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Weathering the COVID-19 Storm: The Importance of Resilient Sales & Marketing
Meeting Consumers’ Needs Now & Later The consumer experience is rapidly changing across all industries. Every market is fi nding new ways to adapt their business and com- munication strategies to comply with new standards for safety and to meet the latest buyer preferences, all of which are shifting daily — sometimes even hourly.
Teachers who have been honing classroom learning for decades are now delivering all their lessons online. Groceries are being deliv- ered straight to our homes; new cars are coming to our driveways. Changes like these are necessary, but for many businesses they’re uncomfortable, unnatural, and can be overwhelming. Comfort zones are being thrown out the window across the board, and the senior living industry is no exception.
This is a new game, and while even the immediate future is uncer- tain, we know the eff ects of COVID-19 will last far beyond what’s happening now. How you adapt your sales and marketing strategies to meet the new needs of the senior living buyer’s journey will determine the success of your community in both the short and long term – resiliency is more important than ever.
Conditions, Changes & Challenges: What’s Happening? As we keep our fi nger on the pulse of dramatic change in our industry, we recognize common challenges faced by senior living communities. The majority of these are driven predominantly by uncertainty, fear, and the struggle to cope with and adapt to the loss of traditional tools and methods.
It’s important to recognize and acknowledge this adversity, accept the changes as they come, and take control of what you can in order to meet challenges head on with new solutions and strategies that are focused, resourceful and signifi cant.
Insights from GlynnDevins Senior Living Consumer Sentiment Survey (2020) reveal that your community is facing consumer unease, as many are concerned about COVID-19 cases and the spread of sickness, and some lack confi dence in senior living.
You’ve also lost the ability to engage with prospects face-to-face, and you or your staff may be having diffi culty adopting and using vital technology as effi ciently as is necessary. The economic impact and future ability of prospects to aff ord senior living is unknown, and no one can predict what will happen next.
These challenges aren’t insurmountable, and they don’t have to determine the success or failure of your community. The biggest mistake would be to avoid taking action and forego the opportunity to come out of this stronger and more resilient. Those who do will exhibit a larger propensity to adapt and walk away with a new toolkit at their disposal.
With that said … take consistent stock of the diffi culties and snags, but with a clear purpose to set realistic and immediate goals you can meet to overcome them.
New Normal & New Consumer Needs With these challenges come certain expectations from leads. Based on our recent survey, GlynnDevins State of Senior Living Survey – Community Sales & Marketing Leaders (2020), we’ve identifi ed a few insightful consumer-focused preferences for engagement that can guide your sales and marketing eff orts moving forward.
DO: Focus on a human touch, virtually. In the absence of face-to-face meetings, your sales and marketing eff orts need to be focused on providing a human touch, and show- ing you care. Getting back to basics and building strong relation- ships are key. It’s imperative to meet their desire for the personal touch of in-person engagements by embracing technology.
DON’T: Sell. Sell. Sell. Keeping the same sales mentality as before isn’t feasible, eff ective, or appropriate for the current climate. It’s not easy to change habits that are deeply ingrained into our sales and marketing practices, but it’s absolutely necessary. Try to shift from a selling to a nurturing mindset to meet consumers where they are and ensure they’ll still be interested after the storm.
24 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MAY/JUNE 2020
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