By Steve Moran

Every day, new leads come in to your sales team. Some of them are so hot you can almost smell the ink of a freshly written check and signed contract.

If only those leads came in every single day. … If only …

But most leads are people who have some need and are beginning to think about senior living but are not quite sure what they need, when they need it, or if they can afford it.

Even when the need is immediate and obvious — even if they have decided in their own mind that they are going to move a loved one (or themselves) into a senior living community — there are questions, so many questions.

  • Is this really the right decision for me?
  • Can I afford it?
  • Even if I can afford it, is the pricing fair for this place?
  • Will I get the right services?
  • Will I like it here?
  • Will I make new friends?
  • What will my friends and family think?
  • Can I trust them?

This will be, for many of your prospects — particularly if you are doing a great job —  the last move they ever make, until they exit feet first, after living a magnificent final few chapters of their life. 

Approaching the Sale

How much time do you actually think about this one question:

What do my prospects want to hear from me?

I know that immediately after reading that question, you are cringing. You are thinking, “How can you get any more manipulative than asking yourself that?” I am not suggesting that you should lie or mislead a prospect, ever. But if your community does not give them the answers they are looking for, they will end up either not moving in or being unhappy with their decision.

The Problem

The problem is that too many salespeople and sales organizations spend a lot of time telling prospects what the organization and what the salespeople want the prospect to hear. Sort of like those jokes about kids asking their parents where babies come from …

Kid: “Dad, where do babies come from?”

Dad: “Well, son, when a man and a woman love each other very much, they …”

Kid: “No, I mean in the hospital. Which room do they come from?”

It is really easy to answer questions we think they should be asking, answer questions we would ask, and completely miss what they care about.

Figuring It Out

If you spend enough time with prospects, they will tell you what they want to hear, if you make them comfortable enough.

This means doing more listening and less talking.

It does not mean that unless they ask, you should not tell, because there will be things they simply don’t know to ask about.