Archive for category: Marketing Resources

When you hear the words “senior living lead management solution,” does “call center” come to mind?

Do you picture a sterile environment that’s far removed from your community with uninterested workers watching the clock—and that’s only when they’re not fumbling their way through generic scripts during calls?

No doubt, most of us can probably relate to Kieran Culkin’s frustration with call centers as demonstrated in this Saturday Night Live skit:

 

 

Here’s the thing, though: lead management solutions are not like that, provided they’re set up correctly and staffed with people who’ve been trained properly.

• • A good lead management solution can take the pressure off receptionists and front office staff who were hired to engage with residents and visitors, not field sales questions.
  • A good lead management solution can take the load off sales teams stretched too thin. It’s not the best use of your sales team’s time to qualify early-stage leads. Salespeople should be focusing on high-intent leads rather than leads that are at the top of the sales funnel.
  • A good lead management solution can help you “win” with third-party leads. Since third-party leads are shared leads, the only way you can win is to be first and persistent.

The problem is that too many lead management call centers haven’t been set up in a thoughtful manner and with staff members who’ve received the requisite training to do an excellent job.

Until now.

We decided that we wanted to turn senior living lead management on its head. The result is LeadGenie from Senior Living SMART.

Read more: Visit the LeadGenie site!

LeadGenie is the senior living lead management solution you’ve been waiting for.

LeadGenie as a complete lead management solution that goes beyond a call center. With LeadGenie, you get . . .

• Virtual Sales Support. Your sales team can focus on high-intent leads while your LeadGenie team manages the rest.
• Augmented Sales Staffing. This is ideal for shared markets—you’ll have a centralized sales hub.
• Reduced Overhead Costs. You could save as much as $24K a year in some cases.
• Better Turnover Management. No more panicking when one of your salespeople resigns or needs to take a leave of absence.
• Virtual Front Desk Support. Avoid bottlenecking sales leads thanks to our dedicated sales response staff—a staff that we train and who know how to draw out relevant info from prospects for future nurturing.
• Speed to the Lead. LeadGenie provides the quick, persistent responses required to win at the third-party lead generation game.

We customize LeadGenie to your community’s specific needs and sales challenges.

One of the biggest problems with other senior living lead management solutions is they tend to be one-size-fits-all. But your community’s challenges aren’t necessarily the same as another community’s. So shouldn’t the “solution” be different?

We think so, which is why we customize your LeadGenie solution to your community’s specific sales challenges. We do this by understanding your current lead volume, conversions, and the tools you use.

Don’t worry—we won’t try to upsell you on new software. Our job isn’t to reinvent the wheel. Rather, we focus on getting the most out of your existing tools and software, streamlining and improving workflows, and taking the pressure off your staff so they can focus on their jobs.

Plus, you don’t need to sign a 12-month contract like you do with so many other lead management solutions and call centers. Bottom line: You have nothing to lose and everything to gain with LeadGenie.

Learn more about LeadGenie from Senior Living SMART.

Are you intrigued by our answer to the senior living lead management conundrum? Visit the LeadGenie website to learn more and to schedule a no-obligation consult. Here’s to better leads!

An evergreen topic is one that’s always relevant (no matter how much we might wish it wasn’t). That’s why we’re revisiting this evergreen topic: mistakes you’re probably making with your senior living leads—and what you can do about it.

No, you might not be making all of these errors. But even one or two can have a dramatic effect on your numbers. Resolve to do better this year! Here’s what to look for with your senior living leads—and how to make fixes that stick.

Mistake #1. You’re treating all leads the same.

Remember, every lead will be at a slightly different point in their journey. Some are in research mode—maybe for themselves, maybe for a loved one. Others are gathering options as they think more seriously about making a move to senior living in “a couple of years.” Others are looking to make a move within a few months. Still, others might be in panic mode—their mom has fallen or their dad has died and now mom’s alone—and they’re looking to decide soon.

Why on earth would you give everyone we described above the same emails, the same content, or the same cadence of sales calls? You wouldn’t—or you shouldn’t. One size does not fit all when it comes to leads.

• WHAT TO DO: Develop a lead-scoring strategy and score leads accordingly. Then, create a plan for communicating further with each “set” of leads that need nurturing. Only serve up true sales-ready leads to the sales team.

Mistake #2. You still think that you’re in control of the sales process.

Before the Internet, people relied on salespeople to educate them about the things they wanted to buy. Today, people have all the information they need—at their fingertips—to educate themselves when making a purchase, whether that’s a pair of sneakers, a used car, or a place to start the next chapter of their lives post-retirement.

Prospects can check out a brand’s website, read online reviews, ask friends and family for quick recommendations via text and email, and seek opinions on social media before ever entertaining the thought of speaking to a salesperson.

• WHAT TO DO: We’re not suggesting that salespeople are irrelevant. What we are saying is that to be successful in senior living sales today, you need to embrace this shift. If someone hasn’t asked to speak to you yet, you shouldn’t be hounding them with calls. They will let you know when they want to connect. In the meantime, focus on folks who have requested your help or insight. Note: you’ll likely be working fewer leads at any given time, but they will be better leads since they’ll have high intent.

Mistake #3. You’ve underestimated the length of the sales cycle.

The sales cycle has increased in length dramatically in recent years. Remember, the prospect doesn’t care about your sales quotas or projections. If a younger Boomer is planning her retirement two years out, you need to adapt to her schedule—and you need to keep her engaged at every step along the way.

• WHAT TO DO: This is why great content and marketing automation are critical. To keep people engaged at every touchpoint of the longer sales cycle, you need to provide the right content at the right time—and get it to them easily (again, removing all points of friction). Generic content won’t cut it. Producing content that’s similar to your competitors won’t work, either. You need original content that resonates. And yes, that is an investment.

Mistake #4. You’re not maximizing marketing automation to its fullest.

Speaking of marketing automation . . . we find that most communities haven’t begun to scratch the service in terms of maximizing available features.

• WHAT TO DO: Audit your marketing automation and make sure you’re using all features. Or, downgrade your license so that you’re only paying for what you use. Hint: We’ve helped other communities save money because we know what to look for in the licensing agreements, especially with complex marketing automation products like HubSpot. Get in touch if you want us to take a peek under the hood.

Mistake #5. You have people interacting with leads who shouldn’t be.

Your front desk person is wonderful for routing calls to residents, greeting visitors, and helping residents make calls or check on deliveries. But don’t expect your front desk person to be a surrogate salesperson. That’s not their specialty.

• WHAT TO DO: Some communities get lots of phone “traffic” from potential residents. If that’s the case with your community—and if you’re finding that these leads fall through the cracks or don’t covert—it might be time to think of a better way to manage these leads. A good solution? A call center with expertise in senior living.

Mistake #6. You have leads who get added to the “cold” list way too quickly.

Too often, we see a community’s CRM filled with “lost” or “cold” leads—and yet, these leads only received a couple of “touches” before they were moved to the cold/lost list. As we mentioned earlier, the sales cycle in senior living is long. You need to nurture early-stage leads. And you need to be persistent with sales-qualified leads that have expressed direct interest in your community.

Not only that, but let’s talk about third-party leads for a moment. Since these are shared leads, they require a different strategy. The community that responds to the lead the fastest tends to have better conversions.

Once again, treating all leads the same way is not a winning strategy.

• WHAT TO DO: Audit your CRM’s lost/cold lists. As we like to say, there can be gold in those cold leads. Luckily, we have a turnkey re-engagement campaign that can help you sift for the gold. You should also revisit how you manage third-party leads. Need help? Consider trying our “speed to the lead” solution. This is an automated five-step lead nurturing workflow that nudges people along the sales funnel and encourages them to request a tour.

Do you know something’s off with your leads, but you’re not sure what to do next? Call us.

The ultimate fix for any breakdown in your lead management process is simple. Call us! We combine our senior living expertise with our marketing expertise to create a lead management process that gets results. Get in touch and let’s talk.

We recently shared some long-term senior living marketing predictions for the next decade (in honor of our 10th anniversary). Now, we’re shining the light on some short-term marketing predictions for 2023. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share them on LinkedIn and Facebook!

Prediction #1: The forecasted housing slump will impact senior living sales.

We’re coming off one of the wildest real estate markets in history. As CNN notes, “The pandemic boom, which sent prices into the stratosphere, is running out of steam and house prices now are falling from Canada to China, setting the stage for the broadest housing market slowdown since the global financial crisis.”

What does this housing slump mean for the senior living industry?

We predict it will give many older Americans pause about selling their homes in 2023 and moving into senior living.

What can senior living marketing and sales teams do to compensate for this possible slowdown?

Anticipate and plan accordingly. Revisit sales forecasts. Be prepared for marketing and sales cycles to stretch out even longer.

People will likely spend 2023 doing more research and visiting more communities as they wait out the year and monitor the real estate market. The communities that are willing to go the distance by providing engaging content and meaningful check-ins over the course of 12, 18, and even 24 months will reap the biggest rewards over the long term.

You need to accept that you’re running a marathon, not a sprint.

We know that’s easier said than done, especially if marketing and sales teams are feeling pressure from management to hit certain numbers.

The good news? This housing slump shouldn’t be like the 2008 crash.

Fingers crossed that the slump eases quickly. In the meantime, focus on your marketing fundamentals: producing excellent content, shoring up referral programs and other word-of-mouth activities, and hunkering down for long-haul marketing. Do those things right, and prospective buyers will remember you when the time comes for them to take the next step.

Prediction #2: Prospects will crave in-person events. (Yes, even if they’re not ready to buy in 2023.)

Expect 2023 to be the year that everyone gets back to in-person events. Sure, we’ve been seeing this happen ever since President Biden officially declared the pandemic over back in September.

But 2022 was still a mish-mash of masks, jabs, and extra precautions, especially for vulnerable populations like those over 65.

Now, we’re not suggesting that people will throw caution to the wind in 2023.

But we do expect that most folks—including older adults and their families—will be eager to participate in tours and other senior living events they haven’t done in three years. Think things like accepting invitations to wine-tasting events, joining you for a free lunch, or taking you up on an invite to join your community’s monthly book club.

In-person events are extremely important for building long-term relationships with prospects as they wait out a housing market slowdown.

This is why you should consider doing more of them—and opening them up to the general public. For example, maybe you host a weekly singer or band every Wednesday. You can promote the event in places where your target market hangs out, like the local senior center, the local library, and the local paper.

By giving people the opportunity to experience your community in such a relaxed manner, you’re planting the seed. And planting seeds is part of long-haul marketing!

Another example: If you’ve normally been hosting lunches once a month, maybe you shift to once a week—and you don’t limit repeat guests, either.

Remember, your job is to kindle the connection. Keep those fires burning.

The sales cycle is going to be long. Don’t expect someone who attends a luncheon to convert tomorrow or even six months from now—no matter how much they rave about the food.

Prediction #3: Google Analytics 4 will take some marketers by surprise. (Despite our best efforts!)

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) officially replaces Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023. We predict that some communities will have failed to act in time to set up GA4 and will be scrambling to do so at the last minute.

The good news? We can help you make the transition.

We offer training on what you need to know. Don’t procrastinate. Get in touch now and let’s get the ball rolling.

Prediction #4: Live industry events will make a BIG comeback next year.

In 2022, we saw more senior living marketing and sales professionals in attendance at state- and national-level events (like SMASH).

But we predict that 2023 will be bigger than ever before as people feel comfortable with flying and being around groups of people again.

Start planning now. Think about travel, lodging, and which people from your team are best suited for specific events and sessions.

Prediction #5: The popularity of call centers will continue to grow.

Being responsive to leads has always been important. But it’s going to be even more important next year since everyone will be competing aggressively for sales due to the housing slowdown, inflation, and a potential recession. As a result, we predict that more communities will turn to call centers to handle inbound inquiries faster.

But an important caveat: Not all call centers are created equal.

You want to work with people who understand senior living in general and your community in particular. And you want to work with a call center that’s adept at empowering prospects. (Because remember: the prospects are in charge of the sales cycle.)

Guess what? Senior Living SMART will be offering this service in 2023, so stay tuned. Or reach out directly if you want details now rather than later.

On behalf of all of us at Senior Living SMART, we wish you a happy and healthy new year!

 

Can you remember what you were doing in December of 2019? That was only three years ago. And yet, it feels like a lifetime. And no wonder when you consider everything that’s happened since.

The pandemic has had a profound effect on how we think, buy, interact, and conduct business. And this most certainly applies to senior living marketing and sales. Below is an overview of five important lessons we’ve learned since the pandemic upended the world—and what these lessons mean as we head into 2023.

Senior living marketing fundamentals will always matter, but there needs to be room for flexibility and creativity.

When it comes to marketing, the fundamentals matter. We often call them the “blocking and tackling” of marketing. Think things like understanding your buyers, knowing your community’s unique value proposition, and having a reliable way to deliver the right message to the right prospect at the right time.

But fundamentals—while important—aren’t the only thing that can influence a game plan. Certain situations (like a pandemic) might require a last-minute pivot, a creative trick play, or even a long-bomb attempt into the end zone.

• What this means for senior living marketing and sales teams: Teams that embrace flexibility within their game plans (even as they practice important fundamentals) are better poised to meet unexpected situations—whether that’s a pandemic, natural disaster, recession, or something else.

The senior living sales cycle has gotten longer—and that isn’t going to change.

During the pandemic, the sales cycle grew longer for many senior living prospects. But here’s the thing: In this post-pandemic world, the senior living sales cycle is still long . . . and it’s growing longer for certain populations, like younger Boomers.

• What this means for senior living marketing and sales teams: Prospects are going to require more touches than ever before. And we’re not talking more phone “check-ins,” either. Each touch has to provide compelling, meaningful content geared to that particular persona. Teams are going to need much more content than ever before, which is an investment if you want to do it right.

When buyers want to buy, they will buy.

Life goes on. Yes, even during chaotic times. When a prospect’s mind is made up, they will buy if they’re able to do so. And that’s the key, right there. Buyers are the ones who decide when the time is right. They are the ones who dictate the sales cycle. And they decide when they want a sales interaction. Note: It’s usually after they’ve been exposed to a senior living brand several times.

• What this means for senior living marketing and sales teams: Marketing and sales teams need to enable buyers to make the best decisions. This means removing any friction from the sales process. For example, if buyers want clear, transparent pricing info, don’t make them jump through hoops to get it. If you create friction, they will move on since they have MANY good options to consider, not just your community.

Virtual selling does work in senior living, and there’s still a place for it in our post-pandemic world.

If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s this: Virtual communications can be extremely effective—even with older demos. During the pandemic, we saw older adults become adept with FaceTime, Zoom, and using their phones to research or do things like order groceries.

• What this means for senior living marketing and sales teams: Let people choose how they want to interact with you. Offer virtual options and features as well as in-person events.

Social media is going to matter more and more.

Older adults’ increased comfort level with technology and social media isn’t going to disappear simply because the pandemic is over. If anything, the experience from the last few years might inspire people to check out (and possibly fall in love with) other online places, like Instagram and even TikTok. Plus, keep in mind that younger Boomers are already spending time on those platforms.

Older adults’ increased comfort level with technology and social media isn’t going to disappear simply because the pandemic is over. If anything, the experience from the last few years might inspire people to check out (and possibly fall in love with) other online places, like Instagram and even TikTok. Plus, keep in mind that younger Boomers are already spending time on those platforms.

• What this means for senior living marketing and sales teams: Experiment and monitor results on social media—particularly newer platforms like TikTok. Over the next decade, senior living communities will be catering primarily to Boomers. Currently, older Boomers are in their mid-seventies, and younger Boomers are approaching sixty. Gen X is right behind them. And all of them are active across social media platforms.

 

Need help navigating the new normal?

Our clients didn’t miss a beat during the pandemic—and neither did we. If you’d like help incorporating the above lessons into an effective marketing plan for the next 90 days, let’s talk.

The most successful senior living communities encourage collaboration among their marketing and sales teams. These communities understand that the ultimate goal—boosting occupancy—is the same for both “sides” and that working together, instead of against each other, reaps much bigger rewards. 

So how can you foster a more collaborative environment between your senior living sales and marketing cohorts—especially if the teams have been functioning primarily in their own silos? Below, you’ll find six strategies. 

1. Make sure the marketing and sales directors embrace the idea of aligning their departments.

Employees take their cues from their managers and directors. Creating a collaborative culture requires everyone’s effort and support. The managers of both departments—marketing and sales—need to work well together. This will serve as an example to the team. 

What you don’t want: A sales or marketing director who says they support aligning the departments, but behind closed doors, they undermine the initiatives by doing their own thing or making divisive comments. 

2. Bring everyone together for team-building events.

Effective collaboration takes practice and regular “doing.” Think of it like a muscle that you need to regularly exercise for ultimate fitness.  

Now, we get it. Team-building events can sometimes conjure eye-rolls from participants. Don’t schedule events to simply check off a box and say you’ve done them. Get feedback from your teams about what types of events they’d enjoy doing (or at least, that wouldn’t result in groans). Different people will crave different things. A ropes course might work great for one team while another team might dread such an event.  

And keep in mind that you don’t need to always make team-building events so formal—or a big-time commitment. Maybe in the summer, you bring everyone off-campus to the local miniature golf course for a round and ice cream. Or maybe you hire an ice cream truck to stop by one summer afternoon and everyone gets a free treat and enjoys a break together. 

If your teams aren’t in the same location or if you’ve stayed with a virtual set-up for marketing post-pandemic, you can still do virtual events. Every other week, have a virtual watercooler Zoom call for 25 minutes where you’re not allowed to discuss work—but all other topics are OK, like what people are watching on Netflix. 

3. Encourage people to get together outside the office.

It’s not always easy for camaraderie to take place while under management’s watchful gaze. Encourage events outside the office to mix things up—think a bowling league, a softball league, or simply Friday lunches at a local eatery. 

When putting together teams for things like softball, don’t make it sales vs. marketing. Create teams that include people from both sides since that’s the whole point. You could also ask for volunteers from each department to co-manage something specific, like a holiday food drive or an Earth Day event.  

4. Provide training for everyone.

Sales departments often complain that they don’t have enough leads—or the leads aren’t good enough. Marketing often complains that they’re delivering all these leads to the sales department, but the sales folks drop the ball on closing them.  

Does that sound at all familiar? 

To combat these common complaints, the sales and marketing directors need to recalibrate the conversations happening within their own departments. Sales teams need to learn about (and embrace) the differences between marketing-qualified and sales-qualified leads. Sales departments shouldn’t be trying to work all leads—only SQLs. 

Marketing, on the other hand, should be focused on nurturing the MQLs. But marketing also needs to pay attention to feedback from sales about the quality of the SQLs.  

Everyone is ultimately working toward the same goal: more move-ins and higher occupancy. Not everyone has to agree on approaches 100% of the time. But people should be willing to work together, share ideas, listen to feedback, and adjust accordingly based on the feedback. 

This sort of collaboration happens from the top down. The sales and marketing directors need to set the tone and example—and they might need some help getting there. Provide training. And/or work with an outside agency (like ours) that has experience in both marketing and sales—and can help bridge the gap. 

5. Reward and reinforce positive behaviors. Redirect adversarial behavior (and intervene when necessary).

When directors/managers see strong alignment between their teams, they should point it out. “Hey, Mark and Cyndy worked really well on developing a lead nurturing campaign with a delivery cadence that really warmed up these cool leads and poised them for a sales interaction.”  

You’ll also want to monitor adversarial behavior and redirect negative conversations whenever possible. And, of course, you need to nip adversarial behavior in the bud. Finger-pointing or phrases like, “That’s their job, not mine” will need to be addressed. And toxic language or behaviors shouldn’t be tolerated at all.  

Again, you don’t want to call people out in front of large groups. But if you have someone on the team who doesn’t want to play ball with the other side, you need to intervene.  

If the person ultimately refuses to get on the collaboration train, you might need to make a tough decision about the person’s future with your team.  

This can be hard, especially on the sales side if there’s a person who is a good closer. You need to ask yourself at what cost is it worth keeping a good closer if their ways create an uncomfortable, antagonistic, or toxic environment.  

Would it be worth losing them now and seeing a dip in move-ins temporarily while you promote from within and/or hire someone who’ll be a better fit and embrace the “smarketing” vision? The answer is yes. Over the long term, numbers will rebound—and probably surpass where they were with the uncooperative person.  

6. Have a standing meeting on the calendar—but make sure it’s useful.

Coordinating efforts requires communication. A weekly check-in call or meeting is a good idea, provided there’s a clear agenda, a strict time limit, and that the meeting is actually useful. Be willing to cancel the meeting if no one has anything to discuss. End meetings early whenever possible. Stick to agendas that move projects forward and that provide actionable insights and tasks. 

For this meeting, talk only about things that matter to both sides. For example, the sales team isn’t going to care about the edits a marketing coordinator needs from a writer for the latest white paper. This should be a separate meeting. But the sales team will be interested in hearing about the latest results of the paid campaign. 

Finally, end meetings with positive news. For example, a campaign that benefited both sides and that both teams worked well on together. Make sure you celebrate successes that highlight collaborative efforts.  

BONUS: Collaborate with an agency that understands senior living marketing and sales. 

That would be us! We can help bridge the gap and bring people together. Get in touch and let’s chat.