by Diane Masson | Jan 12, 2014
Multiply Sales Goals By 10!
Do you have a personal sales goal for 2014 in your head? There are huge benefits if you write it down on a piece of paper. According to a Harvard study and sales guru Brian Tracy, only 3% of people have written goals and these people accomplish 10 times as much.
If you want to accomplish 10 times as much this year, take 15 or 30 minutes to focus on your goals. Do you want to hit the minimum move-in number required by your retirement organization? Are you better than average? What is realistic? What is possible?
Writing down your goals is a key to accomplishing them, but what if you make it fun by animating your goals? If your goals could stand up on your desk and dance around, what would they look like? Here are a couple of ideas:
- Cut out pictures from magazines and make a collage of your goals.
- Draw a picture of your goals.
- Turn a piece of clay or silly putty into your goal.
- Write your goals with Crayola washable window markers or lipstick on your your bathroom mirror.
- Make a short power point of your goals.
Whichever method you select, keep your goals visually front and center on a daily basis. Speak them into existence and have a prosperous 2014.
Please share your successes, 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. Currently, Masson is setting move-in records as the regional marketing director of 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.
© Marketing 2 Seniors| Diane Twohy Masson 2013 All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog post may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials. You may share this website and or it’s content by any of the following means: 1. Using any of the share icons at the bottom of each page. 2. Providing a back-link or the URL of the content you wish to disseminate. 3. You may quote extracts from the website with attribution to Diane Masson CASP and link https://www.marketing2seniors.net For any other mode of sharing, please contact the author Diane Masson.
by Diane Masson | Oct 6, 2013
My teams just concluded a senior living marketing retreat in Southern California. It was a time to step out of their fast-paced selling lives to be nurtured and valued. It was a celebration of breaking records. One Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) had the most move-ins since 2001 and another CCRC had the most move-ins since 2005. Wow!!!
The top four CCRC sales people were highlighted in an honor roll. Each of these people hit their personal move-in goals three quarters in row. The top sales person had 10 CCRC move-ins this last quarter alone. They each spoke about the secret to his or hers success. There were a variety of humble answers, which included: nurturing client relationships over years, persistence, good events continually drawing in new prospective senior residents, increasing the number of repeat tours, studying sales techniques to improve their craft, the housing market improving and the on-going sale training provided.
The retreat included: celebrating accomplishing quarterly goals, sales training, best practices discussions, our weekly book review of “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” personal time management to increase database calls and a wonderful breakfast and lunch. The sales people loved having an opportunity to hear best practices and sales experiences from their cohorts at another community.
What are you doing to honor your sale people and celebrate success? It is tough having to accept constant rejection on a day-to-day basis. This is what makes senior living sales people extraordinary. Give a shout out to your sales people through this blog and send them a copy. Tell them they are special today.
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.
© Marketing 2 Seniors| Diane Twohy Masson 2013 All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog post may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials. You may share this website and or it’s content by any of the following means: 1. Using any of the share icons at the bottom of each page. 2. Providing a back-link or the URL of the content you wish to disseminate. 3. You may quote extracts from the website with attribution to Diane Masson CASP and link https://www.marketing2seniors.net For any other mode of sharing, please contact the author Diane Masson.
by Diane Masson | Sep 22, 2013
One of the greatest human desires is to be appreciated. A lack of appreciation is the number one reason why a senior living sales person takes a job at another retirement community. Did you know that a person could literally go insane with a lack of appreciation? It’s true!
Have you analyzed yourself lately? How are you at appreciating your senior living co-worker, your family or even your spouse?
Are you already defending yourself inside your head? I thought that I was doing a good job too, until… my senior living sales teams started a new book review. Yes, we started reading one of the greatest books every written – “How To Win Friends and Influence People,” by Dale Carnegie.
Do you have a favorite book that you refer back to every year or two? This book is mine. It suddenly puts me back on track to be a caring human being again. It’s funny how we can get in a rut without knowing we are in a rut. We get so busy and focused on accomplishing the goals that we forget to treat people the way we would wish to be treated.
The book suggests highlighting key phrases to refer back to and reading each chapter twice. Here are three great principles that I need to utilize everyday:
- Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.
- Give honest and sincere appreciation.
- Arouse in the other person an eager want.
Every single one of my team members commented on how he or she treats a senior living prospective resident better than a co-worker or family. Do you? Do you want to start a new habit today? It is up to you…
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.
© Marketing 2 Seniors| Diane Twohy Masson 2013 All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog post may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials. You may share this website and or it’s content by any of the following means: 1. Using any of the share icons at the bottom of each page. 2. Providing a back-link or the URL of the content you wish to disseminate. 3. You may quote extracts from the website with attribution to Diane Masson CASP and link https://www.marketing2seniors.net For any other mode of sharing, please contact the author Diane Masson.
by Diane Masson | Sep 8, 2013
Senior living sales people fall into two different categories:
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.
© Marketing 2 Seniors| Diane Twohy Masson 2013 All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog post may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials. You may share this website and or it’s content by any of the following means: 1. Using any of the share icons at the bottom of each page. 2. Providing a back-link or the URL of the content you wish to disseminate. 3. You may quote extracts from the website with attribution to Diane Masson CASP and link https://www.marketing2seniors.net For any other mode of sharing, please contact the author Diane Masson.
by Diane Masson | Aug 11, 2013
Disney’s “Monsters University” movie really struck a cord with me.
The “Monsters University” movie was about a team who perseveres through a “Scary Competition” together. As a newly formed team, they didn’t believe in each other. As the experience grew they started to believe. When Mike (the small green one-eyed monster with the heart of a lion) took the the monsters on a field trip, the entire team saw that each of them could be a scary winner individually and really trusted each other. The scary team became invested in supporting one another and helping weak players grow stronger.
Even the mean lady who was the dean of “Monsters University” was surprised by the perseverance of Mike and Sulley (the big furry blue and purple monster). NO ONE believed in this team of misfits. Yet they proved to go above and beyond what anyone in the school had ever done before. When the dean locked Mike and Sully in the human world, Mike figured out a way to get out with the help of Sulley TRUSTING Mike. Mike was the brain and Sulley was the brawn. Individually they would not have made it, as a team of two who TRUSTED each other, they were successful.
When senior living sales people are new – they don’t know whom to trust on the operations team. Will their co-worker have his or her back or throw them under the bus? It’s important to have a good on-boarding system that creates experiences to build team trust.
Here are several ideas to help develop trust on your senior living team:
- If several of your key staff interview the candidate, they will believe in the newbie’s talents from the initial interview meeting. Their belief needs to be shared with the rest of the long-term leadership.
- Ask each department head to welcome the new employee to your senior living team and share their role and how it interacts with the newbie.
- Depending on the newbie’s position create a plan for them to understand their role within your organization’s mission.
- Create mentoring moments between the new employee and several long-term staff.
- Have a staff person with longevity introduce the new person to residents, possibly at the resident council meeting.
- If you have a click of core leaders, ask them to welcome the newbie at lunch.
- Develop a team experience where the newbie can learn AND share their own talents – maybe it’s an event for the residents, a weekly book review, special project or morning stand up meeting.
What are you doing to build trust between a newbie and your existing senior living team? What on-boarding best practices have worked for you?
Please share your success, failures or comment 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 best-selling 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.
