senior living marketing

Senior Living Websites: 3 Proven Ways To Improve Your Lead Conversions

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Five seconds. That’s all the time most people spend on a web page before exiting, according to Jason McCloud, now Director of Digital Marketing at Benchmark Senior Living, and presenter at the 2016 Senior Care Marketing Sales Summit (SMASH). Luckily, there are easy ways for senior living websites to effectively capture anonymous site visitors and convert them to leads, McCloud noted.

The most important takeaway from this session is to optimize visitors’ time with a three-step strategy: Design your landing page for conversion rate optimization, add compelling imagery and calls to action, and conduct A/B testing to pick the design that produces the most favorable responses.

1. Design Your Senior Living Website to Optimize Your Conversion Rates.

Use eye-tracking “heat map” software as a “quick and easy way” to assess where website visitors look. People generally scan web pages in either an “F” or a “Z” pattern. Providers should design their landing pages accordingly.

In addition, consider how folks are going to scan: The right information needs to be in the right place. Place logos in the top left corner, with a prominent call to action and other important information in the web page’s “hot spots,” where people’s eyes—followed by their mouse—are generally drawn. And when it comes to information, less is more. Stick with the basics: Company logo, relevant photos, a phone number, pricing.

Most of the tracking software is affordable, according to McCloud, and some even offer free 30-day trials.

2. Add Quality Images and Compelling Calls to Action.

Design should revolve around what shoppers want to see: What the community looks like, and how much it costs. Here is McCloud’s advice for images and design:

  • Invest in professional photography. Choose renderings over lifestyle images, and limit use of stock photos. Adult influencers shopping for a senior living community for their parents don’t want to see generic photos of smiling seniors — they want to see what the community actually looks like. If you post a gallery of photos, allow for manual click-through rather than quick-paced auto-rotation to let visitors peruse at their own pace.
  • Keep it simple. Don’t make it difficult for a visitor to perform the desired action. McCloud noted that you “always want your main call to action — what you want them to do, whether it’s calling a phone number or filling out a web form — within three clicks of any given entry page.”
  • Create a sense of urgency. Compel action by using language that denotes a sense of urgency, with phrases like “Check availability and pricing today” over “Contact us” or “Request a brochure.” Similarly, for forms, swap out the “Submit” button for “Request Information Now.”
  • Train your team to make leads count. If you’re going to the trouble of designing or redesigning your page to maximize lead conversion, your team must be properly trained to handle inquiries. Make sure the person answering the phone is qualified to take the lead and transmit it properly to the sales or marketing team. In other words, don’t let the lead die on the vine.
  • Don’t forget the smartphones. Many adult influencers are glued to their phones. Your landing page design strategy should expand beyond desktops to mobile devices as well.

3. Test Which Design Works Best

If there are two web page designs that you’re having trouble choosing between, test them both. For example, if you’re not sure whether to utilize the F or the Z pattern design, you can experiment to see which one gets better conversion rates.

McCloud also suggested testing each design for one to two weeks, then choosing the data-driven winner. Converting existing web traffic into a lead is more valuable than spending resources on trying to generate more traffic.

If you drive traffic to your page without capturing people’s attention for more than five seconds, you’re flushing money down the drain, McCloud said, advising providers to “work on bettering conversion rates before spending more money to drive traffic.”

Need help doing any of the above? That’s where WE come in.

We’re experts in marketing and senior living website design. Plus, we have decades of senior living industry experience to boot. Let’s chat about your website.

Senior Living Sales: Turn Your Stand-Up Meeting into a Huddle

Senior Living Sales Tips: Turn Your Stand-Up Meeting into a Huddle

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Football is a great analogy for the sport of senior living sales. Teams need strong offense and defense to succeed. “Coaches” (sales managers) provide strategies and tactical insights. The “players” (sales team) execute the plays.

And, yes—we can go even deeper with this analogy.

We have sales and marketing teams playing offense by moving leads forward with a series of advances. Resident care teams play defense by holding the line on move-outs. Executive directors play the quarterback position, directing team members to execute the down. Department managers represent specialty teams, keeping residents engaged and families happy. Regional and corporate support teams fill coaching roles to round out the team.

This year, resolve to get more out of your stand-up meetings by running it like a football huddle. Here’s how…

Senior Living Sales Tip: Gear Up

Just like a football huddle, your “huddle” should be a quick check-in to make sure that information is exchanged and everyone is on the same page.

Preparation is key to keeping the huddle quick, productive, and on track. Stand-up meetings are opportunities for teams to connect at the start of the day to share relevant and time-sensitive information. Use the Daily Stand-Up Report to communicate everything the team needs to know. (We’ve created a ‘Daily Stand Up Report’ for you. It’s free! Download the template now.)

Senior Living Sales Tip: Keep it Snappy

The most effective football huddles communicate information clearly and quickly. You need to do the same:

  • Ask everyone to stand. It’s called a “huddle” for a reason, right? You’d never expect football players to scatter, sit, or lounge on benches. Demand the same from your team: have everyone stand. Standing forces people to think on their feet—literally – and it ensures the meeting moves along.
  • Choose a time and be consistent. In football, a huddle takes place at the beginning of (almost) every play. The players know when to expect it, along with the coaches and fans. Do the same with your huddles. Start on time with whoever is present – don’t wait for stragglers.
  • Focus only on what’s necessary. In a football huddle, the focus is on the next play only. That’s it. You need to do the same with your huddle. Limit the scope. Have a flip chart available to create a “parking lot” of issues and topics that are better addressed in a team meeting or 1:1.
  • Know when to ditch the huddle. In football, there’s the “hurry up offense” where the team forgoes the huddle in order to get a play off quickly. There will be times when it makes sense to cancel or ditch a regularly scheduled huddle: a state inspector has just walked in, for example. Or it’s a big holiday week. Use your judgment.

Senior Living Sales Tip: Call the Plays

In the huddle, the quarterback calls the next play. In your huddle, each person will communicate his or her “plays” (updates). The executive director will use the Stand-Up Report as a way to engage each “player” (director), encouraging him or her to share updates. (Download the FREE ‘Daily Huddle Tools’ Training Guide.)

Senior Living Sales Tip: Celebrate the Touchdowns

Keep your huddles quick and focused. Then, step back and watch your players execute their plays during the day, resulting in “touchdowns” (success!). Remember to celebrate these successes at a future huddle (the equivalent of an end-zone dance).

By the way, we work closely with senior living sales teams AND marketing teams to get them working better–and SMARTER. Reach out and let’s talk!

 

5 Characteristics of a Great Regional Director of Sales & Marketing

5 Signs of a Great Regional Director of Senior Living Sales & Marketing

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Great senior living sales and marketing talent is hard to come by. It’s one of the only professional jobs with a six-figure income potential (if you’re top talent) with no corresponding college degree. This makes hiring top sales talent challenging on good days. (And a roll of the dice in situations that require a quick decision.)

Talented senior living sales and marketing directors are in short supply. So here are some signs to look for during the interview process:

1. They have been successful at the community level in both internal & external sales roles.

This is a very difficult role to step into at the regional level without experience at the community level. Since coaching and modeling are two of the most important skills sets required to develop community sales talent, it is important to be able to relate to the various scenarios that happen on a daily basis.

Candidates should also display a comfort level when it comes to meeting with families and professionals. Being successful at a single site level is certainly not the only criteria. It is a huge leap for a sales person to transition from producing results by themselves to producing results through others – especially when they do not have reporting leverage.

2. They are coaches, not auditors.

I always ask candidates, “What is a successful site visit?” Then, I have them walk me through their entire process. This helps to identify gaps – some of which you can coach for improvement, and others you can’t (usually because of a lack of buy-in).

I ask this because I want to be sure that there is …

  • A plan and a purpose for the visit (they don’t just show up)
  • Good communication and collaboration with the Executive Director/Administrator
  • Preparation to ensure the visit will have value to the team (reviewing trending reports, organizing a training, or having the community sales person schedule a sales call or home visit)
  • A hands-on component (modeling a tour, follow up calls, role playing)
  • A written plan provided at the end of the site visit that is reviewed with the ED/ Administrator before leaving

It’s never a good sign when I hear that they are going to bring volumes of reports to go over with the team, or that they have a checklist/ audit form, or they are reviewing plans. There are times when all of these should be incorporated into a site visit, but unless there is coaching and hands-on “doing,” they will not be seen as part of the team and a help, but as an auditor and a distraction.

3. They can diagnose barriers.

I always include a case study or have a scenario ready that requires the candidate to diagnose the situation to find root cause, identify solutions, and articulate how they would create and execute a strategy and measure the impact.

This can be framed as “if you are working with a community and their biggest challenge is (low lead generation, not converting inquiries to tours, low tour to deposit/ move-in ratio etc.), how would help them improve this?”

Sometimes I do this as a follow-up to the interview to understand how they break down common sales challenges. I email them the case study and an action plan template. This is very helpful when I am down to my final two candidates.  Using a case study has saved me from many bad hires!

4. They understand both the art and science of selling.

Asking candidates to explain their perspective on the art & science of selling will provide insight into their coaching style and belief system. You will find out if they like data and reports and can turn them into useable information – or if they hate them (better to find out now!).

You will discover if they are more on the relational side of sales or the analytics. Do they set sales activity standards?  Are they the same for each community or customized (based on what)? How will they produce results through others? Are they more on the accountability or cheerleader side of the pendulum? And what’s their view on senior living sales and marketing? Today, the two must align! So look for a sales person who embraces collaboration with marketing (or has experience in marketing).

While there may not be a right or wrong answer for every question, there will be better fits for the community and regional teams, and also for the philosophy of the company.

5. They are coachable!

Sometimes you get all of the first four characteristics and confidently make the offer – Yeah!  And then they start and are completely un-coachable! They won’t use the tools & resources (their stuff is always better), won’t buy into the training (so they can’t coach and reinforce it), won’t take feedback – it’s a nightmare, they are not successful and you are back to square one. This is harder to discern, so I have two suggestions.

First, I ask if they have played team sports (always better when they have). And if so, I ask them to describe their best and worst coach (if they were all bad, there may be an issue!). Secondly, I bring in my HR Director – they have radar for this and are always a valued resource.

At Senior Living SMART, we can help your senior living sales and marketing teams work more efficiently together.

Silo mentalities need not apply! We work closely with both departments to create an efficient lead generation machine. Ask us how we do it!

website review

Turn Your Website Into a Lead Generation Machine [Webinar]

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87% of all senior housing sales begin online, making websites the #1 sales tool for lead generation. Prospects visit a community website an average of 7.8 times during their buying journey. This webinar will demonstrate how to convert anonymous website visitors into exclusive and unshared qualified leads.

Free Website Audit

What’s your website already doing well? What can it do better? We start where you are so we can develop a plan to optimize the good while nixing the bad and the ugly.

Learn more about our free website audit

Website Pet Peeves

Website Pet Peeves

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87% of those looking into senior living options start their search by visiting community websites and 37% of those prospects will eliminate a community from consideration purely based on the quality of the website. When prospects visit your website, they are looking for answer to four key questions:

Price – “Can I Afford It?”

According to a “Social Silver Surfers” report by Creating Results, the #1 pet peeve of our prospects (The Silent Generation & The Older Boomer) is the lack of pricing transparency. They want to know how much it will cost, what’s included, and how senior living is funded. The problem is that most providers do not provide any pricing information on their website because they want to establish value before quoting price and they do not want their competitors to have that information. The reality is that competitors can get pricing with mystery shopping. The lack of transparency on pricing drives prospects off of your website and over to a paid referral agency/ lead generator online sources who will provide your pricing and the pricing of your competitors (who they may not have even been exploring) and your lead is now shared with 4 -6 competitors. Here are three solutions to keep your website visitors on your site:

  • Offer your starting at pricing for each apartment style as a downloadable pdf so you collect contact information needed to follow up and establish value.
  • Offer a downloadable cost comparison worksheet with everything included in your community completed and the same expenses for staying at home for the prospect to complete to establish value & collect contact information.
  • Offer a downloadable guide to funding solutions as an opt-in with information that provides an overview to the Veteran’s Aid & Attendance benefit, Life Insurance conversion, Long Term Care Insurance, Medicare & Medicaid. You provide a valuable guide and in exchange, collect contact information to convert a website visitor into a lead.

Housing – “Where Will I Live?”

According to the same study by Creating Results, the #2 pet peeve about senior living websites is that floor plans are either not available, are illegible or incomplete. According to Jayne Sallerson, COO of Sherpa, the majority of website visitors are in the “planning” or “thinking” stages and are not yet ready to take an action such as calling, completing an online form or scheduling a tour – but they do want a sneak peak before they are ready to tour. Here are three solutions to consider:

  • Create a gallery of images that are easy for prospects to sort through and explore on the website. Be sure to represent common areas and a variety of apartment styles.
  • Create a library of clear, legible floor plans and make them available to download.
  • My favorite solution is to create a virtual video tour that allows prospects to explore your community while collecting data and analytics and turning website visitors into prospects. (link to SMARTTour video on the SLS website)

Amenities – “What Will I Do?”

The “Social, Silver Surfers” survey reveals that the third pet peeve of senior living prospects is that the information on the website is outdated. Providing information about the community lifestyle is important but must be monitored, maintained and stay current. Posting pictures of residents and families enjoying special events, providing menu and activity calendar samples and posting upcoming events adds value to your website, keeps prospects on your site, reduces “bounce rate” and brings them back to the site as they move through their decision process.

Care – “Will I Be Cared For?”

For 18% of website visitors, care considerations are the primary interest. Any reassurance that you can provide about the quality of care, survey results, testimonials, staff training, security & safety specifics and any niche programs offered should be included in your website. One of our Senior Living SMART Members started using a hiring tool that measured job applicants against the attributes of their best performers in each department and scored them according to their “cultural fit” reducing turnover from 70% to 17%. This type of information is compelling and reassuring to families and prospects and should be included on the website!

Free Download

Members can access the ‘Website Pet Peeves’ survey report, or non-members may download the resource by filling out form below:


 

 

Network Resource Download

opt-in download access for white papers, ebooks, case studies, and more.

Senior Living Marketing Tactics That Will Engage Today’s Prospects

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In my constant quest to keep up with all things senior living marketing, I recently read an article published by Senior Housing News called “The Secrets To Growing Senior Living Sales & Occupancy.”

In a nutshell, here are the so-called secrets:

  • Do deep discovery.
  • Ask the right questions to get the right information.
  • Understand the difference between senior living marketing and sales.
  • View marketing as an investment, not a cost center.
  • Get the executive director involved in the sales process and train employees to understand the sales process.

Really? These are “secrets”? This same article could have been written 10 years ago!

Here’s the REAL secret: the way prospects engage with senior living communities has dramatically changed.

As such, our senior living marketing and sales tactics need to evolve, too.

We can’t keep recycling old “insights,” like the ones outlined above from that article, because our prospects expect more today than they did 10 years ago – or even three years ago.

So, what can your teams do to better engage with today’s prospects?

Keep reading…

1. Remember that your senior living website is your #1 sales tool.

It’s no surprise that the majority of shoppers go online first, especially when hunting for a particular product. But the Pew Research Center reports that most people begin their searches online when making big life decisions as well. And moving to a senior living community certainly qualifies as a big life decision.

Sure, when people turn to Google as they research senior living options, they might encounter your Google Business Profile and other review sites. But they will ultimately land on your website since it effectively serves as the hub of your community’s online presence.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: It’s time to change the website experience from focusing on community features and benefits (in other words, the “let me tell you about me” model). Instead, re-position your site so that it becomes a valuable resource that seniors, caregivers, and professionals will visit often as they research options. Need ideas for improving your site? Choose our affordable senior living website audit, which will deliver clear action items.

2. Live chat can turn websites into lead generators.

Organic leads are great, but unless you quickly engage them, they will bounce over to a competitor’s site or a paid referral site. (The latter means providers will be buying back move-ins who had initially visited their website!)

Live chat, on the other hand, can quickly engage website visitor by demonstrating empathy and helping visitors access the info they’re looking for. An effective live chat host can generate qualified leads that can be transferred directly from the chat host to a community representative or turned into a scheduled tour. Chat can also provide evening and weekend coverage at a very low cost.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: There are many chat options available, but we typically recommend SiteStaff, because the chat hosts are US-based with specialized training in healthcare settings, like senior living.

3. Videos can help convert prospects into sales.

Here’s a stat for you: 80% of website visitors will stop and watch a video. Talk about engagement! There are many ways to use video, too, from background b-roll to video testimonials from happy residents to virtual tours.

And here’s the even better news: not all video has to be professionally shot. Smartphone videos can work well, especially on social media channels, like Facebook.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Pick up your phones and start shooting! Yes, you need to keep privacy laws in mind, but start shooting video. Short and sweet (think 30 seconds to a minute) can work well. Online editing software can allow you to add in calls-to-action, but you don’t even need to go to that far when sharing on social: just post with a brief intro.

And don’t underestimate using video for more formal things, like tours or room planners. One product we particularly like: DesignFloorPlan.com.

4. Transparent pricing matters.

It’s fair to say that cost plays a big role when people shop around for senior living options.

However, most communities make it impossible to find pricing info on the website, leaving prospects to bounce over to a paid referral site who will not only provide your pricing information, but also your competitors’ info.

We understand that you want to sell your value first before providing prices, because you’re concerned prospects will experience sticker shock, particularly if they don’t have the full context. But the lack of pricing transparency is not helpful to prospects or professionals looking for information.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Consider making your pricing available through a short opt-in form with basic contact information. This scratches two itches: visitors get the info they want, and the sales team has the ability to follow up to establish value and offer resources to help fund senior living.

5. A better “template strategy” can reduce senior living marketing and sales costs.

One of the biggest marketing spends in senior living today is print. Think event flyers, invitations, incentives, direct mail, and postcards, just to name a few items. The problem is that the cost of graphic design, printing, and mailing continues to climb. Not to mention that the shelf life for these items is days or a few weeks TOPS.

The good news? A smarter “template strategy” can reduce these costs. Imagine having all the print items you regularly use at your fingertips as templates that are already outfitted with your logo and brand colors. All you have to do is customize them with the relevant details for that particular marketing campaign. Goodbye, design costs! Goodbye unnecessary printing!

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Check out our SMARTbrand and SMARTbrand+ options. We have a free version and an affordable subscription service that allows you to easily create the materials you need. Or if you like the idea of creating a full-blown template strategy, check out our SMARTstores.

6. Senior living events still work!

“The majority of people who know someone in senior housing have been influenced by this experience (73.0%), most often in a positive way (57.0%)” finds Imagination in their research study. Bottom line: senior living events still work!

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Make sure you include the following in your senior living marketing plan:

  • Friend & family referral programs
  • New resident welcome events for friends
  • Address change cards for new residents to send to friends and neighbors
  • Coupons for meals, salon services, weekend stays, and community events

Need help? Check out our senior living event management solutions.

Senior living marketing has changed. Work with an agency that’s evolved, too.

We’re not just any agency. We’re a senior living marketing agency. Our staff has industry experience, which sets us apart from other agencies (even the ones who also “specialize” in senior living marketing). Get in touch today and request your complimentary 30-minute brainstorming session.

5 Steps to Successfully Managing Your Online Reputation

5 Steps to Successfully Managing Your Online Reputation

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According to Google, 70% of Americans online say they use reviews before converting to customers. A Harvard Business School Study found something they call The Yelp Effect. According to their study published in 2011, “A one-star increase in Yelp rating leads to a 5-9 percent increase in revenue.”

The senior living industry lags behind most other industries in creating and managing a strong online and social media presence. Online review sites will force an increase in awareness and action in ensuring that their communities are positively represented.

Here are some quick tips to pro-actively manage your online reputation:

  1. Review & Enhance – check out all of your online profiles for accuracy and utilize all available opportunities to provide content. Photos continue to be the most viewed components and virtual tours are also very effective.
  2. You can’t manage what you can’t see–get online and read reviews of your community. Check out Senior Advisor at https://www.SeniorAdvisor.com and Caring.com at https://www.caring.com, also Google Maps as well as Google, Yahoo! and Bing Places pages. (Whether you know it or not, your senior living community has a listing on all these sites.)
  3. Engage & Respond–regardless of the positive or negative content of the review. The more comments and responses that are posted about a community the greater the increase in revenue. Keep your tone positive and conversational, never defensive. A bad review is not the end of the day, as long as there are some positive reviews that put it in perspective and provide balance.
  4. Respond quickly–If there is a pattern of negative comments, respond quickly to address the issue. One negative review can be neutralized by counter balancing positive reviews, but there will be major damage control needed for unresolved complaints
  5. Be pro-active–encourage reviews throughout the resident’s stay. After a prospect chooses your community, send a link to review sites and ask them to comment about why they chose your community. After a successful resident and family event, a great state survey or nomination to a local “Best Of” award, reach out an provide links to online review opportunities. Post the best reviews on your website, acknowledge the review site and provide a link back to improve SEO.

The bottom line is that your families and prospects are already talking about you so now is the time to listen, respond, and join the conversation.

Free Download

The case for online reviews goes stronger by the day. Customers are increasingly searching online and referring to reviews before making a purchasing decision.

Members can download the ‘Why Online Reviews Matter’ tipsheet, or non-members may download the resource by filling out form in the link below:


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Marketing Campaigns

Thanksgiving Marketing Campaigns

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The holidays are the ideal time to market your community! Seasonal decorations make a community sparkle and there is a lot of energy generated by special events and family visits. It is also a time when families visit and notice changes that precipitate interest in checking out senior living options while they are together. With planning, every community can increase inquiries and tours. Here are some ideas:

Nothing Says Thanksgiving Like a Homemade Pie!

A pie drop-off or pick-up works for busy professionals, prospects, and families. Create an order form (paper or online) with a selection of pie choices so everyone can choose their favorites and order via phone, fax, or email. The day before Thanksgiving, you either can deliver the pies or arrange a pick-up at the community. Brand the pie boxes with stickers featuring your community information and logo. This provides a creative follow-up opportunity for your leads as well as referral sources—and it shows off your culinary department!

Show Your Heart & Hospitality

There are seniors in every market who will be alone on Thanksgiving. This year, work with local elder law attorneys, trust officers, senior centers, senior agencies, guardians, and geriatric care managers and have them nominate some local seniors to come to your holiday dinner. “Adopting” some new friends for the holiday feels good, builds relationships with referral partners, and allows more seniors to experience a community living lifestyle. There is usually room available in the dining room since many residents go out with their families for the day.

Dash & Dine

For those who cannot get out for the holiday dinner, your team can prepare meals and make them available for pick-up or deliver the meals to the home or rehab facility. This is a great way to reconnect with prospects and previous respites and definitely bring a home cooked meal to all residents in a hospital, rehab, or skilled nursing facility.

Weekend Open Houses

Make it easy for families to stop by after shopping by hosting an Open House for one or two days over the holiday weekend. Tour volume is usually high over Thanksgiving weekend and can be increased by offering an opportunity to stop by without a scheduled appointment. Make sure there are holiday themed treats available and activities planned. You can offer wrapping services to entice weary shoppers to visit or host a boutique craft event at the community with an interesting assortment of unique gifts. Have something fun to give out such as a great “leftovers” recipe!

Send Thanksgiving Cards Instead

This is a perfect time to give thanks to prospects, families, staff, and referral sources! The December holidays are so overwhelming that your card and thoughtfulness may get lost but a Thanksgiving card is less common and it will help you to stand out.

Remember the Warriors!

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reach out to first responders from your local fire department, police department, and ambulance services. They are on duty 24/7 and would welcome a dinner, dessert, or special basket of goodies. It’s also a perfect time to stop by your ER/ED and urgent care centers. All of these community contacts know seniors who are home alone and those who would most benefit from a more supportive environment.

Thanks to all of you who have chosen to serve seniors!



senior living marketing

How To Execute The Perfect Senior Living Grand Opening Event

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Recently I was able to attend the Grand Opening of Belmont Village’s newest community in Houston Texas: Hunters Creek. I have attended many similar events and have rarely experienced the level of planning, preparation, and execution as I did at Hunter’s Creek. So what separates a good event from a memorable one?

Planning The Flow

Belmont Village set the tone for this event before attendees even entered the front door. A professional valet service and traffic control and direction kept the stream of cars moving smoothly to the entry. Additional parking had been prearranged nearby, and all of the Belmont employees parked offsite to leave all the parking spaces for their guests. Tours were available with little to no waiting, and these tours were provided by community team members, sister community support teams and most importantly, the executive team.

Using The Tour to Share Your Better & Different Story!

At the Hunter’s Creek event, there were experts stationed at key points along the tour route to speak to unique characteristics of the community and the Belmont Village brand. This allowed the Belmont team to share their “better and different story” with their visitors. Visitors were able to better understand their early stage memory care program, Circle of Friends, their philosophy and approach to secured memory care programming (including a dedicated full time Program Director), rehab capabilities and 24/7 on-site (awake!) nursing. Tour guides had notes to incorporate the unique features about the community and have answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Keep The Focus on the Senior Living Residents

The entire event was resident focused. Belmont Village does not use any stock images in any of their creative pieces, so pictures displayed throughout the community were of actual residents. The photos were beautiful and expressed life, laughter, and relationships. Residents who were Veteran’s were honored throughout the community with displays in Assisted Living, Circle of Friends and Memory Care neighborhoods. Instead of the usual corporate and political posturing that usually is the focus of these events, Patricia Will, Founder and “Mother” of Belmont Village spoke of the resident experience, lifestyle and “honoring this experience of aging.”

It’s A Party – Make It Fun!

Belmont showed off their outstanding culinary expertise with a mouth-watering spread of food that represents their commitment to healthy and delicious options. An open bar featuring a signature cocktail, attentive wait staff and plenty of seating completed the setting. Live music (classical guitars) set the stage of a sophisticated event, without overpowering conversations.

It’s a Business – Collect All The Attendee Information

The community team made sure to get complete information to begin developing their referral network. Registered guests were able to quickly pick up a nametag and unregistered guests had a separate table so all attendee information was quickly and easily collected.

event planning template

Looking to expand? Let’s Chat!

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Do You Know Your Senior Living Net Promoter Score?

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Let’s talk about customer satisfaction. At the end of the day, isn’t it all about how the residents and families feel about the services and care they receive in your community? So let’s first answer the question, “Why conduct satisfaction surveys?”

Word of Mouth

Residents and families are talking about you – to friends, relatives, neighbors, and healthcare professionals. Do you know what they are saying?

Customer Issues are a Great Way to Make a Positive Impact

Listening to customer concerns and following through on making positive changes, can turn unhappy customers into loyal customers.

Gain Insight into Your Customer

Asking your customers for ideas and identifying patterns based on their responses, gives you insight into opportunities that can benefit current and future residents. These insights can give you a competitive edge.

The knowledge from customer surveys can help assure that you don’t lose customers and that your reputation doesn’t prevent you from winning new customers. Your customer experience has a direct impact on your occupancy. There is a simple question that is found on most surveys that provides valuable insight and directly impacts your business results.

“How likely is it that you would recommend your community to a friend or colleague?”

 

This is your Net Promoter Score. The Net Promoter Score, or NPS®, is based on the fundamental perspective that every company’s customers can be divided into three categories: Promoters, Passives, and Detractors.

  • Promoters

    (score 9-10) are loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others, fueling growth.

  • Passives

    (score 7-8) are satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who are vulnerable to competitive offerings.

  • Detractors

    (score 0-6) are unhappy customers who can damage your brand and impede growth through negative word-of-mouth.

To calculate your company’s NPS, take the percentage of customers who are Promoters and subtract the percentage who are Detractors. Now what? Once you know your number– What do you do with this information?

Lynn Ackerman, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Delight Officer at Sensight Surveys offers insight into how to translate the number into a plan that positively impacts your customer experience and business results.

“Your net promoter score basically represents the percentage of customers who are willing to advocate for your community offset by potential naysayers.  This number can be very useful, but by itself holds little value.  Your survey process should include the collection of more detailed information to help you pinpoint customer experiences and views that drive your net promoter score and allow you to take targeted action.

There are three things you can do:

  1. Include questions on your survey that ask customers to rate specific areas of service.
  2. Provide comment space on your survey, so customers can back up their willingness to recommend you with a positive comment or recommendation for improvement.
  3. Hold feedback sessions with your customers as part of post-survey action planning to understand their specific accolades, concerns, and ideas for improvement.

With this additional information, you will have what you need to identify top improvement opportunities and implement a targeted plan of action.”

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