management 3-9management 3-9 Management Focus: When It Comes To Employee Retention, Managers Simply...

management 3-9Management Focus:When It Comes To Employee Retention, Managers Simply Can't Pass The Buck!By Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-EvansTake-Charge Interviewing By Shawna BrynildssenCalculating & Reducing Employee Turnover By Joleen V. BranniganSharpen Your Financial Analysis Skills: A Brainstorming Recap By Shawna BrynildssenIn The Management Spotlight: Carolyn Celis

marketing 10-15Marketing Focus:What The Generations Want From Their Careers By Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-EvansBranding That Does Not Require A Hot Poker By Terri EuchnerIn The Marketing Spotlight: Julie Robinson-HollandMarketing Ideas:Offer A Free Seminar On RecruitingCreating Great Places To Live And WorkSelling A New Bonus PlanPick A Present - Linking Holidays With PromotionsCommunity Housewarming PartyMallscape AdvertisingOutreach That Takes the Cake

training 20-25Training Focus:It Pays To Help New Staff Start Right! By Ron KaufmanMarking The Middle: Terrific Tips To Help Learners Review, Repeat, And RememberBy Sharon BowmanTraining Trends: A Brainstorming Recap By Shawna BrynildssenIn The Training Spotlight: Terri Norvell

on-site 26-33On-Site Focus:Survey Says…Sound Employee Retention Programs Begin With Listening By Doug Miller and Chris PulketIs Your Service Team Playing Fair By Douglas D. ChasickWhy Can't We Be Friends? By Diane SteeleIn The On-Site Spotlight: Colleen Breen On-Site Ideas:The Key To Great Follow-UpPot LuckRefreshing “Seasoned” Leasing ProfessionalsGift Box To Motivate Leasing StaffWay To Go!An Idea That’ll Make You SmileHandling Conflict

extras Tools & Forms 16-19Marketplace Resources 31Upcoming Events 33

table of contents

Take-Charge Interviewingpage 4

It Pays To Help New Staff Start Right!page 20

Why Can’t We Be Friends?page 30

What The Generations Want From Their Careers

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Are you getting the best possible performance from your employees? Dothey do the best possible job all day, every day? If you said no, you're notalone. Are you finding that as much as you want your communities to

deliver great service, make money, and grow; instead...· You're losing good employees to your competition?· Your employees don't seem to have the skills that

they need in order to do great work?· Your employees consistently miss opportunities to

provide outstanding service?· Turnover and other problems are draining income

and preventing a better bottom line?You could take your communities to a whole

new level if you could get a higher level of perform-ance from your employees; but finding the right com-bination of training, motivation, compensation and rewards is tough. It doesn't matterhow well you know your company and communities. If you can't get the greatestreturn on your investment from your employees, then it's difficult to make assetsimprove performance - and almost impossible to increase your NOI.

According to a telesurvey by SatisFacts Research, LLC, 65% of residentswho say they are '"not very likely" to renew their lease cite controllable reasonsfor that response: basics like courtesy, responsiveness, and work quality (which isa function of hiring, staffing, training, work load, and the like) show up on theradar screen as 5 of the Top 20 reasons cited." You can read more about this andthe positive impact of satisfying your employees' needs in Doug Miller's andChris Pulket's article on page 26.

In this issue, we are focusing on recruiting for long-term retention, inter-viewing techniques, hiring, new employee orientation, employee benefits, team-building and motivation, employee satisfaction, building loyalty into your corpo-rate culture, increasing employee retention, and more.

Welcome to a new year of fresh ideas; and best wishes for continued successfrom the team at Multifamilypro!

May all your challenges find solutions!

Tami L. Siewruk

Tami Siewruk is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Siewruk DevelopmentCorporation, the Chief Imagination Officer of The Sales & Marketing Magic Companies, andthe Editor in Chief of Multifamilypro, based in Palm Harbor, Florida. Her companies specializein providing the multifamily housing industry with the most current leasing, marketing, man-agement, and training information available.

from the editor

Multifamilypro (formerly Sales &Marketing Magic for Apartment Pro-fessionals) is published six times ayear, and is available by subscriptiononly.

Copyright 2004The Sales & MarketingMagic Companies, Inc.

ISSN#1078-1412

Reproduction of any portion or theentirety of this magazine is strictly for-bidden without prior written permissionfrom the publisher.

This publication is designed to provideinformation in regard to the subjectmatter covered. It is sold with theunderstanding that neither the editornor the publisher is engaged in ren-dering legal services.

If legal advice or other expert advice isrequired, the services of a professionalperson should be sought.

For subscription information, letters tothe editor, comments or suggestions,please write, email or call:

The Sales & Marketing Magic Companies

36431 U.S. Highway 19 N.Palm Harbor, FL 34684

Telephone: 800-363-7384Fax: 727-784-7978

email: [email protected]: www.Multifamilypro.com

Chief Imagination OfficerTami Siewruk

Director of Order, Reason and Reality

Barbie Figueroa

Director of Making Stuff WorkMonique Guion-Kimball

Director of Getting Stuff Done Now

JoAnn Follert

Director of National SalesJennifer James

Director of Making StuffLook GoodLeslie Zane

Director of Getting Stuffto the Right Address

Jeff Marriott

Visit our website at www.Multifamilypro.com to subscribe or call 800-363-7384 3

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By Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans

As a manager, aren't you in charge of certain assets?Aren't you held accountable for protecting those assets and,in some cases, for growing them? Today, chances are yourmost critical assets are people, not property; and the supplyof top-notch talent is quickly diminishing.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting anestimated 6 million shortage in the U.S. workforce by 2008.In fact, by 2010 it is projected that 58 million jobs will beunfilled. Today, there are over 425,000 information-tech-nology jobs open, a three-fold increase since 1999. Add tothat the fact that 43% of the 141 million people comprising the U.S.civilian laborforce will be eli-gible to retire inthe next decade,it's clear thatdemand for talentwill continue tooutweigh supplywell through thenext decade.Federal ReserveBoard ChairmanAlan Greenspanhas confirmedthese facts in hisstatement that there are simply not enough people to feedthe economic machine and declared that the limitingfactor to our continued economic growth is people.

The message is clear. Talented employees are scarceand will continue to be scarce. Organizations that triumphand maintain their competitive edge through an uncertaineconomy will be those that can keep and engage theirbest people.

It’s Up To You

Sit ten managers down and ask them what keeps talentedemployees. Nine out of ten will say money and, because ofthat belief, feel that retaining and engaging their best peopleis out of their hands or not even their job. They often put theresponsibility for keeping employees squarely in the handsof senior management or the HR department and blamepolicies or pay scales for the loss of talent.

Well, the truth is that managers matter most. At any

level, from executives and senior-level managers to front-line supervisors and team leaders, bosses actually havemore power than anyone else to keep their best people.Why? Because research tells us that the primary factorsthat drive employee satisfaction and retention are largelywithin the manager's control.

This means that managers can influence theiremployees' decisions to stay or leave. They can partnerwith their best people to find them meaningful work,growth opportunities, and the chance to be part of a team;

and they can absolutely become better bosses. One studyfound that 50 percent of work life satisfaction is deter-mined by the relationship a worker has with his or herimmediate boss. Another study, including over half a mil-lion people from 300+ companies, found that pay was theleast important out of 50 retention factors.

It's never been more critical for managers to care -and really care - about their employees. To hold on toyour best people and keep them engaged, you need toidentify and leverage your strengths and pinpoint andimprove upon the areas in which you need improvement.

Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans are nation-ally known employee-retention experts and co-authors ofthe best-selling book Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: GettingGood People to Stay (Berrett-Koehler, 1999 & 2002).They are a one-stop resource on keeping and engagingtalent in today's uncertain economy. To find out more,visit www.keepem.com.

Love 'Em or Lose 'Em Getting Good People to Stay,Second Edition by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans, 280 pages, ISBN 1-57675-140-6, $18.95 atwww.keepem.com or www.bkconnection.com.

Love It Don't Leave It: Get What You Want Where YouAre by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans, coversthe essential "how to's" of getting what you want fromyour job including 26 actions you as an employee can taketo make your own job more satisfying, 225 pages, ISBN1-57675-250-X, $12.56 at www.bkconnection.com.

When it Comes to EmployeeWhen it Comes to EmployeeRetention, Retention, Managers SimplyManagers Simply

Can't PCan't Pass the Buckass the Buck !!"No matter how rough the economy, retaining top talent is ahuge issue. In fact, losing people in key positions duringdownturns can be disastrous."

Fortune Magazine, February 2002

Employee Satistaction& Retention Factors

Meaningful work

A chance to learn and grow

Being a part of a team, and working with great people

Having a great boss

TTO DOO DOPay attention to the research about what keeps people. Note that most of the strategies are withinyour control.

If you manage managers, hold them accountable for hiring and keeping good people. Establish clearexpectations and measure results. People will dowhat is inspected more than what is expected.

Do just one thing. Try a retention strategy and see how it works. Modify it and adapt it to your needs.

Then try another.

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TT a ka k ee -- C h a r g e C h a r g e I n t e r v i e w i n gI n t e r v i e w i n g

By Shawna Brynildssen

What is it about interviews that makes us think wecan "wing it"? Maybe it's the chemistry we feel withapplicants, their impressive appearance, or that we don'thave the time to really prepare. Whatever the reason,when it comes to interviews we fail to prepare as well aswe do for other job functions, with dangerous results.Without a plan, you can lose control of the conversation,forget important questions, waste time on irrelevant mat-ters, or worse… talk your way into dangerous territory!Under Equal Employment law, there are a number ofquestions you can't legally ask.

Developing a Plan

To get the best result from an interview and protect your-self from liability, you need a consistent structure for yourinterview process.

Make a list of questions to ask every applicant, focusingon past experience, present responsibilities, and future suc-cess with your company. Asking the same set of questionswill help you get all the information you need, and it'sgood insurance against charges of employment discrimi-nation.

Obtain and review each applicant's resume or applica-tion before meeting, and note issues that you want to con-sider or discuss in the interview. If your company asks

applicants to take a personality test, review the resultsbefore the interview to identify other potential issues.

Make sure the applicant's resume is accurate! Studiesindicate that 40-50% of people embellish or exaggerate onresumes. You can get an indication of accuracy by "talkingthrough" the applicant's job history, starting with the firstjob on the resume and asking the questions below (lis-tening carefully and taking detailed notes). If the appli-cant's answer agrees with the resume, continue askingthese questions for every job listed. If an answer doesn'tagree, ask for clarification.

I see you worked at ___ from ___ to ___. Why did you choose that firm?What were your responsibilities, and how did they grow? Who supervised you? Why did you leave?

As you go through the resume, you can also ask forinformation about past performance, strengths, weak-nesses, and relevant experience with questions like:

In your position at ___, which duties or responsibilities did you feel you were best at? Which did you find most challenging? Which aspect of the job did you like most? Which did you like least? What's the most important thing you learned from

that job?

Spend more time listening than talking. If you aren'tcareful, you can easily fill the interview talking aboutthe job, qualities and skills needed, and explaining whyyour company or property is a good place to work.While it's important for you to talk about the job, it'smore important for you to find out about the applicant.

If you're unsatisfied with an answer, don't be afraid toask for clarification. If an applicant has accidentally givena vague, confusing, or unsatisfactory answer, he or shewill appreciate the opportunity to clarify; and someonewho seems uncomfortable or offended by a request formore information may have something to hide.

After you've discussed work history, it's time tolook at how well the applicant might perform in thefuture, by asking open-ended factual and behavioralquestions like:

What is your greatest accomplishment? What was your greatest disappointment? How do you like to be managed? What situations motivate you? What situations frustrate you? Do you consider yourself successful? How would you describe your ideal job?


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How do you respond when someone becomes upset with you?

Give me an example of a project you completed in spite of obstacles.

In addition to evaluating how well the applicantwould perform, consider how he or she would affect theexisting employee dynamic. It's possible for someone tohave all the right skills but still be wrong for the job if heor she wouldn't function well as part of your team.

Have more than one person (if possible, three people)interview the applicant. Different people notice differentthings, and the added input will help you get a more com-plete assessment.

In developing your interview plan and during the inter-view itself, it's critical to know what questions you can andcan't legally ask and which subjects you must approachcarefully. The table below provides examples of acceptableand unacceptable questions for those "touchy" subjects.

SUBJECT ACCEPTABLE UNACCEPTABLE

Age If hired, can you provide proof that youare at least 18 years of age?

What is your date of birth? What isyour age?

Residence What is your present address?Do you own or rent your residence? Give the names and relationships ofpersons living with you.

PhotographA photograph may be required afterhire for identification card or other I.D.purposes.

Submit a photograph with your appli-cation form or after the interview.

EducationList your academic, vocational, or pro-fessional education and the public andprivate schools you have attended.

List the dates you attended or gradu-ated from high school or college.

Citizenship

Are you a citizen of the United States?If not, are you prevented from becominglegally employed because of visa orimmigration status?

Of what country are you a citizen? Areyou or other members of your familynaturalized citizens? If so, when didthey become citizens? Do you intendto become a U.S. citizen?

National Origin/AncestryWhat languages do you read, speak, orwrite fluently? (Only if another lan-guage is a job requirement.)

What is your lineage, ancestry, nationalorigin, descent, parentage or nation-ality? What is your native language?

Height and weightNone, unless employer proves that abona fide occupational qualification isinvolved.

What is your height and/or andweight?

Arrests and convictions

Have you ever been convicted of acrime? Have you ever committed acrime? Have you ever pled "no contest"to a crime?

Have you ever been arrested? Haveyou ever been charged with a crime?

Marital or family status None

Are you married? What is yourspouse's name? How many children doyou have? Are you pregnant? Do youplan to have children? Do you havereliable daycare?

Organizations List any professional, trade, or serviceorganizations you belong to.

List all social organizations, clubs,societies, and lodges you belong to.

DisabilitiesAre you capable of performing the nec-essary assignments required by thisjob in a safe manner?

Are you disabled?

What You Can (and Can’t) Ask

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When delving into the harrowing budget calculationsfor next year, do you draw a complete blank on

personnel costs? Sure, it's easy to calculate your currentstaff's salary, taxes, insurance and bonus using last year'sfigures, but are you considering employee turnover and allthe related costs?

The apartment industry continues to hover at a whop-ping 60% annual turnover rate. What are we doing wrong?Perhaps our employees are leaving for a better rate of pay;maybe relocation is on their agenda; could it possibly bethat their personal needs are not being met?

The US Department of Labor estimates that it costs a

company one-third of a new hire's annual salary to replacean existing employee. Using CEL & Associates, Inc.'s 2001Real Estate Compensation Survey, in the case of anAssistant Manager (median salary $34,000), it costs $11,333to replace that employee. Mike Thomas, PhD., an expert onemployee retention and author of "Getting Commitment atWork: A Guide For Managers & Employees," suggests thatthe cost of replacing a "key" employee may be between 70%and 200% of the person's annual salary!

It's time for our industry to step up to the plate andactually research why our employees are leaving. Betteryet, why not take a proactive approach and determine theirneeds (and maybe even our shortcomings) before theychoose to fly the coop? After all, most major industries havebeen doing this for years, and when appropriate actions aretaken, are actually decreasing their employee turnover costssubstantially.

Annual employee opinion surveys can be a cost-effec-tive way to determine the overall success of our manage-ment policies. If processed and reviewed effectively, ourgreatest resource - employees - will guide us in makingdecisions that will in the long run affect the bottom line.Companies such as SatisFacts (www.satisfacts.net) and ProvenSolutions (www.provensolutionsinc.com) offer telephone sat-isfaction surveys to gather and compile this valuable infor-mation. Alternatively, management companies may chooseto coordinate their own employee satisfaction strategy bydevising an internal questionnaire.

When choosing to survey employees internally, severalkey points should be considered:

◗ Respondents to surveys should remain anonymous to ensure maximum participation and integrity.

◗ Completed surveys should be a mailed (postage paid) to a central location - preferably a P.O. Box.

Calculating & ReducingEmployee Turnover

By Joleen V. Brannigan

Replacement Costs To Consider May Include:

Recruiting Fees/Advertising The Position❏ Professional Recruiter (30% of first year’s salary)❏ Online Job Listing ($40-65 per month)❏ Newspaper Advertisements ($250-3,500 range)❏ Internal Referrals (bonuses, fees, gifts for employees

participating in company referral program)Temporary Help ($15+ per hour)

❏ Overtime for current employees covering position❏ Downtime while position is vacant

Time Spent On Recruiting❏ Placing ads, preparing for and completing interviews,

applicant screening and reference checks Applicant Screening (Approximately $65)

❏ Credit Report❏ Criminal Background Check❏ Drug Tests

Compensation Package Enhancements❏ Salary increase❏ Personnel taxes/insurance

Applicant Expenses❏ Travel Expenses❏ Relocation❏ Uniforms

New Employee Training & Trainer's Time❏ Orientation❏ Specific position education❏ Certifications

New Employee Lost Efficiency and Business Costs❏ Lost leases❏ Lost productivity time

Human Resource Costs❏ Separation processing❏ Replacement hiring processing

◗ All employees, regardless of position should be required to complete the survey.

◗ Locations of employees responding should be tracked using a bar code.

◗ Categories and topics for opinions should include· Company Policies & Procedures· Leadership· Salary & Benefits· Career Advancement· Education· Overall job satisfaction

In a nutshell, employees need to have a safe environ-ment in which to share their opinions honestly. They mustnot feel that their responses will in any way affect their posi-tion or your efforts will be in vain.

Considering that studies have shown up to a 57% decreasein turnover when utilizing and acting upon employees thoughtsand suggestions, the time and effort involved in developinga solid employee retention plan will not only increase moraleand productivity, but increase profit as well. The moral ofthis story is…our employees are like E.F. Hutton. When theytalk, we need to listen to ensure our success.

Joleen V. Brannigan is Vice President ofTraining for Grace Hill, Inc. "The InternetResource for Multifamily Professionals." Formore information or to receive a sampleEmployee Opinion Survey, contact Joleen at(253) 853-2126 or [email protected].


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Carolyn CelisDistrict Manager, Washington

United Dominion

Located in: Seattle Responsible for: 1,906 Apartment Homes Years in the Apartment Industry: 15

What does it take to be the best?A desire to please our residents. Understanding wherewe would be without them.

What performance tip or suggestion would youoffer to someone who's just starting out in yourfield of expertise?Never forget the basics! When all else fails, that's theplace you’ll want to return to and start again. After all,that's the proven method of success in our industry.

What is your favorite idea, tool, tip, or technique? Sometimes I have been known to resort to unconven-tional tactics. In tough times we have all done thingswe may not normally do. There was a time in ourindustry that human directionals were not consideredthe "classiest" way to attract business. This year wehave had many human directionals and it's amazinghow people in costumes are given all that attention.They can act in ways they wouldn't normally, actcrazy, and act out what we are trying to tell them.People pay attention and for some reason are com-pelled to watch and listen. Human directionals havebecome a favorite idea.

For more great management ideas visit our web site at

www.SMMOnline.com. Availablein our “PRO” section under

Management are these downloads:

Click on Managing Your Team for:Topics for Weekly Staff Meetings (in MS Word)Community Success Survey (in MS Publisher)

Click on Employee Advice and Motivation for:Quarterly Bonus Worksheet (in MS Word)

Keeping STAR PerformersSo, your recruiting efforts have paid off, and you've found

some real superstars. The question now is how do you keepthem? Here are a few tips that we've found successful:

Practice random acts of recognition - always recognizeyour team members for going "above and beyond," but some-times, recognize them "just because."

Walk the halls - once in a while, stop one of your teammembers in their tracks and ask them if they feel valued and lis-tened to, and really listen to their answers. If they didn't feelvalued and listened to before you stopped to ask, they will now.

Talk about talent - make finding and keeping talentedpeople the most talked about topic in your company, from thecorporate level on down.

Measure and reward recruiting and retention - recognizepeople who bring talented individuals into the fold. Pay atten-tion to where employees are staying put, and reward the leaderswho are responsible.

Treat special people in special ways - reward specificallyby making sure the recipient knows what makes them special,why they're so valuable to your organization, and how it posi-tively impacts your company's success.

sp tlight

PPRROO

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and Brad Marting's educational seminar at BrainstormingWest was a big hit, waking a roomful of mostly right-brainedparticipants through a decidedly left-brained process. Here'sa rundown of what Brad had to share:

We began with a couple of questions that illustratemany of our secret (or not so secret) feelings about finan-cial analysis: why do we hate working with numbers, andwhy are our reports so boring? Underlying these questionsare some more fundamental ones: do we understand thenumbers we work with; are we even looking at the rightnumbers; and are we telling the correct story?

We need to look beyond the numbers in our reports tosee the story they're telling. "The numbers by themselvesmean nothing. It's the interpretation that matters," Bradexplained. "Financials should inform, educate, and discloseas much as possible in a way that is favorable to yourself."

Choosing the Right Reports

Making financials reflect favorably requires an under-standing of the types of reports available and what informa-tion should be included in each. The right combination ofreports can showcase your successes, support your requests,and more clearly tell your financial "story." Brad discussedfive categories of reports:

There are two main types of Accounting Reports: bal-ance sheets and income statements. The difference betweenthem is that the balance sheet measures a specific point intime, showing where you stand in terms of assets, liability,and equity as of a certain day; while an income statementmeasures a specified period of time (i.e. a month, quarter,or year), showing what your operating income, expenses,and net operating income has been.

There are a number of Management Reports that canhelp you communicate the right information. For example,calculating a traffic hurdle rate can show whether yourproperties are facing an internal or external challenge. Ifyou find that you're not generating enough qualified trafficto meet your traffic hurdle, your problem is external (i.e.,

marketing, advertising, etc.). If you are generating enoughtraffic to meet your hurdle, then your problem is internal(i.e., leasing capabilities, property problems, etc.). Otheruseful management reports such as: turnover reports; agedaccounts receivable reports; bad debt write-off reports; andoccupancy/pricing reports that show the relationshipbetween occupancy and price by apartment type.

A Marketing Report doesn't have to be lengthy ordetailed (save that for your formal marketing plan), butshould include a summary of what, why, when, and howyou're marketing.

There are a number of Leasing Reports you can gen-erate to track sales performance by apartment type orleasing professional. You can also track leasing by timeperiod, showing time from move-out to ready-to-rent, readyand rented, and rented and move-in, allowing you to iden-tify and resolve wasted time.

A number of other reports can be useful in communi-cating certain kinds of information, including:

Distance from office vs. time vacant, which can some-times show that the oldest apartments are the onesfarthest from the office (supporting the need for on-property transportation for leasing professionals).Net monetary gainCost to make the telephone ring, showing marketing and advertising costs in a given period divided by thenumber of calls from prospects in that time period.Cost of vacant apartments, showing loss due to time vacant and turnover expense broken down by timeperiod, plus marketing and advertising costs.Turnover cost savings from renewals, showing your break-even point on renewals (how much you couldnegotiate on rent and still come out ahead).

Color graphs, tables, and pictures can be valuable addi-tions to any report. "You can get a lot of mileage out of agraph," Brad said. "They can show, concisely and clearly,what's happening, and they add interest." Become profi-cient in software with graphing capability (such asMicrosoft Excel) and use graphs and tables liberally.

Calculating Your Traffic Hurdle Rate

Number of vacant apartments at the beginning of themonth + Number of scheduled move-outs in next 30 days= Net to lease¸ Last 60 days' closing ratio = Hurdle rate formonthly qualified traffic.

Sharpen YSharpen Your Financial Analysis Skills: A Brainstorming Recapour Financial Analysis Skills: A Brainstorming RecapBy Shawna Brynildssen


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Getting the Right Spin

Creating a positive report means framing the information inthe right way. "Shareholders and owners like good news,"Brad said. "Give them what they want." But what if thenews isn't all that good? There are a number of options.Under-promise and over-deliver. Prepare in advance for thepossibility of bad news by preloading your budget withcontingency so that negatives won't be shocking and goodnews won't necessarily be taken for granted.

Blame the market. Brad called this the "if you thinkwe're in trouble, just look around us" approach. Showingthat your bad news is less bad than your competitors' maysoften the blow. Research similar properties through publicsource information (for REITs) and IREM and NAAincome and expense publications. You can also use anindexing technique to measure your performance againstunlike properties by charting your numbers and the num-bers of properties you are measuring against over the sameperiod of time, showing how you're doing by comparison.If your properties are ahead of the game, use thatinformation in your reports!

Something good must have happened onyour properties in the time you are reporting on,so focus on that! "If it's in your favor, use it,"Brad said, offering a list of places where youmight find good news:

Rental ratesOperating income changesOperating expensesCapital expendituresNet operating incomeCash flowOccupancyLease expiration managementCancellation and denial ratesDelinquent rent payment ratesTraffic countsClosing ratiosStaffing changesResident functionsCompliments from residentsAttendance at community eventsNon-housing development in the areaNew competitionProperties for sale or soldCapitalization rateProperty/investment value

"Stay positive and focused," said Brad. Don't includeunnecessarily negative comments, and if you introduceproblems, offer solutions.

And a Word about Budgets…

The discussion of budgets began with two myths: 1) budgets

are critical; and 2) hitting the budget maximizes perform-ance. Not necessarily, according to Brad: "Budgets are anecessary evil. Don't let them override your good judgmentor limit your success. Don't stop when you meet your goal."

That said, he moved on to the much dreaded variancereports, which identify the difference between what wasbudgeted and what was actually spent. Tips for writing vari-ance reports include:

Explain only the difference.Don't include a lengthy, itemized list. Stick to one or two sentences.Agree on what is a reportable difference (i.e. how "off" do you have to be before you have to explain?)Explain positive differences as well as negative ones. If you're ahead because of a fluke (like a timing issue),explain that. Don't let it look like you're ahead if you'rereally not.Point out good news!

Brad Marting has worked in the real estateinvestment business for more than 25 years. He hasmanaged office buildings, retail centers, hotels,condominiums and various types of multifamilyproperties. He is a Certified Property Manager andalso holds the NAA designations of CertifiedCommercial Investment Member and Certified

Apartment Property Supervisor. He's also a Licensed RealEstate Broker. Brad has spent the past nine years withDelaware Investments, formerly Lincoln InvestmentManagement, where he has managed more than 500 milliondollars of real estate investments. He currently serves asSecond Vice President and Portfolio Manager, specializing inClass A multifamily investments. His specialty is yield man-agement and value enhancement of real estate investments.

If you missed this awesome session in Reno, you have anotherchance to attend at Brainstorming East 2004! We almost NEVER repeata Brainstorming educational session from one event to the next, but thisone is that good!

How to Sharpen your Financial Analysis Skills with Brad Marting

Do you get frustrated writing variance or other reports to your super-visors, owners or investors? Do you hate to read financials? Do you feellike there's more bad than good news to report? This session will sharpenyour interpretation skills and teach you to manipulate numbers and applyfinancial analysis quickly and accurately. Learn how owners and investorsthink; what they want to know; why what you leave out can be as impor-tant as what you include; and walk away empowered, confident, andready to report! This session is for anyone who makes business decisionsor creates, interprets or uses financial analysis; and anyone who willappreciate a quick-paced refresher course!

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WHAT THE GENERATIONS WANTFROM THEIR CAREERSBy Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans

Members of every generation want work that pro-vides satisfaction. So a manager's job as a career coachshould be easy, right? Not quite. Each generation has adistinct attitude and approach to careers. Savvy managerstailor their career conversations to the needs of the indi-vidual - keeping in mind some significant generationalinfluences.

THE SILENT GENERATION (BORN 1933-45)

Members of the Silent Generation initially went to workin companies that valued respect for authority and adher-ence to rules. They achieved job and career successthrough their discipline, hard work and teamwork. Intheir work today, they look for appreciation for theirexpertise and experience. Many are now retiring, takingtheir knowledge legacies and corporate know-how withthem. A common misconception is that they've stoppedgrowing and learning. In fact, most are eager to continueto learn and build on their abilities.

In 2000, Congress eliminated the Social Securityearnings test for workers 65 or older allowing themgreater freedom to pursue employment after retirement.Instead of coasting on their existing skill sets, manySilents are eager to continue working and building ontheir abilities. Silents see themselves as vigorous, con-tributing members of the workforce and they appreciatehelp with career planning.

Tips:Value their experience by creating ways that they can mentor others. Provide part-time jobs and job sharing for those who

want to continue to work. Consider phased-retirement options, which gradually

ease employees out of the company at a mutuallyagreeable pace.

THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION (BORN 1946-64)

Baby Boomers have had a huge influence on the corporateenvironments that we work in today. Boomers appliedtheir competitive nature and industrious work ethic tobuilding their careers. Their willingness and ability tosustain hard work through mid-career is the topic ofmuch research. Today, as they face increasing responsi-bilities for the care of aging parents and growing chil-dren, they are re-examining their careers and looking forways to bring new balance to their lives.

As Boomers take stock of their careers, many areseeking ways to revitalize themselves. Others are lookingahead to retirement or exploring their next set of careeroptions (consulting, managing franchises, doing tempwork, freelancing). Boomers are rewriting the retirementrules, too - shuffleboards are out, spas are in. Many arelooking forward to more time freedom, but a recentAARP poll found that 80% plan to work at least part-timein their retirement years.

Tips:Help them explore their next set of workplace options, and demonstrate how your company cancontinue to use their talents.Walk the talk on work-life balance by redesigning their jobs to accommodate multiple life demands.Encourage them to enrich their present job and grow in place if they need to slow their career pace.

GENERATION X (BORN 1965-76)

Generation Xers went to work in a chaotic, no guaranteeswork world. For many, their independent childhoods ledthem to seek autonomy and independence in the work-place. Today they are seeking opportunities to make avisible difference and use their creative abilities.

Generation Xers absorbed the workplace lessons ofthe Baby Boomers. In the view of many Gen Xers, BabyBoomers devoted their lives to their work and corpora-tions, putting personal fulfillment ahead of marriages,families and balanced living. And Generation Xers havecarefully watched the changing work environment. Theirgoal is to mitigate the possibility of layoffs in unstablecorporations by putting their own skill sets first. Theyrealize the need to be employable because no organiza-tion can guarantee employment. Generation Xer's careergoals are often different than their older bosses. Theyvalue diverse experiences and are comfortable with job"hopping." They are also committed to work-life balanceand see it as a priority.

Tips:Talk to them about their reputation, not just job tasks; they want your candid perspective and feedback.


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Acknowledge their ability to work independently and encourage them to leverage their entrepreneurial abilities.Help them get the most out of every job position by discussing what the job can do for them and whatthey can learn from it.

THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION (BORN 1977-98)

As the oldest Millennials come into the workplace, theyare seeking stable jobs and corporations. Their group-orientation and civic-mindedness are likely to continuein the corporate environment. They are being dubbed"the confident generation" at work.

When Millennials and their employers talk aboutcareer development, they are often speaking different lan-guages. Millennials think in terms of their personal ful-fillment, asking: Is the job interesting and satisfying? Isthe work meaningful and important? Employers want toknow: How long will you stay and do the job? Offertraining opportunities to build basic business skills(beyond training for their current job), and help them findtheir best job fit early in their careers. Managers who helpMillennials find a career path, or set of career paths, willbe acknowledged as valued mentors. Researchers predictthat Millennials will be loyal, committed employees aslong as their organizations provide them with variety andopportunity.

Tips:Demonstrate the stability and long-term value of your company, and also show how your organization isflexible and filled with learning opportunities forthem.Provide work schedules that help them build careers and families at the same time.Make groups and teams part of their job.

Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans are nation-ally known employee-retention experts and co-authors ofthe best-selling book Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: GettingGood People to Stay (Berrett-Koehler, 1999 & 2002).They are a one-stop resource on keeping and engagingtalent in today's uncertain economy. The informationabove is taken from the Retention & Engagement DriversReport. See an introductory excerpt of this informativedocument based on extensive, industry-wide research athttp://www.keepem.com/ResourcesStatistics.asp

The next time you find your stress level risingout of control, take a "Positive Pause" to thinkabout what's going on around you. Log ontowww.positivepause.com if you need a little help!

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In my studies of branding over the years, it isn't aboutone word, it's about pinning down what makes us unique,what sets us apart that the public (renters, investors, clients)identifies us with. It may be two words or a small phrase, butusually when asked to associate a word with an industry,business or product; one word resonates above all others.

TRY THIS:Draw a line from the company name on the left, to the wordyou would associate with it on the right.

Volvo FunSony PlayStation PrestigeMcDonald's SafetyMercedes Enjoy LifeCoca Cola Convenience

In the simplest, yet most critical way, you have justidentified these companies with their brands.

In the mind of the marketplace, most companies arereduced to one word. A word that sums up all that a com-pany is - the product and service they offer. The way cus-tomers are treated, the way business is conducted, the waythe telephone is answered, everything about a company con-tributes to its brand. The brand, as they say, is everything.

While providing training at different successful compa-nies, I noticed that their common qualities were commitment,lifestyle development, and unity. All of these qualities are fun-damental to the success of a business, but what we do withthem internally and externally is what produces growth for thecompany and it's team members.

It is time for companies to recognize that their"Company Brand" will play an essential role in the achieve-ment of their annual business strategies. The key is to capi-talize on your most valuable assets: your team members andyour company standards. It is through their actions and theirinnovation that will propel a company toward their visionand mission statement - to be the employer of choice, thehome of choice and the long term investment of choice.

AN EFFECTIVE BRAND IS:

Relevant - to your target customers Different - than your competitors Ownable - something you already, uniquely have Durable - withstands the tests of time and growth

Here is the strategy for successfully approaching PR:

First you must start internally - Too many companiesbrand with only the public in mind. However, the successful

ones turn once again to their most important asset, theirteam members. You wouldn't take the show on the roadbefore you had your cast members rehearse! Everyone mustknow the company mission, goals and clearly understandthe purpose behind these ideas. Make sure everyone under-stands their role, as part of this goal. If team membersclearly understand their role and feel a part of the vision,anything can be accomplished.

Define clear goals - Whether working with an outsidePR firm or an in-house PR committee, companies that effec-tively use public relations spend a lot of time establishingclear objectives before any effort begins. If you don't knowexactly what you want your campaign to accomplish, there'sno way to tell if the effort was successful.

Always know your mission - After you define yourobjectives, don't do anything that strays from them.Companies often fail because they get wowed by the grandplans, then when things don't happen quick enough - theybail. Don't be fooled…branding does not happen overnight.Stick to your defined goals - no matter what happens - andPR can be a valuable tool.

Communicate, communicate, communicate - Marketingexperts agree that PR breaks down when companies fail toadequately communicate with their agencies, in-house com-mittees, and team members. All parties need to know whatthe goals for the campaign are, and consistent communica-tion will make sure it stays on track.

Be accountable and measure regularly - Companiesneed to be able to evaluate the success of a PR campaign.Create measures of success and failure for your PR efforts,check the status of these measures on a quarterly basis. PRfails when they are not sure exactly what standards aregoing to determine their success.

Pumping cash into a new campaign may sound indis-criminate during this recession, or does it? Even thoughsome companies have tightened their belts, some savvyones are doing just the opposite by looking for good mar-keting opportunities. These are the companies that recog-nize advertising dollars translate into increased marketshare, profitability and customer loyalty.

Now is the time to propel your company out in frontand to the next level with a branding campaign. Open upthe challenge to everyone associated with your company.Challenge them to define a word or phrase that encapsu-lates your company spirit. The challenge is before you, yourcompany is more than just a logo. I am sure you will findone singular vision is apparent. From there you can buildyour strategy and true mission.

By Terri Euchner

Terri L. Euchner is a Speaker andInnovator for Training Solutions

and Innovations. She can bereached at 602-859-2570


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When we think marketing, ourbrains usually draw an automatic line to

advertising; but recruiting and retaining employees areimportant success factors that require sales and marketingknow-how. Below, along with the usual ideas for mar-keting your company and communities in general, you'llfind great ideas for marketing and "re-marketing" yourcompany to your prospective and current employees.

Offer a Free Seminar on RecruitingBy "Trainer Donna" Olson

Here's an excellent way to recruit associates. We did thisto get potential leasing candidates but it could be used forany position. It was a huge success.

One of the issues we determined needed immediateattention was recruiting. My suggestion was to host a freeseminar on what it takes to be a leasing professional. Wedecided to try the idea and target individuals in the retailand restaurant markets because as a leasing person therewould be better hours… no more night shifts, and betterbenefits and perks.Preparation for the event:

Secured the use of a training room (9 am - 11 am) Placed an ad in the restaurant section of the news

paper Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It was alsoplaced in the retail section on Sunday. Seating waslimited to 30 participants.

Served coffee and orange juiceMaterials Used: Created handouts using the Leasing Consultant Job

Description Welcome Page - candidates were pairedup and used the sheet to gather information so thatthey could stand and introduce each other. (A greatway to identify outgoing personalities)

Human Resource brochure - Join a Wall Street Company Pens with company job line number and email

address Blank job applications Sign-in sheet with name, phone number and current

job industry

Wow! What a success! We had over forty people call,and twenty actually showed up. Out of that twenty, all butone were good candidates! Eleven of them stayed andfilled out an application. We even had several candidatesstop by the area office to fill out an application becausethey could not make it to the seminar. A few called andasked when will we offer the seminar again! The regionalmanager set-up interviews for the next day.

Creating Great Places to Live and WorkBy Tonya Hassloch

Our motto is "Creating great places to live and work!"This theme is reinforced through emails, signs around the

office and flyers included with paychecks. Some of ourimplementation ideas include: wear your favorite houseshoes to work, hat day, draw for a two hour lunch, drawto leave early for work, cater lunch and breakfast, etc.This results in positive attitudes, increased work ethicand improved team spirit!

Selling a New Bonus PlanBy Bobbie Smith

When our property management division changed ourbonus program, we had to find a way to unveil the pro-gram to the staff.

We met with them initially to get their input - whenwe met again we showed them the differences betweenthe old program and the new program using candy.

1. In the past they had only received a minimal amount of money (chocolate coins).

2. In the future we might be able to hit a lot of money ($100,000 dollar bar).

3. And, with the new program they had devised as a group, it should pay off (Payday candy bar).

4. And, it was the team effort of management and maintenance (M&M's) since the bonus programaffected all site level managers, leasing, maintenanceand the property managers.

It was a great way to present a financial program(which tends to put them to sleep) and have themremember what we said with a marketing and sugar twist!Everyone in attendance received the candy. We took twoemployees at a time to lunch as we introduced the pro-gram, to make it more personal and manageable. (Wematched the employees based on size of the bonuses,which was based on the number of units.)

Pick a Present - Linking Holidays With PromotionsBy Ronnie Marshall

Lots of properties run specials that offer one month freeon a 13-month lease in December. That's nice, but it doesn'tgrab the future resident's attention… it's just another spe-cial. Try this promotion instead!

Under your office holiday display, place several largeitems, like a 27 inch TV, X Box, Play Station 2, mountainbike, microwave, and DVD player. When the future resi-dent leases, allow them to pick any present under the treeas a gift from the community, and then make up the dif-ference between a month of free rent and the gift that theychose with a gift certificate to the nearest mall! For example,one free month of rent = $900, and the client selects a$225 TV and also receives a gift certificate for $675 forhis or her holiday shopping!

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Community Housewarming PartyBy Rose DiPietro

Many times, when residents move into a new apartment,they want to show it off to their friends. Unfortunately,they may not have the room in their new apartment toaccommodate a party for 10-15 people; so we have theparty for them in our clubhouse! They submit a list oftheir guests, select their choice of two appetizers to serve(wine and cheese, or a deli tray), and we do the work. Wesend out invitations for them, order and pick up the foodand drinks, etc. All the new residents and guests have todo is show up at the clubhouse at the appointed time! Bydoing this, we generate traffic onto the property and alsomake our new residents feel welcomed and special. Thegraphics used in the invitation flyer are bright in color,funky and fun. Flyers are given out to prospective resi-dents when they visit the community.

The party must be held within 60 days of move-in,can include only a limited number of people, and we offera limited choice of dates and times. The guests meet atthe clubhouse, go and tour the resident's new apartment,and then meet back at the clubhouse to mingle and enjoyfood and beverages. All guests are given a communitypromotional gift (party favor) when they leave, and they

are also required to fill out a card with their name andaddress and whether or not they rent. We give them aplace to include comments on what they thought of theproperty, and an option to receive information from us.

The parties cost approximately $150 each, and theyresult in increased awareness of the property, residentappreciation, and increased word-of-mouth promotion!

Mallscape AdvertisingBy Scott Ryan

What better way is there to reach a mass audience in yourarea than at a major mall? In an effort to build brandawareness, Village Green highlighted individual proper-ties on 6-foot tall posters in a local mall.

With the majority of advertising in the mall concen-trated on clothing and movies, we used large photos ofour area properties along with amenities and our exclu-sive programs. We also pushed the traffic to our website,as prospects in the mall are much more likely toremember "villagegreen.com" than a 10-digit phonenumber.

Mallscape advertising is purchased in "networks" of5 to 10 posters. They're strategically placed throughoutthe mall so that regardless of the mall entrance the future

resident uses, they will pass one of the posters. VillageGreen chose to run a 10-poster network with 5 individualproperties, and 5 "group" posters featuring an overallcompany ad, at a cost of around $20,000. The individualproperty posters all used the same layout so that peoplewould relate one poster to the other. Being spread out inan area such as a mall, it is important to sustain a consis-tent look and feel throughout your advertising.

Outreach That Takes the CakeBy Steve Matre

We always want to introduce ourselves to the new busi-nesses in the neighborhood, but the simple way that we doit simply takes the cake. We simply order a sheet cake withour logo on it, and bring it to the new businesses that openin the neighborhood. Many people believe that large corpo-rate marketing is where it's at, but the truth is that the vastmajority of people work for small businesses! You canmake a big splash by impressing the small business ownersand employees in your neighborhood (in strip malls, pro-fessional plazas, etc.) A custom cake can cost as little as$15, but the exposure is great. Remember to bring photosand brochures, and just be gracious. You'll gain lots ofexposure and countless referrals. Good luck!

Put A Flyer Where They'll Find It!By Jenny Rovito

In our office, we use our computer to design half-pageflyers that we can photocopy. Then we go around to all thegrocery stores and gas stations and stuff them into the automagazines, home seller magazines, apartment guides, andother free publications that are in front of most stores. We'vereceived many calls and walk-in visits from prospects whohave found the flyers. This is the cheapest way (around $6!)we have found to get our community name out among thesurrounding neighborhoods!

"Lazy Residents Wanted!"By Linda

We bought an upolstered chaise lounge and displayed it inthe leasing center with a large framed poster that read"Lazy Residents Wanted: Lease in the month of August andSeptember and your name will be placed in a drawing towin this chaise lounge. Lay back and be lazy, let us do allthe work. Relax, our staff is here to meet your apartmentneeds!" This theme also ran in the rental guides with a pic-ture of a person relaxing in a recliner and our "LazyResidents Wanted" tagline. We made a big, fun productionout of delivering the chair and setting it up in the winnersapartment; and at a cost of around $660, we received tenrentals in a very soft market!

Julie Robinson-HollandVice President of Marketing

Shea PropertiesLocated in: Aliso Viejo, CAResponsible for: 7,000 Apartment Homes Years in the Apartment Industry: 14

What does it take to be the best?I am a firm believer that the only job security you havetoday is your commitment to continuous improvement.I love to develop others and work in a team environ-ment which makes the outcome better than if you wereworking alone.

What performance tip or suggestion would youoffer to someone who's just starting out in yourfield of expertise?This quote by H. Jackson Brown says it all "Do yourhomework and know your facts, but remember itspassion that persuades."

What is your favorite idea, tool, tip, or technique? The way I stay focused all year long is to identify myannual goals (personal and professional) and breakthem out by quarter. When you see your goals in frontof you everyday, you automatically focus your atten-tion toward them and don't allow the small stuff toconsume your day.


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For more great marketing ideas, visit ourwebsite at www.Multifamilypro.com.The items listed below are available in

our "PRO" area under Marketing.

Click on Marketing Meetings for:

Mastermind Marketing Brainstorming Session (in Adobe Acrobat)

Marketing Tour Contest

Our BIG Books are positively jammed with 400-500 pages of proven ideas from

apartment professionals from coast-to-coast, including tips, techniques, articles,

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Generation Ideas will show you how others across the

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generated publicity; planned memorable events; mar-

keting calls; brought in more qualified traffic, and much

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packed with literally hundreds of information-rich man-

agement articles, ideas, tips, strategies and success

stories shared by apartment experts and professionals

from companies of all shapes and sizes! Topics covered

include: Management Philosophy, Values & Ethics;

Best Practices; Fair Housing & Other Legal Concerns;

Recruiting & Hiring; Personnel Policies; Financial

Management; Marketing & Public Relations; Leasing &

Retention; Maintenance; and Safety & Emergency

Planning. The BIG Book of Resident Retention,

Renewal and Referral Ideas will show you what others

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able access to 100 flyers and invitations! When you

need great ideas, you need them in a BIG way.

What does it take to leaselike a seasoned pro? Readthis book, featuring thevery best of Tami’s own 20plus years of leasing expe-rience! It contains realworld examples, ready-to-implement techniques, andeasy-to-understand sum-maries that will help you"wrap your brain around"this fresh approach to leasing. 101 Secrets is a must-have for every serious apartment professional! Item 373 $29.95

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The Big Books

Welcome Move-in Card

Inside reads: "We'repleased to welcome youas a new resident of ourcommunity and we lookforward to providing youwith the best possibleservice." White linen card stock(Envelopes Provided)Item 57 50 Cards $18

Tools & Forms to Increase Occupancy,Traffic & Rent

Fax Order to: 727-784-7978 Call to Order: 800-363-7384

BalloonsNine inch balloons 50 for $14

Choose from a variety of messages!

Happy Birthday! Welcome Home!(Assorted colors) (Assorted colors)Item 249 9 Inch Item 81 9 Inch

We Love Referrals!(Red and pink with heart graphic)Item 266 9 Inch

We’re Happy You’re a Resident! (Yellow with a smiley face graphic)Item 74 9 Inch

It’s Time to RenewYour Lease.

(Red and pink with clock graphic)

Item 51 9 Inch

We OurResidents

(Red and pink withheart graphic)

Item 52 9 Inch

Item 604 $69

Item 607 $89

Item 605 $69

Don’t just plan...PLAN TO WIN!

It's part workbook, part reference, and ALL you need to take themystery out of marketing at the on-site level! How To Write AWinning Apartment MarketingPlan is designed to assist the on-site manager in creating an effec-tive marketing plan, that meetsthe unique needs of your commu-nity, incorporates a wide varietyof advertising opportunities, capi-talizes on synergy, and is derivedfrom real-world experience. Get ahead start with lots of tried-and-true evaluation tools and forms;AND, because the best tool is a successful example, we’ve alsoincluded a complete, proven, and successfully implementedmarketing plan created by Tami Siewruk. Order yours now andplan to win! Item 606 $89

Doorhanger reads:We have a packagein the office foryou...Please stop byany time to pick itup. If you can’t makeit during office hoursand would like us toslip it inside yourfront door, please letus know!Item 403 100 Doorhangers$25

You and your serviceteam can reduce resi-dent turn-over due toneeded repairs byusing this simple toolto communicate withthe residents you neverhear from until theygive their notice. Placea few doorhangers outevery day to controlthe number of servicecalls you receive andstart reducing your res-ident turnover!Item 27 100 Doorhangers $25

As part of your on-going resident reten-tion program remindyour residents thatyou appreciate them.This doorhangerreads: Our Residentsare Simply the Best.We hope you knowhow much you areappreciated as aResident!Item 389 100 Doorhangers $25

Resident Appreciation

Pick-up PackageDid You Forget?

Doorhanger reads: ThankYou for being a valued resi-dent in our community. Wewould like to take thisopportunity to let you knowthat your lease will be up forrenewal soon. Please call orstop by the office at yourearliest convenience so thatwe may discuss your newlease terms. Have a greatday and we look forward tospeaking with you soon!Item 396 100 Doorhangers $25

This doorhanger is a realtime saver that makesgiving a message to aresident so easy. Simplycheck the appropriate boxor fill in the blank. The backcovers late rent, leaserenewal, call or stop bythe office, drop off a key,as well as blank lines forother.

White card stock (as shown) Item 156100 Doorhangers $25

Black graphic on hot pink card stockItem 204 100 Doorhangers $25

Doorhanger reads: It’s Upfor Grabs! Dollar for dollarthere’s no easier way tograb some extra cash.Simply refer a friend toour community and whenthey become a residentyou’ll receive a referralbonus of $____. Grabyour friends now andbring them over!Item 282 100 Doorhangers $25

These doorhangers and cards are a fast, easy and VERY effec-tive addition to your resident retention efforts. Inside of the cardand the doorhanger both read: “Your birthday is this month! Wewish you lots of cheer, we’re happy for you and we’re glad tohave you here. We would like to take a moment just to stop andsay, Have a Happy Birthday on this very special day.”Contributed by Toni Blake. Item 3 100 Self-Mailer Cards $24

Item 248 100 Doorhangers $25

Item 249 9 inch Multi-colored 50 Balloons for $14

Happy Birthday

Patio Doorhanger

Show the residents livingin your community thatyou appreciate theirefforts! Doorhangerreads: Roses are red,Violets are blue, Yourpatio looks so nice, Wehad to say thank you!Item 404 100 Doorhangers $25

Resident Thank You and Renewal

To See Our Full Catalog And To Order Online Visit Our Web Site At: www.Multifamilypro.com

Referral DoorhangerService Call Checklist

Inside reads: "We want to invite you to"pop" in again real soon. We are certainthat you would enjoy living in our com-munity and hope that you decide tomake it your new home. As promised,I'll keep in touch. Thanks again for "pop-ping" in. I hope to see you soon!"(Envelopes Provided)Item 280 50 Cards $18

This clever card willgrab your prospec-tive resident’s atten-tion by offering a$_____ discount offtheir first month’srent if they’ll be backwithin 72 hours.” Yellow card stock(Envelopes Provided)Item 212 50 Postcards $18Item 213 100 Postcards $28

This card brings to mind the many hassles ofpacking and moving, and the list of moving-related expenses inside will make even a com-mitted mover think twice. Send it shortly beforerenewal time, or to residents who give a noticeto vacate as a friendly reminder that renewalreally is the best choice!

(Envelopes Provided)Item 387 50 Cards $18Item 388 100 Cards $28

Thanks for Popping In

Bee-Back

Cost to Move

These bi-fold, business card sized notes are the perfect wayto send a positive message anytime! They make great pay-check stuffers, gift cards, note cards, memory-joggers, andthey're simply the perfect way to brighten someone's day!

Item 430 50 Mini-Notes (10 of each) $15

Item 431 100 Mini Notes (20 of each) $25

Mini-Notes

Inside reads: “So glad you had achance to visit our community. Ifwe can answer any questions or beof service to you, please don’t hes-itate to call.”


Please Call

Inside reads: “...Isyou! Thank youfor visiting ourcommunity. Weappreciated theopportunity ofshowing youaround. Please beassured we willcontinually strive toearn your confi-dence as a residentof our community.Feel free to call onus when we canbe of further assistance.”(Envelopes Provided)Item 152 50 Cards $18

The Missing Piece is You

Inside reads: “Your new home has beengiven our personal attention. Please letus know if there is anything we can doto make your new home more enjoy-able. Thank you.” White linen card stockItem 11 100 Tent Cards $28

Welcome Home Tent Card

Fax Order to: 727-784-7978 Call to Order: 800-363-7384

Use this colorful birthday card to let yourresidents know that you and your entireteam wish them a very Happy Birthday!Inside reads: “Best Wishes for a Great DayFrom All of Us!”


Birthday Card

Order Form

To See Our Full Catalog And To Order Online Visit Our Web Site At: www.Multifamilypro.com

MerchandiseSUBTOTAL

SHIPPING- ADD shipping charges,please see shipping chart BELOW

SUBTOTALFLORIDA RESIDENTS ONLY: Add applicable sales tax including shippingcossts

TOTALAll payments must be made in U.S. funds

# OF PKGS. ITEM# ITEM DESCRIPTION PKG. PRICE TOTAL

Shipping ChartMerchandise Subtotal UPS Ground or Priority MailUp to $25 $3.95$26 - $60 $5.25$61 - $99 $7.50$100 - $149 $9$150 - $199 $12$200 - $349 $15$350 - $499 $20Over $500 Call for Rates

Order Code: MP12004Copy this order form - Save original for future orders

CALL TO ORDER: 800-363-7384FAX ORDER TO: 727-784-7978

Our Star Coupons are a low-cost way tolet your team members know that you'vebeen paying attention by giving them thepraise that they deserve! Use these fabu-lous Star Coupons to recognize your starperformers with a variety of specialrewards.Item 386 Set of 60 Cards (10 Each) $18

This is a great toolfor management,maintenance andresident retentionprograms! Thesurvey asks yourresidents to ratetheir level of satis-faction. Item 392 100 Cards $24

Rate Your Maintenance Survey

Inside reads: “You! Thank you for visitingour community. We appreciated the oppor-tunity of showing you around. Please beassured we will continually strive to earnyour confidence as a resident of our com-munity. Feel free to call on us when we canbe of further assistance.”

White linen card stock(Envelopes Provided)Item 55 50 Cards $18

Thank You for Visiting

Star Coupons

Ship To:

Ordered by: ___________________________________________________________________

Company/Community: ___________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

City/County/State/Zip: ___________________________________________________________

Telephone: ______________________________________ Fax: __________________________

Method of Payment: ❏ Check Enclosed _____________ ❏ Bill me - P.O.#: _____________

Signature:___________________________________________ Date of Order: ______________

MAIL TO: SALES & MARKETING MAGIC,

36431 U.S. HIGHWAY 19 NORTH

PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA 34684

Send this card to all renewing residents tothank them for being a part of your commu-nity. Inside reads: “Valued residents like youare at the very heart of our community. Thankyou for renewing your lease!”

White linen card stock(Envelopes Provided)Item 54 50 Cards $18

Renewal Thank You

Inside: left blank for your message.(Envelopes Provided)Item 402 50 Cards $18

Thank You

20 Multifamilypro

train

ing

By Ron Kaufman

Effectively orienting employees can pay back bigdividends in staff retention, employee commitment andcustomer satisfaction.

Employees who are properly trained and welcomedfrom the start feel good about their choice of employer, fitin quickly with peers and colleagues, readily contributenew ideas, and speak well about your firm. They also rep-resent you more confidently to customers, business part-ners and suppliers.

Poor orientation can cost you dearly. Those whodon't start right, don't tend to stick around long, either.High turnover means you must recruit, train and orientnew staff all over again; this also takes a toll on themorale of those who stay behind. When people leaveyour organization, those who remain begin to wonder...should we be looking for new employment, too?

While many managers will agree that orientation isimportant, very few invest the time and attention neces-sary to make sure it's done consistently, and done right.

Apply the following ideas to be sure your employees"start right"!

Think Long Term

Effective orientation is a gradual process that doesn't endafter the second day on the job. The initial induction ofemployees during the first few days is important, but it'seven more important to make them fit in and feel com-fortable over the longer term. This can mean six weeksfor a front-line employee, or up to six months for seniormanagement.

A time for everything and everything in it's time.New employees arrive with basic questions that must beanswered quickly: What's the dress code? Where are thetools for my job? How does the telephone system work?When do people eat, meet and get paid?

After the initial induction period, these questionswill change and mature: "How am I being appraised?Why is the system set up this way? How can I (safely)suggest changes? Who can I see for guidance, approvaland support?"

Don't try to answer all possible questions in the leastpossible time. Stretch out the process to cover the firstweeks or even months on the job, allowing new staff toabsorb essential information gradually and completely.

An extended orientation program also reassuresnewcomers, who are always under pressure to performand adapt. An extended program shows that you under-stand, care about their adjustment, and will continue toshow interest and attention over time.

Involve Everyone in the Process

New employees aren't the only ones affected by thequality of your orientation program. Others are influ-


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enced during this important period as well, including thenew hire's peers, bosses, subordinates, senior managers,customers, suppliers and even their family; and each hasdifferent questions and concerns. Address those concernsby giving each group an active role in your orientation pro-gram. Buddy systems, lunch meetings, panel discussions,site visits, family days and other methods can be used tocreate involvement.

The reputation of your Human Resource Department isalso at stake. If orientation is well planned and conducted,HR will be seen by new employees as a valuable resourcefor addressing their future concerns. On the other hand,poor orientation sends an early message that HR is ineffec-tive or out of touch.

Your orientation program should accomplish sevenmajor objectives:

1. Create Comfort and RapportNew employees want to feel a sense of acceptance andbelonging. Accelerate this by creating abundant opportuni-ties for them to interact with peers, bosses, subordinates,colleagues from other departments, customers, suppliersand senior managers.

Diversify the time and natureof these meetings. Informal con-versation, tea-times, meal-timesand after hours get-togethers are agood choice. Include new hires incustomer visits, focus groups andoccasional management meetings.

Send new employees on shortvisits to other company divisionsand departments. A week, a dayor even an afternoon in a differentdepartment will do wonders tobuild rapport and understandingthroughout your organization.

2. Introduce the Company CultureNew employees usually want to fit in with accepted normsand values. "How do things really work around here? Whatimportance do people attach to style, dress, presentation? Ispunctuality very important? Do meetings start on time? Arelong hours the exception or the expected?"

Understanding company culture only happens overtime, through formal presentations, informal dialogue andlots of personal experience. What gets said "officially" iscompared with what gets said "confidentially" over lunch,after hours and even amongst colleagues in the washroom.

Extend your positive influence beyond the formal pre-sentations by creating a buddy system to match your mostsincere and "veterans" as mentors to incoming employees,without allowing the mentor role to become a burden. Givethe mentor relationships real support: pay for a few lunches,allow time in the weekly schedule, include mentor duties inappraisal, and show appreciation to mentors with recogni-tion, appreciation and respect.

3. Show "The Big Picture"Help new employees find quality answers to all of the fol-lowing questions:

"Where has this company been? Where is it today?Where are we heading? Who are our customers? What dothey say about us? Who are our major competitors? What'sour market position?"

"What is our current focus: are we expanding opera-tions, growing, launching new technologies? Or are wetrimming costs, rationalizing product, and streamliningoperations?"

You can orient employees to these "Big Picture" issueswith a well-designed presentation that highlights your his-tory, status, goals, and vision. Share "humble beginnings,"detail "greatest achievements," and show excitement for thefuture; but be candid about company weaknesses, too. Talkopenly about difficulties and challenges. Keep your "BigPicture" presentation upbeat and lively, and up-to-date.

In large organizations, very senior managers are oftenthe best authorities to share insight on the future of the busi-ness; but these same managers aren't always available. Youcan solve this problem by capturing them on videotape asthey discuss the opportunities and challenges facing your

organization, and use the video in your pro-gram.

4. Explain Job Responsibilities & Rewards

Clarify expectations from the very begin-ning. Ensure that new employees arethoroughly versed on their job responsi-bilities and level of authority. Demonstrateand thoroughly explain your appraisalsystem, showing a copy of the actualappraisal form and illustrating how goodperformance will be assessed, measuredand rewarded. Use career paths of those

who have come before them to illustrate possibilities andpotentials.

5. Handle Administrative MattersThere will always be paperwork, forms, and details to attendto: employment agreements, insurance policies, benefit pack-ages, charitable contribution forms, uniform distribution, thelist goes on. While these are important, resist the temptationto "get it over with" at one long (and boring) sitting. Spreadthose administrative tasks over many short sessions in thefirst few weeks. Hours of filling out forms on the first day atwork is not the way to inspire enthusiasm for your dynamicorganization!

6. Provide Reality ChecksMake sure your orientation is not an ill-guided fantasy ofhow you wish things could be. If your program shows onlythe bright side, don't be surprised when new employeescome back shell-shocked after two or three weeks on thejob. Take time to be open and candid about the pressures

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and realities of the job, your team, your customers and yourcompetition.

One large regional firm developed an extensive orien-tation program along the theme: "You will know moreabout the problems of this organization than people whohave worked here for years!" This novel approach producesnew employees who understand the realities and are readyto help make them better!

7. Gain Full ParticipationGive everyone a role to play in new employee orientation.Involve peers and colleagues in mentoring, engage man-agers in talks and panel discussions, put subordinates incharge as hosts and guides for cross-department visits.Invite family members to a special "Meet the CompanyDay" and take lots of photographs at the event. Later, sendthe best photographs back to your new staff's home address- with a copy of your company's newsletter and a hand-written note from you to the entire family.

Most of all, gain full participation from new employeesthemselves. Resist the temptation to project information ina one-way stream from you to them. Allow them to explorethe company, research the competition, meet the customers,and then generate their own questions for you to receiveand reply.

Finally, get your new employees fully involved in wel-coming the next wave of incoming staff. This will ensureyour orientation program stays fresh and relevant to staff

needs, and can be a watershed towards making "new staff"feel like "veterans" at the company; experienced, involvedand able to contribute.

Properly trained employees who are welcomed at thebeginning of their careers feel good about their choice ofemployer, fit in quickly with peers and colleagues andreadily contribute new ideas. They also speak well aboutyour firm to friends and family. And they represent youmore confidently to customers, business partners andsuppliers.

The time, money and human resources you dedicate tonew employee orientation can be one of your best long-term corporate investments. Make sure your program isthoughtfully designed, carefully delivered, continuouslyupgraded and improved.

© Ron Kaufman, "Inspiring people to learn, improve andgrow." Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed serviceand partnership innovator who has worked with hundreds ofclients in countries around the world. His backgroundincludes high-impact special events at the Rose Bowl, GreatWall of China, St. Basil's Cathedral, and the Capitol Mall.His unique approaches to leadership and learning have beenfeatured in LIFE Magazine, the New York Times and fre-quently on TV. For more information, contact Ron at ActiveLearning! 50 Bayshore Park #31-01, Aquamarine Tower,Singapore 469977, or e-mail [email protected]. Fora FREE newsletter, visit www.RonKaufman.com.

Excerpted From Preventing Death By Lecture

T he opening and closing are the two most powerful parts of your pres-entation or training. Learners usually remember the first and last thingsthey hear. So what do you do about all that information in the middle?

How do you get your listeners to remember the middle stuff?You "mark the middle' with mini-openings and closings, deciding where

to include a break in your talk; then you decide if the break signals the begin-ning of new topic-related information or the end of the information you'vejust covered. In other words, you choose a learner-centered activity for thebreak that would be a memorable mini-opening or mini-closing.

The Following Six Marking the Middle Tips Serve Three Purposes:

1. They're great short, quick, review activities that give learners a chance to repeat the information they've learned.

2. They help learners move information into long-term memory.3. They can be used as either a mini-opening or a mini-closing activity.

Coming to Brainstorming East? Don't Miss…Orientation Programs That Inspire Loyal Employees with Jackie Ramstedt

Orientation sessions can enthuse new hires and inspire company loyalty, or overwhelm them with deadly, dullinformation! Help new employees hit the ground running with dynamic orientation programs that igniteimmediate productivity, foster good work attitudes and promote positive results that last - and save yourorganization time and money in the process!

MarkingMarkingthe Middlethe Middle

TTerrific Tips to Helperrific Tips to HelpLearners ReviewLearners Review,,

Repeat, and RememberRepeat, and Remember

By Sharon BowmanBy Sharon Bowman

Suggested Time: From 30 seconds to 3 minutes dependingupon the activity.Materials Needed: NoneGroup Size: From 6 to 600 (size is relatively unimportant).Room Set-up: Any set-up will do.

Marking the Middle Tips:

1. Nudge Your Neighbor: Stop your presentation and say:"It's your turn. Look at your neighbor - the person sitting tothe left or right of you. Make sure no one is left out. Nudgeyour neighbor and tell him/her the most important factyou've just heard in the last ten to twenty minutes. Find outwhat your neighbor thinks is the most important fact. Youhave sixty seconds to talk to each other." When the minuteis up, resume your presentation.

2. All Together Now: When you're using a list of bulletedpoints written on charts, overhead transparencies or slides,invite your learners to read each point aloud with you. Varythe "choral reading" by directing only certain people to readaloud each time:

· People with long hair/short hair· People who are male/female· People who are younger than/older than (name an age)· People who are wearing red/blue/yellow/etc.· People who are wearing a watch, earrings, etc.· People who were born in the winter/summer· People who have old/new shoes· People who have a long first/last name

3. Signals: Stop your presentation and ask your learners ifthey agree or disagree with the points you've just made byshowing you a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down." Thumbs side-ways can stand for "undecided" or "need more information."

Signals do three things: (1) keep your learners awakeand interested; (2) give your kinesthetic learners (the oneswho learn through physical movement) something to do;and (3) help you check for understanding. If many learnersshow you the wrong signal, or seem unsure about whatsignal to use, you know that they didn't "get it" and youneed to review what you just presented. Use a variety ofsignals to keep the interest high:

· Clap for "yes" and stomp for "no"· Shout "Of course!" for "yes" and "No way!" for "no"· Nod and shake heads for agree and disagree· Show the "okay" sign (thumb and forefinger circled) to

signal agreement.

4. Shout Out: After presenting some information, ask thegroup to shout out a number between five and ten (betweenany two numbers will do).

Say someone shouts out the number "seven." Now tellthe whole group that it's their job to come up with sevenfacts about the topic that they've just learned (or seven factsabout a certain topic point, seven things they rememberfrom your lecture, seven bulleted points from your writteninformation or slides, etc.) They shout out the facts and you

count them until the number has been reached; then you addany important pieces of information they may have for-gotten, or correct erroneous information. Have them givethemselves a round of applause and continue with yourpresentation.

5. Stand Up, Sit Down: If your learners have been sittingfor a long while, get them up and moving. Direct them toform standing cluster groups of 3-5 people, and within eachgroup, take turns telling the others one thing they rememberor just learned from the presentation. After speaking, eachperson sits down, until everyone in each group is seated.Call time after about three minutes, even if some groupshaven't finished.

6. Micro-Macro Stretches: Maybe your learners have justeaten a meal, or maybe it's early morning or evening - what-ever! Your learners need a big dose of physical movementimmediately, but you don't want to waste any of your pres-entation time on an activity that doesn't have anything to dowith the topic, so do the following:

Explain to the group that micro stretches mean movinga small part of the body (example: a finger, toe, mouth, eye,etc.). Macro stretches mean moving a large part of the body(leg, arm, torso, etc.).

Direct the group to stand. Tell them you will model amicro or macro stretch and they are to do it with you. Whileeveryone stretches, you verbally state one fact you coveredthat's topic-related.

Next, call on another person in the group to model amicro or macro stretch. While the group repeats the stretchwith that person, he/she states another fact learned about thetopic. That person then calls on someone else, or you can dothe naming. After three or four micro/macro stretches, thegroup sits down and you continue your presentation.

Sharon L. Bowman, M.A., has been an Author,Teacher, Trainer, and Consultant for over thirtyyears. She works with people who want tofine-tune their information-giving skills andcompanies that want to offer exceptional staffdevelopment programs. She provides staff

development and human resource programs for colleges,school districts, government agencies, and private busi-nesses across the country. Sharon specializes in makinglearning hands-on, interactive, fun, and memorable. Visither online at http://www.bowperson.com.


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For more great training ideas, visit our website atwww.Multifamilypro.com. The items listed beloware available in our "PRO" area under Training.

Click on Training Games, Exercises, & Incentives for:Product Knowledge Scavenger Hunt (in MS Word)Puzzle Teamwork Activity (in MS Word)

Click on New Hires for:Two-Day Training Guide (in MS Word)

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A Brainstorming RecapBy Shawna Bryndildssen

At Brainstorming West's Training Trends Luncheon,Trish Hoffman-Ahrens gave attendees a run-down ofwhat's happening in the world of training and how thesetrends will influence us.

Economic Trends

We are continuing to evolve from a production-based to aknowledge-based economy. Where the old economy valuedprimarily physical and financial assets, we now place moreemphasis on intellectual capital, resulting in a closer look atemployee development. The four-year degree, once consid-ered the culmination of one's education, is now just thebeginning. Lifelong learning is the new standard, andemployees are expected to build their education throughouttheir careers.

This new perspective has led to a second, closely relatedeconomic trend: a shift in how companies view employeeeducation and training. "It used to be that companies spentthe money on training grudgingly," Trish said. "Today, how-ever, it's considered a proactive investment. Your businesssuccess depends upon your employee development."

Regarding a growing awareness that the United Statesmust address its substantial knowledge gap, Trish noted,"The new global economy presents more complex chal-lenges; and the U.S. is lagging behind other industrializednations in education levels." The resulting low literacylevel of front-line employees is destined to impact the mul-tifamily industry in the long run, particularly in key areaslike Fair Housing and OSHA compliance. Low computerliteracy will make implementing technological solutionsmore challenging for our industry.

Employee Trends

Trends in employee dynamics mirror those in theeconomy. An employee's value is directly tied to his or herknowledge; and it's not all about attitude, hours worked, oreffort expended. "The productivity of labor is more andmore a function of what the employee knows," Trish said.These "knowledge" workers have needs and expectationsthat are different from the more traditional type of work-force. "They require greater flexibility in the workplace.They place a high value on quality of life and balance, andthey're telling us how they want to learn."

A second trend involves the way employees viewtraining and education. As they, like their employers, beginto see lifelong learning as a desirable norm, they'll look forcompanies that offer continuing education. Educationalopportunities are becoming a potent tool for attracting andretaining quality employees. Many companies are begin-ning to offer tuition reimbursement, college planning assis-tance, and paid or unpaid educational sabbaticals. This leadsus to our next trend: The outsourcing of training design anddelivery.

Increasingly, companies are using traditional collegesand universities to provide continuing education. Trishnoted that according to a recent issue of Training Magazine,40 percent of all training is currently being designed by out-side sources, many of which include institutions of higherlearning.

Technology Trends

The four technology trends Trish discussed are all closelyrelated: individualized learning, increased use of the Internetfor training delivery, active engagement of the online learner,and use of multimedia in training materials.

Individualized learning is a step away from traditional,one-size-fits-all training where all participants move togetherthrough a program at a predetermined pace. It is a more flex-ible way of delivering information in that it's learner-driven instead of instructor-driven, and the learner plays animportant role in determining how and when to receive theinformation.

Making individualized learning possible are tech-nology trends #2 and #3: increased use of the Internet fordelivery and active engagement of the online learner. Bymoving training to the web, companies can give employeescontrol over their own learning pace. Learners decidewhen to access the information without waiting fortraining to be scheduled. In some cases, learners can decidein what order they access the information and how muchtime they will devote to each topic, spending more ontopics they are interested in or need help on, and less ontopics that they are already familiar with. Online learnersalso have the benefit of immediate feedback via onlinetests or self-assessments that are taken online and scoredimmediately, providing on-the-spot opportunities to review"problem" areas. In addition to being more effective, thiskind of self-directed learning can be significantly lessexpensive than classroom training.

The fourth and final technology trend involves theactual design and delivery of online training. As use of the

rainingRENDS

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Internet for training increases, techniques are growingmore effective and sophisticated. Far from being an "elec-tronic textbook," online courses are employing elementslike video, audio, animation, voice activation, and evensimulations.

The multifamily industry faces some major challengesas it tackles these technology trends. Many companieshave inadequate technology infrastructures and limitedbandwidth, which will make it difficult to implement someof the newer technology. In order to take full advantage ofthe opportunities offered by the Internet, and not just fortraining, companies need to move toward a goal of one PCper employee. Even with the appropriate infrastructure,challenges will remain, including training front-lineemployees to incorporate a computer seamlessly into theirdealings with residents. "As we move toward a web-based,paperless environment, we will ultimately create an inter-action where the keyboard is between the employee andthe customer," said Trish. "Instead of keeping sales trainingseparate from computer system training, we'll be inte-grating the two - teaching them how to use the systemwhile they're with the resident."

Content Trends

Along with how we deliver training, there are also some keychanges in what we train. Diversity awareness and sexualharassment prevention training are expected to be on therise, with many companies providing this type of training asoften as every six months in order to mitigate risk.

Also on the rise are management and supervisorydevelopment. Traditionally, companies have spent the majorityof their training budgets on staff segments with the highestturnover (entry-level and/or front-line). Now, more andmore organizations are recognizing the need to developmid-level and higher-level employees to assume leadershiproles, placing strong employees on a career path for growthand creating a pool of individuals who are ready foradvancement.

A final content trend is an increase in business contin-gency planning. "We're starting to train for what happensin an emergency... what happens when the lights go out,who gets called, what occurs at every point of the decisiontree." Trish pointed out that the more we rely on technology,the more we all need this type of preparation.

Embracing Our Future

There are several ways that we can prepare to meet changesin the world of training, said Trish: "We must developlearning cultures that allow us to retain our employees andstay competitive. We must replace the edutrainer with thefacilitator who has the right skills to appropriately use tech-nology. We must learn to use blended learning, taking con-tent and putting it into the mode of delivery that maximizeslearning, whether that mode be classroom, e-learning, video,homework, or mentoring." The session concluded with thispowerful quote from Eric Hoffer:

“In a time of drastic change, it is the learners whoinherit the future. The learned find themselves equipped tolive in a world that no longer exists.”

Trish Hoffman-Ahrens is Vice President,Education Services and Marketing forCamden. Her specialties include leasing,management and marketing of multi-family communities that deliver bottom-line results and designing, developingand implementing educational program-ming for onsite, regional and corporatepersonnel.


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Terri NorvellMotivational Speaker,

Performance Coach, & Change AgentNorvell Associates: The InnerPrize -

A People Development Company

Located in: ColoradoYears in the Apartment Industry: 17

What does it take to be the best?A belief in oneself. Knowing that we are as capable aswe think we are. Knowing that we are the only onesplacing limits on ourselves. Knowing that we can eachachieve more than we think we can. A favorite quote isfrom Thomas Edison, "If we each did what we arecapable of doing...we would truly astound ourselves."

What is your favorite idea, tool, tip, or technique?There is a formula that goes like this: Intention +Mechanism = Result

So often we can loose site of what really enables us toachieve any chosen result. We can focus too heavily on themechanism or how we are going to achieve the result.When in reality what is most important is our strength ofcommitting to achieve whatever is important to us in ourpersonal and professional lives. Stated another way theequation could go like this: Commitment + Means = Result.Think about it. There are always numerous ways to achieveanything (the means). What really helps us to achieve is ourlevel of commitment. What we are willing to do, the obsta-cles we are willing to face, our perseverance… in honoringour commitment to ourselves and others.

sp tlight

PPRROO

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Survey Says...Sound EmployeeSound EmployeeRetention PRetention ProgramsrogramsBegin With ListeningBegin With ListeningBy Doug Miller and Chris Pulket, SatisFacts Research

In an age where our industry values and embraces "cus-tomer care" so strongly, isn't it time we put the same focus on"employee care"? When you think about it, how can wedeliver quality customer service and maximize resident reten-tion if the people our residents encounter regularly are not sat-isfied, focused, motivated, well trained, properly supported,and happy?

The starting point to improvingemployee retention is to identifythe issues that affect it, their causes, and theimpact they're having.When the issues areknown, you have amuch better idea ofwhere to directattention and bestutilize yourresources. A prospec-tive client shared with usthat they'd spent $100,000 ona new benefits program… only tofind that it had little value to theiremployees. Ouch! That's no different than if your doctorwere to prescribe medicine without first asking you whathurts and then determining what's wrong with you.Before developing an effective plan, you must go beyondsymptoms to determine their causes; and that meansstarting at the source. Rather than "shooting in thedark,"start by asking your employees for their input onboth the issues and possible solutions.

Harry Beckwith, author of Selling The Invisible...AField Guide To Modern Marketing, provides some note-worthy input on the subject of surveying. While he refers toclients, his observations easily apply to employees as well.On the subject of identifying issues, Beckwith writes "Peoplewon't tell you what you're doing wrong. Your prospectswon't tell you. Clients won't tell you. Sometimes, even yourspouse won't tell you. So what do you do to improve yourservice? Ask."

Surveying employees on the company and their satisfac-tion can be sensitive ground as they're often afraid to sharecandid feelings out of fear for their job. When given theopportunity to complete an anonymous survey, you'd be sur-prised how many will submit responses and how candid they'llbe. We've experienced response rates between 40% and 80%for the internal surveys we've conducted for clients, and the

results are typically eye-opening in terms of identifying areasthat required management attention, and issues that impactedproperty performance as well as associate satisfaction. Givenhow difficult it is to attract and retain good employees,finding out how to keep them has become a significant issueindustrywide. On the subject of "why" survey, Beckwith sharesthe following, which also applies to employee retention: "Itkeeps contact with your clients. It lets you learn from your mis-takes. It helps you flag possible problem areas and clients. Itkeeps you from coasting. Survey, survey, survey!"

Residents Say It BestResidents Say It Best

During the resident satisfaction telesurveys we complete forour clients, we often hear "pearls of wisdom," including the fol-

lowing which relate directly to employee satis-faction:

"It seems like we need morestaff because they get angry

every time I go to theoffice and ask for arepair."

"The managementteam is very helpful,but they are under-

staffed.""The management

staff aren't given propertools to do their jobs

effectively.""They're very courteous and friendly and

want to be helpful, I know, but they need more in-depthtraining."

"There is always someone different in the office, and it doesn't seem like there is good communication betweenthe staff members."

"There's frequent turnover in the staff, maintenance is unresponsive, and management is unknown."

Issues and ImpactIssues and Impact

Why are these resident quotes significant? Our findings showthat 65% of residents who say they are not "Very Likely" torenew their lease cite controllable reasons for that response:basics like courtesy, responsiveness, and work quality (whichis a function of hiring, staffing, training, work-load, and thelike) show up on the radar screen as 5 of the Top 20 reasonscited. These quotes show that poor job satisfaction and lackof support impacts associate attitudes, which in turn impactsresident perceptions, and ultimately resident retention. Thereis a return on listening to your staff (and, of course, takingaction!).

Reviewing the findings from several of the employeesatisfaction surveys we have conducted reveals very inter-esting insights into what's important to staff in the field.SatisFacts uses a wide variety of questions to study attitudes


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and feelings, and identify strengths and "red flags" in theareas of: community management; policies and procedures;education and training; office technology; employee benefits;hiring and career development; main office staff support; jobrelated issues; and current job satisfaction.

What issues have we found to be impacting employeesatisfaction and property performance? What kinds of thingshave clients learned about what employees expect in terms ofthe work environment, their relationship with management,and programs that should be offered?

According to our findings, field staff members are lookingfor a surprising and interesting variety of things, and they arenot all about money. In one study, some of the top reasons fordissatisfaction were apartment turnover quality, lack of resi-dent retention programs, lack of opportunities for advance-ment, excessive paperwork and reporting requirements, alack of attention given to their input by off-site property man-agers as well as an apparent lack of concern about their sat-isfaction. Clearly, job related issues impact their desire toremain employed with the firm.

In one study, a clear issue was that employees felt theirsupervisor didn't understand how to motivate them. Whenasked, the following were cited as the top rated ways to moti-vate employees: provide positive motivation; offer a qualitywork environment; offer incentives/bonuses; show aninterest in the employees concerns/satisfaction and their input;flexible management; provide "resident friendly" policies;adequate salary/hourly rate; pay attention to employees'input; offer the opportunity for advancement. How can youexpect to retain staff members if you do not know what moti-vates them (individually and collectively) and makes themfeel appreciated and satisfied?

Implicatons and OptionsImplicatons and Options

Overall, asking client employees what is most important tothem has identified an interesting and wide variety of issues.

Management: Aquality work environment; show interestin concerns and satisfaction; understand what motivates eachemployee; provide positive motivation; show interest andgive attention to input; have field personnel as members ofoperations-related committees; establish brainstorming meet-ings; start asking and listening before acting, and give thefield's input credence; give authority to make decisions; showfaith in staff's judgment; don't bring main office politics anddisputes into the field; establish an anonymous employeesuggestion system.

Budgeting: Budgets must be realistic, based on needs,look long-term: field should be more involved with devel-oping budgets and priorities; permit freedom to use their judg-ment to make spending decisions; budget/spend funds neededto maintain asset; establish inventory and re-order guidelines,then stock shops per these.

Policies and Procedures: Aclear job description; estab-lished policies and procedures manual; test significant changes

to standard operating procedures first.Operations: "Resident friendly" policies and proce-

dures; a customer service orientation; develop overall reten-tion and renewal program; survey residents regularly toidentify problem areas; provide quality turnovers and curbappeal.

Education and Training: Provide job related and com-puter/software training; offer a new employee orientation andtraining program; educate office staff on priority service calls,the turnover process and prioritizing.

Office Technology: Utilize email, software, network toreduce paperwork, reports and duplicate work; utilize propertymanagement software to manage work, accounting, reporting,etc.; provide other up-to-date equipment such as fax andcopy machines; use online credit approval service to speedup process, streamline effort; add Internet access to all com-puters so staff can easily follow-up with email leads.

Employee Benefits: Offer a comprehensive employeehandbook; offer fair compensation; have a sound incentivesprogram; have an objective annual review program.

Hiring and Career Development: Offer advancementopportunities and a career development program.

Main Office Staff Support: Prompt payment policyfor contractors, suppliers; adequate corporate office staffsupport.

SummarySummary

Imagine how these findings can inform and impact yourinternal discussions about improving employee retention.What's the bottom line with employee retention? If you wantto know how to retain your employees, ask them: what theirissues are, where they think there's room for improvement,what obstacles keep them from getting their job done aseffectively and efficiently as possible, what motivates them;and ask in a non-threatening manner. Make a commitment tolisten and carefully consider their suggestions, and ask forparticipation in making the company the best it can be.Making employees part of the solution is key!

Ultimately, be ready to make sensible short and long-term changes. The end result will be more satisfied employeesand reduced turnover, with the significant side benefit ofimproved performance!

SatisFacts Research, LLC is a full-service customer satisfac-tion research company that specializes in the multifamilyindustry, and is the proud provider of SatisFacts ResidentSatisFaction Telesurveys. Doug Miller, President ofSatisFacts Research, has nearly 20 years experience in multi-family marketing, research and training, and has worked withnearly a thousand communities nationwide. Chris Pulket isSatisFacts' Director of Operations. To reach SatisFacts, call866.655.1490, e-mail [email protected], or visit theirwebsite at http://www.satisfacts.net.

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Colleen BreenProperty Manager

Mullenix Companies

Located in: St. Louis, MissouriResponsible for: 93 Apartment HomesYears in the Apartment Industry: 15

What does it take to be the best?I think it helps to have a love for this industry. I feel thatbeing organized is the key to being successful. Most impor-tantly, I feel that it also takes a willingness to go the extramile to make sure that your owners and supervisors aresatisfied with your performance.

What performance tip or suggestion would you offer tosomeone who's just starting out in your field ofexpertise?I would have to say being friendly and personable to everyonethat comes through your door is very important. People willrent from people they like. It's not necessarily always theproduct. Sell yourself!

What is your favorite idea, tool, tip, or technique?Adding many services that make life easier for your res-idents, but don't take much time or money, is an excellentsuccess strategy. You will have a resident for life!

Since most multifamily professionals agree that ourservice team has the most contact with our residents,why is it that I rarely see service team members in

Fair Housing seminars at all of the conferences I attend? Isee plenty of managers and leasing professionals, yet ourservice employees are probably more likely to commit aFair Housing faux pas!

When we think about Fair Housing complaints andlawsuits, we usually think about leasing professionals, right?Did you know that approximately 30% of complaints andlawsuits result from situations outside the leasing center?Believe it or not, there are still plenty of six and seven-figure awards being made in Fair Housing suits, and manyof them are service related.

The math should be pretty easy: The minimum fineper occurrence of a discriminatory action is approximately$11,500, and the cost of a Fair Housing seminar is any-where from $49 to $99. And it doesn't stop with the fine(and the punitive damages - that's where all the zeroscome from in those six and seven-figure awards!). Whatabout all that publicity we suddenly get when a complaintis filed, and all the time and money that must be spent todefend ourselves? Typically, thousands of dollars in losscan be avoided if we simply train ALL of our employees.

Beyond the math, practicing Fair Housing is simplythe right thing to do! So, in no particular order, here are themost common situations that our service team should beaware of to help ensure that they're "Playing Fair":

1. Just Say "Know": As in, "I don't know, let's go over

For more great on-site ideas, visit ourwebsite at www.Multifamilypro.com.

The item listed below is available in our"PRO" area under Human Resources.Select Contests, then Motivation &

Employee Retention to read these greatprograms for your service team!

Retaining Service TechsService Team Appreciation ProgramWalk of Fame Employee Retention ProgramWe Caught You - Maintenance Appreciation Program

Is YIs Your Service Tour Service TeameamPLAPLAYING FYING FAIRAIR

By Douglas D. Chasick

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to the office and find out . . ." This should be the standardresponse to any inquiry about availability, rental rates,renewal terms, specials, concessions, and anything elsehaving to do with the rental or renewal of an apartment.It's also a great answer to the "What kind of people livehere" question (though an even better answer to that ques-tion is: "Anyone who meets our qualifying standardslives here!").

2. There Are no "Do Overs" in Fair Housing: Justbecause you didn't mean to discriminate doesn't meanyou're automatically off the hook. Discrimination doesnot need to be intentional - many a Fair Housing com-plaint is the result of someone trying to "be nice." We allneed to "be nice," however we must be consistent andtreat everyone the same. Some examples of what not todo are: suggesting which building someone would likebecause "there are/are not lots of kids in that building," orbecause "there are/are not lots of THOSE people in thatbuilding"; and talking about other residents or employees.

3. FIFO = First In, First Out: This is a term from mydays in retail; and for the apartment business, it means wedo our service requests in the order we receive them,unless it is an emergency. (Speaking of emergencies, doyou have a written list of exactly what constitutes an emer-gency, and do each of your residents have a copy of thatlist?) While it may be tempting to do certain servicerequests first because the resident is pleasant and tips well,and others last because they are not pleasant and don't tip,don't give in to that temptation! It could turn into a FairHousing complaint based on discrimination due to dif-ferent treatment, as in: "You did their work order beforemine, even though I called mine in first, because I am amember of a protected class."

4. Attitude Is Everything: Since most of our serviceteam members don't get much (any?) customer servicetraining either, let's talk about attitude for a moment. Theold cliché holds true here: "Reality is perception and per-ception is reality." When a person perceives that he or sheis being treated differently, they will usually make up theirown reason for why they are being treated differently -and that reason could be "...because I'm a member of aprotected class." That different treatment includes atti-tude, body language and overall demeanor; if yourservice technician seems to be friendly and outgoing toeveryone except Mrs. Smith, then in the absence of an

explanation to the contrary, Mrs. Smith may think it's becauseshe is a member of a protected class.

5. Do As I Say and As I Do: Your service team man-ager has a special responsibility, as the supervisor, tocomply with all Fair Housing laws and ensure that eachservice team member complies. This means that everyonelooks to the manager for guidance, and people will auto-matically assume that if the manager says or does some-thing, then they can say or do it too. This includes beingproactive by not tolerating off-color or racially insensitivejokes, sexual harassment in any form, being aware of whatthe team is looking at if they have Internet access (jokessent by email, inappropriate websites), etc. Remember, notleading by example can have very expensive consequenceswhen it comes to Fair Housing.

6. Remember That Your Vendors and ContractorsNeed Fair Housing Training: Yes, that's right! They canget us into just as much trouble as one of our employees.Make certain that all your vendor contracts and serviceagreements contain a paragraph to inform the vendor thatyou expect any of the people they send to your propertyhave Fair Housing training.

So, what are you going to do about making certain yourservice team is playing fair? There are plenty of qualityclassroom, computer-based, and web-based training pro-grams available that are designed specifically for serviceemployees. Isn't it about time we get everyone at our prop-erties trained and or refreshed on Fair Housing? Remember:play nice and play fair!

Douglas D. Chasick, CPM®, CAPS, CAS,Adv. RAM, CLP, is The Apartment Doctor™,a Multifamily Speaker and Consultant spe-cializing in restoring rental health to ailing

apartment communities and management companies.Doug is also the Editor of NOI News™, an online sub-scription newsletter that focuses on the people-side of ourbusiness. You can reach Doug at 888-222-1214, by writing [email protected], or by visiting www.NOINews.com.

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There is something to be said about safety in num-bers and having trusted allies when you take on achallenge. The same could be said regarding your

competitors in property management.A lot of you know your competition inside and out (or

you should) when it comes to features, specials, and loca-tion. But how well do you know the people who workbehind the desks at the properties just down the street?Could you pick up the phone and ask your competitionquestions? Could you ask for help or advice? Would theygive honest and heartfelt answers? If the answer is yes,congratulations! You probably understand and appreciatehaving someone outside of your company you can call tobounce ideas off. If the answer is no, you may want towaive the white flag and consider the benefits of makingfriends with your competition.

For some of you, the only contact you have with yourcompetition is the dreaded monthly marketing survey. Youcall them on the phone and if you catch them at theabsolute precise moment, they agree to rattle off the bareminimum of marketing information with little or no dialog.You thank them and quickly hang up, take a deep breathand say to yourself "thank goodness that’s over with."

You also feel as if you are bothering them and theyfeel they don't need to waste their time talking to youbecause you are the competition! No wonder the marketingsurveys are left to the person who draws the shortest strawin the office! Why not try stepping out of your comfortzone and making an attempt to create a friendly bondbetween your property and your competitors. Why youmay ask? Here are a few reasons to consider:

1. Keep the business and occupancy in your neighbor-hood - Having knowledge regarding your competition cou-

pled with a familiar person to talk to could increase youroccupancy. An example - your competitors may not beable to rent an apartment to someone due to lack of inven-tory, pet situations, etc. If they do not have a sister propertyto refer them to, they know you on a personal basis andknow your property could fill the prospects needs, theywill call you and send the hot prospect over.

This is really a win-win situation because if they wereto send this person out of your neighborhood apartmentcompetitive set or if they simply happen to leave your areaby chance, it would mean one more unoccupied unit in yourneighborhood. One more vacancy could decrease youroccupancy to the level you need to run a special. Generallyspeaking, if you run a special, you competition will likelyfollow with a special. You both lose. Fill up your areasvacancies and keep your rents maximized, specials to aminimum and vacancies low! This is the name of the game.

2. Idea Generation - If you are perplexed as to what ishappening in the market… why the phone is ringing or notringing and you and your boss need real answers, wouldn'tit be nice to call your competition and get some feedbackas to what is happening at their property? After you havegained the trust and developed a relationship with yourcompetitors, they will be more apt to share ideas or helpyou out, within reason of course.

3. Personnel Changes - You never know when com-pany cut backs could effect you, or when an employmentopportunity in your community could occur. Having knowl-edge about other management companies and profes-sionals in the business is a great resource.

The preceding reasons of why you should try tobecome friends with your competition sound great, buthow do you do it? Here are some ideas to start buildingthose bridges:

WhyCan'tWe BeFriends? By DianeSteele

Begin by calling up your competitors and introducingyourself to them. Try contacting the person at the propertywho has the same position as you if possible, i.e. if you arethe leasing director, try calling the leasing director, assistantmanager to assistant manager, manager to manager, mainte-nance supervisor to maintenance supervisor, etc. Let themknow who you are and that your intention is to start openingup the lines of communication with them to help each otherout. You are hanging out the white flag and ready to breakbread together.

Offer your competition a personal tour of your prop-erty. Why not? If they are doing their jobs correctly, theywill come for a visit or shop when you may not be pre-pared. Invite the entire staff to come over and see whatyour property has to offer. If you are hosting an open housefor your vendors and relocation specialists, invite them aswell! What a perfect time to showcase your property whenit is "Company Perfect."

Ask your competition for a personal tour of theirproperty. Make an appointment that is convenient forthem. If you have access, bring a small gift and send athank you note to them for taking time out of their day foryou.

Organize a Meeting - step out of your comfort zoneand initiate a quarterly coffee break with your competi-tion. Invite those you have become friends with, andthose you have not yet connected, to join you. Open yourclubhouse if you have one or meet at the local diner. Aftera few meetings you can alternate clubhouses betweencommunities. Plan a basic agenda ahead of time, relaxand open up the lines of communication and brainstorm.Stay on task and try to have a structure to keep themeeting professional and productive. You will be amazedwhat happens.

It will be your responsibility to your management touse discretion when talking with your competitors. Youdo want to disclose all of your delicate property informa-tion. You need to retain your originality and marketingsecrets as you have developed. But imagine the endlesspossibilities that you could create between you and yourcompetition.

Your courage to organize a lasting bond will be a stepfurther in your leadership role in property managementwhile building relationships and increasing occupancy!

Diane Steele is a Sales and Marketing Professionallocated in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota area. Shehas worked in property management and related fieldssince 1988, specializing in increasing sales and occu-pancy quickly, corporate housing and property evalua-tions. To find out how Diane can help with your prop-erty's unique needs, call 952-891-3483 or [email protected].

Reach for your customerswhere they reach for you!

For advertising opportunities in

Multifamilypro magazine please con-

tact Jennifer James at 662-890-9294,

[email protected] or visit our

website at www.Multifamilypro.com


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The Key to GreatFollow-Up

By Melynn Williams

Here's a great way to invite a futureresident back for a second visit: havekey chains made with your commu-nity logo, and place blank keys onthem. Mail to your prospects with anote that reads: "I would love to makethis the key to your new apartmenthome at __________! Bring this keyin and receive __________." I ordered1,000 key chains for $1,000; blankkeys are relatively inexpensive, andyour only significant additional costwill be for postage.

You could even turn this idea into acontest and make things even more fun!Send out one key that really does openthe door to one of your models; andwhoever has the right key could receivean additional leasing incentive.

Pot LuckBy Richard Friedman

Once a month, our entire team gets together

for a Pot Luck lunch or dinner. It's verysimple but has really promoted a familyfeeling among our team.

Refreshing “Seasoned” Leasing Professionals

By Mary WelchA lot of really good leasing profes-sionals can get bored or "too comfort-able" easily. Sometimes they even getsloppy as a result. A great way to getthem invigorated and recharged (un-stale) is by sending them out to doshops at other communities... evenout of your market. This helps them"refresh." It helps them see thingsthat others are doing wrong and inad-vertently forces them to look in themirror. Be sure to talk to them abouttheir experiences.

Gift Box to Motivate Leasing Staff

By Michele MannTo motivate the leasing staff, we pur-chased gifts to be drawn from a gift bag.We then set a number of net rentals for

them to achieve in order to win anopportunity to draw a prize from the bag.

Prizes of various costs were pur-chased and wrapped (some were inlarge or smaller containers as not toexpose the real prize). After the leasingprofessional achieved the net rentalsestablished in the guidelines, theyselected a prize/gift and unwrapped it.

In addition to the usual leasing com-missions, this really motivates the leasingstaff. Everybody loves getting a giftand unwrapping it. I helped us accom-plish 54 rentals in one month on a newlease-up property.

Way to Go!By Linda Jones

During weekly staff meetings, eachweek, we have "Way to Go's." Eachteam member writes down somethinggreat that one or more people did duringthe previous week, then the propertymanager reads it in front of everyone.The team loves it because they getconstant kudos from someone other


March 28-30, 2004 NAHB Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Conference &

Awards Gala, La Quinta Resort & Club, Palm Springs, CA.

April 29-May 1, 2004 Multifamilypro Presents The 15th Annual Multifamily Housing

Brainstorming Sessions™ - EAST, The Renaissance Waverly,Atlanta, GA. For the latest information and to reserve your

seat now, visit www.Multifamilypro.com!

June 24-26, 2004NAA Conference and Exposition, Las Vegas, NV.

For information, visit www.naahq.org.

October 17-19, 2004Multifamily Executive Educational Conference, Mandalay Bay, LasVegas, NV. For information visit www.multifamilyexecutive.com.

November 10-12, 2004Multifamilypro Presents The 15th Annual Multifamily

Housing Brainstorming Sessions™ - WEST, The Rio All-Suite Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada.

For the latest information and to reserve your seat now, visit www.Multifamilypro.com!

upcoming eventsthan their supervisor and they get to praise otherswithout being embarrassed.

An Idea That’ll Make You SmileBy Shannon Moler

I received some great ideas after I recentlyattended a Toni Blake Seminar, but the one thatreally stuck with me was to use "smiley faces." Iordered loads of smiley face stickers and pencils.I give the pencils to all future residents and tellthem that they can finally sit back and smilewhen they erase all other potential communitiesout of their mind, and decide to call my commu-nity home! The stickers go on my business cards,to make people smile when they reach for mycard! Visit www.TotallyToni.com to find out moreabout Toni Blake!

Handling ConflictEver have one of those "Maintenance is fromMars, Management is from Venus" kinds of dayswhen your team just can't seem to get along?Here are a few tried-and-true methods for han-dling conflict among your team members:

In the case of a verbal argument, ask both par-ties to paraphrase each other's comments. Thiswill help you determine whether or not theyreally understand each other. Sometimes, resolu-tion is a matter of helping them speak the samelanguage.

Help them save face. Sometimes your best res-olution is to help a team member understand thatit's okay to admit that they're wrong. Help themsave face by convincing them that changing aposition isn't an admission of failure, but rather ademonstration of strong character.

Work out a compromise. Make sure that bothparties agree on the true source of the conflict, andthen guide them through a process of give-and-take until they reach an agreed upon solution.

Get it in writing. Ask each team member involvedin the conflict to make a list of what they believethe other party should do. Exchange lists, accepta compromise that both sides are willing toaccept, then test the compromise against teamgoals and existing practices and policies to see ifit's a workable one.

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