By Kent Mulkey
You can be a wildly successful sales counselor!
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of sales articles, training programs, and other content disseminated around the senior living world. Some say there is nothing new under the sun.
Perhaps what is not told often enough is the firsthand experience that sales counselors have while in the trenches day in and day out, interacting with prospective residents.
So I took a few minutes to sit down with our very own sales director, Stephanie Bienvenue, at Ansel Park Senior Living, to learn what is making her wildly successful. She has now guided over 16 people to move in in the past three months. Here’s the cool part: She is just 90 days into her role and came from outside the senior living arena!
Here is what she had to say.
“I take time to plan for all of my follow-up calls and appointments.”
She leaves nothing to chance and never picks up the phone to make a call without first thinking through what she wants to say and what questions she intends to ask to help guide people through the process of change and decision-making.
And she never just calls to “check in” with a prospect. We all know that the answer you get with that statement is that “everything is fine.”
“I show genuine care for people.”
If a sales counselor is not genuine, the prospect can smell that skunk a mile away. We are not selling cars or solar, we are introducing people to a huge change in their life.
So, a sales counselor must ask themselves, “Am I being authentic, or am I trying to manipulate the other person?”
One of the most powerful things she says to prospects is, “I like being with you and would like to get to know you better.” Wow.
“I possess a strong knowledge of our offering.”
In short, she knows the product — everything about the apartment sizes, styles, best views, programs, outings, food choices, clubs to join, etc.
But she only shows people on a tour what they want to see. There is no “tour route” to follow. Every tour is customized with the needs of the prospect in mind.
“I have what it takes to close the sale.”
Talk about confidence! At this point in the process she becomes the resident expert and simply explains how the reservation process works and asks them to pay a community fee and select an apartment.
We are finding that increasingly people are coming through the door much more ready to move than we have found in the past. I’m not certain why this is the case; it may have to do with people doing more research and planning before they come for a tour.
I’m hopeful that you will learn some takeaways. It is indeed possible to fill our communities with happy and fulfilled residents.
