Strata Management

5 Mistakes Most Strata Managers are Making When Sending Out New Business Proposals

1 minutes 30 seconds
November 1, 2024

There’s a certain sameness to the strata management proposals I’ve collected over the years. No matter what part of the nation they come from, and no matter whether from large or small practices, they tend to follow the same formula. This sameness makes it hard to choose one from the other, so the determining factor becomes price. 

It’s easy to serve up a cookie cutter proposal when you are busy answering hundreds of emails a day, but this becomes a problem when most practices are doing and saying the same things. The problem compounds because most prospective clients don’t know the questions to ask when evaluating competing strata management proposals. Clients, particularly managers from Melbourne, are reporting that committees are asking for up to 7 ‘quotes’ before deciding on their new provider.  

It’s a good idea to ask new clients why they selected you as soon as they sign their agreement, and before they forget. I’ve asked some more sophisticated owners with corporate experience in the procurement of professional services about the questions they asked when selecting their new strata managers. There’s a big difference between what they wanted to know and what they were offered. 

Here are the 5 top mistakes most strata managers are making. 

What you’re serving What prospective clients want
Your corporate back story That you understand their pain points
Your team collective experience Who their contact person will be and how their contact person will be supported
The tasks you will perform How your work provides value for them
Your portfolio How your experience with these buildings relates to their building and circumstances
Your passion and commitment to service excellence How you are different from others who make similar claims


If you would like some help crafting a better new business proposal for your practice, book a call with us to discuss how we can help – contact us.

Michael Teys advises strata management businesses on improving profitability through professionalisation and streamlined operating systems.
He has more than 30 years’ experience as a strata lawyer and academic and has owned 11 strata management agencies throughout Australia. He has a Master of Philosophy (Built Environment) and Bachelor of Laws. He lectures and writes widely about strata management issues in Australia and internationally.