All eyes were on sales associate Chad Yohey as he stood in front of the class during a sales training seminar at CSO early last year. Still new to his role, nerves unfortunately took over. The topic of the seminar was overcoming objections. When Chad got up for his turn to role play, he panicked. He jumped straight into countering a price objection before the scenario had even unfolded.
“I was so in my head,” explained Chad. “I wasn’t even listening to what was being said to me.”
The silence that followed said it all, and Chad felt the weight of everyone’s attention on him. From across the room, partner and senior training director Jennie Juran knew exactly what was happening, and it wasn’t a lack of effort.
“He was shaken up,” said Jennie. “He was so focused on jumping ahead to the next objection that he missed the actual conversation unfolding in front of him.”
She recognized that Chad cared deeply about succeeding, but in that moment, what he lacked was confidence.
“He had all the behaviors of a great sales associate—high energy, grit, courage and a natural drive to win,” said Jennie. “I knew the skills were there, but his mindset wasn’t where it needed to be.”
Chad joined The Connor Group in June 2023 and was placed at Arbors of Anderson in Cincinnati. With no sales background and only six transactions closed in his first full month, he started to question if he had what it takes to succeed here. But that moment in training became a turning point.
“Jennie gave me immediate feedback,” explained Chad. “I can’t lie, it was hard to swallow at that moment, but it lit a fire in me. I stopped trying to prove something and started trusting our system.”
Jennie didn’t just offer advice and walk away. She rolled up her sleeves and got to work with him. In the three months that followed, she and Chad worked shoulder to shoulder. They roleplayed phone calls and tackled objections. Jennie even joined him on unit inspections so she could provide feedback in real time.
“She believed in me before I believed in myself,” said Chad. “She helped me realize I already had everything I needed to be great. I just needed to trust it.”
Chad’s development came full circle six months later in October 2024. Back in that same room where he’d once shut down, Chad read out a Winners’ Circle Card he received from Jennie.
“To read that card out loud to the same group of associates I had struggled in front of months earlier meant the world to me,” said Chad. “It proved that not only could I do this job, but I could do it consistently at an 8.5.”
The impact of Jennie’s investment is still something that guides Chad today. Last month, he closed at 41%, securing 31 transactions and earning a fourth-place spot on our top sales leaderboard.
“He took off running and became one of the most successful sales associates we have,” said Jennie. “He’s also one of the most confident. He’s not afraid to hold me, Amy Hoffard, Charlie Cannella and Sal Gracia accountable.”
Now, Chad’s leading in the Cincinnati market and has become a go-to resource for new associates and residents alike.
“What I enjoy most is making a positive impact,” said Chad. “Whether it’s being the person a resident turns to in a tough moment, or helping a new associate gain confidence in their role. I find fulfillment in those connections.”
As for the Winners’ Circle Card, it’s still sitting on his desk.
“It reminds me every day that someone chose to invest in me,” said Chad. “I just want to make her proud.”