In a day and age where there is tremendous competition in the Senior Housing Industry, and the ability to learn about the many options being only a click away, what are you doing to support your census goals? We are all driven by goals, both professionally, as well as personally. Goals to meet and beat budget, goals to give your current residents the best quality of life possible, goals to be sure your prospects and families are well informed about the services you offer, the list goes on! One of our goals at Bild & Company is to “Focus on What You Can Control.” Meaning, you may not be able to do anything about your competitor down the street offering concessions left and right, but you can STILL stand out and show your potential new resident that you are the solution they are looking for.
Here are a few suggestions to really focus on the things you CAN control:
- KNOW your prospect and their family. And I don’t mean what style apartment do they want or level of care they will need. Discover what truly prompted their search. How is this affecting them and their support system? What will be MOST important to them as they make this life changing decision? What do they enjoy? What did they used to do for fun? Get to know them as much as possible before they even walk through the door!
- Is your community set up to truly connect with all leads calling or coming in? Even after 5:00 or on the weekends? You may think your systems are strong. If that’s the case, you are ahead of the game! When was the last time you really checked this for accuracy? If it’s been a while, it may be time to revisit. Mismanaged calls are an epidemic in Senior Housing.
- Where is your traffic coming from? Referral agencies are very beneficial, but how well do you really know the other professionals in your community? Who can (and should) be referring to you? If they aren’t, what steps have you taken to improve that working relationship? Remember, dropping off donuts doesn’t result in referrals. You must learn what their needs are and work towards a win/win relationship for you both.
- How are you planning for your tours? If you’ve taken steps to learn more about your prospect’s situation upon that first conversation, how are you going to SHOW them that you will be able to deliver on those things they’ve mentioned to be most important to them? If you are able to build value in this way, those concessions being offered down the street will become less important!
- You’re not done yet! We all know how difficult this decision can be. Now that your prospect and their family have come to see your community, what is the next step? Plan for follow up and stick to it! Follow up is key! How much of your TIME is devoted to activity that is specifically related to sales, such as follow up calls?
When you consistently work on the things that are within your control, you will succeed! Set goals that will take you closer to your objective and check your progress along the way. In a world full of options, it is crucial that you are building on the things that matter the most for those that are coming to you for help, after all, isn’t it all about them?
For more information on how Bild & Company can help advise with your strategy, please contact us →
