Who’s Ready to Jump on My Bandwagon?
We’ve been using a phrase around GlynnDevins for the last nine months or so – the New Reality. When the real estate slide began in late 2007 and our senior prospects began to use the lost value in their home as a reason not to move forward, we figured that those who truly desired the product would eventually say to themselves, “Well, I guess lower home values is the new reality and we really want to make this lifestyle change, so let’s not wait any longer.” Unfortunately, the New Reality never showed up.
Throughout 2008 and into 2009, the surprises just kept piling up. A continued slide in home values, the banking crisis, the stock market melt-down, drastic cut-backs in consumer spending and layoffs had all of us wondering what’s next. So the New Reality we felt would bring our prospects back to center, offer some stability, and allow them to better consider their lifestyle choices never arrived.
But maybe the New Reality is finally here, or at least within sight. Last month, consumer confidence jumped 46 percent. And while it still sits at 39 points, I take this as a sign that collectively we may all be tired of feeling bad. We’re seeing other “green shoots” as well. The stock market has held steady for more than a month, and there was a report that consumer spending from affluent households rose 20 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the fourth quarter of 2008.
The key is stability and no more surprises. That’s the New Reality. Tough times, certainly, but stability. And stability is a critical factor in making decisions. So perhaps this is the time to re-engage in marketing efforts. To get back into those lead bases and shake up the wait lists. Confidence is growing, winter weather is behind us, the trees have leaves and the flowers are starting to bloom. You can’t stay down forever, and we know that CCRCs are full of optimists and extroverts. There are others just like them in your prospect pools. We also know the best prospects are well-educated planners. No doubt they’ve been exposed to these same reports. It’s not too much of a leap to believe some are starting to think, “Maybe we should stop waiting.”
I might jinx it, but I think the New Reality is finally here. Let’s use it to our advantage.
