Life Lessons

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Simple Powerful Telephone Sales Tool

Mirror mirror on my desk, help me rise above the rest. This is not rocket science: however, an understanding of what you see in the mirror is critical: 90 percent of initial telephone inquiries perceive who you are based on the tone of your voice and facial expressions. The initial call can be your best friend or enemy. The mirror is your secret weapon if used properly. A successful call means connections are initiated, trust incubated and next steps scheduled. Moving the sales lead from call to tour requires a transition from salesperson to partner. Screw this up and results will crash. Master it and your bank account will love you. Prospects want and need to like you. The more you smile the better they feel and the closer you are to making a deal. This is for all of you hard working sales folks. Place a mirror on your desk and be amazed with the results. Rick D. Watkins rickd.watkins@gmail.com

Questions You Should Ask Every Assisted or Senior Living Community

During my 30 years in senior living operations and sales I've failed to understand why families or future residents rarely ask detailed questions relating to management. Even more alarming is that the checklists many are using to assist with their decision-making process does not mention them. Delivering consistent quality care and service in such a dynamic atmosphere is difficult. Imagine what it takes to provide quality meals, housekeeping, activities, maintenance, assistance with specific resident needs such as medications, bathing, grooming, mobility, emergency response, communication with physicians, pharmacies, families, therapists, hospice, home health and so much more 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each residents needs and expectations are unique and changing. Residents and families trust the community team to deliver consistent service. The importance of employee satisfaction is often overlooked. It directly impacts the quality of care and services delivered. It's si

Weight Loss Surgery Lessons and Customer Engagement There is a television show about extremely overweight people wanting to have weight loss surgery. During the first doctor's appointment, the patient's initial weight is taken, and they are given a 60-day weight loss goal. Reaching this goal determines eligibility for the surgery. Each patient receives very detailed instructions on how to meet their goal. Following the instructions are guaranteed to work. Most patients return for their two-month check-up only to realize their weight loss was minimal or they gained weight. Unfortunately, this process may repeat itself for over a year. The scale does not lie. At some point the patient realizes this is a life-or death situation and they need to make a complete Lifestyle change to meet their goal and be approved for the surgery. It was as simple or challenging as following the initial instructions. So, what does Customer Engagement have in common with weight loss surgery? Imagi

Trust and Assisted Living

Trust and Assisted Living trust : to believe that someone or something is reliable, good, honest, effective, etc. : to have confidence in (someone or something) : to believe that something is true or correct : to hope or expect that something is true or will happen You might say entrusting an assisted living community with the care of your parents or loved one is the ultimate act of trust. It's common for the adult children of assisted living residents to live hundreds or thousands of miles away. It may have taken months or years to convince mother to make the move into an assisted living community. She isn't completely sold on the idea but is willing to give it a chance. It still sounds too good to be true; a community filled with loving people that will meet her every need and always have a smile on their face. It better be, because mom trusted your advice. The key to building a family "trust account" Imagine

NOI = Employee Engagement

Overwhelming pressure from owners/investors to meet NOI expectations, increased competition, labor retention, and increased costs created a “put today's fire out” atmosphere in Senior Housing. Quickly adapting to market changes or other operational issues is necessary, however the foundation for sustained long term success requires a committed organizational culture. Why is employee satisfaction/engagement so important? Happy, satisfied, valued and respected employees create happy, satisfied loyal customers, resulting in lower turnover, improved quality, lower operating costs and better financial performance. Unhappy, unsatisfied employees create unhappy or fewer customers, lower quality, higher operating costs and negative financial results. Forbes referred to employee engagement as “the wonder drug for customer service”. Foresee , a customer-service analytics firm who represents two dozen global businesses including Ann Taylor and Apple released its findings; a co

Success have you puzzled ?

It’s all about your TEAM People are the foundation of Senior Living success. Imagine every organization is a puzzle with many unique pieces, requiring specific talents and skill sets yet combine to form a perfect picture. Each day you are exposed to many puzzles or organizations; i.e. your company, a hotel, restaurant and let's not forget the local cable company. You form a perception of each organization based on your interaction. This post has nothing to do with a specific experience but it has everything to do with a lifetime of experiences and observations regarding the power of a completed puzzle. A significant predictor of success in the service industry is having all the pieces of the puzzle in the correct place. Have you experienced the frustration when trying to find that missing piece and more than likely have attempted to squeeze a piece into an opening, knowing it wasn't a perfect fit? There are times when the puzzle is incomplete for months, creating tremen