The success of your senior living community relies on your sales techniques. In senior care, you’re not just selling a product – rather, you’re a guide for prospective residents.
While this past year may have made it harder to boost sales, there are some effective strategies you can implement that will take your community to the next level. By marketing your facility in a targeted fashion, you’ll decrease your vacancies while increasing revenue.
Listen
It’s common for sales staff to command the conversation. A mystery shopping study conducted in 2014 at George Mason University shows that assisted living communities’ sales staff struggled with turning leads into a move-in. A big reason for this is because salespeople are often more concerned about providing information on their community, rather than figuring out what kind of community the senior is interested in.
Focus less on hitting all the checkmarks of a tour. Ask more questions. Let the prospective resident talk about their needs. Why are they considering moving into a senior living facility? Figure that out, then tailor the discussion to how the community will be beneficial to their lifestyle.
One resident may be prioritizing health and wellness programs, while another may be concerned about privacy. Knowing this, you can individualize each experience. If they’re interested in activities and community groups, focusing on isolated room tours won’t be in your best interest. Letting the potential occupant know that they’re being heard demonstrates that your community is dedicated to the residents. Ultimately, ditch the canned pitch.
Get leads from multiple channels
Like most businesses, CRM software is an effective method to gauge the success of your sales traffic. You should be tracking every lead, whether it’s in-person, over the phone or through email.
Internet leads are often overlooked in senior living. Most people have experienced the frustration of submitting a request through a website contact form, just to be ghosted. These leads are just as valuable as phone inquiries and should be monitored frequently. Valuable prospects can come in at a high frequency, so you should make sure that your website is up to par. Not only that, but you need technologically savvy sales reps to help navigate through these channels.
If the website is outdated, it’s important to realize that people are use search engines to find information on the facility. Even if they call, there is a high likelihood that they did their own research beforehand. You need to include a visible call-to-action on your pages and include a section where visitors can leave their email addresses. This alone is guaranteed to bring in more leads.
Always ask
As mentioned previously, you need to know why a prospective resident or adult child is calling. The next goal should be to get them on a tour within the next 48 hours. You should always attempt to schedule a tour after initial contact. They’ll be considering other facilities, so the sooner you get them in, the more likely they’ll move in.
Make sure to ask for them for an estimated move-in date. If you don’t, believe it or not, you could lose out on the sale altogether. Asking them when they would like to move in, might be the nudge they need to take the plunge. Never forget the ask.
Looking to hire a Sales Manager or Sales Director for your community? If you’re interested in learning about our senior living services, click here.