Whether you have just formed your district or you have been a district for years, communication to your property and business owners is VITAL.
When we talk about the Ralph M. Brown Act here in California, the legal jargon basically states that you must communicate your agendas, meetings, post notices of changes, etc. The main thrust of this legislation was to ensure that work by publicly elected bodies was being done openly and transparently. While I think it’s great to keep things open and transparent for the general mass, I think it’s even more important to be open and transparent with the people who actually invest dollars and time into your district. By focusing on consistent communication either through an email program like MailChimp or a CRM like PBID Manager you will be able to communicate and connect more efficiently with all your owners.
Here are 5 Reasons Why It’s Vital to Communicate to Owners:
1. Owners need to see progress.
When owners are not getting regular communication, they automatically assume that nothing is being done in the district. We all know that’s not true, but without seeing some type of regular communication, the assumption is that there really isn’t anything happening and no one is working. Consider setting up some type of newsletter or email communication that shows them your progress. Personally, I am a visual person. I like to see before and after pictures of clean ups, repairs, etc. Owners are busy, if they can see results in pictures, it makes it worthwhile for them to open emails from you. Check out the post on 3 Ways To Get Owners Engaged In Your District
2. Owners like to feel like they are in the loop.
It’s important to make owners feel like they are in the loop or “in the know” of things happening in your district. I am talking both good things and especially the “bad” things . It’s better for owners to know ahead of others of any adverse situation they may be having to deal with, and it’s best they hear about it from you through a phone call or email. This helps them to not be caught off guard and shows them that you are being proactive about the situation – that you have things in control.
3. Owners want to be able to give input when they want to give it – make it simple for them to do so.
Listen, they may never respond to your emails or they may never fill out any of your surveys. I get it. But when owners are ready to give you feedback, they will give it. Be sure to give them multiple and simple ways to send you that feedback. They can email you directly or fill out a survey online, or they can hand write it on a form that you can mail to them. Whichever way they choose, be sure to respond with a big thank you so they know you appreciate and value their time and input.
4. Owners expect a return on their investments
Property and Business owners expect a return on money and time they put out. It’s a fact, that’s why they are owners. The extra assessments they are paying into the district comes with plenty of expectations. They expect that you are going to stretch those dollars to give them the biggest bang for their buck. They expect they you would keep them updated on the district and they expect results. Consistent communication will show them that you are getting results and the district is well worth their assessment dollars
5. Owners see communication as caring
Here is the bottom line. Owners just need to know that you care about them. This has nothing to do with being warm and fuzzy. They are in business for a reason and they want to know that your organization really cares about them and really has their best interests in mind. This is not to say you don’t care about the community, because you do. The truth is that if you truly take care of owners and care about their success, many times they will automatically turn around and invest that success back into their communities. This sounds like a win-win situation for everyone.