Michelle Stiegler from Premier Workspaces on behalf of the GWA had a fascinating discussion with Sandra Sierra, Community Manager of Tinkko Coworking & Flex Office. Sierra, a semi-finalist for the Community Manager of the Year, shared her journey and experiences in the coworking industry. The finalists will be announced at the GWA FlexForward 2024 conference in Phoenix.
Sandra Sierra moved from the hospitality sector to coworking, bringing a wealth of experience in face-to-face interactions. "I come from the hospitality business," she explained. "It wasn't 100% digital, but it involved significant face-to-face interactions, which is very similar to managing a hotel or offices." This background naturally led her to a role in coworking, driven by her passion for direct communication with users and companies. "I believe that through networking we make a community," she said, highlighting the importance of creating strong, interconnected networks.
When asked about what drew her to the coworking industry, Sierra emphasized the concierge aspect. "I love the customer interactions in addition to our services," she shared. "I compare this with a hotel because we have customers here that may come and we, day by day, have to offer our loyalty and our services to solve their needs, whether for short-term contracts or long-term contracts. We create a community that has to be a platform as well for providers and for users."
Monthly community events play a crucial role in fostering relationships and synergy among users, promoting services, and creating strong networking opportunities through social networks and other channels.
While Sierra hasn't encountered anything particularly odd in her role, she finds every task within the standard responsibilities of a community manager. She believes that creativity, passion, and a strong service attitude are crucial traits for an ideal community manager. "They have to be creative, passionate about what they do, and need to have a service-first perspective," she explained. "We offer connections directly to everyone, both in-person and virtual connections. What we do is very important for the brand positioning of our company and as well to add value for our users."
Explaining her role to those unfamiliar with coworking, Sierra described it as handling a wide range of duties — a hallmark of any community manager. "I am the one who handles the communications, the social networks, and the events that our company creates," she said. "I also handle the PR office, the public relations with users and prospects, both inside and outside of our facilities. All of that is held as the core department providing support for services, marketing, and any other commercial areas of our company." A community manager, she believes, is essential for maintaining a dynamic and attractive environment that encourages collaboration and growth among members.
Recently, Sierra faced a significant challenge with a tech issue involving a member. "A few days ago, we had a major issue with a major client," she recounted. "It was a tech issue on one of our branches. They are all very important customers, but we had this problem with one specific client. So, I called for all the related areas to make a meeting. We looked for strategies and solutions and decided on one that came out as the best. I did the follow-up and all of that, from beginning to end. Follow-up has been successful because we were able to retain the customer through these PR services."
Creating a unique community is a priority for Sierra, who emphasizes the importance of being present and approachable. "I create a community by first being present in the offices, so the members know me," she explained. "This direct communication creates a strong bond. We also have created channels to help our customers solve their requests and to help them design and operate the events they may need. All of that is done with both digital and one-on-one communications, and that makes us unique because here, everybody knows me and knows my role as an ambassador of our company."
With Tinkko boasting eight locations—three in Bogota, three in Medellin, and two in the Dominican Republic—Sierra visits all these facilities periodically while maintaining a strong digital presence. "I visit all of those facilities periodically, and we have a presence through the digital channels as well," she said.
Sierra acknowledges several challenges in her role. Internally, it can be difficult to get everyone to understand the community manager's responsibilities. "There is no doubt that, at our company, getting people to understand the community manager role and responsibilities is a challenge," she said. "Creativity is also crucial because we have to constantly create spaces for active interaction. Balancing time to cover all the tasks of a community manager is another significant challenge. Additionally, problem-solving between users and maintaining the loyalty of our customers in a competitive market requires creativity and persuasion."
Reflecting on her involvement with GWA, Sierra expressed interest in more Spanish language content to support the growing Latin American coworking community. "If in the future, you may create some Spanish resources or webinars, that will be very helpful," she proposed.
This insightful conversation with Sandra Sierra highlights the dynamic and multifaceted role of a community manager in the coworking industry, showcasing her dedication to building strong, vibrant communities.
For Coworks, sponsoring the Community Manager Awards for the third year is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the coworking movement.
As a company dedicated to providing space management software solutions, we recognize the invaluable role these folks play in shaping successful community spaces. Read about last year’s nominees.