It’s important to always seek professional tips that will help boost your assisted living housing occupancy.
Occupancy rates are constantly on the minds of RAL owners and operators.
Marketing and sales are two different components, but both play a vital role in the success of any assisted living business.
Is your RAL team in the best possible position to achieve your intended goals?
Marketing and sales tactics can be everything when it comes to the success of a residential assisted living home.
Are your initiatives where they could or should be?
Assisted living and independent living occupancy numbers in big box facilities have dipped as low as 86.5% and 90.6%, according to national data recently compiled by NIC.
That possibly because of the growing number of people that are opting to transition into smaller RAL homes.
How can smaller assisted living homes continue to attract new residents? What can we do to better our occupancy rate?
If you are not asking yourself these questions, you will probably end up in the dust of your competition.
How can we improve occupancy?
To see improvement in occupancy rates you must first start in the following two areas:
1. Marketing
2. Sales
A lot of people view marketing and sales as one and the same, but they are not. There is an undeniable difference between the two.
Marketing is what attracts potential residents to your community. On the other hand, sales are what takes place once your target is already in the door preparing to make a decision.
Different assisted living homes have tried many different tactics to get seniors interested in moving in. This easy-to-read article will cover 10 proven tactics that may benefit your business. The first 5 tactics are for marketing and the second 5 are beneficial for sales.
FIVE POINTERS TO PEEK PROSPECTIVE INTEREST WITH MARKETING TACTICS
1. Make Sure Your Website Is Up To Par With Your Competitors.
Make everything easy and convenient. Make your website easy to navigate, even for someone who may not be as tech-savvy. Is your web address easy to type without struggling? Is your website mobile friendly? Do you have high-quality pictures of the landscaping, available beds, dining areas or anything you may want the potential resident to catch a glimpse of? Your site should be warm and inviting, full of engaging content, with fast mobile access. The first impression of your home is often online, so you have to invest in your product to get the best-desired result.
2. Track the ROI of Every Marketing Initiative.
Different marketing initiatives spark a different response depending on the market. Hosting online events or open houses is a great way to gain the interest of potential residents. Others may benefit more by using the method of printed ads. Every market has different demographics and requires a unique marketing strategy. This allows you to better invest your dollars so that you can expect high returns.
3. Be Aware of the Feedback Your RAL Home Is Creating Online
Getting negative reviews can be a tough pill to swallow. It is damaging to your brand, and very important to have a member of your team promptly respond. This shows potential residents that you are concerned about their issues and that you are willing to correct any unwanted experience they’ve encountered. A good response to a bad review can actually make a potential resident feel better about your home.
4. Google AdWords will help you stay visible in web searches
Google AdWords is used by millions of people all over the world to get their businesses noticed. More than likely, all of your top competitors are utilizing it. Invest in this service and stay at the top of online searches and relevant in the minds of potential residents.
5. Make “Brand Ambassadors” Out of Your Current Residents
Hopefully, your residential assisted living home has a few residents and family members that absolutely love being a part of your home. Perhaps they wouldn’t mind being a voice for you. Start a resident referral program by asking residents to refer people they know.
FIVE TACTICS TO CREATE AN UPWARD SPIRAL ON SALES
1. Properly Train All Personnel
Every member of your staff should have formal training, regardless of the shift. This training should consist of sales etiquette and strategy. One bad interaction could mean a lost sale.
2. Be Open With Information
Leaving your life-long home to move into an assisted community is a major decision. Don’t withhold information for personal reasons. There are a lot of questions to be asked and the best thing you can do is make sure that information is available. Seniors should feel comfortable transitioning into your assisted living home. Full disclosure is key.
3. Listen And Pay Attention
It’s easy to get into a routine and just go through the motions. Take time to learn what your residents want or may be expecting. A “homebody ” may be turned off if the salesperson keeps pitching all the high activity areas. If they are hesitant, your sales staff should try to figure out the concerns and work through any insecurities.
4. Use A CRM System To Track Lead Interaction
CRM is an acronym for Customer Relationship Management. It doesn’t matter if your staff contacts a lead in person, email, or over the phone, just make sure to track every intersection with every lead.
5. Ask For The Sale
As they say, closed mouths don’t get fed. While you don’t want to come off as pushy, not asking for a sale could simply mean not getting the sale. A good way to say it could be “what would it take to get you to move in?” or “When can we expect you to move in, what best fits your schedule?” Ask the right questions, and you may receive the answer you were seeking.
These steps will improve your marketing and sales initiatives. These five marketing tactics and five sales tactics will set you on the right path for occupying beds in your residential assisted living home.
RAL ACADEMY A-Z TRAINING FOR OWNER AND OPERATORS
Contact the academy today to learn more about making your dream business a success. We will teach you how to do well and do good.
Visit www.RALAcademy.com to learn more about every component you need for sales and marketing.
There is a lot of information and the right research is needed in order to run and operate a residential assisted living home.
Reading our blogs is a great start to put you well on your way, but there’s so much more to learn.
During our RAL Academy 3-day course, instructors use an interactive live training approach to teach students how to gain the most success.
Participants learn everything from A to Z about owning and operating a residential assisted living business.
