tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59575579192291295242024-03-06T02:19:17.532-05:00The Training FactorThe Training Factor has the multifamiy industry in mind. With courses such as fair housing, drug free workplace, sexual harrasement prevention and others, our engaging and interactive courses will serve for better retention of your employees. Property Management companies have been able to streamline their training budget without losing the quality of training necessary for their staff to perform well.Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-38845408876260413762010-01-08T09:34:00.001-05:002010-01-08T09:36:06.405-05:00Social Media- What’s Love Got to do with it?<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over the past few months I have been noticing and measuring responses to my Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/jwade8792?ref=profile">profile</a> and fan <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheTrainingFactor">page</a> updates. I like sharing so I wanted to give you some thoughts on what I have been doing and how I have been working with some other communities. One of the constant concerns that most of us have with our pages is trying to get folks to interact. We post what we think are interesting articles, questions, pictures etc. and yet the response to them is sometimes minimal or none. This is discouraging isn’t it! So what needs to take place next? Well certainly not doing the same thing continually. Consistency is paramount but type of content needs to be established. Our role is to establish what our viewers want. Our role is to provide information that is beneficial and interesting to our fans and friends. It really has little to do with us. So what can we do to find out what our Facebook fans want, need, like and appreciate? It goes back to just our normal conversations that we have with residents each and every day. Consider this scenario. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Let’s say you are a community manager in South Florida. One of your residents comes in to the office to drop off their rent with a completely dejected look on his face. Out of concern you simply ask, “What is wrong? Is everything ok?” He then goes on to tell you how he went and did some shopping and came out to find scratches on his car as a result of a runaway grocery cart. No one confessed to this and the body shop told him that it would cost him a crazy amount of money to fix and repair the problem. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now what can you do? Here is your opportunity to experiment and see if you can turn this scene into an opportunity to help and connect with a resident who is a Facebook fan. You have heard of mobile companies that do small paint repairs for cars. You do a Google search for painting bumpers in south Florida and mobile paint repair. You spend about 15-20 minutes looking through the various options available which are quite a few and you decide on a particular company that looks good and your post the <a href="http://www.colors-southflorida.com/paint.html">link</a> on your Facebook page tagging the individual in the post if he is a friend already, or simply calling him and letting him know you did some research for him and posted a suggested option for him on the Facebook page. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">What have you accomplished? You have successfully found something that would definitely benefit your resident. You have also demonstrated to your community your interest in their challenges and needs. When you do this on a regular basis for your residents, what do you think the end result will be?<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">My point is simply that we need to experiment with the content we post and we definitely need to find out what matters most to the people we are trying to interact with. I have been experimenting myself for <a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/">The Training Factor</a> and I also have just started working with <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LeesCrossingApartments?ref=ts">Lee’s Crossing</a> in LaGrange Georgia with their outreach program. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CharityAHisle?ref=ts">Charity Hisle</a> regularly <a href="http://2witterbug.com/2009/12/should-properties-be-responsible-for-blogging-facebook-and-twitter/">blogs</a> about Facebook topics and has great insights on how communities can continue to improve their outreach programs. If we continue to share what is working with each other, success is assured as we move through 2010 together. So what does “Love got to do with it”? Love itself has little to do with it, but throwing out some interesting content and getting results…. that has everything to do with it. Check out one of my latest status updates. I was amazed at what a simple question could do to strike up an interesting conversation.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Written by <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathansaar8792">Jonathan Saar </a>--- <i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/training.htm">The Training Factor</a></i><br />
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</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-54803501898455083962010-01-05T06:47:00.002-05:002010-01-05T07:25:43.939-05:00Google Click to Call and Apartment Hunting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Good morning everyone. I received this from Google early this morning. I thought it was important to share with the multifamily industry. The possibilities of location based pay per <b>CALL </b>is quite interesting. The application of this future product I believe will really change call tracking in many ways for the apartment industry. I am sure we will be chatting about on twitter and blogs for a while to come. I am curious as to what you think about this though.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Coming Soon: Click-to-Call in Ads on Mobile Devices with Google AdWords<o:p></o:p></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">January 4, 2010<o:p></o:p></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dear AdWords Advertiser,<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We’re pleased to announce that beginning in January, your location-specific business phone number will display alongside your destination url in ads that appear on high-end mobile devices. Users will be able to click-to-call your business just as easily as they click to visit your website. You'll be charged for clicks to call, same as you are for clicks to visit your website.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How will phone numbers appear in my ads?<o:p></o:p></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Based on the customer's geographic location, the phone number and closest business address will appear as a fifth line of ad text when the ad appears on mobile devices with full HTML browsers (e.g. iPhone, Android, Palm WebOS).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Where will I be able to see the results?<o:p></o:p></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At launch, you’ll be able to view calls from your ads on your Campaign Summary page within AdWords from the "click type" segment option under the “Filter and Views” drop down. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How will I be charged for phone calls I get from my ad?<o:p></o:p></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The cost of a click to call your business will be the same as the cost of a click to visit your website.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What actions should I take?<o:p></o:p></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If you’d like your ads to show location-specific phone numbers when displayed on mobile devices, make sure that your campaign is targeting iPhones and other mobile devices with full HTML browsers, and that you have included phone numbers with your business addresses in the locations under your Campaign settings.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If you would prefer your ads not show phone numbers, simply remove the phone number from the business listings included in your campaigns targeting mobile devices.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We hope this new feature enables you to connect more easily with your potential customers. If you have any questions or feedback, please email us at ctc-feedback@google.com. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Google AdWords Team<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Google Inc.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1600 Amphitheatre Parkway<o:p></o:p></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mountain View, CA 94043<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</tbody></table></a>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-9263312427796381402009-12-24T09:28:00.000-05:002009-12-24T09:28:44.029-05:00Making Eye Contact in Social Media<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJVg74RQtebglqBfVzqDtj4idbk4opXzHRzcvoin1T95ijbdD_YVMZ0mWb0nZ5GfREJl5egaOTNNOM978gT7o-7SSHqNf07PllpR62eowCNzBTcH8xW9mz0jYk7__xYyw6ladLGlK4pk/s1600-h/87559234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJVg74RQtebglqBfVzqDtj4idbk4opXzHRzcvoin1T95ijbdD_YVMZ0mWb0nZ5GfREJl5egaOTNNOM978gT7o-7SSHqNf07PllpR62eowCNzBTcH8xW9mz0jYk7__xYyw6ladLGlK4pk/s200/87559234.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Just when I thought some of the heat and debate would start to die down, then I find that the fire just keeps on burning with some. I am not against other people voicing their opinions. That’s what freedom of speech is all about. I scratch my head though with repetitive comments and thoughts from 2009 already streaming into 2010. Using social media simply has core attributes that cannot be ignored if you want a measure of success. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Let me quote you what Mike Schnaffer said in <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/22/facebook-twitter-linkedin-technology-cio-network-social-media.html">Forbes.com </a>this morning. He was referring to Ford’s campaign when he stated the following. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">“A good example is <a href="http://twitter.com/scottmonty" target="_blank"><span style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Scott Monty</span></a></span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">who heads up social media for Ford. Monty is very effective in getting Ford's message out by talking</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></span><em><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;">with</span></b></em><em><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"> </span></em><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">customers rather than just talking</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></span><em><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;">to</span></b></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">customers.</span>”<o:p></o:p></i></span><i></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">The basis of the entire article was talking about how certain groups of people could actually be killing Social Media. The spammers and the blatant advertisers who want to get you 2 millions followers and whiten your teeth are the ones who are ruining the experience. There are a lot of good techniques to avoid these people in the first place which will be the subject of another post. I want to leave everyone with the simple thought of the title of this blog. How do you make eye contact in social media? <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">There are some gross misconceptions out there as to how you should interact on these platforms. I had one individual the other day ask me how to have a conversation and interact on twitter? The question itself was very perplexing to say the least. Making eye contact in regular conversation is a fundamental communication principle that we learn through leadership programs and through just LIFE! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Should it be any different with how we have conversations on a social media platform? I think not. When you are using these tools, pretend you are looking the other person in the eye. That is talking <b><i>with</i></b> a person and not just <b><i>to</i></b> them.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar- </i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/"><i>The Training Factor</i></a></span></span><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-22565675577369167862009-12-17T07:43:00.000-05:002009-12-17T07:43:46.714-05:00Peggy Waskom-The Time is Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVrrNtzRHoedodI1-l7UolIimmHc63OASscQuryVYBvrwtr6NCPbP4biqZB_uWx3_r7jjZf3DTvgYlZNdg6KMl3yndYM2LRL2EcDaAGefswcmtx4m4qtOzFM0PnC7zKLLkQkI_ptfGQI/s1600-h/peggy+waskom.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVrrNtzRHoedodI1-l7UolIimmHc63OASscQuryVYBvrwtr6NCPbP4biqZB_uWx3_r7jjZf3DTvgYlZNdg6KMl3yndYM2LRL2EcDaAGefswcmtx4m4qtOzFM0PnC7zKLLkQkI_ptfGQI/s200/peggy+waskom.gif" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I stumbled across this article a few days ago regarding multifamily education and how much effort property management companies have been devoting to it for some time now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This article was posted in <a href="http://multifamilyexecutive.com/management/book-smarts.aspx">Multifamily Executive</a> back in 2005.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below is a brief quote from the article:<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Two years ago, George Lane, chairman of Lane Co. in Atlanta, taught a property management class at the University of Georgia. About 60 students showed up. This year, more than 200 students attended Lane's guest lecture. Taking a cue from this heightened interest, multifamily industry leaders and associations now are working with colleges and universities across the country to help establish and fund four-year degree programs in residential property management.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Please read the rest of the article to see the history that has taken place to push and promote college education for the multifamily industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> So what does this mean for the present and the future of the multifamily industry? </span>The <a href="http://www.peggywaskomsuperbowl.com/">Peggy Waskom Super Bowl</a> is an event like no other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is your opportunity to reach out and support something that will benefit our industry now and for the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an event that will show to our children how important this industry is to us and how much we feel it means to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you reached out to the committee to see where you could contribute or participate?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please follow through and do not delay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out our links below for further information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many already who have reached out and will be participating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This event will provide a great networking opportunity for owner/managers and vendors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to everyone who has already moved forward and are ready for <a href="http://www.peggywaskomsuperbowl.com/">February 9<sup>th</sup> 2010</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=315923810234">The Peggy Waskom Facebook Group</a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Email us anytime at <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="mailto:bowl4peggy@yahoo.com">bowl4peggy@yahoo.com</a></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar-- </i><i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/Testimonials.htm">The Training Factor</a></i></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; white-space: pre;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x5rIltaGhRA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x5rIltaGhRA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></i></span></span><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-22638781164840289022009-12-15T07:34:00.001-05:002009-12-15T07:36:27.908-05:00Webinar: Preparing Your 2010 Apartment Marketing Plan with Lisa Trosien (@LisaTrosien)<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGD54d9gpDFG6kRpC2wqINMxkQLW7m4XH3iHw8Cm2-vGyYy2IsxDTYNF9lNl3Q6X2aZa9Z2IKKHQeYMrCyc5PKDT6ushhCIHlBCCgXTYBqP1JS7VDIdOgnkJdUdL1eWv-kZqODOEAzxcE/s1600-h/lisa+trosien+presentation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGD54d9gpDFG6kRpC2wqINMxkQLW7m4XH3iHw8Cm2-vGyYy2IsxDTYNF9lNl3Q6X2aZa9Z2IKKHQeYMrCyc5PKDT6ushhCIHlBCCgXTYBqP1JS7VDIdOgnkJdUdL1eWv-kZqODOEAzxcE/s200/lisa+trosien+presentation.gif" /></a><br />
</div>It's not too late to sign up for today's Webinar that is being hosted by <a href="http://www.multifamilyinsiders.com/home/multifamily-events/details/12-Webinar-Preparing-Your-2010-Apartment-Marketing-Plan-with-Lisa-Trosien">Multifamilyinsiders</a> and sponsored by <a href="http://www.appfolio.com/">AppFolio</a>. We are all looking forward to 2010 with great anticipation. As of yesterday there was close to 600 who signed up for this presentation. Click <a href="http://www.multifamilyinsiders.com/home/multifamily-events/details/12-Webinar-Preparing-Your-2010-Apartment-Marketing-Plan-with-Lisa-Trosien">here</a> to sign up for today's presentation at 1pm EST. <br />
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</div>There is not one of us who have not realized the immense challenges that still lie in front of us. The time for old school and narrow minded approaches to marketing our multifamily communities needs to stop. <a href="http://www.apartmentexpert.com/">Lisa Trosien</a> is an award winning multifamily speaker and educator. I have enjoyed numerous sessions she has conducted. Please click through to join today's session. This is one you are not allowed to miss. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3TesD9StkPhNxR-nnr5JHq3_AHjnp3gbOmQJ2bxxx4KvDuQrhxa8lIGSdR1lIgaNnrimkFPcXWS6vD8_s6Rc4ee5E9rEty3Ra6H_Sx3r3eGhVSf4dRV7Izy79dKcmj0uV2YKuGTOd3I/s1600-h/mfi+logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3TesD9StkPhNxR-nnr5JHq3_AHjnp3gbOmQJ2bxxx4KvDuQrhxa8lIGSdR1lIgaNnrimkFPcXWS6vD8_s6Rc4ee5E9rEty3Ra6H_Sx3r3eGhVSf4dRV7Izy79dKcmj0uV2YKuGTOd3I/s320/mfi+logo.gif" /></a><br />
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<i>Written by Jonathan Saar- </i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/training.htm"><i>The Training Factor</i></a>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-40916153088172410812009-12-14T07:51:00.000-05:002009-12-14T07:51:58.893-05:00Where the Blogs Have No Name<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-taCtMYjZFQbB-Le-dik6PaoQtpmQQ3LUMmnukqAGHkUIaZInct9xeNCpr1EXh2c6bLdcc3TStdPmkm94cwJ8ozXs31lDPXnk9uMTBxvoScFA37MFB-1_1QDkoRBngJ_1EAhNtb5q7FI/s1600-h/88015815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-taCtMYjZFQbB-Le-dik6PaoQtpmQQ3LUMmnukqAGHkUIaZInct9xeNCpr1EXh2c6bLdcc3TStdPmkm94cwJ8ozXs31lDPXnk9uMTBxvoScFA37MFB-1_1QDkoRBngJ_1EAhNtb5q7FI/s200/88015815.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Content Content Content. What does it take to keep your blog fresh and up to date? The worst thing in the world is to plagiarize. The search spiders do not like this and if you are working on your SEO then this is not the way to go. How hard is it to blog for your multifamily community? That is the million dollar question. I guess it all depends on your perspective. Does your community have a story within itself? When you are walking through your community, what is running through your mind besides the fundamentals of making the day successful from a curb appeal, Fair Housing, leasing perspective? What about the people?<br />
<br />
Every resident has a story. Do you know what it is? It will be quite challenging for you to have a social community blog when you have no connection with the people that make your community alive.... with the people who give your community a name. <br />
<br />
So now you are approaching 2010 and you want to add a community blog and a Facebook page. You are wondering what the best approach would be, who is going to do it and what kind of content will reach your audience. Your first question should be: How do my residents view me and the staff or our community? Are you viewed only as the rent collectors and the curb appeal enforcers. If you want your outreach efforts to have a name, then you need to reach out to the residents with the names. Who is your Betty the baker, Joe the DJ, Eileen the retail manager, and Bob the county inspector? <br />
<br />
If you want your blog and other outreach programs to have a name, reach out to the people who already have one. The rest will take on a life of its own.<br />
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<i>Written by Jonathan Saar --</i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/"><i>The Training Factor</i></a>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-9742204741579690682009-12-10T13:17:00.002-05:002009-12-10T15:12:56.992-05:00The Possibility of a Multifamily College Degree. #pwsb<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Is that something you even fathomed when you started out in this industry? Can you imagine what our future multifamily professionals will bring to the table? This is what the Peggy Waskom Career Leadership Fund is all about. This is why Brian Sutherlin and Julie Doran founded this. This is why they and all committee members have been working so hard to promote the <a href="http://www.peggywaskomsuperbowl.com/">Peggy Waskom Super Bowl</a> on February 9th 2010. This is a brand new event that has the backing of the Georgia Apartment Industry Education Foundation (<a href="http://www.gaief.com/">GAIEF</a>) We need your help to spread the word and to give us your support. Please check out our kickoff video below and follow the links for further information on how you can show your support for this important event.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=app_2373072738&gid=315923810234">Peggy Waskom Facebook Page</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Please email us at <a href="mailto:bowl4peggy@yahoo.com">bowl4peggy@yahoo.com</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x5rIltaGhRA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x5rIltaGhRA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span></span>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-4727753096538834702009-12-07T12:38:00.006-05:002009-12-08T13:34:30.618-05:00What is GAIEF? Who is Peggy Waskom?<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYD-TvXYmwbthWUT3_ln9s0SNSefiEVEZTTBbjEvDCFDC1NO7tLQw2np6fkt2id_PJZfRIXKLBNlJRqA2ovQPxqJ8UjD-w9mraHvJMOoU_ZmSTk6F1I-0D8P3s7Aalem_JdD11naYCig/s1600-h/peggy+waskom.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYD-TvXYmwbthWUT3_ln9s0SNSefiEVEZTTBbjEvDCFDC1NO7tLQw2np6fkt2id_PJZfRIXKLBNlJRqA2ovQPxqJ8UjD-w9mraHvJMOoU_ZmSTk6F1I-0D8P3s7Aalem_JdD11naYCig/s320/peggy+waskom.gif" /></a><br />
</div>The <a href="http://www.gaief.com/">Georgia Apartment Industry Education Foundation</a> (GAIEF) is a private, non-profit organization that promotes career opportunities within the apartment industry. The mission of this organization is to attract people to the apartment industry and inform them about its numerous career opportunities. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Peggy Waskom Career Leadership Fund</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=315923810234">Peggy Waskom</a> was committed to advancing the state of the industry-through improved training, better communication, and excellent customer service. With your support, we hope to educate the next generation of leaders in the multifamily housing industry to emulate the very spirit and passion exhibited throughout her career. In all she did, and all she was as a person, Peggy exhibited grace, compassion, and ingenuity. Her intellect, humor, and ability to forge strong and lasting relationships made her a stand-out in not only her professional circle, but in her personal life as well. She was a kind and loving mother, wife and friend. For those who were fortunate to have met and worked with Peggy fell honored to have known such a loyal and uniquely talented individual. It is in her memory that we begin this fund-raising campaign. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Beginning now…<a href="http://www.gaief.com/">GAIEF</a> is collaborating with Georgia’s technical colleges and high schools to attract new talent to our industry. Our industry will be represented at every educational level and can be viewed as a “career of choice.” This fundraising initiative will be launched in memory of a dynamic leader who exemplified the very essence of what our industry can offer… a career choice that rewards hard work, dedication, preparation and the highest level of integrity. It is in the name of that we begin this Outreach Initiative. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Currently there are over 700,000 students in high schools, technical colleges and career academics throughout the state who do not know about the apartment industry. GAIEF has formed a collaborative partnership with the Department of Education, Department of Technical and Adult Education and the Governor’s office who is actively supporting a new model of education called Career Academics. GAIEF is one of the first industries in Georgia to have the opportunity to participate in the Georgia Career Academy Network (GaCAN). By providing learning modules to high school teachers and integrating our existing curriculum into career academics, GAIEF can develop a pipeline of talent for years to come.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">In <a href="http://www.peggywaskomsuperbowl.com/">Peggy Waskom</a>’s name, we will spread the word to high schools, technical schools, and those who are in career development courses throughout the state about careers in the apartment industry.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Thank you for your support- <a href="http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=315923810234&topic=11069">Peggy Waskom Superbowl Committee</a></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">For further information please email <span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">us at <a href="mailto:bowl4peggy@yahoo.com">bowl4peggy@yahoo.com</a></span></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you would like to participate and support this function, please see information below. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
WHEN:<br />
<br />
Tues, February 9, 2010. Check-in begins at 3:00 pm<br />
WHERE:<br />
Midtown Bowl<br />
1936 Piedmont Circle<br />
Atlanta, GA 30324<br />
www.midtownbowl.com<br />
<br />
COST:<br />
Owner/Managers<br />
Bowlers – FREE - limited to 2 per company<br />
Attendees – FREE - unlimited<br />
Awards for O/Ms companies with the most attendees.<br />
<br />
Vendors<br />
Bowlers- For Sponsors only / 2 per company.<br />
Attendees- $50 per person<br />
<br />
Each of the 32 lanes will consist of 3 O/Ms and 3 vendors,<br />
which will be assigned.<br />
<br />
NOTE: Bowlers limited to first 48 O/M companies and first 48 vendor companies.<br />
<br />
DEADLINE:<br />
Sponsorship and bowler forms deadline: January 15, 2010<br />
<br />
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:<br />
3:00 - Player check-in: Game 1 - bowlers assigned to lane<br />
3:30 - Game 1<br />
4:45 - Appetizers<br />
5:00 - Game 2 - Bowlers assigned to new lane<br />
6:30 - Dinner and Awards Reception<br />
<br />
Cash Bar Available<br />
<br />
2010 Peggy Waskom Super Bowl Sponsorship Levels<br />
Limited to the first 48 companies<br />
<br />
Each sponsorship level receives 2 bowlers and listing in Habitat.<br />
<br />
<br />
Perfect Game Sponsor: $5000<br />
• Unlimited attendees<br />
• For Game 1 and Game 2, selection of o/m bowlers for your 2 bowlers<br />
• Name on front of tshirt<br />
<br />
Turkey Sponsor: $3000<br />
• 10 attendees<br />
• For Game 1 and Game 2, selection of o/m bowlers for your 2 bowlers<br />
• Name on back of tshirt<br />
<br />
Strike Sponsor: $1500<br />
• 8 attendees<br />
• For Game 1 only, selection of o/m bowlers for your 2 bowlers<br />
• Name on back of tshirt<br />
<br />
Spare Sponsor: $1000<br />
• 6 attendees<br />
• For Game 1 only, selection of o/m bowlers for your 2 bowlers<br />
• Name on back of tshirt<br />
<br />
Awards Sponsor: $750<br />
• 4 attendees<br />
• Someone from your company can present an award<br />
• Name on back of tshirt<br />
<br />
Dinner Sponsor: $600<br />
• 3 attendees<br />
• Recognition at Dinner<br />
• Name on back of tshirt<br />
<br />
Appetizer Sponsor: $450<br />
• 2 attendees<br />
• Recognition during Appetizer break<br />
• Name on back of tshirt<br />
<br />
Lane Sponsor: $300<br />
• 1 attendee<br />
• Name on back of tshirt<br />
<br />
Tshirt Sponsor: $150<br />
• No attendees<br />
• Name on back of tshirt</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">Here is a link to our <a href="http://www.peggywaskomsuperbowl.com/pdfs/Register%20Vendor.pdf"><i>Vendor Response Form</i></a></span></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">Created and coordinated by:<br />
Brian Sutherlin and Julie Doran,<br />
Sutherlin Carpet & Pressure Cleaning</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">Committee Members</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;"></span></span><br />
<br />
Julie Doran Sutherlin's Carpet Care<br />
Brian Sutherlin Sutherlin's Carpet Care<br />
Walt Lamperski- <a href="http://www.stonemarkpropertymanagement.com/">Stonemark Mgmt</a><br />
Jonathan Saar- <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thetrainingfactor.com">The Training Factor</a><br />
Stephanie Morel- <a href="http://www.firstcommunities.net/">First Communities </a><br />
Brandi Boudoin- <a href="http://www.firstcommunities.net/">First Communities</a><br />
Sherle Brown- <a href="http://www.shbcs.com/index2.html">SHB</a><br />
Ellen Weissman- <a href="http://www.denysesigns.com/">Denyse Signs</a><br />
Jack Weissman- <a href="http://www.redi-floors.com/">Redi-Floors</a><br />
Matt Henderson- <a href="http://www.apartmentfinder.com/default.aspx">Apartment Finder</a><br />
D.Tapley/ K. Campbell- <a href="http://www.parkeryoung.com/">Parker Young Construction</a><br />
Jerry Warshaw- <a href="http://www.warshawproperties.com/">Warshaw Properties</a><br />
Kimberly Hudman- <a href="http://www.shbcs.com/index2.html">SHB</a><br />
Gigi Morgan- <a href="http://www.firmdesign.com/">Firm Design</a><br />
Dustin Lovingood- <a href="http://www.amli.com/">AMLI Residential</a><br />
Lisa Viator- <a href="http://www.forrent.com/">For Rent</a><br />
Debbie Phillips- <a href="http://www.thequadrillion.com/">The Quadrillion</a><br />
Kimberly Stewart- <a href="http://www.promotionalptnr.com/">Promotional Partners</a><br />
Philip Klinkenberg- <a href="http://www.redi-floors.com/">Redi-Floors</a><br />
Dana Hill- <a href="http://www.forrent.com/">For Rent</a><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-3151945366941957772009-12-07T11:55:00.001-05:002009-12-07T12:17:09.159-05:00What Will Your Business be Like in 2010?<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EeMDOWXItFOyHnX68tmc0VuR-PtjKl8K2YWoBOko_XAmShNMygjBwL_eC8NS7mofFB9eA7zP0HsGGRElbbIad8zzgP1uFpCwNoywp9YugMDhWkQ57noqqOf0CoN2hXMOVjcmFHnbKOI/s1600-h/87786514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EeMDOWXItFOyHnX68tmc0VuR-PtjKl8K2YWoBOko_XAmShNMygjBwL_eC8NS7mofFB9eA7zP0HsGGRElbbIad8zzgP1uFpCwNoywp9YugMDhWkQ57noqqOf0CoN2hXMOVjcmFHnbKOI/s200/87786514.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What will your business be like in 2010? Will you downsize, stabilize, or</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">grow?</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span">Here are a few tough love insights of successful and unsuccessful</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">companies. </span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">What happened? We thought things were supposed to be much better now... at</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">least that is what we were promised right? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we print and spend billions</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">of dollars things will certainly get better right? Hmmm... Doesn't seem to</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">be having the kind of impact we had hoped for does it?</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span">So how can we survive the current economy while planning for the future? My </span><span class="apple-style-span">industry involvement and association with numerous companies has shown me</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">many great achievements by some and overwhelming struggles by others.</span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span">We see companies who are growing, expanding and making a profit! Yes!</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">Even in this economy. And, unfortunately I see companies who are losing money</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">and having massive layoffs due to lost fee management and foreclosed</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">properties. So, I have asked myself why? What is the difference? Why are some</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">companies excelling in this economy and others are failing? In this article,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">I thought I would spend a bit of time sharing my observations. Hopefully it</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">might give some insight or ideas that will help your company survive and</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">thrive in 2010.</span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span">1. Leadership: This is what I see as the most crucial element. Goals!</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">Do you know where you are going? What are you trying to achieve? And most</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">importantly, do your team members understand and buy into your company’s</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">goals?</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span">2. Whatever it takes: This seems like a simple concept but I don’t</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">think everyone gets it! In the companies who are struggling a bit, it seems as</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">though they are actors in the Movie “Ground Hog Day”. Do you remember that</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">movie? They wake up and do the same thing over and over again producing the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">same results. I see that a lot in business. If something isn't working you have</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">to change what you are doing to achieve a different outcome. And it might</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">take more than one change; it could take 10 +. The key is to continue tweaking</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">your processes such as, marketing, operations, people, training, etc.,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">until you achieve your goals and get the results you need.</span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span">3. Decision Making: Companies who are excelling are not afraid to</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">make an out-of-the-box decision. They don't always choose the safe road. For</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">example: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>vendors and product selection. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>High achievers may not always choose</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">the largest and most well known vendors. You all know these types of vendors;</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">the larger and oftentimes older ones who have been around forever and can’t</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">embrace new ideas because they are too afraid to think outside the box. Well,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">we are living in a new and different day. Most of us, if any, have never</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">experienced the economic challenges we are now faced with in our lifetime. To</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">get through these times we must be willing to face new challenges with new</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">strategies. When it comes to growth and survival, bigger is not necessarily</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">better. Bigger oftentimes translates to more bureaucracy where it takes an act</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">of congress to make a decision and as we've seen that's not always in our</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">best interest.</span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span">High achievers are willing to embrace new concepts, vendors, technologies</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">and marketing strategies in order to set themselves apart from the herd and</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">walk the path less traveled. Consumers respond positively to companies with</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">good attitudes who respond with prompt and superior customer support.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span">I have witnessed thousands of man hours being spent in committee after</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">committee to make a simple decision that should have only taken a 15 minute</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">conversation and an hour or so of due diligence. I have to ask myself… are</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">these people participating in “busy work” just to justify their existence? This</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">may sound harsh but I believe it is something that an effective Leader</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">should investigate.</span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span">4. Hire Hard – Fire Easy… Ok, now you really think I am being harsh</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">don’t you? What I am saying is: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>search hard for the right person for the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">job at hand. A warm body, shiny car or fancy wardrobe just won’t do anymore.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">You have to have someone with drive, motivation, ambition and determination</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">with business sense, sales abilities and customer service skills to make a</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">business successful. Not to mention, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they have to care</i>! Our company performs</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">secret shops for the multifamily industry and all too often as we review</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">and score the leasing “professional” we just shake our heads in amazement</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">and mumble to ourselves: “They really didn’t care if they closed the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">deal or not!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes being successful requires making</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">tough decisions. If you find that you made a hiring mistake. Take care of it</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">quickly so a dead weight doesn't take your ship down.</span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span">5. Training and Investing in Employees – We don’t believe you can</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">train too much. Not training not only creates a liability for you but it is a</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">huge demoralizer for your entire company. Companies whose employees know</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">their company is willing to invest in them and provide “quality training”</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">perform much better. Most employees want to do well at their job and cringe at</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">the thought of being “slapped on the wrist” by their supervisor for not</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">following some protocol they weren't even aware of. Therefore, successful companies train, train and train some more.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span">So there you have it. 5 of my successful company concepts. I could go on</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">for pages and pages but just to summarize: success in 2010 will take</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">strategic leadership, quick and insightful out-of-the-box decision making skills and</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">well trained employees who actually care about the success of the company.</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><i>Written by Mechelle Flowers- </i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/"><i>The Training Factor</i></a></span></span>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-45569142353159549742009-12-03T12:36:00.000-05:002009-12-03T12:36:35.136-05:00Corporate Decisions-What do you Trust in?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkf7AxRZpmXEnvRGQo5rGKHIggyPqP-dcImdBVw0BzfwiEKhG74XyGAxFT4sp_-iA7rOFbYi8Msh2kvZ31Z7UKiVdk1v3lOcxH2xNf4rsA7ZzY9cnUNhcvjlFFOS96lg5fa2Mf950IWs/s1600-h/87465853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkf7AxRZpmXEnvRGQo5rGKHIggyPqP-dcImdBVw0BzfwiEKhG74XyGAxFT4sp_-iA7rOFbYi8Msh2kvZ31Z7UKiVdk1v3lOcxH2xNf4rsA7ZzY9cnUNhcvjlFFOS96lg5fa2Mf950IWs/s200/87465853.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When was the last time you made a decision and reflected on the Antitrust Law?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would bet not too often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember the effect this law has had on our freedom to choose different products and services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the full definition by Wikipedia, click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competition_law">here</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s take just one example, the purchase of a new TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">When you are standing in the electronics store, comparing brands like Sony, Panasonic, Hitachi, LG and Samsung, what is it that makes you choose one over the other?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it’s the price, the quality, the features, the size or a combination of these factors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many of you say to yourselves when standing there looking a wall of flat screens:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Samsung has four times the gross product and profitability than TV company X.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, I’m going to buy a Samsung.” <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">If consumers’ decision-making centered around the fact that Samsung was the biggest and perhaps best known electronics company, what would happen to all of the other companies?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously our decisions do not center around that, or these companies would not exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1000 people may choose to buy a Samsung flat screen TV while 200 others may choose a Sony or Panasonic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that make those 200 people look foolish for not purchasing from the big dog?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely not, these other companies all produce excellent products, they provide competition, and customers write excellent reviews on them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because their company is smaller in size does not mean that their products and services are in any way inferior.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I will give you one more example based upon my trip to Houston for the Multifamily Brainstorming Sessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chose for various reasons not to stay at the Hyatt where pretty well everyone else was staying, but chose to stay at the <a href="http://www.innattheballpark.com/">Inn at the Ballpark</a>, which is owned by a restaurant chain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is pretty safe to assume that Hyatt is a pretty big name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For all intents and purposes it served well to host everyone for rooming, the sessions, conferences etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who stayed there remember all too well the issues with customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The elevators did not function; no one had breakfast brought to them Wednesday morning and a couple of other items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, I had one of the best hotel experiences ever with this smaller outfit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Top notch customer service from the restaurant staff, concierge and shuttle drivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a complimentary shuttle to and from the Hyatt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The morning I had to check out I asked the shuttle driver the best way to get a taxi to Bush International and he told me just to write on the back of a business card my name and time I wanted to go and that he would take care of that for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I attended and enjoyed all the sessions on Thursday and then took the shuttle back to the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had about 30 minutes to wait so I sat at the bar and relaxed for a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 20 minutes later a gentleman starts walking through the lobby with my name on a sign!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never had that before so that was intensely special to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My prearranged ride to the airport by my shuttle driver was in a nice Lincoln Continental with an absolutely courteous driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, by no means am I knocking the Hyatt at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My point is simply to illustrate that a big name does not always mean everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my case, a smaller hotel company provided me with unbelievable service even though they are really not a known brand and do not have the marketing power as does a place like the Hyatt.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So stop for a moment and think about corporate decisions we make for our companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you thankful for the Antitrust law?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we did not have it, guess what? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There would probably only be Samsung to choose from, and maybe only the Hyatt to stay at for a conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give that some thought when you are making company decisions on products or services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A company’s reputation and standards should certainly not be based primarily on its size and market recognition.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar- </i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/"><i>The Training Factor</i></a><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-39287247566676703932009-12-02T10:56:00.000-05:002009-12-02T10:56:37.346-05:00Certified Social Media Consultant! Huh??<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wdinuklpJkL4aQ02ucbdv-2UVZugSS5030yFsbi_H0_5BWdjMEl44XNUuu_LExcUhyXiSuf5zG4Sf4HFBg-d93r3xV-L8J7RkGNA4A-QBuWSIXUB1FXnSVvgWbSA7R3ZYazhGnPViLw/s1600-h/87753156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wdinuklpJkL4aQ02ucbdv-2UVZugSS5030yFsbi_H0_5BWdjMEl44XNUuu_LExcUhyXiSuf5zG4Sf4HFBg-d93r3xV-L8J7RkGNA4A-QBuWSIXUB1FXnSVvgWbSA7R3ZYazhGnPViLw/s200/87753156.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I get really confused with this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TITLE</i> at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This post is more to warn people not to get sucked in by claims that they are an “expert” or a “guru” of social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was reading a <a href="http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/12/01/should-you-hire-a-certified-social-media-consultant/">post</a> from Aliza Sherman (@alizasherman) this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really appreciated her <a href="http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/12/01/should-you-hire-a-certified-social-media-consultant/">four points </a>of advice to anyone considering hiring outside help with their social media initiatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here they are:<br />
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</div><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #262626; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Question the source.</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While the Internet and new media industries have been around now for over a decade, social media as its own industry is young. If someone is touting social media certification, question where they received it and what they had to do to earn it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #262626; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Google them. </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached by potential clients who have been ripped off by people claiming to be social media consultants. A quick Google search of those consultants and companies reveal little in the way of evidence that the consultant/company in question is engaged in social media. A good social media consultant will be active in social media including LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook but also other more niche networks.<o:p></o:p></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #262626; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Read them. </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At this early stage of social media consulting, those who are doing it are also writing about it because there is so little credible documentation of what we are all doing and learning. Read their blog, white papers or articles, and check out the recent books by some of the top social media thought leaders of today for greater perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #262626; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Check their references. </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why someone would hire a social media consultant without checking their online portfolio and references is a mystery to me. A few phone calls and emails, and you’ll have a much better sense about the reputation, professionalism and skills of anyone claiming to be a social media consultant."<o:p></o:p></span></i></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I posted my own comment on her blog this morning out of appreciation for her <a href="http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/12/01/should-you-hire-a-certified-social-media-consultant/">post</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have my own thoughts to add as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is education then there is application.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that make sense to you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of three items you learned in school that you thought you would never use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now think of where you actually use them now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you see the difference?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is really plenty of free education out there to get you going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Google any social media topic and a wealth of resources will appear for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Setting up Google alerts is a way to have information sent to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are numerous chats on twitter to participate in or just observe to get education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of my favorites are the following:<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">#aptchat on Friday’s 4pm EST – Hosted by <a href="http://www.apartmentexpert.com/">Lisa Trosien</a> (@lisatrosien) and <a href="http://30lines.com/">Mike Whaling</a> (@30lines)<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The focus is on any multifamily topic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Items such as Fair housing, resident retention, marketing, apartment training etc are discussed.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">#blogchat on Sunday’s 9pm EST- Hosted by <a href="http://mackcollier.com/">Mack Collier</a> (@mackcollier)<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The subject changes each week, but essentially the main topic is the same which is how to blog and learning best practices from others.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">There are others such as #journchat on Tuesday night 8pm EST and #socialmedia on Tuesday’s 12pm EST hosted by <a href="http://directmarketingobservations.com/">Marc Myer </a>(@Marc_Myer)<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The list can go on regarding education that is out there to help you in social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The application is a different story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I have a hard time with individuals who declare themselves “certified” or a “guru”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of have even gone as far as calling themselves “The King”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you do a little digging and you find out the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please be very careful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Social Media and its impact on the way we do business are all still very new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The application is still being defined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every business model is different so it makes no sense to take a one-size- fits-all approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Work hard to educate yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Observe how others implement and use social media as part of their every day strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t be selfish either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always remember the first word in the expression “Social Media”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sharing and expressing our thoughts will only help us improve as we all share this path and learn together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What has helped you in learning social media?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What resources did you find best?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you think that anyone can really call themselves an expert?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been educated and instructed by many great professionals who do have <i><b>real</b></i> experience in Social Media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just ask me who they are and what help you need, and I will tell you for free.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar – </i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/"><i>The Training Factor</i></a><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-28228046109181650352009-11-30T12:53:00.001-05:002009-11-30T12:55:36.613-05:00Don't Drink and Facebook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvzbo8U_ICe8uqrwQH1KgB-6bwoU9734xGIdqx5e0nZfBTUMR0DEjminNLkBmzriaGt5B_hluAJyBdLE3DRjC1MBqImyUfN1rH1oiTYp_Xp-c2Nbwvpu48IgSbVQhm8wIZNtG7BRearA/s1600/87802745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvzbo8U_ICe8uqrwQH1KgB-6bwoU9734xGIdqx5e0nZfBTUMR0DEjminNLkBmzriaGt5B_hluAJyBdLE3DRjC1MBqImyUfN1rH1oiTYp_Xp-c2Nbwvpu48IgSbVQhm8wIZNtG7BRearA/s200/87802745.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Two conversations I had yesterday compelled me to write this post today. One I had on Facebook itself with an acquaintance of mine who very eloquently pointed out the complete shallowness of some guys who pretend to be sweet and sensitive by posting status updates that reflect some movie or emotion that are supposed to be endearing to the female crowd but obviously are completely shallow and are no different than the pickup line at a bar, “Can I buy you a beer?”. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The second conversation was involving shameless posts where the user supposedly feels empowered by posting something that he or she would never be able to say to someone’s face. In other words, one’s inhibitions are let down as a result of not having a physical face in front of them. However you want to word it, to me it’s <i>Drinking and Facebook</i>. <a href="http://www.apartmentexpert.com/">Lisa Trosien</a> posted a <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-randall29-2009nov29,0,4262322.story">good article</a> from the Los Angeles Times on twitter last night that I wanted to share that elaborates a little further. Here are key points to remember before you decide to post something.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Potential and existing employers are monitoring social media posts and using them for or against their employees. Some employers are asking for login addresses for Social Media sites you may be using. We can only expect this trend to continue when it is very easy just to Google your name and see what comes up in the search engines. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We are professionals 24/7. Keep me in mind celebrity goof ups that were highly publicized. One minute you look at them with respect and dignity and the next it’s all gone as a result of a misplaced word, photo or action. It is no different with us. Many people would agree that at the top of our list of the most important things in life would be our career and our reputation. Why wouldn’t you want to be extra careful with what you post since these important items are at stake?<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Don’t burn any bridges. Stop thinking of the now and think of the future. Stop and think about what you post. It takes a lifetime in some ways to build up a good professional reputation and can take mere seconds to see all of that disappear. One of the purposes of Social Media is to build relationships, not tear them down. You never know who or when you will be interacting with any given individual in the future. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The multifamily industry and many others are working feverishly to understand and properly implement Social Media tools such as Facebook. Just remember how embarrassing it was in school when you were caught passing notes during class time and the teacher caught you and read it out in front of the whole class. It’s no different with what you post on Social Media sites, except the consequences can be much greater. Don’t <i>Drink and Facebook</i>. I hope you get the analogy. Letting your inhibitions and guard down can lead to a serious blow to your reputation and career. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I really think this is a subject that merits serious concern. What have you been doing professionally to monitor and check yourself? Do you feel it’s important to know what social sites your employees are on? Do you have any actual examples where you have seen inappropriate posts and how have you dealt with it? <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar- </i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/"><i>The Training Factor</i></a><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-88941062495048404732009-11-25T08:53:00.000-05:002009-11-25T08:53:03.563-05:00Keep Beating Your Drum!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVSVjrimo9PUwSnY4DC8lJMjKKfRsijuNWsC-ziFG-OLnI49QWS8fmJ1O-wpRvuOkBh_BQgz89jvXetzlC4_0eWhhGPwYsEFEJjyxBYKEjbq_Hluz6ADhvOtOXSKPrV3y7FTALV7gqU4/s1600/87452524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVSVjrimo9PUwSnY4DC8lJMjKKfRsijuNWsC-ziFG-OLnI49QWS8fmJ1O-wpRvuOkBh_BQgz89jvXetzlC4_0eWhhGPwYsEFEJjyxBYKEjbq_Hluz6ADhvOtOXSKPrV3y7FTALV7gqU4/s200/87452524.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What are the first images that come to your mind with this opening title?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hold that thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drum is one of the most ancient of instruments and still has the ability to make us tap our feet, tap our desk, make us run faster, work out harder, and pretend to dance better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drum is a fundamental instrument at pep rallies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you imagine a pep rally with all flutes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think you get the image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drum has the ability to inspire, motivate and pursue whatever goal you aspire to achieve.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">At Brainstorming last week, the keynote address was presented by top executives in the multifamily industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The CEO of <a href="http://www.camdenliving.com/about-camden/meet-camden/Leadership/executive-officers/index.htm">Camden Property Trust</a>, Richard Campo, used the expression “keep beating your drum”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His message was to inspire all of us to pursue the ideas we feel will work, investigate options that will benefit our company and keep presenting them to our superiors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He encouraged vendors to provide hard data and infomercials in order to communicate effectively with decision makers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So what does this all mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it mean our rhythm and beat should be the same as our multifamily company’s beat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or do we beat our drum with a different tune?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we ready to stand out as different and present a different tempo because our belief is that we have something better to offer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we ready to march to the beat of our <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">own</i></b> drum? How does your company inspire you to find the new tune?<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar - </i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/"><i>The Training Factor</i></a><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-1632791675700727852009-11-23T09:37:00.001-05:002009-11-23T09:39:01.668-05:00Life’s perspectives- When is a Spider not just a Spider<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QpZBlRqQw2zkiXjW8ltMBXrr75Vp0T1FkZeLdUcztGmL6r8uXr-K4hXbdouGzntbbEJe8CGWWopuQcB-NJobBzRXqI7P42yeUQcfb7aXEqNft2TDdhTk2bFoeZaoCZ1jhocai49xrdw/s1600/87452223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QpZBlRqQw2zkiXjW8ltMBXrr75Vp0T1FkZeLdUcztGmL6r8uXr-K4hXbdouGzntbbEJe8CGWWopuQcB-NJobBzRXqI7P42yeUQcfb7aXEqNft2TDdhTk2bFoeZaoCZ1jhocai49xrdw/s200/87452223.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Last week before Brainstorming I posted on my Facebook page the question, “In general- what is your opinion of insects, bugs, creepy crawly things?” I received a few comments which echo what most would say-eww..yuck.. not in my house.. etc. These thoughts are standard as a result of unpleasant experiences we have had like having a cockroach crawl up our back while sleeping or a giant Florida <a href="http://entoplp.okstate.edu/ddd/insects/wolfspider.htm">Wolf Spider</a> jumping out of warm laundry while you are folding it and land on your face. These experiences and millions of others have just given bugs a bad rap overall. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">But as in all things with life, there is always another perspective. Cockroaches have this amazing ability to just not die!! No matter how hard you smack them they keep moving. We have even heard the notion that they could survive a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockroach">nuclear war</a> if it came. Spiders may scare us to death but they are one of the most patient creatures alive. By being patient, they always get what they need to survive. Their 8 eyes allow them to be super observant and take advantage of any situation in order to come out triumphant.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So there you have it, 3 qualities I feel are very important as we approach 2010. Patience, survivor mentality, and the power of observation will help us face our challenges. The multifamily industry was reminded at <a href="http://www.multifamilypro.com/brainstorming.htm">Brainstorming</a> this past week, that we are not out of the woods yet. We may look at this economy and the mandates from our principals with similar words we use for bugs. That is one perspective. Our success depends on developing the other one.<br />
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<i>Written by Jonathan Saar-</i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/"><i> The Training Factor</i></a><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-16722670403601420142009-11-15T15:52:00.001-05:002009-11-15T17:23:24.683-05:00Do you Know How to Shake Someone’s Hand?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgPg5HNTcXjznjJ42XEIijpoqXkNSaohclK4p6umYHpK2rwQxtJnuVpz6SPrZfqIQ5iHgnHhwYT-YLSCuNQKmwQvsu8N9M05V9r2MGpY-LgUKngrGQOyaiB5NIngQeNS1W_f7dAvnoys/s1600-h/87451508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgPg5HNTcXjznjJ42XEIijpoqXkNSaohclK4p6umYHpK2rwQxtJnuVpz6SPrZfqIQ5iHgnHhwYT-YLSCuNQKmwQvsu8N9M05V9r2MGpY-LgUKngrGQOyaiB5NIngQeNS1W_f7dAvnoys/s200/87451508.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When we were young our folks taught us at a wee age what was customary when greeting someone. How many more times did they have to remind us on what was proper? This became an automatic rule of cultural engagement. Within a short period of time you realized what was socially acceptable and what was not. <br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You were taught to shake someone’s hand, say an appropriate greeting depending on their age, and taught proper body language that showed respect and that you truly were interested and engaged by the person you just met.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">These basic social concepts of human interaction were engrained in us and have continued to serve us well through school and into the work force. Now Social Media enters the picture. Did the definition of “Social” change with this new revolution we are going through? If you think so then you are reading the wrong post. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">There has been so much debate on how to use Social Media, what it is for, and where to start. How about just saying “Hello”? I have a few people on Twitter who I follow that always start their day by saying something like “Good morning Tweeps”. They never end there. Throughout the day we tell each other what is going on in our day. As time has gone by, I have started doing business with some but the vast majority I have not. Does this mean that “Social Media” does not work? I guess the better question is what do I want it to work for? <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Every day is another opportunity to network, engage, and learn from others. I thank my parents for teaching me how to shake someone’s hand. That simple life lesson has helped me to successfully navigate the new revolution we are in now. Don’t over think it folks. Start by saying Hello.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar- <a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/">The Training Factor</a></i><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-40092205108087529022009-11-13T09:18:00.000-05:002009-11-13T09:18:57.108-05:00Marketing Cost Per Door<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4H_B56O3fmghSTYJBgdj1ifHRvqiJY1V2nRtGcEm52-DmgrKLJYTt1vvyrivcggqoDOH2-zJs1mMBqswAsz6mM5M5PpPJZLpgOVMUm9kpnfMtznHge_Q6IYSyvFv3tag0ip4Ow9VaL4/s1600-h/199568095_b8f6eacd8b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4H_B56O3fmghSTYJBgdj1ifHRvqiJY1V2nRtGcEm52-DmgrKLJYTt1vvyrivcggqoDOH2-zJs1mMBqswAsz6mM5M5PpPJZLpgOVMUm9kpnfMtznHge_Q6IYSyvFv3tag0ip4Ow9VaL4/s200/199568095_b8f6eacd8b.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This blog post is really meant for everyone to help me drill down into the specifics of what is actually being spent per door in marketing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drummed up a few discussions on Twitter, Facebook, and <a href="http://www.multifamilyinsiders.com/">Multifamilyinsiders.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I received quite a bit of comments to help me put this together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We at The Training Factor had some market research available from some of our clients so that helped as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">From our research it seemed that the average cost per door in marketing was around $125.00 per door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some properties were more and some less, but let’s stick with that as a working number. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our newsletter this past week, we had this downloadable Excel file entitled <a href="http://www.apartmentuniversity.com/resources/674_/TrainingROI-newsletter2.xls">Training ROI Estimator</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please feel free to use it to calculate your individual company’s marketing per door costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What came up in the discussions was of course everyone’s dream to convert more leads to leases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How is this accomplished?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, with quality multifamily training you will see your conversion rates go higher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some crazy stats that show how many internet leads are never followed up on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can be upwards of 50% or more at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, even the ones that are followed up on never go past that first attempt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excel spreadsheet highlights costs incurred when a training program is implemented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Training is not an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How tiring it must be to see marketing dollars fly away in the wind, when attention to your people is what will certainly close the deal!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Any thoughts you may have on what constitutes what is spent on marketing per door would be awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have any testimonials on how training has increased your conversion rates for leases that would be great too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">For multifamily training courses that help increase lease conversion percentages click <a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/newsletters/newsletter11-15-09.htm">here</a>.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar- </i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/"><i>The Training Factor</i></a><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-57426970268779132922009-11-11T07:54:00.002-05:002009-11-11T14:44:20.381-05:00Brainstorming Session #mfbsconf –Why I am Filled with Jubilation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqgm54BR85SvxHV7rSjES7sWok9NN0qQ_D1ailjBsHQ4N4291OHB_RwPGQJ_NdVRdidC696v6vP9zz78s7rE5YW1AP7sIcZZCTt-I4FFrL5KeTxc-_niOJSTvyqi5d_dDjP7wbxDvu1U/s1600-h/32138923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqgm54BR85SvxHV7rSjES7sWok9NN0qQ_D1ailjBsHQ4N4291OHB_RwPGQJ_NdVRdidC696v6vP9zz78s7rE5YW1AP7sIcZZCTt-I4FFrL5KeTxc-_niOJSTvyqi5d_dDjP7wbxDvu1U/s200/32138923.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next week in Houston Texas, Tami Siewruk (@multifamilypro) will be hosting <a href="http://www.multifamilypro.com/brainstorming.htm">Brainstorming Sessions: Stellar Solutions.</a> Within the multifamily industry there has been so much positive chatter about this event, hence the reason why I decided to write this today.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">This year has been an amazing learning curve for me as I made a huge career transfer from 12 years as a general manager of floral import company to the multifamily industry to this. The general business concerns are much the same, marketing, customer service, ROI, NOI etc. However the direct application was far different. As my boss Mechelle Flowers put it, I will have to learn the lingo. How true that was! Learning expressions such as curb appeal, ILS, CPM, Fair Housing, Leasing Professional and many others was an intriguing educational challenge. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Side note I was an assistant property manager for a shopping mall at age 16 </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> )<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">If I was to even try and list all of the professionals who have helped me this year, this blog would never end. What I can broadcast to you is this simple statement: You know who you are, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! Thank you for recognizing where I needed help and answering my questions and being there for me. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So as I prepare for this event next week the key word I thought of this morning was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jubilation! </i></b>I am very much looking forward to personally meeting everyone and getting that face to face connection. I am looking forward to listening to the various sessions that will provide insight and ideas on many of the key topics that the multifamily industry wrestles with. Most of all I am looking forward to my continued growth as a professional in the multifamily industry as a result of next week’s event.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">One of my learning curves in blogging is writing in a way that inspires people to comment. I know I have a ways to go! What I would like to hear from my readers is what they are looking forward to at next week’s conference. I can’t wait to meet everyone! See you soon.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar -</i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/training.htm"><i> The Training Factor</i></a><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-29906651068906606782009-11-04T11:39:00.001-05:002009-11-04T11:43:07.595-05:00Fair Housing: Landmark Judgment Passed for Multifamily Company<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5yIYljyAMWNHZdM5qWtPmZ7DSLm5MSMufde33-iCmiM2yZl294LaMigz5tiX4Ggu_OrxjDiwxWhBJ7RUGtDXIbjxCvLo7mXVLz9Zu9cp1aOaB6y-oYxtK-eAdYiZ-xlfP__tzO82TVU/s1600-h/30450033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5yIYljyAMWNHZdM5qWtPmZ7DSLm5MSMufde33-iCmiM2yZl294LaMigz5tiX4Ggu_OrxjDiwxWhBJ7RUGtDXIbjxCvLo7mXVLz9Zu9cp1aOaB6y-oYxtK-eAdYiZ-xlfP__tzO82TVU/s200/30450033.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A landmark decision was handed out by the Justice Department yesterday. This is something that everyone in the multifamily industry needs to pay attention to. Here is the link to the article and also the full article from the <a href="http://www.justice.gov/">Justice Department.</a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/capital/2009/11/03/justice-department-hits-la-apartment-owner-with-record-fine/">http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/capital/2009/11/03/justice-department-hits-la-apartment-owner-with-record-fine/</a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-crt-1187.html">http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-crt-1187.html</a><br />
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</div><div style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">A couple of key excerpts are as follows: “<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 9pt;">Tuesday, the <a href="http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-crt-1187.html" style="border-color: initial; border-style: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" target="_blank"><span style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; color: #ec5219; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Department of Justice announced</span></a> that a Los Angeles apartment-building owner had agreed to pay $2.7 million to settle allegations that he discriminated against blacks, Hispanics, and families with children. It’s the largest penalty ever obtained by the department in a housing-discrimination case involving apartments.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div><div style="border-color: initial; border-style: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 9pt;">“The magnitude of this settlement should send a message to all landlords that we will vigorously pursue violations of the Fair Housing Act,” said Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for the department’s civil rights division.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 9pt;">In addition, an independent contractor will test Sterling’s compliance with fair-housing laws at his Los Angeles properties for three years and provide training to his apartment managers and leasing agents on fair-housing rules.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">This judgment should strike a chord with all of us the importance of making sure our companies are fully educated in the Fair Housing Act. I found it quite sad after reading this article yesterday and then reflecting on a recent conference I attended. Here is why. One of my usual questions to everyone who came by our booth was, “What does your company do for training?” It was unfortunate to hear from some, “Training! We don’t need training.” <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wonder how this landlord feels about multifamily training now. The Fair Housing Act is in place for a reason. In order to work without fear of a violation, it’s important to be <a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/training.htm">educated</a> properly and have clear documentation on how each staff member is in compliance. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">This judgment could be the first of many to come. Let’s be<a href="http://apartmentuniversity.com/content/674__fair_housing_life_isn_t_fair_but_housing_must_be_demo_org_fair_housing__life_isn't_fair_but_housing_must_be_demo_1913/player.html"> proactive</a> and not reactive. Being reactive could cost us dear.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar - <a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/">The Training Factor</a></i><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-58881170123945491922009-11-02T19:00:00.000-05:002009-11-02T19:00:48.133-05:00Preparing for Flu Season-An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXw3YPrMwSt_Blv907Zd51Q7hW9cKtaaxsIVXuRUgS_FyTv-TxkxRxqYsE0p0NTO_9ZL9Rsu1GfNSgH7DhLgRPvY_F9lUpr59m15qWTny6IjwhqMwv9uLISrInZl8x7LRRB_3Gd_RBAM/s1600-h/22999879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXw3YPrMwSt_Blv907Zd51Q7hW9cKtaaxsIVXuRUgS_FyTv-TxkxRxqYsE0p0NTO_9ZL9Rsu1GfNSgH7DhLgRPvY_F9lUpr59m15qWTny6IjwhqMwv9uLISrInZl8x7LRRB_3Gd_RBAM/s200/22999879.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fall is now in full swing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is great importance for all multifamily companies to make sure that you and your staff are fully prepared for this flu season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The CDC has issued its official documents for business owners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its entitled <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/business/guidance/">“CDC Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to the 2009–2010 Influenza Season”.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you click through to view the entire PDF document.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Suffice it to say there is much that needs to be done to educate and train our staff in order to make sure we are as safe as possible and that we are ready to face productivity issues and concerns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many corporations are instituting new guidelines and procedures to make sure they are ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a few items.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask your cleaning company what cleaning products they are using and where.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask for a check list of what specifically they are cleaning and with what product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make adjustments where necessary.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Make sure there are hand sanitizer stations throughout the office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have some available for visitors and residents when they enter the office.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Set up employee policies on what to do when they have flu like symptoms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be clear to the staff what will happen if they have to miss work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give clear guidelines in order to alleviate any fear.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Create VPN or other similar portals in order for your employees to work from home if they have symptoms but can still continue working if they wish.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Make sure your staff is clearly educated as to what symptoms they need to watchful for so that it is not confused with something else.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">You may have others you wish to contribute in the comments below which would be greatly appreciated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flux of this post is to make sure we are prepared and show how much we care for our staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our team is everything to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s show them how much we care by being proactive instead of reactive.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar- </i><i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/">The Training Factor</a> </i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>To learn more about multifamily training options click <a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/solution.htm">here</a></i><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-36460590801895015462009-10-30T06:30:00.001-04:002009-10-30T06:30:31.945-04:00Google Maps Provides Direct Link To “Find Yourself”<a href=http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/10/google-maps-update.html>Google Maps Provides Direct Link To “Find Yourself”</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com">ShareThis</a>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-4265777089154717902009-10-29T06:43:00.001-04:002009-10-29T06:43:11.422-04:006 Ways To Create Opportunities on LinkedIn<a href=http://shar.es/aCL4T>6 Ways To Create Opportunities on LinkedIn</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com">ShareThis</a>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-66141476923187465572009-10-27T07:30:00.002-04:002009-10-27T09:34:01.456-04:00What goes around, Comes around<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPhEGd2xgoUEUYwwbBhczLF2pqTr796ym_vOQkz74H_39IbdIMERIk8BvTRV-2ENf8J37oVf3IALc7BQgxPqMax37MQh77myaUh-9MPHk53pX3Km6yBaowYhQ8dDLU26kNJUKECXoBVc/s1600-h/32238302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPhEGd2xgoUEUYwwbBhczLF2pqTr796ym_vOQkz74H_39IbdIMERIk8BvTRV-2ENf8J37oVf3IALc7BQgxPqMax37MQh77myaUh-9MPHk53pX3Km6yBaowYhQ8dDLU26kNJUKECXoBVc/s200/32238302.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>A couple of weeks ago I wrote a <a href="http://thetrainingfactor.blogspot.com/2009/10/corporate-cut-tabs-my-take-on-interview.html">post </a>on how corporate can really do a number on those who are just trying to be creative and innovative. This is kind of a follow up and a brief reminder that corporate decisions should really come as no surprise. In other words, remember to never get too comfortable. What may appear as peachy keen and hunky dory in one moment, can change in an instant after they review their quarterly P&L. Then all of a sudden, its the "Oh No", and "We spent that much", and "Now things got to change" speeches. Their typical solution is not using the resources they have in their people, but letting those resources pack their bags and head out the door.<br />
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This is a reminder that our multifamily career path should never be fixated on a single course. If you are fortunate enough to have had only one job your entire life, then I tip my hat to you. For most of us that does not happen. The only thing you need to be focused on is to not treat individuals the way you were treated by your corporate heads. Those who squashed your creativity look exactly like our CEO in the video below. In your comments below you can call him what you want. Thanks for stopping by and remember what comes around is not vengeance but your opportunity to rise, shine, and fulfill your goals no matter what. <br />
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<i>Written by Jonathan Saar--</i><i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/">The Training Factor</a></i><br />
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</i>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-33387815117334468332009-10-23T08:09:00.000-04:002009-10-23T08:09:00.383-04:00An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure Series: Fair Housing Education<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiteppUH8bntb4QG7NxeMlJ4RCLWZmmrv6t6Ih1K1kVEJu_LSyOvu5A_eLS8dNb5mKtG3FN87EpN-34lhScnpbyzmxOhCv1C1fRz8HOFAz0n8pZkeByaKzRiottIf-EK3rE_zuQU1-rYyA/s1600-h/19149316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiteppUH8bntb4QG7NxeMlJ4RCLWZmmrv6t6Ih1K1kVEJu_LSyOvu5A_eLS8dNb5mKtG3FN87EpN-34lhScnpbyzmxOhCv1C1fRz8HOFAz0n8pZkeByaKzRiottIf-EK3rE_zuQU1-rYyA/s200/19149316.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fair housing laws are not something to be treated lightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The law was enacted in order to protect the civil rights of all human beings living here in the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because the law was enacted over 40 years ago, does not mean that we have breached the discrimination here in this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As last year’s CNN report so eloquently reports for us below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So this is just my personal reminder to not take <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFq7vghFOeA">proper training</a> for granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only do you not want to face criminal proceedings and unwanted publicity if you and your staff are caught breaking the law, but you need to remind yourself and your team the depth of your belief in this important law that was enacted to give freedom and equality to all people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Fair housing act is constantly being reviewed and updated which continues to put great responsibility on the multifamily industry.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Take a minute and run through these memory tests<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/puzmatch.html">http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/puzmatch.html</a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/stm0.html">http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/stm0.html</a><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here are a couple of others that you can just think about.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Name 10 people that you met for the first time at your last conference without looking at their business cards.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Recall the scores out loud of the </i><i><a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/scoreboard?seasonYear=2009&seasonType=2&weekNumber=7">3 football games</a></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> you were following last weekend.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now you may or may not have done so well on these little tests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is the point though; our memories are always being challenged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you think it makes sense to take a fair housing course just once and feel that is all that is needed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you think that this is all your team needs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please make good decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our memories are fickle and our able to retain and apply information is based on the repetition we give to any given subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brent Williams from <a href="http://www.multifamilyinsiders.com/home/">Multifamily Insiders</a> made an important point yesterday with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that there is much fear with multifamily professionals about committing a violation of the Fair housing act, which I agree with him 100 %.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be very scary to fulfill your work responsibilities and have the law hanging over your head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is my little analogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always had two types of emotions when I was about to complete my course exams at the end of my semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I studied and worked hard, I walked into that room with a sense of confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I did not, then fear was the emotion of the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So that leaves us with this question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If our team members are fearful over possible Fair housing violations, what are we doing to alleviate that?<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar-- </i><i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/">The Training Factor</a></i><br />
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</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-48049413697918398082009-10-21T07:14:00.001-04:002009-10-21T07:14:06.266-04:00The Social Media Marketing Blog: Fear and Loathing in Social Media<a href=http://shar.es/1KK7z>The Social Media Marketing Blog: Fear and Loathing in Social Media</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com">ShareThis</a>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957557919229129524.post-27761883280648713012009-10-20T15:00:00.000-04:002009-10-20T15:00:23.904-04:00An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure Series: Sexual Harassment Math Quiz<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7L3qJMvFOrXkC5IrymLP4ygtGw1ceQ_App_4OZR7_Jn5-HxXDKre-gYHtY2GvohT6hSFYO8ToAasgWMqQejocCnTIH19J2k_HCl-86iveLTBWIUO5HWhSSrHiq7yk2uoGlfje-3e0MU/s1600-h/35307916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7L3qJMvFOrXkC5IrymLP4ygtGw1ceQ_App_4OZR7_Jn5-HxXDKre-gYHtY2GvohT6hSFYO8ToAasgWMqQejocCnTIH19J2k_HCl-86iveLTBWIUO5HWhSSrHiq7yk2uoGlfje-3e0MU/s200/35307916.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Let’s take a quick crack at some math.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are going to take a look at a figurative multifamily situation involving a community with 20 employees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The property management company does not believe that training is necessary in order to help prevent sexual harassment claims.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">As a result of that line of thinking someone makes what they think is an innocent statement towards another employee and then BOOM!!!!!!! A claim is filed with the property manager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are your pencils sharpened?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s see how much this is going to cost our figurative multifamily company.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first step they have to take is to hire a professional to investigate the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually this is an entire business week that is charged back to the property management company. The typical cost is 40 hours X $100.00 per hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s $4000.00. After that the investigative company mandates that the entire staff take a day of offsite sexual harassment prevention training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pencil’s ready?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s say the average pay per hour is $15.00 per hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we need to calculate $15.00 X 8 hours X 20 employees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Total cost to the company for that training day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$2400.00<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now you need to factor in travel expenses, meals, textbook and materials, and of course the person you are paying to train your 20 team members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That will add approximately another $1500.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grand total for this sexual harassment claim----$7900.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s not even go down the road if the alleged victim decides to take their<a href="http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202434753385&Jury_Awards__Million_in_Sexual_Harassment_Suit"> claim to court and wins</a>.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now let’s theorize how much it would cost this company if they had instituted a preventive training program that had a sexual harassment prevention course that could be <a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/Benefits.htm">tracked and analyzed</a> where the team members needed help on this subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For an LMS with a <a href="http://www.apartmentuniversity.com/content/674__sexual_harassment_demo_org_sexual_harassment___demo_1734/player.html">Sexual Harassment prevention course</a>, it would cost a company as little as $35.00 per year per employee to take the course twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s approximately $700.00 a year to train the whole company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ll let you do the math.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Written by Jonathan Saar. Average statistics provided by </i><a href="http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/"><i>The Training Factor</i></a><br />
</div>Jonathan Saarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632123369446978001noreply@blogger.com2