DO SEALS OF APPROVAL HELP WITH SALES?
Maybe, says Greg Truex, managing director of health intelligence at J.D. Power. The company is in its second year of rating senior living providers according to its Senior Living Satisfaction Study. (Life Care Services scored highest this year; Sunrise, last year.)
Rating senior living “seemed obvious to us,” he says. “There was no public ranking or voice of the consumer. With the increase in the number of seniors, and given the choice that’s out there, it seemed like the logical next step.”
Like several other systems, J.D. Power gives an independent rating award as well as a certification a company can earn. Also
like other groups, it differentiates clearly between these types of awards both visually and in how they’re communicated to consumers. Truex says J.D. Power’s scorecard is dynamic; they add in best practices as new ones evolve.
The environment is increasing the value of third-party awards, he says, as more online review services declare “top tens” and “four stars” winners. These can be based on only two or three reviews, and there’s no knowing if such reviews are genuine, solicited, or made in anger. So if you’re fortunate enough to have a reputable award, Truex says, “use it as often as you can.”
Meeting people—literally Denver-based It’s Never 2 Late, a leading provider of user-friendly technology and content to 3,000 senior living commu- nities, truly met people where they are. Co-founder Jack York decided to celebrate his 60th year—and 20th year of It’s Never 2 Late—by taking a van with a karaoke machine cross-country, to visit senior living communities. On the “60/20, Cruisin’ and Croonin’
Tour,” residents, often accompanied by community caregivers, sang, laughed, and revealed their life stories from the passenger seat. The videos that resulted are addictive; visit
in2l.com/6020tour, to take a look. They’re also posted on YouTube. “People are just thirsty for something
creative to do,” York says. The bright-colored van is plastered like
a NASCAR vehicle with sponsor logos, but the tour’s focus was fun, not sales. The idea was simply meant to be “a sincere thank- you,” but it ended up becoming “probably the most profound thing I’ve done in 20 years,” York says. “I’ve always done my best not to have a sales pitch,” York says, but the intentionally fun and creative nature of the tour opened up new conversations and solidified relation- ships, as well as reaffirming his commitment to his vocation of improving engagement and quality of life for older adults. That’s about all one could ask for in a 60th year.
But it was important for the business as
well. With a subscription business model, retention is critical—and over 20 years of business, some of these relationships can drift as new people come in, so the tour was a fun way to get reacquainted. The open-ended questions York asks of
residents are textbook examples of how to evoke stories and establish rapport, but he was also happy to just be in the moment.
“People want a reason to celebrate, to
have some fun,” he says. “I was surprised at how many people took the birthday part of it seriously.” He was welcomed with cakes, for instance, and at one community, in Mississippi, staff and residents rolled out a red carpet and donned evening wear (at 9 a.m.) to greet him. The lesson: If you get creative, people will meet you more than halfway.
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