3 ways senior communities can use tech to maintain their sales pipeline

By Sean List | Senior Sales Manager

Let’s be frank, COVID-19 sucks.

This era of coronavirus has brought a new norm of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and caregivers receiving socially-distant cheering everywhere from skyscraper balconies to front porches. While we hold these heroes in the highest regard, the shift-change applause is, for some, an escape from what can be described as nothing short of the fear we are all experiencing.

For Senior Living Sales & Marketing professionals, this fear is not just about their income, but also about the welfare of the prospective new residents they have established relationships with. The compassionate individuals who work in Senior Living are faced with two possible reactions to this crisis right now: despair or innovation. While we mourn those lost and pray for the most vulnerable, this moment has given us an opportunity to pivot ‘business-as-usual’ and get creative with how we are interacting with each other, residents, families, and prospects.

As we become accustomed to children and pets making cameos in video conferences (and those unfortunate and often hilarious moments when attendees forget to mute themselves or turn off their camera), it has become clear that technology is our saving grace to maintain business continuity in the age of coronavirus. With tech tools like Cubigo, sales counselors and marketing professionals have the opportunity to not only maintain communication with prospective residents, but to demonstrate their community’s ingenuity. By being proactive with such tools, this reemphasizes the prospect’s understanding of the community’s dedication to care, quality, and creativity.

How can a tool like Cubigo help me advance prospects in the sales funnel?

• Information Repository: With Cubigo’s community information module, you can easily and instantly update prospective clients with anything from health-related recommendations, DIY activities to maintain wellness, or even recorded virtual tours! Engage your prospects by breaking the norm of photos and floorplans and let them really feel what it’s like to be a resident.

• Demonstrate your resourcefulness: Information sharing is critical now. Since almost all communities are in a lockdown scenario, group activities, communal dining, and visitors have all quickly become a thing of the not-so-distant past. Showing off your creativity for maintaining wellbeing is a selling point! Are you hosting hallway karaoke or balcony Tai Chi? Are you using something like Cubigo’s remote food ordering module so that residents can pick their favorite comfort food du jour? Are you maintaining social connectedness in an age of social distancing with integrated YouTube Live or Zoom? Publicize your actions with constant communication and updates, be it through one-on-one chats, newsfeed publications, or smartphone video chats.

• Don’t be afraid of contacting: Since almost everyone is stuck at home in quarantine, you should not have any hesitation in reaching out. One of the biggest things we are fighting along with the pandemic is loneliness! People yearn for social connection, and even a quick friendly call or a chat message can mean the world to your prospects (your engagement rate might even go up!) Keeping the flow of communication has always been critical, but as communities reposition employees to maintain the utmost quality of care for residents, every little bit helps. Send family members a remote activity calendar. Invite prospects to watch your community’s daily show. Host a virtual happy hour with BYOB “quarantini” recipes! People like people, and if you keep your prospects engaged now, it will pay off in the near future.

It’s a weird time…no question about it; but by utilizing technology and all of the other tools in our toolbox now, senior living organizations have the opportunity to redefine their commitment to greatness. The inbound leads might not be what they were just two months ago, but compassion, creativity, and communication will pave the way for success with your current pipeline.  

The Cubigo team recognizes the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic, we understand how important your work is right now and want to help by providing you with pertinent information and the right tools. Discover the Cubigo Essentials Package - to help you communicate effectively and maintain resident engagement. We encourage you to reach out to us individually or at covid19@cubigo.com.