Senior residing gross sales and advertising and marketing leaders are confronting the “double-edged sword” of synthetic intelligence (AI) whereas additionally harnessing know-how in new methods to fulfill key targets, together with driving impartial residing occupancy and successful residents who would possibly in any other case stay of their present houses.
These have been among the many key takeaways that executives with LCS, The Arbor Firm and Heritage Communities shared final week on the Senior Housing Information Gross sales and Advertising Convention in Bonita Springs, Florida.
The dearth of latest improvement has led to much less competitors out there, however to grab the chance, gross sales and advertising and marketing groups are going to should develop into simpler at their strategies and work out how AI can be utilized to “really apply” to the gross sales course of, stated Lacy Jungman, chief advertising and marketing officer with Heritage Communities. Omaha, Nebraska-based Heritage operates communities throughout Nebraska, Iowa, Arizona and Texas.
“I believe there’s actually nice alternative for us … However the problem goes to be actually refining our processes and actually understanding what information is telling us in order that we are able to develop into extra environment friendly and simpler,” Jungman stated.
Kelley Skarp, senior vp of gross sales and advertising and marketing for The Arbor Firm, and Rick Westermann, chief advertising and marketing officer at LCS, stated now could be the time to fulfill prospects the place they’re and check out new know-how processes to seek out what really works for troublesome markets.
Buckling down and again to fundamentals
On the identical time that new applied sciences and approaches are wanted to achieve the approaching wave of shoppers, Jungman, Skarp and Westermann additionally spoke to the significance of buckling down and specializing in getting the fundamentals proper.
Gross sales groups following up with prospects is “going to be king,” based on Jungman.
“I believe observe up has to have a extremely sturdy cadence. We surrender, oftentimes too early,” she stated, noting that this subject extends throughout the business and isn’t unique to Heritage.
Skarp agreed that following up goes to be a key to thriving all through this 12 months and added lead seize goes to be equally vital. Primarily based in Atlanta, Arbor Firm operates communities throughout 11 states.
Different fundamentals that gross sales groups can give attention to contain the invention stage, throughout which groups can develop into trusted advisors for potential residents, and aiming for re-tours, which frequently have a excessive conversion price.
“If that first tour expertise and that discovery and constructing that bond isn’t there out the gate, you most likely gained’t get an opportunity for the observe up, as a result of they’re not going to reply the telephone while you name, or they’re not going to answer your e mail,” Skarp stated.
Emphasizing a few of these fundamentals will also be an awesome alternative to implement technological approaches to the gross sales course of, Westermann stated. The best way LCS does so is thru monitoring resident expertise surveys which are usually despatched out following an preliminary tour or go to to a group, with a mean of three accomplished monthly per group.
From there, Westermann stated, government administrators and gross sales groups can entry the group’s analytics dashboard, which tracks the development information from surveys, and see the place there are energetic alternatives for enchancment and the place there are gaps within the gross sales course of.
Des Moines, Iowa-based LCS is without doubt one of the largest senior residing corporations in the US, with an working arm that manages greater than 30,000 items.
The 12 months forward
Panelists additionally supplied their ideas on how senior residing can win again the losses seen within the impartial residing sector from the Covid pandemic, with methods starting from focusing and promoting the life-style related to IL to shifting advertising and marketing efforts to contain the possible resident themselves fairly than an emphasis on the grownup kids.
Westermann stated the impartial residing aspect of LCS grew the quickest out of its choices over the previous 12 months, and what has labored is “turning into a greater storyteller.”
“There’s energy in tales. They make us take into consideration the world just a little bit otherwise,” Westermann stated. “We have now a possibility to get to know this particular person and … convey to life why it’s price making that change from their house at this time to our group.”
Saying that the business goes to should “crack the nut” of getting prospects to decide on senior residing over remaining of their present houses, Skarp famous know-how is usually a double-edged sword. She cited examples of shoppers utilizing AI equivalent to ChatGPT to get solutions on find out how to look after an older grownup within the house.
On the know-how entrance, Westermann stated 2025 may be the 12 months for gross sales and advertising and marketing groups to really combine know-how into the gross sales course of, together with by way of buyer relationship administration programs (CRMs) and lead scoring by way of machine studying fashions. LCS has been within the means of piloting texting applications straight out of Salesforce and using AI to seek out the easiest way to see when a lead is on the rise.
“I believe we’re at that precipice of plenty of nice stuff taking place in our demographics and know-how,” Westermann stated. “How can we all as leaders on this house get to sort out these alternatives to assist individuals reside higher in our communities?”
