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(Your market may be different.)

Through our work with senior living communities across the country, we get to experience a broad spectrum of market situations and consumer reactions. So, when clients ask us to talk about trends (which they do frequently), we can’t help but lead with a disclaimer, such as “Keep in mind, your market may be different.” Still, we do monitor what we believe to be trends, and think some of the following apply to more communities in more markets than not. We invite you to tell us about your own experience, if it aligns with or departs from these trends:

• Residents are becoming older and frailer, more need-driven – both new independent living and assisted living residents. Average age on entrance continues to increase.

• On top of economic concerns keeping seniors in their homes, an increasing array of home-based services are available to extend their ability to age in place.

• Seniors continue to be concerned about the economy’s slow recovery and their real or perceived loss of assets and home value. Along with the age-old reasons to cancel moving plans (we’re not ready being the most common), today’s excuses include: can’t sell my home, won’t try to sell until the market improves, can’t afford to move, will stay home until I need assisted living.

• Traditionally the decision-maker for assisted living, adult children are also more involved with independent living decisions these days. And more often the first to inquire.

• New lead generation has remained robust in many markets. (We believe this is a positive indicator that people are still interested in exploring senior living options.) Closing sales is tougher.

• The length of time to make an independent living buying decision is increasing. More touchpoints are needed, multiple appointments, and strong sales professionals who believe in the value of the CCRC lifestyle and possess remarkable counseling skills.

• Prospective residents are doing more research than ever, comparison shopping and choosing based on price and value. Many expect discounts on entrance fees, monthly fees and moving expenses.

• Wait lists aren’t working like they used to. Many communities we know have discontinued them. Or stopped adding new members. Or pared back the number of wine-and-dine events for wait listers. In the process, they’ve closed some sales and freed up their time and budget for more effective uses.   

What do you think? What’s going on in your market?

Chances are very good the women among your residents and potential residents (leads) are your strongest sources of referral and positive word of mouth (WOM). I’ve been reminded of how strong WOM can be among women as I’ve been re-reading two books by Marti Barletta, Marketing to Women and Prime Time Women.    

The author asserts that women are more likely than men to ask for opinions from friends, family and others, and also far more likely to recommend products and experiences they like, as well as share them, particularly with other women. She also shares statistics that WOM conversion rates tend to be much higher than other sources of inquiry. Capitalizing on this characteristic and getting more people talking (positively) for us is relatively easy and definitely cost-effective. It’s not about creating a WOM campaign. It’s a way of thinking about marketing communications programs and all the related activities so that we build viralness into everything we do.

Think about it. An email blast or direct mail invitation goes to a certain number of people – leads in the database plus a purchased list. What if 20 percent pass it on to a friend or invite a friend to attend with them? Everything works a bit better. That means the communication piece needs to be something people will want to share. And the message needs to encourage people to bring guests.  

How about the simplicity of a ladies brunch? A mother-daughter event is great, but wouldn’t attendance swell if the circle were even bigger? Not everyone has a mother or daughter – the copy can suggest you invite your mother, daughter, sister, aunt, best friend or colleague.  

You probably host parties for new residents at your community to get acquainted with others. But do you encourage residents to invite friends who might be interested in the community for themselves or family members?
I know one community that has “block” parties for new residents – everyone in that wing of the building or that cottage cul-de-sac is invited and given a dozen preprinted invitations to send to friends.

These are just a couple of simple ideas and they don’t even enter the realm of social media, which is all about viralness. More on that later.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the importance of a brand’s appeal to emotions – not just major brands – Hallmark, Starbucks, MasterCard – but also retirement community brands. It started with a passage that leaped out as I skimmed an e-blast from 4As (American Association of Advertising Agencies): “Emotions drive decisions more than logic, and that remains as true during recessions as during prosperous times.”

No epiphany, this. But it led to wondering if some sales counselors believe the opposite. Do they think prospective residents choose a community based on logic, i.e., a rational comparison of floor plans, services, amenities, price, etc., against the same factors at competing locations? When I think of conversations I’ve had time and again with residents about the research and decision-making process that led them to choose a particular community, I’d say the majority started with logic and finished with emotion. To paraphrase: We visited communities, compared the options, and in the end we chose this place because we felt we would fit in here. We met friendly residents and staff, which made it easy to imagine ourselves making new friends and being happy living here.

The relevance to those of us in senior living marketing is to remember to engage people on an emotional level when we can. A certain amount of factual information needs to be relayed, whether in marketing pieces or sales appointments, but if we can tell more stories and connect people with others who share their interests more often, we also appeal to their emotional needs. In a sales appointment, that could mean taking a few minutes more when pointing out the art studio or chapel to tell a story about a resident artist or a couple who recently renewed their vows. Perhaps even take the time to introduce these people. Here are a few ways we’re using stories to connect on an emotional level:

• This spread from a larger brochure shows how stories can be integrated into collateral, including a story told about feelings of nervousness that a prospect could easily relate to.
• This letter shares a personal experience from a director of marketing.
• And this web site relates personal testimonials from several residents who speak not of the amenities of their community, but of their feelings and peace of mind.

We’d love to hear how ratcheting up the emotional appeal works for you!

When I set out to find the right retirement community for my mother-in-law, I was a “live one.” Meaning I gave off strong buying signals and expected some effort to close the sale, or at least to develop a relationship that would lead to a sale. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case.

I started the search in earnest in January 2009. I had put together a comparison chart, then narrowed it to three places to visit – relatively easy, given my 12 years’ experience in marketing senior living. As agreed with my husband and sister-in-law, my contribution would be to find the right place and they would take it from there. I was up for it, thinking it would be good to experience the customer’s side of the table. I decided I would be a typical consumer – informed, but no more so than anyone could be with a little online and in-person research. 

I set appointments with sales counselors at three different communities. The story they heard from me, in a nutshell, was this: Bernice is ready to make the move from Columbus, Nebraska, to Kansas City to be closer to her children and grandchildren. She is 82, healthy, active, sociable, loves volunteering and is active in her church. She downsized from house to apartment five years ago, and recently shifted to a month-to-month lease so she could be ready to move quickly – ideally within about 60 days. She doesn’t want a lot of space — a one-bedroom apartment will be fine. The plan is for me to choose the community from the few I am visiting. Bernice will be here in two weeks and we will visit my first choice, possibly a second. Combined with lots of positive comments from me during community tours and stops to chat with residents and staff, I can’t imagine having given stronger buying signals. 

Several suitable apartments were available at each location, and any of these communities would have worked fine. It would have been an easy sale. Yet no one tried to close the sale or attempted to set a second appointment. The sum total of contacts after my visits included one email weeks later (Bernice had moved by then) and the obvious fact that my name made that community’s mailing list five months later. There was no sense of urgency, no follow-up and they sure missed my ready-to-buy signals – all at a time when there must have been more pressure than usual to fill vacant apartments.

GlynnDevins has the pleasure of working with many skilled sales teams, and in the entire field of senior living there must be thousands. Perhaps my experience was a fluke. What it drove home to me was the importance of basic salesmanship, even simple customer service. It would have been so easy to set another appointment on the spot, call me later, or do anything at all to make the decision easier. If I had been a typical consumer, I think I would have needed the prompting and the support. There’s no question Bernice would have needed it if trying to make the decision for herself.

The good news is that she is happily settled in at her new place, and we’re enjoying time with her that doesn’t involve a 10-hour roundtrip drive.

Just a few weeks ago I woke up in a hotel room on a day when I would meet with clients to brainstorm ideas for increasing lead generation and sales to offset a wave of cancellations for a community opening this fall. Turning on the news, the stories were so universally bleak I wondered how anyone hearing the same could make the decision to move to a retirement community or go on with a decision they made months ago, especially if they hadn’t sold their house yet. How much easier would it be to just stay put? How could our marketing messages offset what they must be hearing and reading constantly? Or, was it just me obsessing about the state of everything? It’s important to keep the customer top-of-mind in our business, but equally important to avoid projecting. After all, our customers have been resilient through a lot of economic ups and downs, and may be less concerned about the current state.
 
That day, I didn’t doubt we could generate the additional new leads and reinquiries from current leads.  That hadn’t changed much. All along, people continued to be interested in researching their options.  Getting the commitment, though, closing the sale — that seemed so much harder. 

Now, all of a sudden, I’ve been seeing for myself and hearing from clients in several markets about what seems to be an uptick in optimism. Not only are customers coming to events and personal appointments and requesting information in increasing numbers, but more people are buying. Sales counselors are closing more sales.

So I Googled it – the word optimism. Psychologists say a positive outlook motivates us to plan for our future and may have an effect on our long-term physical health. Of course, on some level this is just a BGO (blinding glimpse of the obvious). On another, though, it’s a perfect match with the fact that  people who move to retirement communities tend to be “planners,” and that community residents often live longer, healthier lives. Perhaps optimists are uniquely equipped to see past current events and newscasts, to move on with their lives and plans with the expectation that things will get better.

I also found something called the Optimism Barometer, an online tool that shows you how your outlook compares with the rest of the nation. It’s based on The American Reality Study, research commissioned by Northwestern Mutual. It suggests people are maintaining a positive outlook while addressing real challenges. Unfortunately, it follows suit with what we see with most research, that short shrift is given to seniors’ point of view compared with other age groups. The study’s age breakdown at <17, 18-29, 30-45, 46-59 and 60+ suggests less interest in response variations among those age 60 or older. I suppose because older adults buy less insurance (surely those under 18 buy less). Still, it’s worth taking a look at this barometer (www.newamericanreality.com), and it won’t take but a couple of minutes unless you decide to read the whole report.

Here’s to a renewed sense of optimism! With hope that it’s contagious, I pledge to cultivate a more positive outlook and watch-read-listen to less news.