Seminars

THE LOST ART OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, Customer Service
Dive into my hysterical comedic comparisons of customer service over the years and how technology continues to impact service today. Then board an international journey and find how customer service differs from the mystic mountains of China to the lost villages of the Amazon as I narrate my experiences during some of my exotic adventures throughout the world. Leave this session with an understanding of how customer service directly impacts your bottom line along with new and creative techniques to re-energize your teams' customer service commitment.
 
LIFE MANAGEMENT FOR STRESS FREE LIVING, Goal Setting
Many a student have described this session as life changing. I have received communication upon communication testifying to this class as having helped marriages, saved jobs, dissolved communication barriers and most of all bringing balance into unbalanced lives. This class allows participants to actively dissect what is causing their lives to be stressful and out of balance. They are then lead through an evaluation process of how they react to this imbalance, how it affects those around them as well as themselves. Strategies are taught of how to modify reactions, how to implement simple daily goals to stay in balance and most importantly ways to more effectively communicate with those around them, regardless of age or relationship. As one attendee wrote, "I never dreamed that after a 3 hour seminar, I would look at life so differently. After months of unsuccessful marital counseling, stressful maternal duties and daily dread of my job responsibilities, I not only left your seminar re-energized and motivated, but sure that I had just been given the tools to take charge and turn my life around!"

"AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT", Time Management

My life and your life have grown busier than ever before. Each day new technology is invented or improved upon requiring us to look at more, analyze more, follow up on more, react to more, more, more and more! In the meantime, no hours are being added to the length of our day, nor are our career or personal responsibilities being reduced. While Time Management might be an old topic, it has never been more relevant - though now needing a technology focus in addition to some tried and true methods. Join me in re-examining life's demands, reviewing and modifying some old tricks with managing the "To Do List", exploring some creative prioritization concepts and organizational methods that turn time management into "Time Magic"!

 GENERATIONAL MANAGEMENT - MOTIVATING ONE AND ALL, Management Skills

Managing a multi-generational team often is an un-recognized challenge.  Each age group brings to the table a different delivery expectation for communication and motivation from their superior.  Some want direction in writing, some merely want to be told what to do, others prefer a quick concise text and some want to do it all on their own without direction.  Take a journey with me through the communication style expectations of Veterans, Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y.  Learn why some employees are responding positively toward your direction and why others respond negatively.  Depart with great hints on how to be a more successful communicator and motivator.  Let me entertain you with outrageous stories of how to deal with the "Technically Terrified", the "Nauseating Know-It-All" and the "Ditsy Diva".  Just when you think you have this management under control, there is a new philosophy to consider ... don't be left in the dark, attend "Generational Management" and become a Master Manager!

WANTED - MORE THAN A WARM BODY, Interview Skills

As a supervisor, your success depends on your ability to recruit and hire effectively.  Many of us “Wing It” regarding ad placement and interviewing technique – typically because we have never been formally taught these skill sets.  We all know, hiring the wrong person simply because they were available, “The Warm Body” method of hiring, can make our lives a living hell!  Many of us have also learned, hiring someone simply because we like their personality and think they would be easy to work with, can also lead to employment disaster.  Let me teach you how to effectively place and word ads that generates qualified candidates.  Be introduced to Fortune 500 Company methods of weeding through resumes and easily identifying those that are well matched potential candidates.  Walk away with a strong set of interview questions and guidelines of what to listen for in candidates answers.  I will teach you how to hire with facts, not just a gut feeling.

EMPLOYEE  REVIEWS THAT MOTIVATE, Annual Review Techniques

As if annual budgets are not stressful enough, we also typically have to execute annual reviews. Additionally, throughout the year, we are intermittently faced with having to counsel employees regarding behaviors to be improved upon. This seminar teaches you some great methods of expediting annual reviews while providing valuable content for your employees to non-defensively accept and improve upon. During this seminar, I will give you, hands on experience counseling difficult scenarios that occur within most industries. Learn methods to reduce your nerves and their defensiveness while securing productive steps toward an employee commitment to meeting your supervisory goals and company goals.

A TEAM THAT PLAYS TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER, Team Building

The daunting part about being a supervisor is realizing the sole responsibility you have in regards to keeping your team motivated.  Sometimes we cannot help but ask who is going to motivate me, after I motivate them?  We typically come up with an infinite number of excuses not to implement formal team building activities, such as; we have no money in the budget, there is not enough time, there are only three employees, we are self-motivated, etc.  I say, “Pooh, pooh to you”!  We can all benefit from additional motivation, even if we are self-motivated, no matter how small our team or how absent our financial resources.  So, let your guard down, get ready to move and laugh as I engage you in tons of cost effective team building activities that allow you and your team to learn more about each other.  Walk away with methods of how to generate bonding between diverse cultures and age groups.  Participate in team building activities that foster communication, trust and colleague respect.

 SURVIVING THE MARKETING JUNGLE, Community Marketing

Many of us started out in the multi-family housing industry at an entry level position.  Due to our dedication and work ethic, we worked our way up in the ranks.  Today as Leasing Directors, Community Managers or Regional Managers, we have been taxed with the responsibility of marketing our assets.  Many of us are completely dependent upon the vendors and vendor reports to guide us in our marketing efforts due to our lack of formal training.  I personally deal every day with solicitation calls from vendors who have the perfect product that I cannot survive without.  Sometimes it is hard to say no to these barracuda commissioned sales people that we have become dependent upon and have a working relationship with.  Let me teach you the basic “Marketing Survival” skills that you need in order to not only survive, but also “Reign as King or Queen in the Marketing Decision Jungle”.  Learn how to negotiate, learn how to read between the vendor report lines and learn what’s hot and what’s not.  Be introduced to free un-manipulated analytics at your fingertips, how to dissect a market and how to effectively build a rebound plan for a failing asset.  Dive into strategies designed for lease-ups and renovation kick-offs.  Become a confident marketing expert!

THE ARTISTRY OF OUTREACH, Outreach Techniques

Over the years “Outreach” as an applied marketing technique has been avoided due to budget cuts and limited staffing.  Yet, if done correctly, can be a very effective driving force for qualified leads.  Let me share with you, personal tricks I have learned from professionals I deem as “Outreach Artists”.  Learn ways to work outreach into your budget and staffing schedules.  Be introduced to methods for getting into places, getting your materials in the right hands, motivating local referrals – all while boosting your community’s reputation.

WHO WANTS WHAT, WHEN, WHERE AND WHY, Market Knowledge Sales Classes

Market surveys have never been more vital than in today’s competitive rental industry.  Traditionally used to provide competitor pricing information, now has become vital in knowing deal breaking dynamics such as; application processing fees, additional deposits, additional rents, every changing amenity packages and much more.  With the onset of automated market surveys, leasing professionals and managers are less likely to take the time to visit competitors to see and experience the differences.  It is imperative that marketing professionals learn how to effectively utilize market surveys not only to drive the content of their pricing decisions, but also to equip their leasing professionals with competitive sales tactics.  I will introduce you to some of the most inventive ways that successful leasing and marketing professionals throughout the nation are allowing market surveys to influence their ad content, commission programs, renewal strategies and overall business practices.  Attend this seminar and gain a whole new respect for the importance and necessity of the Market Survey.

OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF SOCIAL MEDIA, Social Media

It is very difficult to mentally prioritize and make time for social media within our daily demands.  Yet, in today’s world, it is necessary.  For many it is, not understanding how the sites work, what to post on them, how often to communicate, what business efforts they support or how to manage them … the sum of these factors combined could certainly create a sense of “Social Media Fear”.  Enjoy sitting through your first, non-technical, non-threatening, step-by-step elementary class on the top social media sources, how to sign up for them, what to use them for and what to post on them.  Walk away with the knowledge of industry best practices in addition to a new found comfort level with social media.

 1 RINGY DINGY - 2 RINGY DINGY, Telephone Sales

The telephone continues to be the life line for sales success, closely followed by email.  Today, out of 100 possible points, Leasing Professionals throughout the nation are only scoring a 61% average … what a dismal grade, especially if at a community suffering from low physical or economic occupancy.  This class teaches employees how to get all of the information they need without seeming like they are a “FBI Interrogator”.  I will teach them easy to use techniques on how to handle the customer who just wants the price.  I will equip them with tricks, on how to introduce their key amenities prior to giving the price without frustrating the caller.  Additionally, they will learn phrases that make their sales efforts more interesting, leading the prospective resident to be more motivated to set the appointment for the site visit and tour.  This class has proven itself across the nation to raise sales team “Call to Appointment Ratios” consistently – without fail!

DEMONSTRATION DIVAS & DUDES, Touring Techniques

One of the most impactful efforts a Leasing Professional can make in getting prospective residents to apply, is providing an amazing community and apartment amenity tour experience.  Far more needs to happen than merely pointing out features.  Sales people need to utilize terms and phrases with their clients that initiate emotional attachment, that provoke positive thoughts of residency and that motivate a desire to apply.  I will emerse seminar attendees in role playing, touring fictiscious rooms, practicing methods of how to introduce features and amenities that elicit positive client emotion, therefore gaining dedication to renting the product.  I will review effective uses of models and updated ways to stage mini-models.  We will explore how standard business practices can be introduced as customer service programs that instantly gain the trust of the consumer.

THE POWER CLOSE, Sales Strategies

This is an all-in-one class, founded on the method of “Always Be Closing”.  Effective sales and leasing requires a complete team effort.  Maintenance must be consciously involved, realizing they are the key to curb appeal.  Housekeeping must be involved realizing they are the key to interior first impressions.  Management must be involved realizing they are the key to leasing goals and employee motivation.  And finally, the leasing team must be fully engaged, disciplining distractions and focusing on a step-by-step method proven to increase closing ratios.  In this program we discuss, advertising, email, telephone, curb appeal, personal appeal, demonstration, overcoming objections, asking for the application, follow-up and a focus on renewals.  This class if full of my real life stories as I started out in the industry as a Leasing Professional.  I have been told by many, that this is their favorite class, and am constantly asked to repeat the stories.  Students walk away with a new understanding of what it takes to be successful.  They walk away with a new dedication to detail and overall community and personal presentation.  They walk away understanding how to set their personal sales goals, how to increase their commissions and what it takes to secure renewals.  This class is full of non-stop humor, ranging from a Geriatric Leasing Professional of whom climbed into a kitchen cabinet to show how much could be stored in it to my renting to a woman of whom I was sure was Satan’s twin sister.  Anyone who attends this class needs to put on their seatbelt for a rollercoaster ride that will take them through hills of techniques, loops of laughter, curves of closes and steep dives of surprises!  Everyone will leave with their stomachs hurting from laughter, their notebooks full of unique motivating ideas to implement and a new found “Power” to close.

(This seminar is only offered as a 3 hour seminar)