There are simple principles in life that govern everything. Yet somehow many of us forget about them.
Today I want to talk about the Law of Attraction.
I know, I know… Whenever someone talks about the Law of Attraction, your walls go up and you’re ready for the person to get all hippie, new-aged, and astrological on you.
I’m not like that. I just want to talk about the facts.
Like attracts like. Simple.
If you’re nice to people, people will be nice to you.
Conversely, if you’re a jerk, people will be jerks to you.
It holds true in just about everything in life. If you approach something whole-heartedly, you’ll get great results. And if you approach the same thing in a half-ass way, you’ll get half-ass results.
It’s just that simple. And these rules apply to your vacation home.
I had the pleasure of talking with Paula Sociedade, who owns an incredibly beautiful villa in Cape Cod, MA. Paula is one of these folks who “gets it.” She approaches her rental whole-heartedly with enthusiasm and passion. Just look at the words on her website (http://www.villasociedade.com) and you’ll see Paula’s passion shining through clear as can be.
Paula focuses on providing traveling families with a unique experience of the Cape.
“I want my guests to experience the Cape not as a visitor but as a local. My goal is for them to feel at home and to have an experience similar to one found at an upscale hotel,” said Paula.
Paula says that she gets great pleasure by creating unique experiences for her guests. She sees herself as a host.
Think about that statement for just a minute. A host.
When you have guests into your everyday home for an event, be it a Super Bowl party or kid’s birthday party, you create the experience accordingly. You want to please your guests and you want them to come back (maybe).
On the flip side, I’m sure you’ve been to dozens of events yourself. Think about those. You’ve probably been to someone’s house for incredible dinner parties. But you’ve probably been to some that were a complete bust.
When the host who has great dinner parties calls, you’re clearing your calendar. And you’ve probably got a few excuses lined up to dodge invites from the bad host, right?
Bottom line, it’s up to the host to create the experience for his or her guests. And you need to do the same at your vacation rental.
Paula doesn’t just rent to her guests… she hosts them.
Using this method has been paying off. Her first year owning her rental, she was 15% booked at the start of her season. In year two, she was 80% booked at the start of her season. She now enjoys 100% booking during her peak season and has formed relationships with many repeat customers.
In addition to being a great host, Paula puts emphasis on building relationships with her guests. When answering inquiries about her villa, she doesn’t sell it. She tires to be of help with questions and concerns about Cape Cod and/or her villa.
“I want to feel trust between my guest and myself…this provides the ultimate experience for the homeowner and for the guest. I think this is the most effective thing I do…I treat my guests as friends in the making and help them as much as I can…we both benefit from this approach.”
Well said, Paula.
The lesson here? Don’t just rent your rental. Create a great experience Be a great host. People will want to come back. Like attracts like. Simple.
I want to thank Paula Sociedade for contributing to this post. For more information about Paula and her Cape Cod villa, visit http://www.villasociedade.com.