I know what you are thinking.....'There is no Quick Way'
Well I hate to break it to you, but you're wrong. There are a number of things you can do to make rapid improvement in your occupancy levels, but the biggest, and quickest change is simply this:
'STOP LOSING THE LEADS YOU ARE ALREADY GETTING'
..because the chances are, (and I will put a substantial sum on this), is that your enquiry management is problem just a bit, well, lets just say its missing vital elements.
So what are those elements? You probably think you are doing everything right but have a Quick Look at this list and see how many you can tick off
Occupancy is a TEAM game
Occupancy is not just the responsibility of the Manager, or Administrator, or even the Customer Relations Manager (if you are lucky enough to have one)! It is a team sport. Everyone should be engaged and involved. Whoever is likely to pick up the phone should understand how to deal with an enquiry, at any time (yes that means during nights and meds rounds as well.....)
Just pick up the phone!
This may seem obvious, but the amount of calls that go unanswered is huge. Make sure there is someone on duty 24/7 that can answer the phone and take, at the very least, basic details. Which leads me onto:
Grab those details
I am going to get strict here. It is absolutely unforgivable to let an enquirer leave a call without getting details. Simply saying 'Ring back in the morning and speak to the manager' is not an effective strategy. You are letting leads slip away. have an enquiry pad or form by every phone so anyone answering can take details of any enquirer.
Service is not creepy
Many Managers tell me that they feel uncomfortable ringing an enquirer as they do not want to 'pester' someone. This is wrong and here is why
The person contacted you initially and left their details so you could call them back
There is no need to sell. Just 'make friends and help people'. In tis way you are being of service to them
Don't sell your service on the call, make a connection, ask relevant questions about the potential resident. Be interested
Invite them for a show around. Have a predefined route and walk it before the appointment to make sure everything is ok
Cut the timescales
Process enquiries quickly and efficiently. By reducing the timegaps in-between enquiry, assessment and admission you will vastly increase your chances of securing the placement.
Celebrate the wins
If your team are involved you can all celebrate the success together. (I used to have Pizza Friday if we had a new resident that week)
Assess your Enquiry Process by taking the quiz here
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