Postage Due...A Customer Turn-Off

This is a small tip...but one that is very important.

Weigh the brochure kits being sent to customers and match postage with weight. It's a good idea to establish what will be sent out and not vary the content since the weight and postage can be predetermined.

Spending too much is a waste of money and not applying the appropriate amount of postage is rude. Sales people may tend to slap any number of stamps on a kit envelop to get it in the mail without considering how much money they are wasting since it's not coming out of their wallet.

We recently had our postman request an additional $.31 cents for a brochure kit from a senior community. What if we were the customer? What an awful first impression this sales person made.

The subliminal message would certainly be...if that's their level of compency, how will they care for my family member or for me.

Withholding a calendar, menu, postcards for later mailings may be preferable than sending everything as a one-time package. By showing up repetively in their mail box--may one day have them decide "now they are ready to move" and your materials kept them interested.

Be sure to include a personal note....in addition to a business card. I can't begin to tell you how many sales people send out the kit without a personal note.

Eliminate "U" word in Senior Housing Wordspeak

People live in a "home" or it is their residence regardless whether these are mansions or apartments.

People don't live in "units" which technically is a measurement. Too often in verbal presentations from receptionists to marketing departments, apartments are referred to as "units".

Word usage often trickles down the organization and when people hear upper management use words, they may adopt its use in their vocabulary as well.

I've heard CEO's use the term 'at the end of the day' and listened to how this phrase permeated conference meetings and discussions. Another CEO would say he wanted us to "noodle it around" before making a decision. While I envisioned a plate of pasta ....maybe I was hungry; this also was quickly adopted as CEO speak.

"Units" may be used by architects designing a building but for discussion with potential residents opportunities to use terms conveying a residential flavor is far more desirable.

Lost Opportunities: After hours calls

Okay...there are simply some times when marketing people aren't available to hande incoming inquiry telephone calls at senior communities. We understand.

These times should not be missed opportunities.

While some consultants believe everyone should be trained to handle inquiries, it is my belief that realistically, the most important information training should be in obtaining a person's name and telephone number in order that a qualified person be able to return the call either later in the day or the next day.

In smaller communities after hours calls may be answered by CNAs to dining personnel. Do you want them spending time on the phone when caring for residents is their responsibility?

Training can include a script posted by the telephone and some training in handling these after hour inquiries.

Also, community marketing departments should brainstorm the what ifs...What if someone calls at 6 pm? What if they call on Saturday or Sunday? What about holidays? Transferring calls to some one's cell may be helpful especially when they are out in the field.

It is realistic to plan that a potential resident and/or their families will be calling in advance of a tour. Planning is essential in order that we become a service-oriented organization.

Lost Opportunity In A Prospect's Inquiry

It's as easy as asking for someone's name and address....and yet in the majority of prospect inquiries calling senior communities, this simple step is often missed.

This is an lost opportunity in a prospect's inquiry and a skill that needs improvement.

Why is obtaining contact information vital? How else will you followup without someone's name, address and telephone number. Putting the responsibility back on the customer puts the customer in the competitors' hands.

It's a nice touch to start off a conversation by introducing yourself and providing your title. This way someone knows that you will be qualified to answer their questions.

Generally, people provide their name in return but if not, it's ok to ask by saying: May I ask your name? Obtain last name as well when someone offers only their first name.

It's important to obtain the name of the person that the inquiry is about--the family member for example and then use their name sometimes during the conversation. Be natural or you may want to say....your mom/your dad etc.

Address, telephone numbers and email addresses can be easily obtained even when someone is not interested in a brochure. Tell prospect that your community periodically has events and that you send mailings and invitations and would like to keep him/her on our list. Asking permission to include them on the list is a nice way to gain information. If no is still the response, you may ask for an email address.

If early in the conversation they object--it may take some further discovery to learn where they are from and if you have their name, you can do some quick research on the web to learn their home address to send a thank you for calling note.