This article is sponsored by Senior Living SMART. In this Voices interview, Senior Housing News sits down with Debbie Howard, Co-Founder of Senior Living SMART & LeadGenie, to discuss the top 5 ways providers can elevate their sales and marketing strategies to attract and convert today’s senior living prospect. She delves into the nuances of the modern senior, who is digitally savvy and fiercely independent in their market research. She also explains why providers must adapt their sales and marketing strategies to attract, nurture, and convert these ideal residents – and how to approach this process.
Senior Housing News: What life and career experiences do you most draw from, in your role today?
Debbie Howard: I’ve spent my entire career in senior living, so in my role today, I primarily draw from my experience as an operator. I started out as a Community Relations Director, then became a Regional Director for Benchmark Senior Living, a Divisional Vice President for Emeritus Senior Living, and later, the National Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Five Star. Working for some of the largest providers in the industry has enabled me to understand the key factors behind their growth and scalability. My business partner and I wanted to level the playing field by sharing our experience with more people, aiming to elevate the prospect journey and ease the decision-making process for families.
Senior Housing News: What is different about today’s senior living prospect, and how can providers adapt to meet their needs as this target persona evolves?
Debbie Howard: Everything is different. We’re experiencing a 180-degree shift from the “go-along, get-along” Greatest Generation to the more digitally savvy Boomers who are now entering our sphere. Boomers are much more engaged with digital channels, active on social media, and capable of searching for information online. Providers need to completely change their sales and marketing approach to reach this new generation, who expect transparency and independence in their research process. Old practices will not work with this generation – they want to see everything upfront.
Senior Housing News: How can senior living marketing teams effectively attract, nurture, and convert the ideal prospect in today’s environment?
Debbie Howard: Marketing teams should focus on aligning with the prospect, dissecting existing information to personalize the experience. Providers must have strong search visibility, engaging websites, and offer options for engagement with prospects. Conversion is key, and websites should be optimized for this purpose.
Senior Housing News: Where should providers focus their marketing investments to gain a competitive advantage in today’s senior living landscape?
Debbie Howard: Providers should focus on building the right marketing technology stack, connecting websites and CRMs for effective marketing automation. They should choose partners that allow them to select and integrate the best tools for their unique needs.
Senior Housing News: How can providers centralize lead management to improve their lead-to-connect rates, inquiry-to-deposit conversions, and occupancy levels?
Debbie Howard: Centralized lead management is poised to dominate the industry soon, either through outsourcing or in-house solutions. Providers must find ways to ensure leads are ready for sales interactions and improve efficiency in responding to inquiries. LeadGenie was developed to address these challenges and improve the lead management process for providers.
