Sales Skills in an Operational Community

1. Presented by Mary Krantz Sales Skills in an Operational Community

2. Sales Skills in an Operating Community • Sales Process • What constitutes and effective tour? • Managing available inventory and identifying strategies for selling least desireable apartments • What are your current challenges? • Share a recent success?

3. Sales Process - Operating • Transitioning from pre-opening • Sales: a vision of physical plant, residents and staff. • Occupancy: “Someday” • Existing Operating Community • Sales: community built, up and running with residents and staff in place • Occupancy: “How soon can we move you in?”

4. Sales Process • Building rapport and relating & Discovery of needs • Presenting your community and the tour • Overcoming objections and gaining commitment • Sale • Follow-up

5. Discovery and building rapport - 1 • Sales Person Preparation • Physical: • Do you have a specific private area identified or was the discovery room “acquired” for other use? • Discussion: • Use of Models • Use of Office • Use of common space

6. Discovery and building rapport - 2 • Process remains the same • Explain the process • Open probes • Checklist – asking the right questions • Needs and wants – current situation • General Health • General Knowledge of community • Decision makers • Time Line

7. Discovery and building rapport - 3 • Checklist continued • Prospect personality style • Early objections and concerns • General level of affordability • Type of apartment • What is most important • Role Play

8. Presenting the community • Location: discovery area • Features, Advantages & Benefits • Community is up and running – you not only tell but can give a heads up that they will see • Customized to what you have discovered • Collateral and Contract/Agreement • Role Play - Handouts

9. What constitutes an effective tour? • Preparation • Models checked • Community walked & calendar taken into account – no land mines • Customized to the interest of the prospect • To lunch or not to lunch • Use of residents • Initial versus Repeat • Role Play – Handouts

10. Managing available inventory • REPS • Main Report: Apartment Availability • Others: pending cancellation, scheduled move-ins – what else? • Supplemental Tools: Be consistent • Dry Erase Boards - Visual • Excel Spreadsheets – calculating data • Word Documents – Master

11. Identifying strategies for selling least desirable apartments & locations - 1 • Identifying “dog” units and their “issues” via discovery & objectifying • Customer feedback • Physical • Emotional • Financial • Sales Team Bias • Personal feelings • More difficult sale – takes more time

12. Identifying strategies for selling least desirable apartments & locations - 2 • How to overcome? Incentives? • Discount • Entry Fee • Monthly Service Fee or 2nd Person Fee (Time limit?) • Upgrade - customize • Poor view – upgrade window treatments • Poor location – upgrade parking • Noise – fountain for patio

13. What are your current challenges? • Discussion of challenges in your specific community • Common themes? • Aging community – physical plant tired • Residents aging in place • Programming, activities, • Dining venues

14. Share a recent success? • Share your success • Share your ideas • Other

15. Thank you