Modern Outreach Techniques That Save on Commission Fees
As a senior living sales team, it’s important to adopt communication methods that effectively nurture prospects through the sales funnel. A strong, tailored sales funnel is a vital component in your sales team’s toolbox. Used smartly, a custom-built customer relationship management system will serve as a compassionate way to guide prospective residents and their families through each stage of the decision-making process while freeing up your team to do work that matters: connecting on a personal level with prospects. This approach can minimize traditional sales overhead and improve your community’s occupancy rates.
Why Focus on the Sales Funnel?
Creating a senior-living-specific sales funnel is crucial because of the unique nature of the customer journey. The decision to move into a senior living community is often a long, emotionally charged process that involves extensive research and multiple interactions. For many, the decision to move to a senior living community comes after a hospitalization after an incident like a fall. So, it’s understandable that it isn’t always a choice as much as it is a necessity. One firm found in 2018 that it takes an average of 25 touches to convert senior living customers, with multiple family members engaging with various touchpoints and channels before making a decision. This is a common trend among many senior living communities.
Leveraging the Sales Funnel to Build Trust and Save on Commission Fees
A well-structured sales funnel is essential for senior living sales teams to build trust and nurture relationships with prospective residents and their families. Instead of relying on high-commission, transactional sales tactics, a customized sales funnel allows you to optimize each interaction along the lead journey—ensuring every prospect receives compassionate, personalized communication.
CCR Growth’s CRM is purpose-built for senior living communities, designed to support sales teams at every stage of the lead-to-resident journey. Automating lead nurturing, tracking progress through tailored pipeline stages, and providing deep insights through real-time reporting, can enable your team to spend less time on manual processes and more time building meaningful connections. This results in higher conversion rates and reduced dependence on high-cost commission-based strategies.
Key features like automated follow-ups via SMS and email ensure prospects remain engaged, while pipeline visibility and custom stages give you a clear picture of where each lead stands. This tailored approach helps senior living sales teams target outreach efforts more effectively, leading to lower acquisition costs and better resource allocation across your marketing activities and sales funnel.
A strong sales funnel can be broken down into the following key stages:
1. Awareness Stage:
Attract potential residents and their families through informative and engaging content tailored to their unique concerns and needs. Strategies like local SEO and retargeting campaigns can effectively capture attention early in the decision-making process, ensuring your community is visible when they search for senior living options online. For instance, implementing local SEO tactics can increase your search rankings, driving more organic traffic to your website.
Retargeting campaigns, on the other hand, help keep your community top-of-mind for those who have previously interacted with your content but haven’t yet taken the next step. Some of our previous posts on local SEO in senior living marketing and retargeting campaigns for better conversions talk about this in more detail. Combining these strategies can ensure your community stays visible and relevant throughout the prospect’s research phase.
2. Consideration Stage:
Nurture leads by addressing their specific concerns through personalized emails, video marketing, and educational resources. According to a recent report, 68% of senior living marketers state that their website is their most effective channel for converting leads. Here, email marketing can also play a big role in building a relationship with potential residents.
3. Decision Stage:
Provide prospective residents with virtual or in-person tours, personalized experiences, and transparent pricing information to help them make informed decisions. Transparency is key for this, as 91% of people looking for senior living communities rely on Google reviews, and 70% of prospects will tour a community within seven days of initial contact. Offering a personalized experience through multiple channels, such as text, email, and phone can ensure that your community is top-of-mind when they’re ready to decide.
Utilizing Digital Marketing Techniques to Enhance the Sales Funnel
Digital marketing remains a crucial component of the modern sales funnel. Senior living communities that embrace digital strategies like personalized video marketing, niche marketing, and SEO are better positioned to attract quality leads at a lower cost. The average cost per lead for senior living is $431, which is higher than most other industries.
By leveraging digital marketing, communities can optimize their outreach efforts, reduce costs, and save on commission fees associated with traditional sales models. If you’re interested in learning more about these techniques, check out our articles on personalized video marketing and niche marketing for insights.
Wrap Up: Rethink Your Sales Approach
Modern senior living marketing requires a transition from traditional sales methods to a more compassionate and strategic approach. Building a tailored sales funnel, coupled with digital marketing techniques, allows communities to nurture leads effectively, reduce commission costs, and increase occupancy rates.
By focusing on a senior-living-specific sales funnel, you can provide prospects and their families with a smoother, more engaging journey that prioritizes their needs and concerns. This not only enhances the experience for potential residents but also helps your community thrive in an increasingly competitive market.
Looking to optimize your sales and marketing strategies? Get in touch.
