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

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

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

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

What Will Your Business be Like in 2010?

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

Don't Drink and Facebook

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!

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

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?

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

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