LydiaMiller
Marketing Specialist & Sales Trainer
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Oct 21, 2010, 1:38 PM
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Must-Have Selling Skills to Help You Fill Vacancies Faster
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By Lydia R. Miller
If you want to maintain 100% occupancy and ensure you have a pre-qualified wait list to keep your facility full, then you must possess 3 basic sales skills.
You must be able to:
A. Qualify the Business
There are 3 main criteria in ‘qualifying’ a potential sale whether you’re in retail, tourism or retirement communities:
1) What is the senior’s financial status? Does this potential resident have the resources to maintain residency with you for an indeterminate length of time? Use your powers of observation to see how they carry themselves; how are they dressed and accessorized? Get the answers to these questions by having a casual conversation about their lifestyle with them so it doesn’t feel like an interrogation.
2) How great is their need for your particular products & services? The senior may tell you that you’re the perfect fit for them and they want to move in next month. How is their health? Is there a spouse? However, if they haven’t taken care of selling their house and relinquishing most of their personal belongings then they won’t be in a hurry to sign up.
3) Does the senior have the ability to buy now? Through your face-to-face meetings, guided tour and casual conversation you will be able to determine whether or not the potential resident is in a position to give you a deposit. If they’re currently renting an apartment or staying with family then there’s a strong likelihood that they have sorted out their finances as well.
B. Demonstrate Your Abilities
How do you convey to potential residents that you’re capable of satisfying all of their wants and needs? How will you show you care about their well-being and situation? The only way to demonstrate that you’re able to meet the seniors’ needs is to invite them in for a tour of your facility. Host them to lunch or afternoon tea is always a winner as they get to experience the meal service and interaction between your staff and current residents.
C. Close the Deal
Never let a potential resident walk away before ‘Asking For the Sale’. Unless someone has just walked in with suitcases and cash in hand, you will need to prompt them for a decision. And the best way to close is to ask how soon they would like to move in. Most people find that easier than asking for money up front. It’s a smoother transition to complete the contract and obtain their deposit. If you sense hesitation on their part then there’s an obvious objection lurking.
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 Oct 22, 2010, 11:23 AM)
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