Going from a “social call” to a “business-getting call”
You know the million dollar question . . . we all do. When new prospects are not flocking to your door, how do you and your sales team make business happen?
Studies consistently demonstrate seniors and their families are increasingly technologically sophisticated, using electronic media in their initial search for senior housing options. At the same time, studies show that most people prefer a face to face experience to when learning about senior housing services and products.
Regardless of your current occupancy level, your sales representatives need to be in the marketplace “hunting” new business. It is tough getting past the gatekeeper so when it happens you must be able to make a lasting impression. The biggest mistake by senior housing sales and management organizations make is to not provide training on how be effective selling outside the community. A sales call is not a time for a “social visit” – it is a well-articulated, targeted message.
If you need to increase your inquiries, professional referral sources are a gold mine. Outside sales is a blend of art and science but when done properly it can be produce amazing results—particularly when your marketing budget is limited! Done right outside marketing can more than double your professional referrals!
10 WAYS TO INCREASE PROFESSIONAL REFERRALS
1. The messenger is more important than the message. Both are crucial, but don’t underestimate the power of your personality and your delivery- confidence is key. You are the expert so carry yourself that way.
2. Speak English. Leave your buzzwords and other jargon at home.
3. Tell stories – brief stories. People can relate to stories and that speak to the emotion. Be brief though to keep them captivated.
4. Be clear about your message. Don’t feature dump. Stay on queue so they can retain what you say. Less is more.
5. A professional encounter is usually a brief discussion, not a seminar or lecture. A typical professional meeting runs about 15 minutes – or less. You have about 3 minutes to make your point so that your counterpart can ask questions and initiate a discussion.
6. Your meeting will rarely follow the script you envision beforehand. Be prepared for the subject to change, and roll with it, if need be. You never know what good things might come from your flexibility.
7. Anticipate tough questions and practice the answers. You should almost never be caught off guard or surprised.
8. Never leave a meeting without a follow-up plan. Know what you want, the action you need or want the other party to take, and agree on next steps. A meeting for its own sake, with no plan for a next step, is usually a failure.
9. You get one shot. Don’t plan on another.
10. And always, always ask for the business! This is a business call not a social one. Lori Alford is a seasoned senior housing executive with over a decade of unique expertise in sales, marketing, and operations. As the Founder and President of Alleanza, she is passionate about helping senior housing providers improve their sales and marketing techniques to attract more referrals and market share, have closing ratios over 60% and increase their revenue and bottom line performance.
Lori Juneau-Alford, Chief Operating Officer
Avanti Senior Living
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Finally: If you know anyone who is looking at emergency call systems I would appreciate the opportunity to talk with them about Vigil Health Solutions.
From LinkedIn Groups
David Bolser, MBA • I have encountered intense criticism regarding my “overly simplistic” approach to professional referrals; however, I believe I am right. If the professional that you are calling on does not have a “compelling reason” to send you a referral, it won’t happen. If they have a “compelling reason” it will happen. In my opinion, the same is true in all human behavior.
From LinkedIn Groups
Steve Moran • David you are exactly right about this. I think the challenge is to be able to get inside the heads of those professionals and figure out what it is that will look compelling to them.
Steve
Great info. Looking forward to learning
more from your forum.
From LinkedIn Groups
David- I agree. Unfortunately, many sales professionals lack the training and ability to determine or show the “compelling reason”. Instead they continue to make “social calls” which are ineffective and a waste of time.
Posted by Lori
From LinkedIn Groups
I agree. Let’s face it….it’s human nature to act when It’s beneficial for the individual….our job is to make the referral source feel that they’ve made the right decision and then do what we can to assure it.
Posted by Anne Marie
From LinkedIn Groups
Nice job Lori. Particularly appreciate the “anticipate questions” and “ask for business” tips. The only comment I would add to disucssion-we see deeper relationships/higher referrals when we consistently seek ways to serve a particular referral group in addition to sharing our information. For example we have a church profile questionairre we have developed to create a resource guide. It’s a great way for area churches to promote their communities to our residents/families who are relocating. We also learn about the various volunteer projects our residents might be interested in, choirs, service times, etc. Church administrators in particular love sharing information about the various church activities which in turn helps us see how we might be of benefit to the congregation beyond as a senior housing resource. Some really wonderful connections have resulted. This service approach works with virtually all of our potential care partners. Thanks for the excellent article and look forward to more!
Posted by Mike
Well said, I could not agree more.
Your customer’s time is valuable, as is yours. Listen well, answer questions specifically, always ask for the business and be sure to follow up quickly and effectively.
On #3, tell a story, I’ve found the key is to make the story relevant and rewarding. If it’s to a referral source I’ve done business with, I tell how my community enriched the life of the resident; if a new referral source, I tell a story about a resident that relates to the referral source’s area of business, for example, to an orthopedic surgeon, I might talk about a patient we sent home 5 days earlier than expected because of the skill of our clinical team. I’ve even taken an extremely satisfied resident with me when calling on non-clinical referral sources such as clergy persons to talk about how much they enjoy life at one of my communities.
A superficial glitzy sales job versus a strategic effort to honestly communicate the features and benefits of your facility, relative to your competition? I liked Mike’s comments, in the case of give and take while working with churches, and the greater value of a professional referral based off the entities’ deeper shared relationships. I would think efforts to extend outreach would extend to medical providers, as well other social organizations with which your business is affiliated. I think that experience might admit some difficulties along the way, while pointing to efforts to resolve issues, and successes on the way towards your vision. Your strongest partners have had a hand in your success in meeting your customer’s needs, and you already have an idea of what you would most want them to say about your business.
Its been my experience one has to call on the phone and call in person, a 1,2, punch. Also in most professional sales it takes a minimum of 7 contacts to convert a prospect to a customer, and the referral source is a customer. He/she is buying you in hopes a good decision has been made without regret.