Are Your Senior Living Prospects Dying?

by Diane Masson | Sep 8, 2013

Senior living sales people fall into two different categories:

• Proactive
• Reactive

Proactive sales people in senior housing call their database  – the hot ones, the warm ones and yes even the older cold leads.  Reaching out and touching a senior every three to four months can fill your building.

Did you know that a senior’s life can change dramatically every six months?  It’s true.  They may have just been diagnosed with a degenerate disease like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes or some type of cancer.  Suddenly they realize that they are vulnerable and may need to live in a more supportive environment in the immediate future.

A senior who once told you it would be at least five years until they move, can suddenly turn into a one month move-in.  For those of you that call your database regularly, your phone call will spur the prospect into moving to your community sooner.  For those of you that don’t call your database, you are missing out.  That prospect will move somewhere and the community who advertises to them first will probably get the business.

Anyone who has been in this business for any length of time has had a prospective resident die.  It sucks and you feel horrible for them.  Congratulations, you know they died, because you are a proactive sales person.

Yesterday, one of my retirement counselors shared that his hottest prospect, he toured last week, had died.  He found out after he called and left a message.  The woman’s son called him back to say his mom had passed away.  The good news was by the end of that same day the retirement counselor had holds for two other apartments.  They are putting deposits down next week.   Your occupancy can increase with phone calls period.  Do you know if your prospects are dying?

Please share your success, failures or comment below to join the conversation and interact with other senior living professionals on what is currently being effective to increase occupancy on a nationwide basis.

Diane Twohy Masson is the author of “Senior Housing Marketing – How to Increase Your Occupancy and Stay Full,” available at Amazon.com with a 5-star rating.  The book is required reading at George Mason University as a part of its marketing curriculum.  Within this book, the author developed a sales & marketing method with 12 keys to help senior living providers increase their occupancy.   Masson developed this expertise as a marketing consultant, sought-after blogger for senior housing and a regional marketing director of continuing care retirement communities in several markets.  She has also been a corporate director of sales and a mystery shopper for independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled care nursing communities in multiple states.  Most recently Masson was recruited to consult for two debt-free Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Southern California – Freedom Village in Lake Forest and The Village in Hemet, California.  Interestingly, this career started when she was looking for a place for her own mom and helped her loved one transition through three levels of care.

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