Sales Directors in senior housing are constantly faced with objections during the sales process, from beginning to end. How many of you are faced with the following?
“We are just fact-finding right now, I’d just like a brochure, please”
“I’m looking for my Mom, but she’s really the one making the decision”
“I’m just not ready to make a decision yet”
We understand that, from the minute families call into your community, objections can begin in the sales process. This week, we decided to ask our top Sales Strategists, who spend all their time working in the field with sales teams, for their favorite strategies.
Stephanie:
“I find that sales people are drawn to shorter questions, because it helps their own comfort level and builds confidence when asking some really tough questions. Simple ones such as, ‘Can you tell me more about that’ or ‘What does ready look like to you’ are very effective.
I also hear the comparison objection quite frequently, which is when the prospect might compare your community to a competitor’s with a lower price. So, when someone says, I liked both options, that one was a bit more affordable, just be prepared to ask ‘Other than price, what other differences did you notice’ as the auto response here is to laundry list and defend your pricing.”
Jocelyn:
“I love the feel, felt, found technique for overcoming objections:
‘I understand, Mary, that you are feeling overwhelmed with having to go through your home and downsize before you can move to our community. Others have felt the same way and found that deciding which items you will take with you here is a great first step. You can even move those items in and stay here stress-free, then downsize the rest at your own pace.’
The key is never leaving on a negative. So providing a solution or at least talking through the objection does not leave it lingering as the last impression of your community and conversation. Make sure to set that next step, however small it may be.”
Dana:
“Some of my favorite questions to handle objections are:
‘When you say you are not ready, could you tell me more about that? What does the day look like when you are ready?’
Drill down about the word “ready,” and what this looks like and means to the individual. The goal is to really find the emotion connected with that word and better understand what is holding them back.
‘As you look to the future, what are 1 or 2 things that you most look forward to about living in our community?’
Trying to focus on what they want, versus what they don’t want, helps me build value and get them excited again. None of us would buy a car or a new home if we were not excited about it!”
If you’d like to learn more about overcoming objections, please reach out to the Bild Sales Team and get the conversation started!
