You may have noticed we’ve been talking a lot about innovation (Looking for Your Next Breakthrough Idea, Innovation Starts with Experimentation, and 5 Ideas: How To Be More Innovative) at GlynnDevins. In fact, it’s one of our goals for 2011.
With this in mind, I’m reading a book called Think Better by Tim Hurson. The premise of the book is that productive thinking can be a cultivated process. The author tells a story that illustrates the kind of innovative thinking that changes lives.
In the 1960s, Ralf Hotchkiss was in a tragic motorcycle accident that left him without the use of the lower half of his body. With his new wheelchair, he thought he’d be unable to return to college at Oberlin. So he applied at some larger universities, only to be rejected because they couldn’t accommodate his wheelchair. In frustration, Ralf called his former Oberlin dean, George Langler, to see if there might be something they could do. George listened to Ralf’s plea and responded “Gee, Ralf, I don’t see why not. We move pianos in and out of buildings all the time.” He went to work with the operations crew to modify their portable ramps to accommodate wheelchairs. Ralf returned to school that fall, and Oberlin became the first institution in the United States to have an official policy of accommodating people with mobility challenges. Ralf went on to found Whirlwind, a company that designs and manufactures one of the most popular wheelchairs in the world.
The point that the book makes is that George Langler was able to see the unexpected connection between moving pianos and wheelchairs. He wasn’t held up by the “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mentality that Ralf met at some of the other colleges. The book goes on to give other great examples of success through innovation – people like Bill Bowerman, who made a connection between a tennis shoe sole and the waffle iron, and launched Nike. It’s probably the same type of thinking that modeled life care and continuing care, right?
So here’s a challenge to you that I’ll share from the book. Try filling in this blank: “Wouldn’t it be great if….?” We’d love to hear what you come up with or what you’re doing at your organizations to promote innovation. With all the recent emphasis on innovative thinking, I’m more convinced than ever there is a limitless supply of “Aha!” moments.
When I was in elementary school, I went to “Gym” class, presumably because that’s where it was located. Later, the class changed to PE (Physical Education), a better description of what took place in the gym. Now that my daughters are in elementary school, they take Motor Skills – a name that finally fits the benefit.
Isn’t the evolution of senior housing somewhat the same? My grandparents were elderly people who lived in a nursing home. Today, they might be older adults who receive personal services in a skilled care neighborhood.
The fact is, to change the perception of senior living, we must not only evolve the environment, services and programs. We should also choose words that best describe the benefit to the individual. Here are some suggestions from LeadingAge, formerly American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. We applaud their name change and commitment to the future of senior living.
Certainly, this is not a new topic at GlynnDevins, but a client of mine recently reminded me this is a topic that’s worth repeating. Thank you, Beth, for the reminder and here is another post that is worth a read or re-read, What about the “F” word?.
If you’re doing anything in particular to change perceptions and focus on the benefits of senior living through the words you use, please tell us about it.
At age 35, I recently went to get fitted for a hearing aid. My hearing loss is due to a genetic condition, but the seniors who sat around me in the waiting room of the doctor’s office were facing the reality of hearing loss due to age. This reminded me of other physical limitations that seniors face, and how that impacts our marketing and overall communication with them.
At GlynnDevins, we recognize the importance of adhering to senior readability standards. It goes beyond type size. We also limit the use of light type on a dark background, ornate type, ALL CAPS and type over an image. Complex paper folds can be tricky for arthritic hands, and high-gloss paper can have a glare through eyeglasses. More information about readability standards can be found here.
Lee Memorial Health System in Florida is doing something extra to quite literally let their staff members see through the eyes of a senior. Their Aging Sensitivity Training, called The Secure Project, includes special glasses that simulate eye problems in older adults, such as glaucoma, cataracts and yellowing of the eye lens. The training kit also includes arthritis simulation gloves and more. What a great idea!
The average age of a senior moving into a CCRC is approximately 81. What are you doing at your community to connect and relate to older adults as they face the very real and often challenging aspects of aging?
I recently read a book that was given to me by one of my clients called Strengths Based Selling by Tony Rutigliano and Brian Brim. The book debunks the myth that there is a formula for selling; the authors maintain that the best salespeople focus on their natural abilities.
In a section of the book focused on The Emotions of Customer Engagement, the four levels cited are based on a hierarchy of emotional need: Confidence (the foundation), Integrity, Pride and Passion. The last level reveals, “Only 18% of customers say they feel passionate about a brand. But they are your customers for life, and they’re your best advocates.”
I can think of a few reasons I might categorize myself as passionate about brands such as Diet Coke or Starbucks. But what reasons can you think of for people to be passionate about your senior living community?
Another study cited in the book compared brain activity of highly engaged customers compared to those who were less engaged. According to the book, “The results showed that when customers thought about their most beloved brands, their brains lit up. One of the biggest effects was in the parts of the brain that recognized faces. In other words, when customers were thinking about the companies they were most passionate about, they recalled images of the people they interacted with there. This strongly suggests that the human connection is a powerful avenue to engagement and underscores each employee’s role in building customer engagement in every employee-customer encounter.”
Do you have a special way of engaging your prospects, leads and future residents?
Oftentimes we get bogged down by day-to-day operations, sales goals and occupancy percentages. It’s important to keep in mind how powerful tapping into someone’s emotions can be when it comes to selling senior living.
Have you ever received something at the perfect time? I did, just today. A 50% off coupon to the store I was already planning to hit this weekend. That coupon made me think about the role timing plays in the success of our tactics. With this in mind, here are some timing-related senior living marketing tips.
- A great idea is just an idea without the proper amount of planning. The time to start planning an ad, promotion or event invitation is generally three months out. Start an annual marketing plan two quarters in advance. This allows you to get the best media rates, better postage prices and competitive printing rates, not to mention the time to perfect every detail that is important to your program.
- Choose the date and time of your event carefully. Look for response patterns, if possible, or poll your current residents and/or families to determine the best opportunity for attendance. If you’re unsure, give people more than one option.
- Similarly, send email blasts or enewsletters during peak response times, which vary by audience. For example, send an email blast to professional influencers mid-week so your email doesn’t get lost in the Monday and Friday shuffle.
- Check to make sure your community’s event or promotion doesn’t compete with a major sporting or city event.
- Plan for seasonal marketing opportunities early. New Year’s, for example, is a great time to connect or reconnect with your leads. Messages about security and companionship resonate well during winter, while spring is a good time for an open house.
- Put each marketing tactic on a timeline, by audience. This allows you to make sure you aren’t missing any opportunities or sending duplicate messages.
- The timing of your follow-up is important too. Plan ahead for a follow-up letter to event attendees so it’s ready to go immediately after the event.
- The best time to ask for a referral is right after someone moves in or makes a deposit.
Timing isn’t always everything in marketing. But usually it is.
You may have noticed we’ve been talking a lot about innovation (Looking for Your Next Breakthrough Idea, Innovation Starts with Experimentation, and 5 Ideas: How To Be More Innovative) at GlynnDevins. In fact, it’s one of our goals for 2011.
