The Training Factor

Social Media- What’s Love Got to do with it?

2010-01-08T09:34:00.001-05:00

Over the past few months I have been noticing and measuring responses to my Facebook profile and fan page 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.

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.

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 link 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.

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?

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 The Training Factor and I also have just started working with Lee’s Crossing in LaGrange Georgia with their outreach program. Charity Hisle regularly blogs 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.

Written by Jonathan Saar --- The Training Factor

Google Click to Call and Apartment Hunting

2010-01-05T06:47:00.002-05:00

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 CALL 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.

Coming Soon: Click-to-Call in Ads on Mobile Devices with Google AdWords

January 4, 2010

Dear AdWords Advertiser,

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.

How will phone numbers appear in my ads?

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).

Where will I be able to see the results?

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.

How will I be charged for phone calls I get from my ad?

The cost of a click to call your business will be the same as the cost of a click to visit your website.

What actions should I take?

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.

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.

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.

Sincerely,

The Google AdWords Team

Google Inc.

1600 Amphitheatre Parkway

Mountain View, CA 94043

Making Eye Contact in Social Media

2009-12-24T09:28:00.000-05:00

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.

Let me quote you what Mike Schnaffer said in Forbes.com this morning. He was referring to Ford’s campaign when he stated the following.

“A good example is Scott Monty who heads up social media for Ford. Monty is very effective in getting Ford's message out by talking with customers rather than just talking to customers.”

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?

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!

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 with a person and not just to them.

Written by Jonathan Saar- The Training Factor

Peggy Waskom-The Time is Now

2009-12-17T07:43:00.000-05:00

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. This article was posted in Multifamily Executive back in 2005. Below is a brief quote from the article:

“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.”

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. So what does this mean for the present and the future of the multifamily industry? The Peggy Waskom Super Bowl is an event like no other. This is your opportunity to reach out and support something that will benefit our industry now and for the future. 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. Have you reached out to the committee to see where you could contribute or participate? Please follow through and do not delay. Check out our links below for further information. There are many already who have reached out and will be participating. This event will provide a great networking opportunity for owner/managers and vendors. Thanks to everyone who has already moved forward and are ready for February 9^th 2010.

The Peggy Waskom Facebook Group

Email us anytime at bowl4peggy@yahoo.com

Written by Jonathan Saar-- The Training Factor

Webinar: Preparing Your 2010 Apartment Marketing Plan with Lisa Trosien (@LisaTrosien)

2009-12-15T07:34:00.001-05:00

It's not too late to sign up for today's Webinar that is being hosted by Multifamilyinsiders and sponsored by AppFolio. 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 here to sign up for today's presentation at 1pm EST.

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. Lisa Trosien 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.

Written by Jonathan Saar- The Training Factor

Where the Blogs Have No Name

2009-12-14T07:51:00.000-05:00

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?

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.

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?

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.

Written by Jonathan Saar --The Training Factor

The Possibility of a Multifamily College Degree. #pwsb

2009-12-10T13:17:00.002-05:00

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 Peggy Waskom Super Bowl on February 9th 2010. This is a brand new event that has the backing of the Georgia Apartment Industry Education Foundation (GAIEF) 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.

Peggy Waskom Facebook Page

Please email us at bowl4peggy@yahoo.com

What is GAIEF? Who is Peggy Waskom?

2009-12-07T12:38:00.006-05:00

The Georgia Apartment Industry Education Foundation (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.

The Peggy Waskom Career Leadership Fund

Peggy Waskom 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.

Beginning now…GAIEF 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.

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.

In Peggy Waskom’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.

Thank you for your support- Peggy Waskom Superbowl Committee

For further information please email us at bowl4peggy@yahoo.com

If you would like to participate and support this function, please see information below.

WHEN:

Tues, February 9, 2010. Check-in begins at 3:00 pm
WHERE:
Midtown Bowl
1936 Piedmont Circle
Atlanta, GA 30324
www.midtownbowl.com

COST:
Owner/Managers
Bowlers – FREE - limited to 2 per company
Attendees – FREE - unlimited
Awards for O/Ms companies with the most attendees.

Vendors
Bowlers- For Sponsors only / 2 per company.
Attendees- $50 per person

Each of the 32 lanes will consist of 3 O/Ms and 3 vendors,
which will be assigned.

NOTE: Bowlers limited to first 48 O/M companies and first 48 vendor companies.

DEADLINE:
Sponsorship and bowler forms deadline: January 15, 2010

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
3:00 - Player check-in: Game 1 - bowlers assigned to lane
3:30 - Game 1
4:45 - Appetizers
5:00 - Game 2 - Bowlers assigned to new lane
6:30 - Dinner and Awards Reception

Cash Bar Available

2010 Peggy Waskom Super Bowl Sponsorship Levels
Limited to the first 48 companies

Each sponsorship level receives 2 bowlers and listing in Habitat.

Perfect Game Sponsor: $5000
• Unlimited attendees
• For Game 1 and Game 2, selection of o/m bowlers for your 2 bowlers
• Name on front of tshirt

Turkey Sponsor: $3000
• 10 attendees
• For Game 1 and Game 2, selection of o/m bowlers for your 2 bowlers
• Name on back of tshirt

Strike Sponsor: $1500
• 8 attendees
• For Game 1 only, selection of o/m bowlers for your 2 bowlers
• Name on back of tshirt

Spare Sponsor: $1000
• 6 attendees
• For Game 1 only, selection of o/m bowlers for your 2 bowlers
• Name on back of tshirt

Awards Sponsor: $750
• 4 attendees
• Someone from your company can present an award
• Name on back of tshirt

Dinner Sponsor: $600
• 3 attendees
• Recognition at Dinner
• Name on back of tshirt

Appetizer Sponsor: $450
• 2 attendees
• Recognition during Appetizer break
• Name on back of tshirt

Lane Sponsor: $300
• 1 attendee
• Name on back of tshirt

Tshirt Sponsor: $150
• No attendees
• Name on back of tshirt

Here is a link to our Vendor Response Form

Created and coordinated by:
Brian Sutherlin and Julie Doran,
Sutherlin Carpet & Pressure Cleaning

Committee Members

Julie Doran Sutherlin's Carpet Care
Brian Sutherlin Sutherlin's Carpet Care
Walt Lamperski- Stonemark Mgmt
Jonathan Saar-   The Training Factor
Stephanie Morel-   First Communities
Brandi Boudoin- First Communities
Sherle Brown-   SHB
Ellen Weissman- Denyse Signs
Jack Weissman- Redi-Floors
Matt Henderson- Apartment Finder
D.Tapley/ K. Campbell- Parker Young Construction
Jerry Warshaw-   Warshaw Properties
Kimberly Hudman- SHB
Gigi Morgan- Firm Design
Dustin Lovingood- AMLI Residential
Lisa Viator- For Rent
Debbie Phillips- The Quadrillion
Kimberly Stewart- Promotional Partners
Philip Klinkenberg-   Redi-Floors
Dana Hill- For Rent

What Will Your Business be Like in 2010?

2009-12-07T11:55:00.001-05:00

What will your business be like in 2010? Will you downsize, stabilize, or
grow?

Here are a few tough love insights of successful and unsuccessful
companies.

What happened? We thought things were supposed to be much better now... at least that is what we were promised right? If we print and spend billions of dollars things will certainly get better right? Hmmm... Doesn't seem to be having the kind of impact we had hoped for does it?

So how can we survive the current economy while planning for the future? My industry involvement and association with numerous companies has shown me many great achievements by some and overwhelming struggles by others.

We see companies who are growing, expanding and making a profit! Yes! Even in this economy. And, unfortunately I see companies who are losing money and having massive layoffs due to lost fee management and foreclosed properties. So, I have asked myself why? What is the difference? Why are some companies excelling in this economy and others are failing? In this article, I thought I would spend a bit of time sharing my observations. Hopefully it might give some insight or ideas that will help your company survive and
thrive in 2010.

1.       Leadership: This is what I see as the most crucial element. Goals! Do you know where you are going? What are you trying to achieve? And most importantly, do your team members understand and buy into your company’s goals?

2.       Whatever it takes: This seems like a simple concept but I don’t think everyone gets it! In the companies who are struggling a bit, it seems as though they are actors in the Movie “Ground Hog Day”. Do you remember that movie? They wake up and do the same thing over and over again producing the same results. I see that a lot in business. If something isn't working you have to change what you are doing to achieve a different outcome. And it might take more than one change; it could take 10 +. The key is to continue tweaking your processes such as, marketing, operations, people, training, etc., until you achieve your goals and get the results you need.

3.       Decision Making: Companies who are excelling are not afraid to make an out-of-the-box decision. They don't always choose the safe road. For example: vendors and product selection. High achievers may not always choose the largest and most well known vendors. You all know these types of vendors; the larger and oftentimes older ones who have been around forever and can’t embrace new ideas because they are too afraid to think outside the box. Well, we are living in a new and different day. Most of us, if any, have never experienced the economic challenges we are now faced with in our lifetime. To get through these times we must be willing to face new challenges with new strategies. When it comes to growth and survival, bigger is not necessarily
better. Bigger oftentimes translates to more bureaucracy where it takes an act of congress to make a decision and as we've seen that's not always in our best interest.

High achievers are willing to embrace new concepts, vendors, technologies and marketing strategies in order to set themselves apart from the herd and walk the path less traveled. Consumers respond positively to companies with good attitudes who respond with prompt and superior customer support.

I have witnessed thousands of man hours being spent in committee after committee to make a simple decision that should have only taken a 15 minute conversation and an hour or so of due diligence. I have to ask myself… are these people participating in “busy work” just to justify their existence? This may sound harsh but I believe it is something that an effective Leader should investigate.

4.       Hire Hard – Fire Easy… Ok, now you really think I am being harsh don’t you? What I am saying is: search hard for the right person for the job at hand. A warm body, shiny car or fancy wardrobe just won’t do anymore.
You have to have someone with drive, motivation, ambition and determination with business sense, sales abilities and customer service skills to make a business successful. Not to mention, they have to care! Our company performs secret shops for the multifamily industry and all too often as we review and score the leasing “professional” we just shake our heads in amazement and mumble to ourselves: “They really didn’t care if they closed the deal or not!” Sometimes being successful requires making tough decisions. If you find that you made a hiring mistake. Take care of it quickly so a dead weight doesn't take your ship down.

5.       Training and Investing in Employees – We don’t believe you can train too much. Not training not only creates a liability for you but it is a huge demoralizer for your entire company. Companies whose employees know
their company is willing to invest in them and provide “quality training” perform much better. Most employees want to do well at their job and cringe at the thought of being “slapped on the wrist” by their supervisor for not
following some protocol they weren't even aware of. Therefore, successful companies train, train and train some more.

So there you have it. 5 of my successful company concepts. I could go on for pages and pages but just to summarize: success in 2010 will take strategic leadership, quick and insightful out-of-the-box decision making skills and well trained employees who actually care about the success of the company.

Written by Mechelle Flowers- The Training Factor

Corporate Decisions-What do you Trust in?

2009-12-03T12:36:00.000-05:00

When was the last time you made a decision and reflected on the Antitrust Law? I would bet not too often. Remember the effect this law has had on our freedom to choose different products and services. For the full definition by Wikipedia, click here. Let’s take just one example, the purchase of a new TV.

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? Perhaps it’s the price, the quality, the features, the size or a combination of these factors. How many of you say to yourselves when standing there looking a wall of flat screens: “Samsung has four times the gross product and profitability than TV company X. Therefore, I’m going to buy a Samsung.”

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? Obviously our decisions do not center around that, or these companies would not exist. 1000 people may choose to buy a Samsung flat screen TV while 200 others may choose a Sony or Panasonic. Does that make those 200 people look foolish for not purchasing from the big dog? Absolutely not, these other companies all produce excellent products, they provide competition, and customers write excellent reviews on them. Just because their company is smaller in size does not mean that their products and services are in any way inferior.

I will give you one more example based upon my trip to Houston for the Multifamily Brainstorming Sessions. I chose for various reasons not to stay at the Hyatt where pretty well everyone else was staying, but chose to stay at the Inn at the Ballpark, which is owned by a restaurant chain. I think it is pretty safe to assume that Hyatt is a pretty big name. For all intents and purposes it served well to host everyone for rooming, the sessions, conferences etc. Those who stayed there remember all too well the issues with customer service. The elevators did not function; no one had breakfast brought to them Wednesday morning and a couple of other items. Meanwhile, I had one of the best hotel experiences ever with this smaller outfit. Top notch customer service from the restaurant staff, concierge and shuttle drivers. I had a complimentary shuttle to and from the Hyatt. 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. I attended and enjoyed all the sessions on Thursday and then took the shuttle back to the hotel. I had about 30 minutes to wait so I sat at the bar and relaxed for a bit. About 20 minutes later a gentleman starts walking through the lobby with my name on a sign! I had never had that before so that was intensely special to me. My prearranged ride to the airport by my shuttle driver was in a nice Lincoln Continental with an absolutely courteous driver. Now, by no means am I knocking the Hyatt at all. My point is simply to illustrate that a big name does not always mean everything. 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.

So stop for a moment and think about corporate decisions we make for our companies. Are you thankful for the Antitrust law? If we did not have it, guess what? There would probably only be Samsung to choose from, and maybe only the Hyatt to stay at for a conference. Give that some thought when you are making company decisions on products or services. A company’s reputation and standards should certainly not be based primarily on its size and market recognition.

Written by Jonathan Saar- The Training Factor

Certified Social Media Consultant! Huh??

2009-12-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

I get really confused with this TITLE at times. 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. I was reading a post from Aliza Sherman (@alizasherman) this morning. I really appreciated her four points of advice to anyone considering hiring outside help with their social media initiatives. Here they are:

"Question the source. 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.
Google them. 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.
Read them. 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.
Check their references. 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."

I posted my own comment on her blog this morning out of appreciation for her post. I have my own thoughts to add as well. There is education then there is application. Does that make sense to you? Think of three items you learned in school that you thought you would never use. Now think of where you actually use them now. Do you see the difference? There is really plenty of free education out there to get you going. Google any social media topic and a wealth of resources will appear for you. Setting up Google alerts is a way to have information sent to you. There are numerous chats on twitter to participate in or just observe to get education. Some of my favorites are the following:

#aptchat on Friday’s 4pm EST – Hosted by Lisa Trosien (@lisatrosien) and Mike Whaling (@30lines)

The focus is on any multifamily topic. Items such as Fair housing, resident retention, marketing, apartment training etc are discussed.

#blogchat on Sunday’s 9pm EST- Hosted by Mack Collier (@mackcollier)

The subject changes each week, but essentially the main topic is the same which is how to blog and learning best practices from others.

There are others such as #journchat on Tuesday night 8pm EST and #socialmedia on Tuesday’s 12pm EST hosted by Marc Myer (@Marc_Myer)

The list can go on regarding education that is out there to help you in social media. The application is a different story. This is where I have a hard time with individuals who declare themselves “certified” or a “guru”. Some of have even gone as far as calling themselves “The King”. Then you do a little digging and you find out the truth. Please be very careful. Social Media and its impact on the way we do business are all still very new. The application is still being defined. Every business model is different so it makes no sense to take a one-size- fits-all approach.

Work hard to educate yourself. Ask questions. Observe how others implement and use social media as part of their every day strategy. Don’t be selfish either. Always remember the first word in the expression “Social Media”. Sharing and expressing our thoughts will only help us improve as we all share this path and learn together. What has helped you in learning social media? What resources did you find best? Do you think that anyone can really call themselves an expert? I have been educated and instructed by many great professionals who do have real experience in Social Media. Just ask me who they are and what help you need, and I will tell you for free.

Written by Jonathan Saar – The Training Factor

Don't Drink and Facebook

2009-11-30T12:53:00.001-05:00

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?”.

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 Drinking and Facebook. Lisa Trosien posted a good article 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.

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.

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?

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.

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 Drink and Facebook. I hope you get the analogy. Letting your inhibitions and guard down can lead to a serious blow to your reputation and career.

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?

Written by Jonathan Saar- The Training Factor

Keep Beating Your Drum!

2009-11-25T08:53:00.000-05:00

What are the first images that come to your mind with this opening title? Hold that thought. 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. The drum is a fundamental instrument at pep rallies. Can you imagine a pep rally with all flutes? I think you get the image. The drum has the ability to inspire, motivate and pursue whatever goal you aspire to achieve.

At Brainstorming last week, the keynote address was presented by top executives in the multifamily industry. The CEO of Camden Property Trust, Richard Campo, used the expression “keep beating your drum”. 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. He encouraged vendors to provide hard data and infomercials in order to communicate effectively with decision makers.

So what does this all mean? Does it mean our rhythm and beat should be the same as our multifamily company’s beat? Or do we beat our drum with a different tune? Are we ready to stand out as different and present a different tempo because our belief is that we have something better to offer? Are we ready to march to the beat of our own drum? How does your company inspire you to find the new tune?

Written by Jonathan Saar - The Training Factor

Life’s perspectives- When is a Spider not just a Spider

2009-11-23T09:37:00.001-05:00

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 Wolf Spider 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.

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 nuclear war 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.

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 Brainstorming 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.

Written by Jonathan Saar- The Training Factor

Do you Know How to Shake Someone’s Hand?

2009-11-15T15:52:00.001-05:00

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Written by Jonathan Saar- The Training Factor

Marketing Cost Per Door

2009-11-13T09:18:00.000-05:00

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. I drummed up a few discussions on Twitter, Facebook, and Multifamilyinsiders. I received quite a bit of comments to help me put this together. We at The Training Factor had some market research available from some of our clients so that helped as well.

From our research it seemed that the average cost per door in marketing was around $125.00 per door. Some properties were more and some less, but let’s stick with that as a working number. In our newsletter this past week, we had this downloadable Excel file entitled Training ROI Estimator. Please feel free to use it to calculate your individual company’s marketing per door costs. What came up in the discussions was of course everyone’s dream to convert more leads to leases. How is this accomplished? Of course, with quality multifamily training you will see your conversion rates go higher. There are some crazy stats that show how many internet leads are never followed up on. This can be upwards of 50% or more at times. Not only that, even the ones that are followed up on never go past that first attempt. This Excel spreadsheet highlights costs incurred when a training program is implemented. Training is not an option. 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!

Any thoughts you may have on what constitutes what is spent on marketing per door would be awesome. If you have any testimonials on how training has increased your conversion rates for leases that would be great too.

For multifamily training courses that help increase lease conversion percentages click here.

Written by Jonathan Saar- The Training Factor

Brainstorming Session #mfbsconf –Why I am Filled with Jubilation

2009-11-11T07:54:00.002-05:00

Next week in Houston Texas, Tami Siewruk (@multifamilypro) will be hosting Brainstorming Sessions: Stellar Solutions. Within the multifamily industry there has been so much positive chatter about this event, hence the reason why I decided to write this today.

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. (Side note I was an assistant property manager for a shopping mall at age 16 J )

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.

So as I prepare for this event next week the key word I thought of this morning was Jubilation! 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.

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.

Written by Jonathan Saar - The Training Factor

Fair Housing: Landmark Judgment Passed for Multifamily Company

2009-11-04T11:39:00.001-05:00

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 Justice Department.

http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/capital/2009/11/03/justice-department-hits-la-apartment-owner-with-record-fine/

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-crt-1187.html

A couple of key excerpts are as follows: “Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced 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.

“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.”

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.”

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.”

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 educated properly and have clear documentation on how each staff member is in compliance.

This judgment could be the first of many to come. Let’s be proactive and not reactive. Being reactive could cost us dear.

Written by Jonathan Saar - The Training Factor

Preparing for Flu Season-An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure Series

2009-11-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

Fall is now in full swing. There is great importance for all multifamily companies to make sure that you and your staff are fully prepared for this flu season. The CDC has issued its official documents for business owners. Its entitled “CDC Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to the 2009–2010 Influenza Season”. Make sure you click through to view the entire PDF document.

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. Many corporations are instituting new guidelines and procedures to make sure they are ready. Here are a few items.

1. Ask your cleaning company what cleaning products they are using and where. Ask for a check list of what specifically they are cleaning and with what product. Make adjustments where necessary.

2. Make sure there are hand sanitizer stations throughout the office. Have some available for visitors and residents when they enter the office.

3. Set up employee policies on what to do when they have flu like symptoms. Be clear to the staff what will happen if they have to miss work. Give clear guidelines in order to alleviate any fear.

4. 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.

5. 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.

You may have others you wish to contribute in the comments below which would be greatly appreciated. The flux of this post is to make sure we are prepared and show how much we care for our staff. Our team is everything to us. Let’s show them how much we care by being proactive instead of reactive.

Written by Jonathan Saar- The Training Factor

To learn more about multifamily training options click here

Google Maps Provides Direct Link To “Find Yourself”

2009-10-30T06:30:00.001-04:00

Google Maps Provides Direct Link To “Find Yourself”

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6 Ways To Create Opportunities on LinkedIn

2009-10-29T06:43:00.001-04:00

6 Ways To Create Opportunities on LinkedIn

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What goes around, Comes around

2009-10-27T07:30:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post 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.

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.

Written by Jonathan Saar--The Training Factor

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure Series: Fair Housing Education

2009-10-23T08:09:00.000-04:00

Fair housing laws are not something to be treated lightly. The law was enacted in order to protect the civil rights of all human beings living here in the United States. Just because the law was enacted over 40 years ago, does not mean that we have breached the discrimination here in this country. As last year’s CNN report so eloquently reports for us below.

So this is just my personal reminder to not take proper training for granted. 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. The Fair housing act is constantly being reviewed and updated which continues to put great responsibility on the multifamily industry.

Take a minute and run through these memory tests

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/puzmatch.html

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/stm0.html

Here are a couple of others that you can just think about.

Name 10 people that you met for the first time at your last conference without looking at their business cards.

Recall the scores out loud of the 3 football games you were following last weekend.

Now you may or may not have done so well on these little tests. Here is the point though; our memories are always being challenged. Do you think it makes sense to take a fair housing course just once and feel that is all that is needed? Do you think that this is all your team needs? Please make good decisions. Our memories are fickle and our able to retain and apply information is based on the repetition we give to any given subject. Brent Williams from Multifamily Insiders made an important point yesterday with me. 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 %. It can be very scary to fulfill your work responsibilities and have the law hanging over your head. Here is my little analogy. I always had two types of emotions when I was about to complete my course exams at the end of my semester. If I studied and worked hard, I walked into that room with a sense of confidence. If I did not, then fear was the emotion of the moment.

So that leaves us with this question. If our team members are fearful over possible Fair housing violations, what are we doing to alleviate that?

Written by Jonathan Saar-- The Training Factor

The Social Media Marketing Blog: Fear and Loathing in Social Media

2009-10-21T07:14:00.001-04:00

The Social Media Marketing Blog: Fear and Loathing in Social Media

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An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure Series: Sexual Harassment Math Quiz

2009-10-20T15:00:00.000-04:00

Let’s take a quick crack at some math. We are going to take a look at a figurative multifamily situation involving a community with 20 employees. The property management company does not believe that training is necessary in order to help prevent sexual harassment claims.

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. Are your pencils sharpened? Good! Let’s see how much this is going to cost our figurative multifamily company.

The first step they have to take is to hire a professional to investigate the situation. 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. That’s $4000.00. After that the investigative company mandates that the entire staff take a day of offsite sexual harassment prevention training. Pencil’s ready? Let’s say the average pay per hour is $15.00 per hour. So we need to calculate $15.00 X 8 hours X 20 employees. Total cost to the company for that training day. $2400.00

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. That will add approximately another $1500.00. The grand total for this sexual harassment claim----$7900.00. Let’s not even go down the road if the alleged victim decides to take their claim to court and wins.

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 tracked and analyzed where the team members needed help on this subject. For an LMS with a Sexual Harassment prevention course, it would cost a company as little as $35.00 per year per employee to take the course twice. That’s approximately $700.00 a year to train the whole company.

I’ll let you do the math.

Written by Jonathan Saar. Average statistics provided by The Training Factor

Corporate Cut the Tabs! -My Take on the Interview with Captain Sullenberger

2009-10-15T13:08:00.004-04:00

If any of you missed out on The Daily Show with John Stewart the other day, the interview with Captain Chesley Sullenberger is below. First of all, our hats go off to this amazing person who showed such poise and saved so many lives. There were two particular points from his interview that struck home with me. Much thanks to my wife Renee, who totally rocks, for pointing them out to me.

For my multifamily colleagues and really for all of us in business, here they are.

1. Corporations need to invest in training and

2. Put the Tabs Back!!!!!!!

The interview is only about 7 minutes long, so please watch and then see my comments below.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Chesley Sullenberger

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Ron Paul Interview

How many of you thought how completely lame and ridiculous it was for an airline to mess with an emergency handbook!! As the Captain stated, “I think it would make the system better if we put the tabs back.” Corporate somehow came to a conclusion that to cut costs, it would be a good idea to take the tabs out!!

This is just an amazing example of where some corporate officials have their heads. Unfortunately this line of thinking continues across the corporate world and seems to have leaked into the multifamily industry. It continues to sadden me to hear of major layoffs as a result of the perception that this is the only way to cut costs. These employees are the ones who have been trying to get their voices heard and who have consistently tried to present to their corporate heads cost saving solutions in order to help their company succeed. But they feel like my illustration up at the top-gagged and tied up. And the corporate solution- “Let’s cut back on the tabs.”

This post may be of little consolation to those who are stunned and hurt over what has happened to you. You are thinking to yourself—“After all the years I have devoted myself to my job and I just got treated like a Tab!!!” I was a victim of that once as well and I am sorry for what you are going through.

Thank goodness for the Captain’s training. It saved lives that day. In the multifamily industry, you cannot go without a training program. When it counts the most, the training you provide for your staff may save you from a Fair Housing or Sexual Harassment disaster. Do you keep wondering why your marketing dollars are not bringing the return you hoped for? The training you provide for your leasing, maintenance and management team will change that.

This message may never reach the people who really need to hear it, but you are reading this now and remember to take this with you as you progress in your multifamily professional career.

P.S. please take a moment and comment. Thank you.

Written by Jonathan Saar who was inspired by his wonderful wife for this post.

The Training Factor

Is Social Media Like Baking a Cake?

2009-10-14T08:03:00.001-04:00

I remember making my first Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake . I was around 12 years old and my wonderful mother was trying to teach me to bake. This was no cake in a box method, it was all from scratch. She outlined the necessary steps in order to be successful. Read the recipe carefully. Make sure I have all my ingredients. Get out all my measuring instruments. Then begin the step by step process as outlined in the recipe. Thankfully I had my mother there while I painstakingly went through the steps. There was very little room for error, so I needed to be precise. She gave me some tips as I went along and Voila! I had my first cake.

I was thinking about that this morning and applied it to the continuing debate on how to employ Social Media. I imagined myself making that cake and not using the right ingredients, not measuring properly, and not reading through and applying the steps outlined in the recipe. What would I have? I would have a huge mess, failure, and something that would not represent my Mom very well.

Social Media is no different. You cannot just jump on the band wagon and throw a whole bunch of ingredients together and hope to have some sort of tangible results! The recipe is research. The ingredients are the right Social Media options that will suit your business plan and purpose. The measuring instruments speak for themselves. It is important to employ the right amount of any given ingredient. The steps also speak for themselves.

Is there only one recipe for Devil’s Food Cake? Absolutely not! They may all have similar characteristics, but each baker has their own unique recipe that fits them. Social Media is the same. You need to find your recipe. You need to measure and you need to take careful steps. Hopefully you will have a cool Mom to help you along the way.

Written by Jonathan Saar -The Training Factor

For more information on Multifamily Leasing and Fair Housing Training, please visit our site.

Is Email a Form of Communication?

2009-10-07T08:23:00.000-04:00

Email etiquette is something that is extremely important in the professional world. We have been trained on proper spelling, not using acronyms, using proper grammar and of course making sure we do not blab on and on over a subject that can be wrapped up in a few short sentences.

Email has become one of the fastest ways to send a message to a colleague, employer, and clients. Text messaging is now becoming just as popular to send out quick bursts of information. So back to my question: Is Email a Form of Communication?

Let’s analyze that question with some other examples. If you are standing in front of a person who is asking you a question and you do not respond to them, are you communicating? The answer is NO. If you are on the phone with someone who is sharing information with you and you say nothing in reply, is that communication? The answer is NO.

The only way to truly define basic communication is when 2 or more parties in any given setting are actually exchanging words in some fashion. So, is email a form of communication? It can be only if you have the manners to actually reply back. Otherwise you are no different than the person cited in the examples above. How would you describe the person not responding in our two examples? I will let you answer that in the comment section below.

For some odd reason “some” in this professional world have begun to view email as a “If I feel like responding” or “This email from this person is just not that important to me”. Now before you get all ruffled, I am not talking about spammers or those companies who buy lead lists and shoot out a blast email with their latest product or service they are selling. I am referring to all individuals who send you a message that has your name in it with some information and questions perhaps and then closes with their signature. Can someone answer me as to why those emails would not be responded to?

Here is an image we can all relate to, 20 years ago, your parents are standing beside you and someone is talking to you. You do not say anything in reply and what did your folks do to you next?

We have a lot to do each day, but setting an example in communication is paramount. Some email responses may need some time and others may simply need a “No thank you” or “I have that covered”. Whatever the case may be email is communication and when professionals do not respond, I wonder what you would call them?

Written by Jonathan Saar—The Training Factor

Hello!!!!! Anyone in There????

2009-10-06T07:39:00.002-04:00

The above title can be a common expression when dealing with our fellow team members. Our ability to communicate and to be communicated to is a major determining factor in our leadership skills. The complete slowdown and or failure in the business process are usually attributed to a complete breakdown of communication between various departments. Then the frustration, anxiety, uncertainty and many other negative emotions are the soup du jour. How would you feel if these emotions are what described your communication business process? Maybe it’s time for a second look at your communication policies.

Here is an example of a typical corporate situation. Your superior assigns you a project wanting to see a specific outcome in order to enhance a particular business process. You research, brainstorm, rough draft and then bring the project to a final proposal. You present the information to your superior but that is the last you ever hear of it. No next steps, no implementation date---nothing! What happened? You may never know. Reason why this took place—no communication.

This is one little teeny tiny example that barely scratches the surface of where breakdowns in communication can hurt the daily process. So what can practically be done? Maybe the title of this blog should be the theme of your next communication training meeting.

Some other symptoms of bad communication would be finger pointing, lack of follow through, no clear direction for next project and the list goes on. Those are the symptoms, how about attacking the disease. Lack of policy is the disease. The communication policy needs to include everyone. It does little good for a policy to affect only certain departments but never applied by the leaders of the company. One word for that—FAILURE.

You want to start saving money and make your company a happy and productive place to work—this is my tip of the day: Open your two ears and do a lot more listening and do half the talking. That's what my Mom would always say to me. What does your communication policy sound like? I hope it's not like the one demonstrated in our video below. Enjoy the laugh.

Written by Jonathan Saar: The Training Factor

More Bang for Your Buck

2009-10-01T07:38:00.000-04:00

This was an absolutely hilarious training video in my opinion, but then again I am often told my sense of humor is quite dry. From a business point of view, this video has such a great analogy. Keeping this all in good humor of course, but can you honestly imagine this poor guy making it to the Olympics with this existing program he is using? It may be cheap, it may look like what the real Olympic training programs are, but the bottom line is that it is NOT!

There seem to be quite few companies offering multifamily training programs out there. They promise the world, they say they can offer it for half the price of other systems which is probably absolutely the truth. I guess the moral and professional dilemma is the decision to choose what training is best for your multifamily team. What kind of bang do you want for your buck? Maybe it depends on how bad you want the gold medal for your team.

Written by Jonathan Saar The Training Factor

Through a Child's Eyes

2009-09-30T07:54:00.000-04:00

Natural disasters help us to take a moment to reflect on really what’s important in life.

Georgia

has experienced devastating floods and this morning we are hearing reports of deadly tsunamis and earthquakes on the other side of the world. When you witness people who have lost everything, it really helps adjust your focus and outlook on life.

Remembering our children’s perspective on life can also give us a few business life lessons as well. I remember the time my son saw his first butterfly. First he screamed with glee when he noticed this little creature, and then he wanted to know what it was. For the next 15 minutes after that he worked hard on trying to say the actual word. But what I remember from that moment is how he was just awestruck by its beauty and uniqueness. This was just an automatic reaction to something he believed was special.

So the brief message for our multifamily environments for today is this. We have Fair Housing laws to protect the people, but if we see something special in everyone, it will be much easier to follow those laws. When we view our residents through a child’s eyes, how hard will it be to retain and engage them? When we see the beauty and amenities of our community though a child’s eyes how much do you need to worry about being secret shopped?

In the overall picture though, it’s not all about work, it’s about life. Look around, take notice, and be grateful.

Written by Jonathan Saar The Training Factor

New Media Atlanta Summary-Choose Your Direction

2009-09-29T07:55:00.000-04:00

Last Friday September 25^th, I had the opportunity to attend “New Media Atlanta” at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Chris Brogan was the keynote speaker and was surrounded by other speakers who had their own take, message, and experience to share with this audience.

The scene was quite intriguing. The room where the conference was held was extra high tech. Quite comfortable for everyone and a place to plug in your laptop, make some notes and enjoy the presentations. The environment was totally the perfect breeding ground for the social media enthusiasts who were ready with their twitter accounts to share this information with the world. On that day alone, 3719 tweets were recorded based on statistics from http://wthashtag.com/Nmatl

Trying to wrap up the key points from that day in a few paragraphs will be a challenge, but here I go. Basically there is not a one size fits all standard of Social Media. Every company has a different product, service, and customer that need to be engaged properly. It does you little good to have 30,000 followers on Twitter and 950 fans of your Facebook page, when you have absolutely no dollars to show for it. Social Media is just another aspect of any other marketing plan. You do not just jump in with both feet; you need to carefully study and measure to make sure your methods are providing the best effect.

This really starts by “listening”. Do you know what your customers or residents want? Do you know what they are saying about you? Do you have a message that will engage them, so that they want to come back and hear more? These are just a few questions that are necessary when formulating a plan to add Social Media to your existing structure. FYI-Horizon Realty made the list of examples of what not to do when using Social Media. I don’t think we need to go down that road again.

One statement that stuck with me from Chris Brogan’s presentation was this; ask people “How much do I suck?” In other words, be ready to take the good with the bad. Social Media has made the world completely transparent.

The multifamily industry is starting to break into this frontier. Some are trying it out on their own, and some are using experienced and skilled consultants. Social Media can you show your dedication to Fair Housing Laws. It demonstrates your commitment to customer service and resident retention. The main point is to accurately measure your path. Use strategic reporting to carefully chart your progress. If after a business quarter passes by and you do not see the results, do not toss the plan into the garbage. Tweak it and keep moving forward. Social Media is not a fad, it is here to stay.

Written by Jonathan Saar The Training Factor

Stay the Course

2009-09-23T21:58:00.000-04:00

Those three words have inspired thousands of individuals for centuries now. It’s interesting to reflect on the definition. Wikipedia makes these statements.

"Stay the course" is a phrase used in the context of a war or battle meaning to pursue a goal regardless of any obstacles or criticism.

Similar to "cut and run", a pejorative phrase used to describe cowardly withdrawal from battle, "stay the course" allegedly originated as a nautical metaphor on maintaining a constant, unaltering course while navigating.

How do these three words inspire you? What are your business challenges?

Here’s a theoretical list.

Marketing plan-Is it the right one for me? How long should I stick to it?
Competition-What size fish am I in my pond? What do I do about the bigger fish?
Budgets-Do I spend the money, or do I cut back? Do I invest or do I ride this economy out?
Training-Do I really need it? Can I live without it? Will the cheap version be as effective as the higher quality version?
Occupancy percentages-What really works for resident retention? Do I use social media or not?

For many multifamily companies its budget time and new fiscal year decisions are being made. Your leadership training now comes into play with crucial decisions that will affect your company, your team, and yourself.

Now think of our three words. “STAY THE COURSE”. In the nautical context, can you envision the captain of the ship who is trying to encourage and convince his entire crew that they will survive the storm? The course is front of him is uncertain. It’s hard to see with all the waves pounding against his ship. Water is flying everywhere. His crew is being tossed around. The 1^st mate and lieutenants continue to delegate orders so that the ship will not sink. The captain cannot see clearly what is in front of him, but he has his instruments to tell him where he is going. His compass has never let him down. His maps and charts have been accurately created. His calculations are correct. He knows that the direction he is taking his crew is true. He stands at his captain’s wheel and confidently yells out to the crew, “STAY THE COURSE”.

Within our multifamily companies we have our instruments that do not let us down. We have specific ones to deal with Marketing, Competition, Budgets, Training, and Occupancies. We have instruments that have stood the test of time and we are discovering new ones that deal with the more current conditions and times we live in. The message is clear for us. If we act as leaders within our company, have you ever thought of those three words?

Post written by Jonathan Saar from The Training Factor

Acorn Got Secret Shopped!

2009-09-19T18:50:00.001-04:00

It’s current events like we have been witnessing recently that give us a whole new appreciation for being Secret Shopped! I was hired at one time to do secret phone shops, and I never felt more uncomfortable in my whole life. I felt so sad for the people I was talking to on the phone and looking to try and find something to score them high on. I felt bad because now that report had to go to their boss and I was so anxious that because of my call, someone might lose their job. After witnessing the ACORN events, my attitude has changed. Secret Shops are for a protection and will only make you strive to achieve higher in your position. Notice below from the ACORN website their motto and brief bio.

Who is ACORN?

ACORN is the nation’s largest grassroots community organization of low- and moderate-income people with over 400,000 member families organized into more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in about 75 cities across the country. Since 1970, ACORN has been building community organizations that are committed to social and economic justice, and won victories on thousands of issues of concern to our members, through direct action, negotiation, legislative advocacy and voter participation. ACORN helps those who have historically been locked out become powerful players in our democratic system.

http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=12342

Now in the property management end our bio or our mission statement on our website may read something similar. Let’s change the words up a bit.

Who is Property Management XYZ?

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT XYZ is one of the nation’s largest property management companies. We have a portfolio of over XXX condos and apartments in over 10 states. Since 1970, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT XYX has been building communities that are dedicated to helping our residents have the best living experience possible. Our goal is to keep you happy and satisfied with your community and to retain you as a resident indefinitely. Our chief concern is you as the resident. Our goal is the utmost of customer service. We want to hear your voice. We are here for you.

The question is: Does our company description match what our employees portray? When you look at ACORN and their company description, the proof is in the pudding. It sounds good on paper, but reality is much different. I can guarantee you right now that they are wishing they had some sort of secret shop system set up in order to protect their organization.

Does our “About” page read something similar to the example above? What are we doing in the multifamily industry to make sure our mission statement matches our people? If you were not participating in secret shops before, what will you do now? If you were not creating and implementing a performance review program, what will you do now? If you do not have an active and ongoing multifamily training program, what will you do now? Do you believe that the only way an employee can benefit from their secret shop is if they have follow up training to enhance their skill sets? It all ties together.

Never be afraid of secret shops, but welcome them. Treat each situation as if you were being shopped, that way you can never go wrong. They are a protection for you and your company to make sure that fair housing laws are being followed and customer service skills and leasing skills are optimized.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. If you have been secret shopped before, what is your general feeling towards them? As a property management company who has that policy of using secret shops, how do you use them to make your team better with their job title?

This article written by Jonathan Saar Director of Marketing for The Training Factor

Questions about your current program contact us: http://www.thetrainingfactor.com

You Must Choose, But Choose Wisely

2009-09-17T15:12:00.001-04:00

Decision makers have such a huge responsibility. Whether or not we are on the property management side or the vendor side, everyday there are decisions to be made. It could be new employees, products, services, events, you name it, there are numerous items on a given business day that need to be addressed.

One of my favorite movies, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” had such an interesting scene towards the end that gave us all something to compare to. The scenario: What do I base my decisions on? The Grail Knight in the tomb used that expression, “You must choose, But Choose Wisely”. We all remember what Walter Donovan did right away. His superficial reasoning was that the most beautiful chalice had to be the correct vessel. However he really did not know his history well nor did he do the proper research in order to come to a correct decision. He just went with what looked best and what seemed to be the easiest choice and we know what happened to him, it kind of got yucky from that point on. However Indiana Jones knew his history and had studied well which enabled him to ‘choose wisely’. The action hero once again saves the day.

So what is the application for our industry? We are confronted daily with 2 paths to take on any given decision. One appears to be the intriguing and easy choice. It looks pretty, it has a lot of show, and it glistens with promises and makes you think that if you choose this way it is going to make you a hero, that you will be so highly esteemed for the decision you made. Where will this path lead? The other path does not outwardly appear like much. There is not glitz, no glamour, no outrageous promises, but you have done your research on this path. You have investigated thoroughly. You have educated yourself enough to know that even though the glitz is not there, you will not be misled by superficial reasoning. You will know by your research that this path and decision is the best because you have examined it thoroughly and you want your team to benefit the most. As the Grail Knight would say, “You have chosen wisely.”

Of course we are not talking about life or death decisions here, but the same principles apply. Let’s continue to make our industry stand strong because of the professionalism that its foundation is based on. Don’t get sucked in by a high pitched sales presentation or a resume with pretty borders and big words. Don’t get caught in the snare of someone who says they will undercut a proposal no matter what, just to get a sale. Be careful about the events and resident retention concepts you bring to your communities. Our decisions should not be about short term glamour, but long term prosperity.

I am so interested in hearing from you on some of the challenging decisions you face and what steps you take to make sure you are making the best choice for you and your multifamily company.

Just for fun check out the old Diet Coke Choose Wisely commercial below.
Written by Jonathan Saar-Director of Marketing The Training Factor
For more information on The Training Factor visit our site http://www.thetrainingfactor.com

Did Your Light Bulb Go Off?

2009-09-14T19:01:00.004-04:00

So you receive your energy consumption bill in the mail (electric or natural gas). It’s already not a pleasant item to have to open, but you have no choice. Much to your chagrin, what you owe this month nearly gives you a heart attack. Then you reflect on how you have to pay all this money this month for your utility bill and yet your home never feels comfortable!! It is still so hot and my air conditioner is always on and nothing, no relief, still uncomfortable!!

Then you notice a little pamphlet inside the envelope that your bill came with. It has a simple title, “Would you like to make your home more energy efficient?” You gasp “YES” and you read the information. It clearly outlines for you what it will take in order to start saving money. Tips are given on your windows, doors, filters etc. As you read through the material you come to realize two things are necessary in order to start feeling comfortable in your home.

1. Decisive Action

2. Spending Money on materials to upgrade various components in your home.

Now can you imagine yourself analyzing these 2 steps? Would you be saying to yourself, “How ridiculous this is to spend money in the short term in order to save money in the long term?” I would hope not. Could you see yourself with such an important matter putting this decision off until next year? I would hope not. What is important? Feeling comfortable in your own home, while saving money is priority.

Notice the picture of the light bulb? Not so many years ago we used an incandescent light bulb above our heads to symbolize that a great idea has come to our minds. Those days are over people. We now use a fluorescent bulb. Why? It’s called progress. It’s called taking current trends and translating them into how we do business.

Two of the hottest budget topics that have been circulating within the multifamily industry are Training and Marketing. This has become an “uncomfortable” topic. The lack of comfort has come as a result of poor or no training and marketing dollars that are being spent with a very poor return.

Has your light bulb gone off yet? When industry professionals present information and services that will make your company feel more “comfortable”, in what timely fashion do you address the presentation and information?

So ask yourself, what kind of light bulb does my property management company have above its head? Utility companies present information to its consumers in order to help the environment. Dedicated multifamily professionals present information to property management companies in order to help the growth and stability of the multifamily industry. If this post has given you a new or brighter light bulb above your head, I would appreciate your comments.

Interested in quality online training that is engaging and retaining? Click the link below.

http://www.thetrainingfactor.com

Twitter Poll:On average- How many emails do you receive a day?

2009-09-10T08:48:00.002-04:00

Perfomance Evaluation and Analysis Feature

2009-09-09T11:00:00.010-04:00

We are pleased to announce a new feature that has recently been added to our Training University! We are constantly improving our product for your benefit. You have told us of your need to marry employee training with employee performance evaluations. Whether those evaluations are in the form of Supervisor/Manager evaluations or secret shopper experiences, you needed a way to disseminate those evaluations to your employees and to train them in the areas where they may need extra help. You spoke and we listened!!

Introducing the Performance Evaluation and Analysis feature. This feature will allow you to upload all of your employee evaluations to your employee’s transcript page. Your employee will be able to see their evaluation, see and/or hear their secret shop, and receive training based on their performance analysis!

Best of all, this feature is available now and at no extra cost to our valued clients!!

We will shortly be unveiling reports to complement this new feature as well!

If you are interested in learning more about this feature and get an overview of how to use it effectively, please call Mechelle or Renée at 770-514-7773 or email us to schedule a mutually convenient time!

Thanks again for your feedback that helps us make The Training Factor the most comprehensive Learning Management System in the multifamily industry.

http://www.thetrainingfactor.com

Blue 32--Blue 32--Ready, Set Hutt Hutt

2009-09-08T10:28:00.007-04:00

Football season is now in full swing. Time to take the passion of the game and use it to your advantage with your residents and with your team. Statistically speaking, football continues to grow in popularity with many different demographics. It is no longer just a guys game, but the amount of women who tune into NCAA on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday is steadily growing.

So with such an ingrained passion with so many people, what can you do to use this to retain residents and gain loyalty with your multifamily team? How about dress up Fridays? Let your staff show up with their favorite team jersey. The result? Instant conversation starter when the residents come in!

The stuffy office atmosphere is gone and opportunities for fun and engaging conversations now have a breeding ground.

Now what about direct resident retention? Pretty well I am sure you know your resident's birthday, anniversary, graduation day etc. What about their favorite football team? Interesting fact to chat about on the community blog and get the residents involved in a little friendly rivalry.

How about a fan dress up contest? Or maybe a Saturday tailgate party? Options are probably endless when those wheels start spinning upstairs.

Bottom line-- have some fun with your multifamily team and with the residents. Show them both how much you value and appreciate who they are and their own particular passion for such a great weekend pastime.

If this is something you have already tried before, please share. I would love to hear how it worked for your community.

Visit our website http://www.thetrainingfactor.com

Are you an Otter?

2009-08-31T06:41:00.006-04:00

Good morning everyone. I love watching Planet Earth and found an episode particularly interesting this weekend. There was a section that discussed the otter as a social creature and how well they work together as a group.

Here is what was cool. What do you think? One on One, Otter versus Crocodile. Who do you think would win. The answer is obvious. Don't count the otter out yet. Here is how the otter faces such a formidable opponent--teamwork. As a group they work together to harass and antagonize a crocodile that is coming to close to its family group. The crocodile although hungry, gives up on trying to catch a meal.

Lesson for today--Are you an otter? How much do you contribute to your team? What is the crocodile in your company's daily challenges? Is it the economy? Occupancies? Or maybe something within ourselves?

Whatever the case may be, there is a lot to learn from such a wonderful creature. The only thing that matters to an otter is keeping the team together and facing adversity and challenges head on. How do you act like an otter in your daily work and life? Thanks for reading, and have a great Monday.

Training--Huhh!! Why??

2009-08-28T07:12:00.004-04:00

Good morning everyone and happy Friday!!!

Morning thoughts have been reflecting on the different types of multifamily professionals I have met. The most intriguing for sure were the ones that when I asked questions about their training program, they said--Huhh! Why? They looked at me as if to say-"We hired them because they know the position, why should we as a company have to go any further?"

I really need your input on this statement. Here is what I have humbly noticed thus far. Please notice that this may not be the only variable on this next statement, however it is an important factor. Those companies who did not believe in training have been laying off like crazy. In contrast those companies who have a strong training program are hiring and even buying up new additions to their portfolio.

My message--Maybe your response to why you are laying off or why your NOI does not look good at all should be--Huh!! Why!!

Open the mind, examine the possibilities, get involved with the social aspect of the multifamily industry so that you can learn from others. Be humble.

Please share your thoughts-thanks folks- Have a fabulous weekend.

Informative Multifamily Bloggers-Knowledge is Power

2009-08-27T06:42:00.006-04:00

Good morning Everyone,

I am kind of new at blogging, but about to dig in and learn how to do it by just "doing". We know the old expression of jumping in with both feet. Knowing this was a necessary part of interaction with the multifamily community, I decided it best to learn from other's who blog that I especially appreciate. I know there are probably many others that I just have not noticed as of yet, so if I missed you and you want to share yours with me, please feel free.

The links below are some great blogs from experienced professionals here in the multifamily industry. The fastest way to keep in tune with their posts is to either subscribe by email or use a RSS feed that posts the information right to your reader. I use google as my home page, so when I open it up in the morning, I take a few minutes and get a good start to the day by reading the insights on their blogs.

http://behindtheleasingdesk.com/

http://www.theapartmentnerd.com/

http://www.multifamilyinsiders.com/home/

http://www.apartmentveteran.com/

http://www.apartmentmarketingblog.com/

I look forward to blogging regularly now. Just so you know I am not a "stats" kind of guy. I know that is helpful for many topics. My direction is more on overall development. Whether it is ourselves personally or how are companies grow, I feel that statistics have a place in the board room absolutely, but also how we live our lives each day and our personal motto we live with is just as important. Other than that I have a lot to share about my customers and their success. I work with a lot of great teams now and their passion inspires me.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments.

Are Complaints Growing or Lowering?

2009-08-26T12:16:00.001-04:00

Now that the Horizon situation seems to be passing for the moment, I thought it prudent to point something out that I have been monitoring. It seems that this twitter complaint has inspired others to really get on board. I use twilert to monitor certain keywords that people use and to see in what context they are using them. Of course I have our company name and I regularly do random tests to see if my tweet turns up in my morning email report on that key word.

I also have a keyword report on “property management”. Since the well published situation that happened not to long ago, I am noticing this trend of complaining continuing. This is just with that particular expression alone. In the tweets I noticed they named the management company within their post. One company I knew and I let them know right away which they were grateful for. The others unfortunately I did not know who they were and felt sad that a customer complaint was going to go unheard.

My other thought was, how many tweeters are not using the expression “property management”, but are just naming the company name. When I tried to see a twitter presence on the companies that were named in the complaints, I could find none.

What lessons do you think need to be learned here????

On the hand, I felt quite privileged last night to monitor a property management company have an entire business meeting via twitter. Mike Whaling from @30Lines made this great comment last night to them, “Want transparency? Very interesting to watch @AlbertMBerriz & the McKinley team openly talk about their biz plans on Twitter. “

I was amazed myself to see a team embrace technology with people who are using it to its fullest potential and are using it to engage and connect with their residents.

Is this message getting out there?

Consistent Leadership---Learn From the Restroom

2009-07-20T16:12:00.000-04:00

Consistency holds a special place for all different aspects of life. Even in our subconscious, our mind craves it. I happened to appreciate that even more reflecting on different restroom experiences I have had in restaurants.

I put my hand in front of the soap dispenser and the motion sensor kicks in and out comes the soap. I then place my hands in front of the faucet and for that brief moment I was waiting for the water to come out automatically. Another brief moment passes and I realize there is a manual faucet of which I must turn. Now on to the towel dispenser, I am looking frantically for the wheel or lever to roll the paper out and then the brain has to make its adjustment and once again it’s back to the motion sensor.

After reflecting on that for a while, I came to realize that this is really nothing new. Many restaurants do this, for which I do not know why. You go from motion sensor to non motion sensor items in order to complete your mission in the restroom.

This made me think of the impact it had on my brain’s craving for consistency. With so many things on my mind, it was amazing to me that an inconsistent restroom experience could contribute to a lapse in productivity and time management.

Now take this small insignificant situation and amplify that into our workplace. If such inconsistency in a restroom contributed to a lack of productivity, how more so would this take place at work if we have to deal with leaders who are changing how business, policies, procedures, marketing plans etc. all of the time

If you are a leader in your workplace, is consistency a quality that you keep working on in order to aid to the satisfaction of your team and the overall productivity of each business day?

2009-06-10T16:35:00.000-04:00

"Estimating the Cost of Sitework - Conceptually Multifamily Insiders - Apartment Marketing Property Management Resident Retention Apartment Investment"

2009-06-09T12:05:00.000-04:00

Do management companies use outside sources for their cabinet repairs, refacing and touchups prior to a move in, or do they usually try in house first?

Resident Retention

2009-06-03T10:10:00.000-04:00

What tools are you currently using to aid in resident retention? What polices are in effect that contribute to resident retention?

LMS company

2009-06-02T14:15:00.001-04:00

What distinguishes one LMS company from another?

Course Comments

2009-06-02T11:37:00.000-04:00

What courses have you found beneficial and engaging?

2009-06-02T10:03:00.000-04:00

What are some good tips to help leasing consultants drive more traffic onto the property?

training solutions

2009-05-26T18:00:00.000-04:00

Are you done with long winded boring training courses? Tired of paying too much? Ask us for a free demo of what The Training Factor provides. www.thetrainingfactor.com

What are your comments on current elearning solutions you are using for your company.

resident retention

2009-05-21T07:10:00.000-04:00

How do you train your employees to learn about Resident Retention?

2009-05-06T08:05:00.000-04:00

What training solutions have you investigated?