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I’ve been talking with a lot of sales counselors lately, and on several occasions the subject of qualifying leads has come up. What made these discussions worthy of a blog post, in my mind, was that in each case I thought the sales counselor really understood the objective of qualifying a lead.

Too often when we’re asked to evaluate an under-performing sales process or marketing situation, we find the sales team is too quick to dismiss leads generated from the promotional activities. We’ll be told that the leads they have had to work with are of poor quality. Why, we ask?

Generally, the response is some version of, Well, I can tell by their zip code, or I looked up their home value on the Internet, or They said they couldn’t really afford it. Because of this, many qualified leads are dismissed, when perhaps they were just displaying the typical consumer behavior of putting some distance between them and any salesperson.

But at the same time, if you aren’t qualifying, you aren’t discovering which leads warrant your time and attention. What it comes down to, then, is practicing effective qualifying. And effective qualifying comes from asking good questions and knowing when and how to introduce price. Let’s face it, most prospects really want to know what it’s going to cost, and we want to know if they can afford it. So getting to that conversation pretty early in the process helps both sides. 

The sales counselors I referenced above who impressed me with their qualifying skills had a few things in common. One, they were comfortable discussing sensitive issues, of which money is one. And I think this was the case because of a second quality they possessed ─ professionalism. They aren’t asking someone how much money they have, they’re genuinely trying to be of service to an individual who is inquiring about the community. Isn’t determining whether someone can qualify an important part of being of service?

Perhaps ask yourself why you’re qualifying a lead. If the answer is, So I know who not to waste my time on, then you might want to revisit your qualifying process. You might be cutting corners, or starting with the assumption that most prospects aren’t qualified. But if your answer is, Because we both have a vested interest in understanding their ability to afford the product before we spend my time and theirs exploring it, then you’ll have positive results even with those who don’t qualify.

Give this selling skill some time and attention. It can pay huge dividends.

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I’m buying a new car. Better stated, I’m in the market for a new car. Actually, I don’t need a car, but I have a teenage driver and the family needs a third car, sort of. So, I have a need and means. What I’ve been waffling on for almost a year is the desire. This is a big purchase. A major financial decision that I’ll need to live with for years. But I don’t really need to make that decision today. If I did, it would solve a number of problems by way of family transportation, but we’ve been getting by so far. Sound familiar?

This experience has me thinking about the parallels between big discretionary purchases and the decision to move to a senior living community. Most of us don’t have any personal experience with this decision. And even if a parent or family member made the move, it still wasn’t us. I think we can all agree it’s a lot easier to make decisions for other people than it is for ourselves. But most of us have made big discretionary purchases. What can those experiences teach us about what our prospects might be going through and looking for?

Again, the best experiences to reflect on are those that aren’t driven by need, for instance my third car, or maybe you’ve purchased a leisure item – a boat or perhaps a vacation property. How long did you think about it? Did your interest rise and fall based on other things happening in your life? When did you get serious? How did you narrow down your choices? Whom did you consult?

Often in these situations the turning point, that moment when “maybe we should do this” turns into “let’s get serious,” occurs when you meet the right salesperson. It happens because they’re professional, it happens because they’re knowledgeable, it happens because they’re responsive. But also ─ and this is where I would really ask you to think about your own experiences and see if you believe this is true or not ─ it happens because they’re enthusiastic and passionate about what you’re passionate about. They embody and project all the things you want out of that purchase. They love the vacation area you’re looking in as much as you do. They’re boating enthusiasts and know just exactly what an extra 50 horsepower would mean. They have teenage drivers and can tell you firsthand your life will be a lot easier when they have their own transportation.

Give it some thought ─ maybe you can glean a few insights from your experiences outside senior living that can help you relate to your prospect’s personal situation.

And no, I still haven’t made that purchase. And for those parents of teenage children, the kid isn’t getting the new car, I am.

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How do I know? Because your next sale is in your lead base. Chances are they’ve been to the community. Maybe an appointment, possibly a tour, probably some type of event. When you met them, they were “just getting information” or “not ready to make a decision now,” or “needing to get things organized financially.” All of which may have been true or not. But whatever their reason, you may not have spoken to them since, and now they sit in your database as a cold lead. But they aren’t cold ─ they’re your next sale.

Why?

Well, you know the answer to that question. They just had a medical scare, or a big home repair, or the child they counted on for assistance was transferred out of state. In other words, their situation changed and what was previously “I’m not ready” is now “Can you remind me what you have to offer?”

The question for you is, have you stayed in contact – by phone or mail? Do they think of you when they think of communities they need to contact again? The answer to that has to do with what you’ve been doing since that initial contact. Have you developed a strong re-inquiry program to continue to nurture the relationship? If you have, then chances are you’re in good shape for this sales opportunity. If you haven’t, you may be out of luck. 

On average in senior living, it takes 18 months for an individual to go from initial contact to move-in. And it’s not a straight line. There are plenty of ups and downs along the way with a prospective resident’s feelings about community living running hot and cold. But, if they like you, trust you and believe in you, it’s more likely they’ll ultimately buy from you.

Jeffrey Gitomer, a well-known sales expert, says that “most people are not willing to do the hard work to make sales easy.” That next sale is in your lead base. Have you done what it takes to get it? If not, start today.

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I’m talking about the rise in consumer prices we’ve all noticed and the word inflation creeping back into the headlines. All we need to do is fill up our car or buy a gallon of milk to realize that there has been a distinct jump in the cost of everyday living. And if we’re feeling it, think about what individuals on a fixed income may be experiencing.

It’s not good news, but it can help you introduce a key benefit of your community. How would your fixed-income prospects be feeling right now if they had the certainty of a predictable monthly expenditure covering basic living expenses? What if they weren’t paying for gas, food, utilities or home maintenance? It’s sometimes hard to convince prospects that the monthly fee at a community is commensurate with the total cost of living in their current home. Could they be a bit more receptive in this current environment? And wouldn’t the idea of sharing the impact of rising prices with 200 or 300 fellow residents sound like a pretty good idea as a hedge against potential big spikes?

I don’t know what the future holds for price increases or inflation. But I do know that it’s getting a lot of press right now, and I know our prospects are avid consumers of news. They may be hearing about it and worrying about it more than most of us.  

Consider the opportunity to position your community as a solution, a hedge, a sound financial decision. This is a message you might consider for any communication, from private appointments and group presentations to newsletters to blogs, especially with a call-to-action invitation to sit down with one of your counselors and compare their cost of living with the value of living at your community. You might even remind current residents of the benefits they enjoy, and ask them to invite their friends who may be ready for that same peace of mind to come talk to us.

We never want to play on fears, but let’s perhaps recognize an opportunity when it presents itself.

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Have you heard someone say, “Well, this might not be the right thing to do, but we have to do something.” My response to this is: “Don’t make the problem worse by guessing.”

The just do something strategy is usually a product of too little information and too little time. Any activity feels better than the feeling of falling further behind. But I would suggest that there is very little difference in the time it takes to just do something and to do something right. The far more important variable is information. 

Marketing activity is too often a product of guesswork. It shouldn’t be. We live in the information age. Access to information can be instantaneous if two things are true. First, as an organization you value information rather than fear it. Second, you have systems to collect and store it. If you embrace step one, step two is easy.

Does your organization value information? If so, do you value it in marketing?  Do you view data as a teacher that can impart knowledge and help you grow, or as the report card that serves to pass judgment?

The next time someone asks, “What should we do?”, you should ask, “What do we know?” You might find you spend the same amount of time putting plans and tactics in place, but you get far different results.

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