written by Kim Doramus, LNFA, CALA  |  RevealSol Operations Specialist 

I recently reached out to ten (10) communities ranging from Independent Living to small personal care homes in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. My intent was twofold; to find out the marketing strategy and to collect prices.  Each call, I stuck with the same story to see if I would get a different outcome. 

I am here to let you know that 10 out of 10 had the same approach: Tell me all the information about apartment size, cost and food.  It was a cold and impersonal approach.  Some representatives shared they were too busy but would try to get back to me. Others didn’t respond to my initial call at all. Only 4 communities out of 10 sent me a follow up text or email  with just a few photos. Not one sent me the community materials I requested.

Needless to say, the disappointment of these sales representatives’ actions got me thinking how easy it would be for them to improve sales conversions with just a few tweaks.

3 Tips to making real connections

Here are 3 tips that lead to making real connections and improving sales conversions.

Take the time to connect

During my cold calls with 10 communities, none asked anything about me or where I lived.  None said “Austin, what a cool town” and we all know that Austin is a pretty cool place. They simply did not show interest and instead rolled right into a standard script. 

Take the time to get to know the voice on the phone. Ask questions that open the dialog and get to the real issues of why they called in the first place. Relate with the caller. Show some compassion and understanding. 

Provide Education

When a person takes the time to explain things and goes a step further to provide education, value is added. For example, the caller may confuse the differences between independent living and assisted living. In my calls, I would tell the sales representative, the person I was looking for was needing independent living with medication management and help with a few things around the apartment when getting ready for the day.  The sales representative didn’t take the opportunity to educate me on what assisted living would be able to offer.  They just said, well we have to outsource those services. 

Be bold, take the next step in helping the caller with understanding therefore helping guide them on better decision making. You are setting yourself as the expert and a vital resource for the caller. Once again reinforcing a connection and trust. 

Answer the question, WHY choose your community?

Towards the end of your call, the answers to the questions you asked assist you in connecting your community’s unique features and services that truly matter. What is it about your community that will specifically be meaningful for them? 

Are there lots of retired teachers? Do they love to get together for social events? Let them know what they will have access to that meets their specific needs and then go beyond by highlighting socialization opportunities and the other benefits that come with moving into a senior living community. Be clear to let them know that they are about to join a community, not just move into an apartment.

When the time is right, share your WHY! This involves sharing your own motivation and purpose behind your decisions to work in the community. When trying to motivate someone to move from their current situation, it helps to share the value as you see it that stands out beyond the basic apartments and prices. 

When closing the call, ask for the next step! Whether it is scheduling a visit to the community, or setting the best time to call back. Regardless of the next step, be sure to get permission to follow up then schedule it and get it done! Be bold, be honest, and move the sales process forward.

By establishing a connection and building trust you answer the question, Why would I move into your community, to confirm Why wouldn’t I?