The LIFT l May 2022

MAY 2022 //

WE RISE AND SUCCEED TOGETHER.

In this edition – Spruce Up for Spring Your Brand Is Your Bread and Butter Nurturing Leads, Nurturing Lives DSM Spotlights

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SPRUCE UP FOR SPRING When you think of spring, what comes to mind? Spring cleaning? Exploring the outdoors? The harsh winter weather is in our rearview, and we can finally see summer approaching over the horizon.

Since spring embodies a fresh start, sprucing up those outdoor spaces may not be a bad idea to get your community looking spring and summer ready!

Ways to spruce up your community: Planting flowers. Lining your

community with beautiful bulbs is perfect for enhancing appearance, improving residents’ moods and even reducing stress levels.

Touching up paint: Wind, rain and frost

can wreak havoc on paint, so touching up the trim and walls of outdoor structures can brighten and bring new life to your community.

Checking yard signs and feather flags:

Feather flags are welcoming and great for marketing, so make sure they are nice and upright and free of holes or any other wear and tear as these flags may be the first impression a prospect has of the community. Same goes for yard signs.

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YOUR BRAND IS YOUR Bread & Butter When you have a brand, it should be so unique and full of individuality that it stands out like a lion in a roomful of kittens. Senior Lifestyle has developed a brand in such a way that it’s recognized across a multitude of platforms. A brand is only effective if it is consistent; therefore, it’s imperative that your community is meeting Senior Lifestyle’s brand standards.

“Whenever your company makes contact with the outside world (known as touchpoints) it should do so in a way that is memorable and consistent.”

– Brace for Impact Senior Lifestyle has a successful brand using distinctive brand assets. The Branding Site on the Senior Lifestyle intranet has been updated with all Senior Lifestyle and community-specific digital assets so that you have all the information you need to ensure your community is representing the brand to its fullest.

“Distinctive Brand Assets are powerful branding tools that help you stand out from the crowd and immediately tell your customers, ‘It’s me, I’m here.’

By successfully developing your own suite of DBAs, you’ll be able to deliver a more consistent and unified experience to your customers.” – Brace for Impact

The digital assets you will find on the Branding Site include: • Brand Guidebook

• Community Floor Plans

• Brand Platform

• Presentation, Meeting Agenda and Business Document Templates

• Logos • Community Photography

Updating your community according to these brand standards ensures that your individual community and Senior Lifestyle overall will be continually successful in gaining and retaining loyal customers.

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Nurturing Leads, Nurturing Lives

by Nicole Carbone

Lead nurturing is something we hear about daily as part of our sales cadence.

But what does it mean to actually nurture? “The process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something.” Just as we do with our own personal relationships, so we must do with our leads. In the beginning of any new relationship, be it a budding new romance, or forming a new friendship, they all start with basic principles: establishing rapport and finding common interests. Think back to the beginning of some of your current relationships you have.

The following statistic should cause a moment of pause for us all: Only about 31% of leads are converting within the first 60 days. “This speaks to the need to nurture and stay in touch with leads for a longer period of time.

More than 40% of leads will take three to six months to make a decision.”

-2019 State of Senior Care Sales and Marketing Report With this fact shared, take a moment to look at how many leads you had in March. Let’s say you had 45 new leads; only 14 will convert in 60 days (theoretically), leaving you with 31 leads who will still take time to move through the sales cycle. If you randomly pick 10 of the leads you weren’t able to contact in March, how many of those 10 leads have time-activated next steps scheduled? How many leads from three months ago have had consistent follow-up, especially knowing it could take six months to convert? Did we give up trying to reach them? Did we follow the SLC “Lead Nurturing Schedule” to attempt all touches within the first 30-60 days?

“On average, a lead will receive up to 10 touches—whether email, phone call or direct mail piece—before they’re converted.”

- Senior Housing News So, how do we remember to follow up with leads from three months ago, six months ago, etc.?

• First, start with using the SLC “Lead Nurturing Schedule” for all new leads coming in so they have touches scheduled according to the calendar provided.

• Second, schedule one day a week and block an hour or two to only focus on your warm and cold leads, like a “Warm Up Wednesday.”

• Third, use the Established Relationship Connection Tool for leads who maybe toured but have not yet committed to a move-in.

• Finally, don’t give up or close a lead if you haven’t yet connected with them. Keep trying and get creative. Ensure we always capture a good number and email address for any leads that come in. Stay consistent; they reached out initially for help and our role is to find a solution.

What tips do you have for managing your lead database? Feel free to share your best practices to be featured in our next issue of LIFT! 4 Email: ncarbone@seniorlifestyle.com

DSM SPOTLIGHT: TYLER OLDHAM Barrington of Oakley Highlights: • He was the DSD for six years and then stepped into sales last year, achieving over 95% in the first 8 months • He continues to nurture leads as he has vacancies • He is intuitive when it comes to sales and utilizes his resources to build better business

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU HAD A CALLING FOR SALES?

I have always had a passion for working with people and helping in any way that I can. I spent just under 20 years in the hospitality business working in restaurants, hotels and senior care as management or as a director. During that time, I also did a lot of charity work on the side, which involved a lot of sales and marketing. I’ve always been a social, driven and positive person, and it has always helped me grow relationships and network over the years.

WHAT WAS THE TRANSITION LIKE GOING FROM DIRECTOR OF DINING SERVICES TO SALES?

I was hired April 4, 2016, as the Director of Dining Services and Chef here at Barrington of Oakley. I really enjoyed that position and held it for about 5.5 years. It wasn’t until the peak of COVID when I realized that I could use my skills for a different purpose but still make a positive impact on the residents’ lives. I knew that I could offer more than just a nice dining experience, but we offer an incredible life experience here at the Barrington. Around July 15, 2021, I was offered the interim position of DSM while still working as DDS. I was offered to go full time as the DSM on September 13th, and I hit the ground running. I can truly say that I love every aspect of my job, the residents, and what we do for the residents and their families.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?

This job seems perfect for me for a few different reasons. First, I get to help people find solutions for their families and for their physical and mental health. I get to watch residents and families flourish after making some of the hardest decisions that they have ever had to make. It makes it so much easier to sell when you believe in what it is that you are selling. At the same time, I love this job because it is very goal oriented and I am extremely driven and love that I have goals and expectations each month, week and day.

WHAT HELPS YOUR COMMUNITY STAY ABOVE 95%?

This entire community puts so much passion into what we do because we know how much purpose there is in what we are doing. You can feel it when you walk into the building, when you talk to a staff member, when you see our happy residents. We are an extremely active community with an amazing team. We receive many internal referrals from friends and family, and that comes from the hard work of all our departments. Our care level is top notch, and our activity department is without a doubt the best in “the biz.” So, with an amazing team, phenomenal residents, our passion, our pride and my own personal drive … that is what keeps our community above 95%.

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DSM SPOTLIGHT: DONNA MARIE AMY Mangrove Bay

Highlights: • Mangrove Bay, a 156-unit community, is consistently at 95% or above occupancy - and currently 97% • Mangrove Bay always achieves 100% or better of budgeted revenue

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DSM AT MANGROVE BAY?

Since June 16, 2021

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY?

I fell in love with Mangrove Bay the minute I walked in the door. I felt a sense of home. The team that we have here is top-notch. Living at Mangrove Bay is like living at a country club. We embrace the idea of serving our residents in the same manner so many of them experienced when they were members at their own country clubs. The location of Mangrove Bay is so vitally important to our success.

We have the privilege of coming here, to this beautiful community, every day and enjoying the stunning views of the Intracoastal Waterway. What’s not to like?

WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS TO?

The team! We understand our residents and their expectations and try to exceed them. Our 20-year, stellar reputation speaks for itself.

WHAT STRATEGY OR BEST PRACTICES CAN YOU SHARE THAT HELP YOU AND YOUR TEAM NOT ONLY REACH HIGH OCCUPANCY BUT ALSO EXCEED BUDGETED REVENUE AND UPSELL UNITS?

Mangrove Bay is not just a senior community; it is a lifestyle choice. We focus on conveying to prospective residents that they deserve the best and that is what we offer at Mangrove Bay. The best!

WHAT IS A TIME-MANAGEMENT TIP YOU CAN SHARE WITH THE TEAM? Do not put off entering information into YARDI. Do it in real time! By doing this, you are very seldom behind in tasks or to-dos.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?

When I am not at work, I spend a great deal of time with my husband and taking care of my rescue dogs. I walk my dogs two to three miles a day, and that walk is a time to reflect and focus on something besides deadlines.

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