Are These Common Obstacles Hurting Your Sales Growth?

Business woman on the phone

Jan 2, 2014 | Uncategorized

Business woman on the phoneA strong sales team working in conjunction with an effective marketing plan is an essential ingredient for your community’s census growth. Combined with customer service excellence, resident satisfaction and a strong brand reputation in your market region, sales function is the chief mechanism for spearheading growth strategy and translating consumer awareness and interest into residents of your community.

In an increasingly competitive senior living marketplace comprised of more informed, discerning and demanding seniors and their adult children, and the sales function has become more challenging at the same time, it has become increasingly important to your success.

What factors may be limiting your sales success? What can you do to remove them?

In a recent article by Mona Hilton titled, Why Senior Living Sales Teams Struggle – And How to Change Them, the author lists several common industry obstacles that cause salespeople to be less effective. You may see some of these issues in your own organization, and if you do, there’s no time like the present to begin fixing them. After all, new customers are the lifeblood of any business.

As Ms. Hilton says, “The great news is, the more of these challenges you recognize in your organization, the bigger your payoff will be for changing them. And the more you have to gain!”

Common Sales Obstacles Frequently Take the Following Form:

  • Lack of Follow Up – According to a recent survey, 65 percent of business managers cited follow up as their top sales failure. Follow up failure is the biggest reason for lost sales.  
  • Lack of Performance Measurement and Tracking Tools – Many managers, even those in large corporations, do not have needed information, tools or accurate statistics on their sales team’s performance to manage and lead them effectively. Managers should provide clear sales objectives to their teams and possess tools to measure progress toward goals.
  • Too Many Distractions from Priorities – No matter what your position or function, there are always things that can fill up your day with non-priority activities. Find ways to limit distractions that get in the way of priority tasks, such as speaking with prospects, addressing their needs and making sales. Diane Masson, CASP, publisher of Marketing 2 Seniors www.marketing2seniors.net, suggests, “Shut the door to your office for one hour and just make phone calls.”
  • Poor Organization and Time Management – Many sales people do not have a system for organizing their time and using it as productively as possible. Sales teams greatly benefit from organization and a “plan” to keep them focused every day.
  • Staff–Centered Communications – Sales people often make the mistake of communicating with current prospects on their own terms at their own convenience – not the customers. Your prospects and clients are as busy as you are, maybe even busier if it’s the adult child of an aging parent. Make it as convenient as possible for them to respond to you – even if it’s late at night or very early in the morning.
  • Lack of Effective or Current Support MaterialsDo you have effective sales and marketing support materials that specifically address the needs and problems of your customers? Are they well written and presented in an attractive and professional manner that reflects the quality of your community and services? Are they up to date and reflective of your latest facilities, services and amenities? If not, you are limiting your sales teams’ effectiveness and their ability to sell your community.

Implications for Senior Living Providers

Business TermsEvaluating your current sales team’s performance, recruiting the right sales team members, providing appropriate, best-practice sales training, developing SMART sales goals and tracking systems and creating customer-centered marketing materials are all essential to competing effectively in today’s market and growing your sales volume. If you need additional assistance or support in any of these areas to optimize your sales effectiveness, be sure to look for an experienced organization that operates exclusively in the senior living marketplace and has the specialized expertise and experience in senior living sales and marketing solutions required to succeed.

The Importance of Responding to Online Reviews

Did you know: 95% of people consult reviews before purchasing products or services. 88% of consumers are likely to use a business if they can see the business owner responds to all reviews, whether positive or negative. 87% of consumers used Google to evaluate local...

What Are the Housing Restrictions for Facebook and PPC?

As we know, technology is always changing and adapting. It’s something many of those in the senior housing and marketing fields are used to. One of the most recent changes is making a larger impact on how we target ad audiences on Facebook and through pay-per-click...

The Rise of Senior Living Occupancy

As COVID-19 created a landscape of uncertainty in senior living facilities, experts knew there would be challenges and effects that lasted long after. Although the pandemic continues, many types of senior living communities and...

4 Ways TikTok Is Redefining Senior Living Social Media

Whether you’ve heard about it, tried it out, or use it regularly, TikTok is taking the world by storm. This social media platform, which focuses on short-form video, is seemingly on everyone’s mind in one sense or another, and more often than not, people are following...

The Benefits of Working at a Remote Company

Remote working offers many benefits to employees and businesses. Today, more people are working from home than ever before, offering many benefits to both businesses and employees. Remote positions offer employees flexible work schedules and autonomy while keeping...

The Future of Analytics: What Does Next Year’s GA4 Migration Mean?

Moving Forward with New Updates Whether customer needs, viewing habits or website journeys change – or a better reporting tool emerges – one thing is for certain: Technology is always changing, and the field must adapt as a whole. Among the most recent updates include...

SageTalks

Stories of a Lifetime Senior living residents have lived amazing lives. Now, SageAge is on a quest to share those stories with those in the senior housing and senior living industry, residents and their families, adult children and anyone who wants to be inspired....

The Moment We Have Been Waiting for Is Here

WE have been working hard on something new. Check out our new website today!

Pressing Play on New Possibilities | Seniors and YouTube

Putting You In Front-Row View Gone are the days when YouTube was simply for younger generations to view funny videos. In the era of rising senior social media usage and the high engagement of video content, YouTube is becoming one of the largest search engines and...

Seniors and YouTube | Let’s Get Rolling

Exploring the Possibilities of Pre-Rolls Almost 47% of older adults ages 70 and up use their smartphones for social media access, according to our most recent white paper on seniors and technology use. Which social media platforms are most used among the senior age...
Share This