah, I mean, you've got teenagers just pay more attention when they speak, but everything goes up like three octaves when you speak. When you're younger. I don't know why, but and I don't know, I actually don't know what I was doing, but obviously at 18, selling homes, this is people's biggest asset. She was looking to really create, I guess, more of a grown-up mentality Because I definitely I was 18, I definitely looked 18, I acted 18. I think it was just about refining that and certainly had some pretty clear ways as to what that should look like. Your traditional real estate suits all of that corporate style.
Speaker 1:So basically, we can't do anything about looking 18 because you look 18, but we can help with the voice sounding a bit more mature. Absolutely, were you offended at the time when it was suggested?
Speaker 2:I know I was thinking should I have say no, I wasn't, I love it, I think at 18. At that point I was determined to do whatever it took to succeed and that was certainly. If you are just starting out in sales, you would know how many hours you put into that. It's a seven day a week job. It's never ending and this was back in the days when we didn't have digital signing. So, like you're still at clients' houses physically taking contracts to be signed, you know, at nine, 10 o'clock at night. So it was really a different time to what it is now for any new salespeople coming into the industry. But I think, yeah, it absolutely couldn't do anything about how I looked, but they could definitely give me some conviction through the voice coaching and I've not known anyone who's had voice coaching and I am always aware of it.
Speaker 2:But I have found as I've gotten older and as I've gotten more experience, how I speak with the landlord is dramatically different to that 24 year old coming into the industry and how they're speaking to the landlord.
Speaker 2:And having been in management positions in property management, I've seen a lot of phone calls and how the landlords respond and it just seems to be a bit of a catch 22. So if this newer property manager is having a difficult conversation with a potentially tricky landlord, and how they're having that conversation with no conviction, no confidence, and then how that landlord responds, compared to how I would have that conversation, it's an entirely different experience. That then seems to breed the younger property manager or inexperienced property manager not wanting to make the phone calls. So they dodge everything they can to actually pick up the phone and have those difficult conversations because they've had this negative experience. So I was definitely always conscious with my newer property managers in trying to get them to just believe in what they're saying and have confidence in what they're saying. Fake it till you make it. That's the easiest advice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it does make total sense that nearly all of your or not nearly all, but most of your dealings with clients are going to be on the phone. So whether you are cold calling in a BDM role or whether you are calling a landlord's maintenance, I mean I can see why it would have been so relevant in the role and so important, because we are on the phone every day and trying to get stuff done. And I mean it does remind me, I guess, of the coaching that I had with the video and the camera coaching, and I guess these types of skills are things that you will keep forever and you invest once, but it dramatically helps your work life, but it can also help your personal life as well, and so I talk a lot about the video coaching which I've done and, like I said, I find I'm not perfect at it, but I definitely have confidence to do it and get the job done.
Speaker 1:Voice coaching, though, I reckon would actually be something next for me to do, because I mean I'm certainly not 18, but I'm pretty sure I go up a couple of updates when I'm talking to people as well, and I'm so intrigued only because I think that I would actually benefit from it, but it's not ever crossed my radar as something To think to do it. To think to do it, because when I'm on the phone to clients, my kids constantly saying Mum, you talk too fast, you're over talking, you're repeating yourself, and I'm aware that I do it, but that's just me and everyone's saying it's just me. But I actually am really curious at getting some voice coaching to see how I can improve.
Speaker 2:I know and I'm so mindful, even as I speak, like I'm coming on saying, ok, you need to be mindful of your voice, and then, at the same time that I'm speaking, am I speaking too fast?
Speaker 1:No, no, you're not against me. I'm speaking fast. You're super calm. I'm listening to you. You're so like level, you know you're so relaxed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's, but it's one of those things that you can constantly second guess yourself. But I think there are a few key things that you can focus on. Certainly, the Octave thing is a dead giveaway. I see it all the time, not just in property management, but in many industries, like you know. You see it on social media, someone speaking, and I just pick it up on it instantly because I've had that coaching. There's nothing wrong with it, but particularly when we're trying to hold an authoritative position with a landlord, it can be really beneficial.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and at the end of the day, what we're all trying to accomplish is gaining people's trust as quickly and as easily as possible, because it really does make your job so much easier not only easier, but actually quicker as well when it comes to arranging maintenance, getting decisions over the line for a new application that's come through. The quicker the owner has your trust, the quicker you get the job done. Absolutely, that is how we create a stress-free property management experience for you and your clients as well. It's these little things that they don't teach you in your property management course. They don't teach you these life skills that you need After now. Speaking to you, I absolutely agree. Voice coaching is something I'm going to explore. I think people should explore, bring that into their team meetings and their staff training, because that would be a great staff training experience for the team. Again, I do love the video coaching. I think everyone can benefit from that as well.
Speaker 2:I haven't done that, and I want to do that now that you've said that it didn't even occur to me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, to be honest, you would probably find the video coaching easier because you've already got the voice, where the camera coaching is actually more of a mindset issue, because it's more just that mindset of putting your face to camera for everyone to see. You'll actually find the voice coaching more important because that will help you with the video coaching. I learned things when I did it. I did it during COVID, the one-on-one coaching, and I did that with Carmen Carmen Bradwood in Perth, but she does do all over Australia Little things like I would.
Speaker 1:Again, I'm very conversational, but you can't be conversational when you're doing a video. You have to have a plan and a bit of a script. I know it sounds so simple, but something I just had to be told, ash. You need an intro, you need three key parts or tips to your video and you need a quick summary. I'm in hindsight. I'm like, well, of course that's how you do a video, but I didn't know at the time that I had to be some sort of structure to it. That helped with that.
Speaker 1:Of course I say all the time still, but that I'm just conscious of. I think everyone does it. The last thing that was a big thing for me is really that communicating to one person, so not using and I actually probably do it on this podcast but instead of saying hey, guys, and using general terms very much, saying things like you might be experiencing that, whatever it is, when speaking to a landlord on a video, you'd say you may be experiencing, so you need to be with you more. Even when I'm doing this podcast, what I really should be doing is saying things like, if you are listening or you might not have just that whole.
Speaker 2:Yeah, rather than the general hey guys, yeah.
Speaker 1:Correct. That's right, I do it. If I really want to perfect it, I'd probably concentrate a bit more. I don't care enough to worry about it. I just do the video because I do.
Speaker 2:It's not perfect. It's done right, you just need it done.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and I am not a perfectionist, so it's a lot easier to get videos out when you're like that. I did a piece on Channel 9 the other day and I used some of my training through the confidence on camera and I think I did okay, even though it was the first time that I'd done it. But that's where I think the voice coaching will come in handy for me personally, for when I do radio or TV, and if anyone is thinking of doing something like that, then that's where these things will come in super handy. Even, like we said, the basics of just calling a landlord for maintenance is going to be super handy. Can we finish off with you just giving me and it's me just really picking your brains now because I'm curious, what does a voice coaching session look like In my mind? I'm thinking it's like a singing lesson, where you're like, yeah, a little bit, a little bit, it was a while ago that I did it.
Speaker 2:So, oh gosh, how am I doing it? It was a long time ago that I did it. So bear with me, even simple things I'll never forget her saying to me we are the language of our friends, so if you have friends who use certain slang words, you will also use those slang words. You'll just naturally pick it up. It's mirroring, which was another thing that teenagers, for want of a better word, will also do. So, being mindful of the language that perhaps your inner circle users can be really helpful. But we would work on pronunciation. So she said, typically Australians are very lazy when they speak, and I've recently only just been recording videos myself, as you would know, and I'm very aware too, sometimes I'll record four or five times because I haven't pronounced all of my words in full.
Speaker 2:I've just rushed through, spoken too fast. We don't move our mouths much, so I'm very conscious, even when I'm reading my kids a story at night, which, if you, yeah, I just probably read the same stories over and over again and they're boring to an adult, but the kids love it. But I'll use that time to practice fully enunciating all of the words as I'm reading it to them. But I've found on the video that's been really beneficial to be mindful of how we're pronunciating our words, which is a very difficult word to say in itself, and just the pace. So you know, we were talking before about how fast we speak.
Speaker 2:I naturally am a fast talker. I feel particularly if I get overexcited about a subject or if I'm just having a busy day and I'm trying to race through a number of things. Sometimes, like I find, if you're calling a landlord who's not at that pace but you're speaking at a mile a minute, they're just like hang on, like, slow down, like, but without actually telling you to slow down, but they're perhaps not getting the message because they're just operating at a different pace. So we would work quite often with the voice coach on slowing down how we speak and part of that is also utilizing a pause. So being comfortable with a pause. I find particularly the younger or newer PMs aren't comfortable with the quiet space and they will fill it with anything and everything and that then erodes their confidence because they're not comfortable to just let the dead there sit there. So pace, using a pause and ensuring that we're enunciating correctly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the pause is definitely something that came up in the video as well, and I find it very, very uncomfortable.
Speaker 2:I do not like it.
Speaker 1:I. But when I looked back at the video I think that looked fine Like, but at the time that was super. It was uncomfortable.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it does take practice. I actually had a senior manager say it to me years ago that she actually used it as a bit of a performance management tool with her staff. So if she was questioning someone she would perhaps ask the question and she would sit back and the silence would be so uncomfortable she could wait you out for 10 minutes. But she said it was a tactic. People would actually reveal more than they intended to because they're so uncomfortable with that silence. So it's really good to get comfortable with it. I will try technically toxic if you use it in that manner.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, right, like giving. Yeah, it's funny so giving your partner or someone the silent treatment, just sort of like giving them silent treatment and just waiting for them to come to you, so yeah, there's nothing more awkward than that awkward pause.
Speaker 2:But I guess in a natural conversation you can have that pause potentially, and especially if you're asking landlord something that you think they're not going to be happy about, like we have to replace this oven and you know that the landlord perhaps is not financially prepared for that. Sometimes letting that sit and letting them process for a minute because they could be having all kinds of things going on in their life and when we're bringing them and asking them for money and if money's tired, for example, just letting them process sometimes can be really useful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I guess that brings us to the environment that we're in as well, because I know, because I am conscious that I talk fast and and a little bit overpowering with conversations, I find that I need to get myself into a area, when I'm speaking to clients, where they just want to ask me lots of questions about buying in Perth, or they want to hold me on the phone for 40 minutes and I won't lie like it's quite I'm. I'm generally walking around trying to multitask at the same time, and I'm very conscious that that's coming through in my voice as well, because I'm it makes sense, you know, I'm distracted, you know.
Speaker 1:I don't know doing something at the same time as trying to have this conversation and that will come out in my voice because I'm not allowing myself just to sit and have a conversation with someone and be aware of how I'm coming across with my voice.
Speaker 1:So that is something I guess for me to be reminded about, that for people that are listening as well, is that if you are like me and you haven't done voice coaching and you're aware that you're a bit can come across as a bit sort of hyper nearly is the best way to describe it being mindful, and I've got a couch in the office, I would find naturally, just by sitting on that couch and having that conversation with the owner without any other distractions and having that quiet space, it's going to come across as a bit more calming and soothing and confident for the client as well. So there's definitely yet a couple of aspects in that whole creating, becoming an authoritative figure for your clients, gaining that trust and voice and environment is very, very important and it's super, it's just like to hear someone like yourself that's sort of done it and your experience from it like it's.
Speaker 1:It's genuinely fascinating and makes like it makes total sense and I'm going to be very aware of it when I sounds obvious. But it's not. Yeah, exactly like the camera stuff you know. I said to you when they tell you it's like, yeah, of course, but it's not, you don't know what you don't know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's funny you mentioned about the environment, though, because that was something that I was considering with coaching some of the younger, newer PMs who perhaps didn't have the confidence. So speed wasn't necessarily an issue, they didn't have the confidence. So I would tell them to go take a walk as they made that conversation, because you do generally feel just a bit more confident as you're walking, not necessarily sitting there doing other things, but just walk and talk. So, and the environment of being out of the office perhaps with you know people feeling a bit self-conscious if they're making a difficult conversation, sometimes that can help them as well if they have something difficult that they want to get across and they're not sure how they're going to be perceived by potentially a new landlord. So environment plays a huge factor into how that call might go.
Speaker 1:Especially if you are a bit conscious and you're in an open office and you're sort of like not whispering but you're having it very quietly and delicately about having to replace your hot water system.
Speaker 2:You're not going to have confidence. You're not going to be confident. No, no, exactly.
Speaker 1:So if you can get around and walk, yeah, but the client's like not aware that you're just being quiet because you're in an open office. You don't want everyone to listen to your conversation. So yeah, absolutely. But.
Speaker 1:I think just be mindful of for those that are managing teams. If you're picking up on any of that, then be mindful that that could be coming across as a bit shy. That's all. Use that word, so everyone knows what we mean anyway. So thank you so much for sharing all that with us. It really is fascinating and I hope that those, those I shouldn't say those people that are listening and I hope, if you are listening, I'll practice my.
Speaker 1:I hope that if you are listening, you can keep that in mind with managing staff or maybe with your own behaviour and how you are coming across with your clients as well, and it's definitely something that is super, super important for those in that property management and especially also that BDM role as well, and also in that management role with that's where you are.
Speaker 1:So it's really something for everybody. And so for those that are in Adelaide actually again I did it again If you are in Adelaide, I is your team leader for PM Collective Coffee and Conversations, so please head over to the Facebook page where we have scheduled in our talking and conversation catch ups for for the Adelaide area, glenelg area as well, and Sky would love to have you there and I will wait and do one with you as well. So I'm looking forward to sort of getting around and joining in the other states, and the coffee and conversations are also in nearly all states around Australia now. So again, just head to the Facebook page to find out the next one in your area Sky. Thank you, I'm sure I'll talk to you soon and I hope everyone enjoyed that listen. Thank you so much, ash.