In my article last month, I talked about how the 2008 economic meltdown made it an absolute priority to keep your sales efforts on track and on target, to increase your occupancy rates and keep the revenue coming in. Sales is a Science - and if you stick to winning formulas, you'll get winning results every time...even in the tough times we currently face.



Last month was all about how to drive traffic and get quality referrals. This time around, it's all about getting those referrals to make the all-important on-site visit. As an expert in the senior housing industry, I'm used to hearing sales people say, "Get them in the door and my people can close them!" Well...okay, then. But who's actually getting them in the door?

In other words, don't ignore this vital piece of the sales puzzle. How sales people first interact with a referral can all but guarantee an on-site visit - or completely torpedo any further interest from them.

That's why a consistent system must be in place for all the sales staff - and a lot of bad habits have to be modified. I like to advise my clients to hire an independent company to Mystery Shop their communities and cold call as if they were real referrals. The results are an incredibly valuable measurement of how effective your sales staff is at engaging potential buyers and getting them to commit to an on-site visit.

What you'll find from the Mystery Shop process, in most cases, is that the sales staff ask the prospect one or two random questions about their situation, and then plunge into a laundry list of amenities that the community provides.

Impersonal - mostly about the community - and NOT so much about the person calling. Worse yet, the close of the conversation is usually an offer to send a brochure or information pack - not an invitation to visit the community in question. No personal connection unfortunately means a lost opportunity.

The ironic thing is handling these kinds of calls properly actually makes it easier on salespeople, not harder. It's a matter of not focusing too much on making the sale during the initial conversation - instead, it's about getting that all-important on-site visit scheduled. No one's going to buy a housing unit blind over the phone - so don't try!

Instead, work on locking down on-site appointments by concentrating on getting your caller over the VALUE THRESHOLD. They need to know that their main question - "What's in it for me?" - is being answered, and that the value of what you have to offer to them is worth more than the inconvenience of them getting in the car and coming down to check out your community.

STEP ONE to starting that process is to immediately take control when a prospect calls. The salesperson should begin their side of the conversation by saying "I would be more than happy to give you that information, Mrs. Smith. Do you mind if I ask you a few quick questions so I know what kind of pricing to give you?"

This LOOKS like it contradicts what I just said...but it really doesn't! By giving you permission to "interview" them, you can determine and acknowledge their needs and wants - which means you don't have to focus on the pricing at all, but instead on what they're after in a community. And getting that permission is all-important - because if you begin to ask personal questions without it...well, you know how creepy that can make YOU feel.

People buy when their needs are being met. By identifying their needs and demonstrating specifically how your community meets those needs in a one-on-one manner, you establish a rapport that makes them comfortable with you, and feel like they are being listened to.

I suggest creating an Inquiry Connection Sheet of a series of really great open-ended questions that can create a real conversation, instead of a standard sales pitch, and sticking to the sequence on that sheet. It's hard for a salesperson - or anyone - to think on their feet and ask the right questions in the right order. You tend to panic and try to book the onsite visit too soon, before you've really identified needs fully and addressed them. Trial these Connection Sheets until you're happy with one.

Don't think it's worth the effort? Well, studies have shown that a correctly-constructed Connection Sheet boosts your Mystery Shop service score from a sad 32% (no Connection Sheet) to an incredible 87% (fully-used Connection Sheet).

Obviously, it's not enough to just ask the questions - you also have to be able to relate to the answers on a human level and follow up on those answers when you need to. It's part of demonstrating the empathy that will create the connection you want.

For the close of your call, remember to repeat those needs and how your community can meet them - and then begin to schedule an on-site visit. Don't ask if they want to come in for the visit - talk about it as the next logical step. If you give them a "Yes" or "No" option, guess what? 50% of the time you're probably going to get a no!

Mismanaged sales calls can cost your business dearly - and there's really no reason for it. If you and your sales staff are prepared and confident enough to climb over the Value Threshold, you can successfully convert those contacts into on-site visits.

Copyright (c) 2008 Traci Bild