Senior Living Business recently asked me a series of questions about the economy, its impact on the senior living industry and how we've been able to achieve success. Despite the macroeconomic challenges, many of our clients have discovered that a few adjustments can have a big impact on census.

Below are a few key points from the piece. You can find the entire Q&A in this month's issue of SLB.

• Don't play defense.
  Many of the communities that are seeing shrinking census are the ones that have shifted into defensive mode. They have battened down the hatches and cut their marketing budgets because they think no one will buy in this economy. But the reality is that the needs that people had 18 months ago are even more intense now. So despite the economy, these issues are still top of mind.
• Don't sell — engage.
  It's critical for sales staff to understand that when it comes to presentations one size doesn't fit all. Sales reps need to find out the prospect's particular hot buttons and engage the prospect by addressing their specific needs in the presentation. In many communities, sales reps simply show the property and fail to truly connect the attributes to the specific needs of the prospect.

  Additionally, to be a good sales rep in this field, I believe you need to have "heart." I often hire people without any sales background — perhaps a former nurse or empty nester — and train them about the product and sales process. But heart is something you can't teach.

• The "give and get" method.
  We employ something we call a "give and get" method. We give information about ourselves and the community to get information about a prospect's needs or preferences. For example, if a prospect has lost a spouse, we might relate that to a loss of our own — perhaps a divorce — or to losses of others in the community that required a shift in lifestyle. We differentiate ourselves by interacting with the prospect. We build a relationship with them, and many times at the end of a presentation the prospect will say, "You know my circumstances. What do you think I should do?" Gaining that level of trust is a major achievement for any marketer.
• Local color.
  While we don't like to paint in broad strokes or stereotype, personality traits are often geographically based. So we do adjust our approach based on the region in which we are working. For example, people in the Northeast are often more guarded and focus immediately on the details—the cost, services, etc. People who live west of the Mississippi, or in areas that are more rural tend to take their time and prefer to gain a comfort level before doing business. Sales reps need to be aware of and appreciate those regional differences.
• Motivation comes in many forms.
  I often tell potential sales reps in an interview that their "psychic income" will be far greater than their take-home pay. The joy that a rep shares with new residents after they've moved in is immeasurable, whether it's through hugs and tears or comments such as, "If you hadn't spent as much time with me as you did, I never would have made this move — now I couldn't be happier." That's why I first look for heart in an interview.