People and productivity are at the base of our house. With that notion in mind, we are making a change for our associates in the field to further strengthen our operational foundation. After nearly a year of research, planning and testing we are replacing Leasehawk with Funnel.
Funnel is a new web-based program which provides our associates a better user experience, customer support options and will increase our productivity. Our marketing team researched 12 to 15 different vendors before deciding Funnel was a long-term improvement.
SEO specialist Ross Johnson was in the Southpark Morrison leasing office when he found Funnel. From there, he jumped into learning the program from scratch.
“Ross is so helpful and available,” property manager Melissa Demoulin said. “There were times I called his cell phone at 8 p.m. and he would go right to the guys at Funnel and find me an answer in 30 minutes.”
Ross has been a key leader in implementing the new program for our sales associates, property managers and trainers. He’s become a knowledgeable and believable individual for our associates.
“Ross has been the backbone of this initiative,” partner and regional sales and manager trainer Jennie Juran said. “Without him we wouldn’t have this rolled out across all properties.”
Jennie believes Funnel sets us up for success.
“By using Funnel, we can move quicker and multitask,” Jennie said. “For example, if we are on a call with a potential resident, we can make notes on the timeline while we are on the phone. Funnel will make us more effective.”
VIDEO: Watch part one of the new Funnel training video series. The remaining chapters are available now on Connor Group TV in the Training channel.
Melissa was the first manager to take the plunge into Funnel. Ross said her honest and direct feedback was instrumental in creating the training program.
“Melissa quickly made herself an expert in Funnel and was a willing participant whenever we needed to test out new things in the platform,” Ross said. “She played a crucial role in helping us develop standards and processes in Funnel.”
But the effort goes beyond the Dayton and Cincinnati market. Saxon Wood property manager Traci Quetano was another key leader in the field, experiencing Funnel for the first time.
“Traci’s attention to detail and relentlessness during the pilot were also a major help,” Ross said “She made sure to clearly communicate any issues she was experiencing and played a big role in helping us fine tune our training and onboarding process.”
In true partner fashion, Jennie stepped in and owned the training for Funnel. Ross insists she was instrumental in the success of this new program. Her positive energy and support made a difficult project enjoyable.
“She created the training guide, trained the trainers, and helped coordinate the roll out,” Ross said. “She’s the official face of Funnel at the properties. She has been my go-to person during the pilot and roll out, making herself available on weekends and even while on vacation.”
Funnel is now active at 18 of our properties. Our trainers are working with associates on the changes to our processes.
“Change is good, so be open-minded,” Jennie said. “At first, it will be more difficult to navigate through, but I guarantee you within 30 days you will be ecstatic with the change to Funnel.”
We will transition each of our properties to Funnel by the end of November.