Besides mining the relationships that our residents have with their physicians, ministers, attorneys and others, we also need to explore the relationships that our staff members have within the community. Start with interviewing the staff, asking them about the organizations to which they belong and the roles they play in them. Ask about church membership and for the name of any committees on which they serve. Ask for the occupations and places of employment for their immediate family members.

Then, look at this information with a marketer's eyes. For example, if you find that a staff person volunteers time in their church by providing help around the house for its senior members, host an event or meal to which that person could invite them to the community. Perhaps you'll discover that a staff person's wife is a nurse. Then offer to host her association's meetings in your facility. Or perhaps you discover that a staff person's attorney is also the trustee for one of your residents. Take a photograph of the two of them and send it along with a note from them. When the time does come for an office referral, your community's name will be willingly offered.

Consider the possibility of creating staff ambassadors and equip them with bonus incentives. Provide them with materials to give their contacts. Suggest to them the benefits your community can offer their contacts. Tier incentives (certificates of appreciation, gifts, paid time off, bonuses) to encourage both the communication of these benefits to their contacts as well as any subsequent move-ins as a result of these efforts.There are many more opportunities that remain unexplored. In our next issue, we'll look at some of the strategies in which we utilize our vendor and 3rd party service organization contacts.

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