Sales
reps often make the fatal mistake of looking only for
ripe fruit that falls off the tree, the easy close. We
pre-judge a prospect's interest level and are quick to
discard them as someone not worth any further follow-
up. Even though congregate and assisted living are
considered "need-driven" sales, in the
majority of cases the decision by the prospect to move
to your community is a "postponable" decision.
It takes time and multiple contacts to
build the trust level high enough to overcome the
natural fear and skepticism that are present in every
prospect and family member. The problem is not a
lack of lead generation or inquiries, but a failure to
take the time and effort to build a
long-term professional-friend relationship with each and
every prospect, regardless where they are in the
decision making process.
I once worked alongside a sales rep who referred to
his lead card box as his "coffin" because he
considered all the leads inside the box as "dead
leads". He was always waiting for the next
"hot" lead to come walking through the door.
Needless to say, he did not last very long in this
business. The prospects represented by your lead cards
or computer files are the future life blood of your
community. If worked properly, they become the
"feeder" for your vacant units in the weeks,
months and years ahead.
I have found that using a systematic approach to
follow-up takes the guess work and stress out of the
process. By prioritizing your leads and following up at
pre-determined intervals, you can keep in touch with
everyone in an appropriate time frame and help them move
along in the decision-making process.
So stop waiting for the ripe fruit to fall off the
tree and invest the time and energy to "climb up
the tree" and build long-term professional-friend
relationships with everyone on your prospect list. You
just might find that there is more ripe fruit up in the
tree than you ever imagined.
Happy Selling!
