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The Assistant Manager: Leadership in Progress This is a workshop devoted to an important role that is often neglected. This session highlights specific practices that will help Assistant Managers understand and establish their leadership role. Attendees will come away with methods of influencing others as well as the secrets of maximizing their career track.
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Building a Winning Team Teamwork is essential to everything else you want to accomplish including successful improvement in areas such as customer retention, net operating income, property value, growth, market share and reputation. Teamwork requires a philosophy: regular team practice, empowerment systems and team building techniques. This half-day workshop is guaranteed to make a positive difference fast.
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C.A.M.T. Carol Levey and Neil Fjellestad enjoy the mutual respect of industry service technicians from all over the country due to their belief that the service team are the silent sales force in resident retention. They bring unique insights to the Customer Service, Communication and Fair Housing modules of this National Apartment Association (NAA) accredited course leading to the Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician (CAMT) designation.
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Conflict Resolution This workshop concentrates on the correct communication principles that create an environment for teams and individuals to resolve differences, face difficult situations, cope with the inherent stress of the unique on-site workplace and build consensus to move forward. Attendees will see these principles demonstrated in real-life situations within our daily activities.
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Coping with Change: Effective Strategies In this half-day session Carol and Neil help attendees take a close look at techniques to challenge our perspective, control negative influences and accentuate positive performance during personal and organizational change. In addition, leadership skills needed to help others are explored. This is a workshop that is needed and enthusiastically received. Material for this workshop are available (note to Damon- link to Free Resources where this is available)
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CRM- The Art of Renewals Resident retention begins the moment the customer interacts with an on-site team member. The skills needed to create long-term resident satisfaction are covered in detail. Building customer loyalty doesn't just happen. Raising rents without rebellion requires an empowered on-site service team. This fast-paced interactive half-day workshop will reward attendees with success stories, systems that work and hands-on problem solving that you will be able to utilize immediately.
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Emotional Intelligence: What is it and how do I use it? Neil Fjellestad and Carol Levey premiered this exciting session at their presentation for the National Apartment Association 2002 Education Conference in Orlando. E.I. is what we use to empathize with others; maintain motivation when others are discouraged and intuitively recognize what course to take when facts are blurred. Emotional intelligence can be developed, encouraged and specifically applied to property management. Material for this workshop can be downloaded as a pdf handout (Adobe Acrobat format) and as a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.
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Employee Recruitment This half-day session demonstrates that there is a definite link between employee turnover and resident turnover. We will explore recruitment, interviewing, orientation, on-going coaching along with a discussion of incentives and employee motivation. This is a how-to workshop is based on research combined with experiences of frontline performers from all over the country.
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Executive Leadership Strategies The dynamic atmosphere of the multihousing workplace requires the talents of a well-rounded professional. This workshop combines leading edge material from outside our industry with direct applications to our daily routines inside the multihousing industry. This session is specifically designed for multi-site managers and other key company executives. This full-day workshop emphasizes the knowledge, attitude, skills and habits you will need for consistent success.
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Fair Housing Feud This fast-paced session was created to continue fair housing compliance training on a regular basis. This turns our Fair Housing Fundamentals into an interactive team game. Teams are motivated to pull together their best answers. We enliven the activity with a PowerPoint presentation that incorporates the look and feel of the TV game show- "Family Feud". The result is a productive team building exercise that holds participants_ attention and keeps the action moving while important Fair Housing points are being discussed and reinforced.
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Fair Housing Fundamentals This half-day workshop offers a straightforward approach to Fair Housing compliance for the entire on-site team. This interactive session offers a fresh, hands-on approach that is easily understood. Review questions, group problem solving and practice sessions will build confidence in a realistic setting.
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Future Trends and Technologies This half-day session takes a forward look at our rental residents, management technologies and appropriate leadership styles to fit that future. Ancillary income opportunities, marketing on the Internet, multimedia computer-based training all sound like exciting concepts - but do they work in the real world? Do they convert into consistent management practice? How does a cost-benefit analysis help decision making? Are we measuring the impact to our frontline people? We will utilize research combined with real-world examples and field questions from attendees. Learn what works and what doesn't in our evolving hi-tech, hi-touch industry.
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Hi-Tech, Hi-Touch Management A practical hands-on session for anyone who has too much to do in too little time. This full-day workshop is for all of us who must stay in touch with people and on top of situations and for everyone who must continuously communicate and constantly document. You will walk away with a newfound ability to effectively utilize management technologies: voice mail, fax, e-mail, internet, laptop, desktop, teleconferencing, etc.
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How Will You Survive a Changing Market and a Slowing Economy? This fast-paced, half-day session confronts the changing reality the current market conditions and shows step-by-step how to re-examine your apartment community through the eyes of our customers. Communities that were thriving months ago are headed for trouble unless the entire on-site team re-evaluates its current leasing and retention methods. Learn what is possible when a new level of customer satisfaction is introduced by a trained on-site team. Material for this workshop can be downloaded.
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Let's Lease This full-day workshop is specifically designed for on-site teams that need to increase their "closing ratio." Topics include: product and market knowledge, showcasing your community, feature-benefit presentation and communication skills. Learn to close, close, close! We have pooled the experiences of leasing pros from around the country into a "learnable system" that will enhance your performance immediately - we guarantee it!
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Mini-Workshops are tailored to fit the needs of tradeshows, education conferences, dinner meetings or any setting requiring a presentation less than 3 hours. Generally, a visual presentation will accompany an interactive team presentation with an optional handout. Every attempt will be made to assess the specific requirements of the assembled audience and effectively deliver the most important material.
Star Search: Ongoing Employee Recruitment
Wish I may, wish I might, find an employee who's just right! Innovative recruitment programs don't just happen. Join this fast-paced session to learn how to do it, when to do it, where to do it, who should do it - and what it's going to cost.
Repositioning and Renovating: Measure Twice, Cut Once
Repositioning a community to maximize N.O.I. and create value requires pre-planning and a strategic marketing plan. This session looks at the tools necessary to establish and achieve repositioning goals and predict success before the capital is committed.
Train the Trainer
Ongoing training is the key benefit that attracts and keeps quality people. This is a real-world, how-to session that will provide specific tips, techniques and strategies to deliver better employee training and develop instructional programs.
Leadership Strategies for the Multi-site Manager
Today's multi-site manager needs a specific set of skills to create a management team that optimizes employee productivity and provides on-going customer service. We provide examples of successful experiences, pitfalls and conflicting priorities to help multi-site managers along their career track!
Using Digital Technology to be an Excellent Manager
Communication, coordination and collaboration are the management skills needed at all levels of our industry. The superstars are the managers who understand how to integrate and apply the digital technologies available today.
Internet Marketing Skills
This expanding media is fast becoming a major method by which our customers research rental choices, make decisions and interact with service providers. Learn specific strategies, skills, marketing and tracking methods required to gain a competitive edge.
Smart Hire Methodology
The cost of a bad hire is twofold: direct costs (1.2 times the annual salary of hiree) and indirect costs from negative impact on customers and co-workers. Learn the techniques for a properly executed interview utilizing currently available resources that can quadruple success rates.
Welcome Aboard - Now Get to Work
Half of all new employees still question their career move after 30 days on the job. This session is a look at orientation programs that successfully address new employees' concerns in a timely manner while reinforcing their career decisions.
Corporate Relocation: Handling the Group Move
Corporate Relocation is a growing segment of the multi-housing industry. Learn how your firm can create win/win relationships with employers transferring a group of employees into a new area. This session will provide specific techniques for managing contacts, presentations, logistics, bus tours, open houses, customer service issues, etc.
Repositioning/Renovating: Are We On the Same Team?
During the process of repositioning the management team and the construction team often find themselves engaged in a tug-of-war. Only through communication and cooperation can both sides focus on mutual goals. This session provides specific strategies for overcoming conflicting assignments and timetables.
Effective Outreach Marketing Programs
Apartment communities can increase the quantity and quality of their leasing traffic with a strong outreach program that includes realtors, third-party relocation companies and major employers. Learn how to coordinate a complete system for managing contacts, conducting presentations, tracking results and thorough follow-up.
Leasing and Customer Service for Affordable Housing: Is There a Difference?
Discounted rents should not mean discounted service for customers of affordable housing. This session details the specific skills required for this important segment of the multi-housing industry.
How to Market "Yourself" Effectively
One of the toughest things to sell is you! Learn the verbal and written skills necessary to create a positive first impression. Develop habits that go above and beyond, and establish learning patterns that will keep you up to speed on product and market knowledge, and people skills.
The Art and Science of Selling
Sales is not about luck. To be successful in sales you must understand your clients' needs, offer choices and allow them to stay in control. Learn the listening and communication skills you will need to overcome objections and address concerns.
In a Customer-led Company, Who's Really the Boss?
Avoid chasing your own tail by understanding the profile of each customer segment including staff, residents and owner/investors. Learn the methodology to determine the wants and needs of each through market research, surveys and focus groups. Acquire the skills necessary to resolve conflict and create consensus.
Customer Satisfaction is the Key to Resident Retention
There is no doubt it is easier and more cost effective to keep a good resident than it is to hunt down a new one! Show you care about your customer's feelings and you will go a long way towards building customer loyalty. Be prepared for the renewal process and gain the confidence to overcome major renewal objections.
Optimum Individual and Team Productivity with E-Mail
Streamline the way your staff communicates by effectively organizing and managing incoming and outgoing e-correspondence. Learn the ins and outs of shortcuts, etiquette, privacy issues and utilizing attachments. Create long-distance work groups and impress clients with interactive proposals and contracts.
Web Strategy: Getting Results Now
Too many companies are jumping on the Internet without a clear set of objectives. Understand what attracts users and motivates them to your site. Develop a strategy that includes site design, promotion, links to other sites, traffic control and maintenance. Learn effective ways to follow-up and track site visits
Creating Value-Added Property Management
Successful service systems can dramatically effect your N.O.I. and property value. Gain a better understanding of service encounters and learn where we lose the customer and how we can change the outcome. Create a customer-centered company culture that maintains a profitable partnership between the resident, the on-site employee and the property owner.
Consensus Building: Problem-Solving and Conflict Management
If your team is not working together: you can't expect to achieve company goals. Learn the correct principles that create an environment for teams and individuals to resolve differences, face difficult situations and cope with the inherent stress of the unique on-site workplace.
Written Communication Skills: A Craft That Can Be Mastered, Step-by-Step
Whether it's a memo, letter, proposal or an e-mail, bad writing is expensive. Personal and organizational productivity often are defined by this important communication skill.
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Multi-Task Skills for Management Property management is a team activity. Every employee has a "full plate," but needs to be responsive to others. A team leader has to rely upon others to in order to consistently accomplish the company and community objectives. This half-day workshop explores the specific skills needed to successfully execute multiple tasks with the help of others. Prioritizing, delegating, meeting deadlines, dealing with conflicting assignments and multiple supervisors are some of the key topics.
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N.A.L.P. Carol Levey co-authored this National Apartment Association (NAA) course leading to the National Apartment Leasing Professional (NALP) designation. Carol is committed to the concept that the on-site leasing professional is the heart and soul of our industry. Her enthusiasm, experience and student interaction creates a unique experience for all attendees making Carol one of the country's most popular N.A.L.P instructors.
Click here for student interaction and comments from 2000.
Click here for student interaction and comments from 2001.
Click here to read anonymous student evaluations.
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Outreach Marketing This how-to workshop is ideal for the entire on-site team. Learn how to kick-start an outreach program that is guaranteed to generate additional quality traffic. Step-by-step preparation and materials, effective follow-up and tracking converting "cold calls" into "gold calls" are all part of this half-day workshop.
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Repositioning Your Community During this half-day workshop attendees will walk through the step-by-step process of repositioning an existing apartment community. You will be shown the marketing tools necessary to establish and measure repositioning goals: developing your marketing niche, redefining the resident profile, defining market potential and targeting customers. Topics will include: relocating existing residents, leasing to your target market segment, focus groups and offsite strategies. Special emphasis will be also given to the recruitment, selection, training and incentive requirements that are unique to an on-site service team for successful repositioning. Most importantly, practical methods will be demonstrated that allow team members to maintain a positive image throughout this process.
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Service Sells This important workshop takes a fresh look at the Management Process through the eyes of our customers. Who are our customers? What do they expect? What are their wants and needs? What systems should we have in place to meet their expectations? These are just a few of the questions examined as we explore in detail what, when, where and how a service team sells.
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Service Technicians Create Customer Loyalty This half-day workshop recognizes that the daily activities of service technicians are vital links to our customers. Their attitude, how they look, what they say, when and where they take the opportunity to demonstrate customer care are key elements to leasing results, resident retention, fair housing liability, personal safety and property value. This workshop is ideal for anyone with hands-on responsibilities and for those who must hold others accountable for on-site property condition. Enjoy illustrations and humorous anecdotes that demonstrate proper technique.
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Strategic Approach to E-Commerce Decisions This is a program for decision makers that require straight answers before they make expensive technology decisions. This sessions provides the questions that need answers before making an e-commerce decision.
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Technology Skills for Property Management Basic computer, email and Internet skills tailored to the specific needs of onsite and other multihousing employees. Learn and understand the skills you can use from the instructor and other students.
- Learn the simplest or multiple ways to accomplish the same task
- Don't be intimidated by "the talk", "manuals" or the "experts"
- Don't be overwhelmed by all the information, choices and/or options
- Don't be frustrated as you try to start or complete a project
- Don't be immobilized when technology breaks, fails or stalls
Currently the following workshops are available. They can be scheduled separately or together.
Computing Fundamentals
Property management operations, marketing and resident services are perfectly suited to become completely computerized. Unfortunately, most multihousing employees do not use their full digital potential. Our industry is not unique. According to Standish Group International, current statistics from a survey of 100 companies found that 45% of a software application's features are never used, 19% are rarely used, 16% are sometimes used, and 13% are often used. Only 7% of those features are always used.
Regardless of the specific application you are currently acquainted with: property management software, word processing, accounting, spreadsheets, budgets, etc., this course starts from the beginning stressing the common elements and potential.
This is not training for a particular application, but by making no assumptions about your past experience we will start fresh with step-by-step fundamentals presenting the integration and regular application into your daily assignments.
Property Management on the Net
One of the biggest recent challenges is the use of the Internet in all areas of property management. Not only do communities today receive a tremendous number of qualified potential residents from the Internet, but savvy on-site teams are using it to follow-up with customers during the application process, stay in touch with current residents, handle service requests, research the competition, effectively communicate with investors and keep in touch with the changes that affect the multihousing industry.
This basic step-by-step workshop will give you a clear understanding of how-to navigate the Internet and effectively use e-mail in your property management assignments on a daily basis.
E-mail Essentials
Normally this information is included in Property Management on the Net, but it can be delivered separately as a hands-on workshop that examines specific pieces of an effective e-mail document, techniques for refining your message content, organizing and prioritizing incoming mail, the correct use of attachments and user identities along with safety tips. Finally, specific property management situations are discussed with email solutions composed by the class.
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Train-the-Trainer This half-day session doesn't waste your time with irrelevant education theories or impractical concepts. This is real-world, how-to information that will provide you with specific tips, techniques and strategies to provide better employee training and develop instructional programs from start to finish.
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Understanding and Creating Property Value This is a needed and often neglected topic for the management team. This half-day workshop focuses on the financial methods of analyzing property operations and valuation, how rental rates and other decisions are determined all from the perspective of the owners and investors. The benefits of this training are concrete: a better understanding of the language needed to communicate with others in your company. Everyone will experience less anxiety during property ownership changes. Each employee will walk away with a better understanding of how their specific assignment affects NOI, property value and ROI.
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You're The Boss: Now What? This training sharpens communication skills and demonstrates the benefit of consensus management. In this session individuals are separated into training teams with an assignment to create an operating service business from the pooled ideas generated within each group. They go on to identify problems and initiate an action plan complete with timelines, individual assignments, milestones and budgets. Representatives from each group are then called upon to deliver a presentation to the other groups. Questions and answers follow. This unique classroom structure introduced and facilitated by I. T. Partners within industry companies around the country has proven to be a valuable tool to help on-site and other problem-solving teams to think outside the box.
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