Marketing leads: Quality vs. quantity

Senior living marketing directors have an arsenal of tools at their disposal to attract potential residents, including direct mailing, tours, and referral calls. But spending time getting to know potential customers as individuals may result in more move-ins than contacting mass quantities of prospects, according to a new study by the ProMatura Group.

The year-long study tracked more than 302,000 interactions between 502 senior living salespeople and their prospects to see what methods resulted in the highest move-in ratios. Specifically, the study compared data from those who used the Sherpa senior living customer relationship management system versus other methods. On a consistent basis, the most effective sales factor was a one-on-one conversation, either by phone or in person.

“For prospects that closed and moved in, the sales counselors on average invested nearly 18 hours for independent living and about 10 hours for assisted living and memory care to learn about them, address their resistance and follow up with creative approaches that were personally relevant,” said Margaret Wylde, founder and CEO of ProMatura, in a release about the study. “It’s about getting to know customers and helping them get ready.”

Putting the sales focus on the person instead of the pitch can pay off in the long run, Wylde added. “Industry sales counselors generally focus on the product instead of the prospect. Then, when confronted by resistance, which is predictable, most simply give up too soon.”

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.