What does it mean to get the job done? First, you have to get that property manager fired up with the idea that you’re helping them achieve their goals. You also have to use the yardsticks that a property manager uses to measure their own success – preventing complaints about thermal discomfort, addressing security concerns, increasing the occupancy of the building, etc.
Second, you have to give that property manager an elevator pitch that's memorable and worth repeating to others so when they begin the process of asking for approval, they have a compelling case to get their boss’s attention.
Next, you want to give that property manager a one-page proposal focused on why the change is necessary as opposed to details about the what, how, how much or when, which unfortunately dominate most people's proposals. Really talk about the why. Make it accessible enough that the property manager can just cut and paste your proposal’s verbiage into their next weekly management memo and have a fighting chance of winning the capital to fund it.
After that you need the property manager well-prepped to answer any budget questions. How much is it going to cost? What's the rebate going to be? When are the savings going to start? What are the six financial metrics? Their boss will make them focus on simple payback period, return on investment, and internal rate of return. They need to migrate the conversation to modified internal rate of return, net present value, and savings-to-investment ratio. How much financial value could what they are proposing produce for their company over the lifetime of the proposed improvement?
In conclusion, it’s more important to resonate with that property manager's goals than to focus on what’s next. You not only need to convince them, but also give them the tools to convince all the decision-makers and influencers up the ladder.
