Tips for Better Senior Living Sales & Marketing Alignment Post-Deposit

The biggest myth in senior living sales and marketing is that marketing ends once someone signs on the dotted line and delivers their deposit.

Here’s the reality: Sales and marketing teams must remain aligned post-deposit. Why? Two reasons.

First, happy residents are your best form of advertisement. They write excellent, engaging reviews. They’re also much more likely to participate in your community’s friends/family referral program. (Family and friends referrals enjoy high conversion rates.) However, happy residents don’t just happen. Your community should have a process for ensuring a smooth, branded move-in experience so that all new residents are happy.

But this brings us to the second reason why sales and marketing teams must remain aligned post-deposit: You can’t count on sales counselors to consistently provide a smooth, branded move-in experience. That’s not in their wheelhouse. Plus, the sales counselors are already busy trying to close sales-qualified leads who haven’t reached the deposit point yet.

Luckily, this work doesn’t have to be a heavy lift for your marketing department thanks to the wonders of marketing automation. You can set up post-deposit nurturing campaigns to help create a red-carpet experience for each new resident every time. These campaigns would automatically trigger once the deposit is noted in the CRM.

So, what types of post-deposit nurturing campaigns should you develop? We recommend creating campaigns around these 3 topics:

• • Keeping track of all the paperwork
  • Relocation/moving tips
  • What residents can expect their first week/month

Campaign #1: Say hello to streamlined paperwork

We don’t have to tell you about all the paperwork involved with moving into your community. But the amount of paperwork might surprise the prospective resident—or the person handling it on their behalf, like an adult child.

Creating a post-deposit workflow that helps new residents keep track of and make sense of all the documents will reduce their stress and make it easier for them to access what they need when they need it.

Some tips to keep in mind:

• • If your community has an online resident portal, provide clear instructions on how to access and use it. Include not only written instructions, but also a video walk-through. Audit the instructions—review them yourself and ensure everything makes sense and works as expected. Get feedback from newer residents and their families about their experience with the portal.
  • Make sure you include the right people in this workflow. For example, if a couple is moving in, make sure they’re both included. If family members have been involved in the process, include them. (This goes for all the post-deposit nurturing campaigns, not just this one.)

Campaign #2: Countdown to move-in day

Moving is considered one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. The move can become exponentially harder when you add the emotions of leaving a home you’ve been in for decades.

One of the best post-deposit campaigns you can develop is a countdown to move-in day with practical, actionable steps people can follow. But don’t overwhelm people with too much information in each email.

Things to include:

Start with a welcome email. When we create this campaign for our clients, we immediately send an email from the executive director or CEO thanking the new resident for selecting the community and letting them know how excited they are to welcome them to the family.

• • Downsizing strategies
  • Tips for selling a home
  • What to donate, give to friends and family, sell, and take
  • How to digitize pictures
  • Packing checklists
  • Vetted vendors, like the moving companies you recommend
  • PRO TIP: Speaking of vetted vendors, if you REALLY want to help your new residents transition successfully into your community, connect them with a relocation specialist. Intrigued? Check out our podcast with Maureen Longoria, Co-Founder of LivNow Relocation, which assists older adults and their adult children during this emotionally charged transition.

Campaign #3: What to expect your first week/month

When you sign up for a free 30-day trial of something, you often receive a series of welcome emails that do just that—welcome you to the service, highlight valuable features, and share answers to FAQs.

Model your community’s “what you can expect” campaign accordingly. Send a welcome email that arrives in a new resident’s inbox within 24-48 hours of moving in.

Send follow-up emails over the next 30 days that share info about . . .

• • Dining services. How to order, hours, where to request special meals, etc.
  • Activities for the next month.
  • FAQs. Collect and answer the most common questions new residents have in this email. (Or link to a page on your site with all the answers.)
  • What to do if something’s amiss. Give people a direct line to someone who can help them ASAP if something isn’t right or to their liking. Complaints or minor irritations aren’t unusual during a move into senior living. The key is making sure the new resident feels heard AND that they feel the issue is being addressed.

Need help creating a post-deposit nurturing workflow?

This isn’t a typical workflow that senior living communities implement—or that most senior living marketing agencies offer their clients. But we do! Get in touch and let’s discuss how we can put these workflows to work for your community.