The Bridge PERQ

This season Muhammad Yasin joined us as we narrowed our focus to best practices for enabling sales teams to help drive leads from online to in-store… then COVID-19 hit and we went deeper on enabling our sales teams to survive in a world of virtual appointments. We talked with industry experts as well as sales leaders to share tangible insights and real stories.  
In this recap, Muhammad goes inside each of the episodes from the season, pulling out the key highlights. We share what matters most for the businesses where the consumer purchase takes place at a physical location, yet those same consumers are researching online before they make their final decision. 
Inside the Episode: 
The clips shared in this episode come from Season 2 of The Bridge. You can find the full episode for each guest in the links below:  
Episode 1: Virtual Apartment Tours is the New Way to Lease with Realync
Episode 2:  The Art of Digital Sales with David Kain
Episode 3: Transforming Your Team with Digital Sales Training with Bryan Scott 
Episode 4: Equipping Your Team to Provide the Best Customer Service with NE Management
BONUS: The New Reality of Virtual Apartment Tours | Panel Discussion
Episode 5: Using Lease Automation to Manage Leads with Hy.ly
Episode 6: Embracing Data One Step at a Time with Elissa Fink
Episode 7: Learning Sales Enablement with Irina Soriano
Connect with Your Hosts:

Connect with Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymedley/ Connect with Muhammad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhammadyasin/

For many marketers, sales enablement is a newer marketing discipline. Irina Soriano describes it as the strategic use of people, processes, and technology operating together to improve sales productivity and increase revenue. 
 
As the Head of Enablement for Seismic, she would know a thing or two about sales enablement.  Seismic is the global leader in sales enablement providing storytelling platforms to increase productivity and effectiveness across sales and marketing. 
 
Learn from Irina as she breaks down the basics to this now fundamental discipline while giving listeners a plan to start. You’ll also hear how impactful it is to give back to the sales enablement community by networking and sharing ideas with other like-minded marketers and sales teams. .


Key Takeaways
Build a business case for sales enablement to secure a budget from stakeholders.  Lean into those with sales enablement experience to foster your own growth.  Start by focusing on one area of enablement at a time such as onboarding new hires. Resources and Links Discussed:
Connect with Irina Soriano: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-soriano/safink/ Connect with Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymedley/ Connect with Muhammad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhammadyasin/

Imagine building a marketing team from the ground up and seeing that brand go public through the New York Stock Exchange. For Elissa Fink, this was her reality. As the former CMO of Tableau, business intelligence software that helps people better understand their data, she led strategic planning and execution for its marketing worldwide. 
In leading marketing efforts, having the ability to facilitate conversations to drive sales digitally is a necessity regardless of where the conversion takes place. During Elissa’s time at Tableau, and now as an advisor, a few lessons have stood the test of time. 
You’ll hear the key lessons learned in the conversation with Andy and Muhammad. Elissa also shares how she embraced the many challenges presented from data to mindset. 
Key Takeaways
Start understanding data by tracking one key metric then build over time. Focus on why you started and why the company exists to power through challenging times.  Ask good questions to uncover priorities and stay ahead of the subject matter.  Resources and Links Discussed:
Connect with Elissa Fink: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elissafink/ Connect with Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymedley/ Connect with Muhammad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhammadyasin/

Today’s consumer starts their buying journey online. It can be a struggle to manage all the opportunities online and turn them into sales. Another challenge is how to prioritize online leads and face-to-face opportunities. It’s easy to overlook a digital lead when there’s someone standing in front of you. 
In this week’s episode, Andy Medley and former co-host Fabian Rodriguez share ways to address these challenges. You’ll also hear from Robert Lee, Director of Operations Programming from Hy.ly as he shares his perspective on how to reduce the burden on the sales team through the power of automation. 
Key Takeaways
Understanding the lead quality can help teams prioritize effectively.   Leverage automation to nurture leads without eliminating the human touch.  Use data to set benchmarks to track opportunities for sales process improvement.   Resources and Links Discussed:
Connect with Robert Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-lee-9924b0a0/ Learn more about Hy.ly https://hy.ly/ Connect with Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymedley/ Connect with Muhammad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhammadyasin/

With several weeks under their belts, property management teams have had to pivot, using video and virtual leasing to get more tours. To discuss how the industry has adapted and changed, PERQ hosted a panel discussion with Jenna Miller, Senior Director of Marketing at Buzzuto; Margaret Henry, Director of Marketing with Covideo; and Matt Weirich, CEO and co-founder of Realync.
The panel all agreed that with social distancing, leasing teams are learning to be more creative, throwing out fears and connecting with rental prospects on a personal level. While there is still a place for those sexy, polished marketing videos, authentic real-time or pre-recorded videos with leasing teams are the new reality and creating the most connection with renters. 
Those authentic virtual tours are even resulting in leases for apartment communities. Miller noted while the first few weeks during the pandemic were slow, their teams at Bozzuto are seeing the same number of leases they were getting before COVID-19 occurred thanks to video.
When polled during the panel discussion, 80 percent of attendees (approximately 100 respondents) say they had NOT used video as a primary tool for apartment tours prior to the pandemic. Out of those same respondents when asked which of the following tour options they leverage today, 83% say they are using live video tours, 91% do pre-recorded videos, 46% are using self-guided tours and 22% are doing in-person tours. 
 
Clearly, the way multifamily communities connect with residents and prospects has changed within just a few weeks. However, panelists agree that by being nimble, creating a virtual tour strategy unique for your team, and keeping it fun, you’ll create a better sense of community within your property and stand out from the crowd.
Virtual Apartment Tour Panelists Offer Video Tour Tips https://vimeo.com/413698624 Virtual Property Tour Resources to Help your Multifamily Teams Live Video Tour Checklist: https://www.realync.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Live-Video-Tour-Checklist-by-Realync.pdf’  Multifamily Video Starter Pack: https://www.realync.com/the-ultimate-multifamily-video-starter-pack/  A Year of DIY Videos for your Apartment Community: https://www.realync.com/a-year-of-diy-videos-for-your-apartment-community/ How to Create a Virtual Scavenger Hunt: https://www.realync.com/virtual-easter-egg-hunt/ Digital Leasing Guide: https://perq.com/multifamily-digital-leasing-guide The Bridge Podcast: Using Virtual Apartment Tours to Get More Leases: https://perq.com/virtual-apartment-tours-podcast Multifamily Teams Offer Virtual Apartment Tour Tips:https://www.multifamilyinsiders.com/multifamily-blogs/multifamily-teams-offer-best-virtual-apartment-tour-tips Tours Down Due to COVID-19? Offer Multiple Tour Options Virtual Tours and Live Videos Give Rental Prospects Intimate Access: https://yieldpro.com/2019/11/virtual-tours-and-live-videos-give-rental-prospects-intimate-access/

How do you use data to enable your on-site team to get a lease? How can the marketing and sales teams work together to drive a better customer experience?  
On today’s show, Andy Medley and co-host Muhammad Yasin are discussing the answers to these questions and more.  
Hear how Desiree White and Colin Cloud from NE Property Management approach marketing to equip their onsite staff while ensuring the customer experience is world-class. For them, the focus is on curating the highest quality traffic online to create a higher opportunity for conversion once the visitor schedules a tour. 
Key Takeaways
Use training to align sales and marketing teams.  Focus on quality over quantity.  Customer service trumps everything else.  Resources and Links Discussed:
Connect with Desiree White: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desiree-white-873abb12/ Connect with Colin Cloud: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-cloud-041117b7/ Learn more about NE Management: https://www.nemanagement.net/ Connect with Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymedley/ Connect with Muhammad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhammadyasin/