So often we feel the solution is more leads and we forget to shop the existing database.
I dread our annual wardrobe cleanout. Sifting through piles of clothes, some ill-fitting, some outdated, all needing to be examined and categorized. This bag is for trash, this one is donate, and then – suddenly – “Hey, I love this sweater! I thought I lost it!”
A diamond in the midst of the stones.
I confess that I don’t take part in our own annual closet organization until my wife locks her tractor-beam like gaze onto me and orders me to march upstairs for this unholy ritual. I know my lines well, “But, I’ll find the missing socks as soon as I throw these out.” “But, I love this shirt.” “I know it’s a little snug, but the holes are barely noticeable,” et al.
But organizing does help.
A lot.
Gone are the hangers adorned with shirts I never wear, but always scrutinize before moving on to the next while dressing in the morning; less time wasted.
I don’t have to sift through dozens of pair-less socks in order to find a couple that are close to matching.
I know there is value in this project, I just find stating it daunting. Is this the same reason that we don’t bother to organize our lead databases? You know, the database is bulging at the seams, filled with useless information, obscuring the treasures that are buried there? Are you wasting time because of a cluttered database? Maybe it’s time to organize it.
The process is time well-spent, but everyone is busy, lots of moving parts in senior housing sales and marketing. Look at your sales plan for the next quarter; is there time to cull your existing leads and find those gems? If not, why? Too daunting?
The Juice is Worth the Squeeze
I recently spoke to senior housing marketing expert Adrienne Mansfield who is with Sage Age Strategies, a Senior Housing Forum partner and she articulated the process for dealing with this important undertaking, “We see an increasing number of providers becoming frustrated with their sales conversion rates. Many times this is due to marketing and sales professionals spending an inordinate amount of their time, money and energy on working the wrong leads in the wrong way.
Making the most out of the leads you already have in your database with targeted and strategic follow-up sounds fundamental, but it’s often a challenge to prioritize.” Adrienne defines the steps in this process:
- Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your current data base
- Analyze the potential of all of your leads
- Determine the viability of your incoming lead sources
- Categorize your leads in order of value and viability
- Create a detailed action plan based on your leads assessment and prioritization process
Melinda Schmitz, experienced senior living sales and marketing expert and Senior Consultant for Sage Age Strategies, says, “So often we feel the solution is more leads and we forget to shop the existing database. We often know who the top leads are, but likely have potential conversions that have been long forgotten, particularly among those communities with large prospect databases. Knowing the likelihood of lead conversions based on previous interactions with your community is critical to individualizing your follow up and turning warm prospects into residents.”
Whether you prioritize this process and do it yourself, or engage a company like Sage Age Strategies to assist you, its well-worth your time and energy. For more information, please call or e-mail Adrienne Mansfield Straub at 570-601-1720 or email her at [email protected].
