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LydiaMiller
Marketing Specialist & Sales Trainer
/ Moderator
Jan 4, 2011, 12:06 PM
Post #1 of 1
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By Lydia Miller
Marketing to seniors is as complex and diverse as the number of retirement communities. Having a solid understanding of ‘who’ your residents are in terms of their demographic profile is key to targeting who will be your next future residents. Most operators would like to see a decrease in the average age of their residents but how will they do it? How will you attract the attention of the Boomers and In-Betweens? You can advertise in newspapers, in magazines, on television and radio, but did you consider offering them solutions to their upcoming lifestyle change?
As you discovered from reading last month’s article on ‘Customer Service’, you not only need to “Put Passion in Your Performance”, but to add value to the process. One of my Top 10 Tips to Exceptional Customer Service advises you to “Continuously Build Your Knowledge Base”. The reason being that your customers/residents will then look upon you as the ‘go to person’ that is reliable, responsible and knowledgeable in anything pertaining to your industry, and who can assist them with any query.
Your facility should be able to offer your residents information on potential service providers on a variety of crucial topics. You will need to do your due diligence to ensure anyone you would recommend is familiar with retirement community living and understands your residents and future ones as well as you do.
Here are a few topics for you to research to determine which companies, organizations and individuals are best suited to helping your current residents and those who are thinking about moving in with you.
• Financial Planning: banking; investments; insurance (life, health and auto)
• Estate Planning: legal firms who specialize in this area may be sourced through your local Bar Association
• Recreational Activities: dance clubs; singles clubs; travel agents; cruising; tennis; sailing; public & private golf courses; gardening and horticulture; specialty tours for seniors; dining clubs; wine tasting groups; cooking classes; spa and aesthetics; live theatres and cinema
• Relocation Specialists: licensed realtors and agencies; moving companies; storage units; auction houses; junk removal
• Discount Offers: this is a great idea! Talk to the nearest shopping mall or recreation centre and ask them to supply a special coupon just for your residents. Ask the realtor for a moving credit or the storage company for a seniors’ special. Restaurants are always popular and tend to offer either ‘two-fers’ or a seniors menu on certain days of the week.
• Publish or Perish: whatever you create in terms of special offers and discounts, must be communicated to your residents on a regular basis or the programs will surely fail.
Feel free to contact me in person via email to Lydia@millertouch.com or telephone at 604.984.7445 to customize your list of preferred partners.
Lydia Miller is a Certified Hospitality Sales Professional with over twenty-five years of sales and marketing experience accumulated from within the finance, performing arts and hospitality industries.
The Miller Touch specializes in delivering customized sales workshops and presentations for the accommodation industry with a focus on retirement communities and hotel properties. Ms. Miller is a successful consultant assisting retirement communities, hotel operators, and other industry associations improve profitability, sales productivity and client/member relations. She is a founding professor with eHotelschool.com having written advanced online courses in international sales and marketing and in event planning and conference management.
For more information: The Miller Touch Training Group Inc.
Lydia@millertouch.com
Direct Tel: 604.984.7445
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(This post was edited by LydiaMiller on Jan 5, 2011, 11:01 AM)
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