Traininees Weigh In
Published February 22, 2012 | 
This month, One On One trained dozens of professionals in the effectiveness of Prospect-Centered Selling. We received some wonderful feedback including success stories and new ways to adapt the selling style. Read a few of the responses to our anonymous survey below. Thanks again, trainees!
Respondent from St. Louis training:
This training will enable me to go deeper and feel comfortable getting the “stories” from people. It will assist in taking that quality time to build or continue to build relationships with future or present clients. I called a potential resident to follow up, and in the conversation,… Continue reading
Selling With Emotion
Published December 20, 2011 | In this follow-up video (see part one here) featuring Listening Leaders Institute Lyman “Manny” Steil, he and David Smith discuss the importance of catharsis in senior sales.
For seniors, making the decision to move is a primarily emotional decision, and so the act of catharsis, or “dumping the bucket” of emotion, as Steil calls it, is a vital part of moving past these barriers to a turning point of change.
With One On One’s prospect-centered selling style, factors such as catharsis and phatic conversation, as covered in the previous video, are important elements in successfully converting a lead base… Continue reading
Getting On the Same Level
Published December 16, 2011 | Keynote speaker at this year’s Advanced Sales Summit, Lyman “Manny” Steil, Chairperson of the International Listening Leaders Institute, offered valuable advice on the importance of communication in relationship building, including senior sales.
In the following interview excerpt, Steil covers one of several stages of communication, the “phatic” level. This being the “chit-chat of life,” he says that what may seem like a trivial activity is actually an important first step.
According to David Smith, President of One On One, these interactions are important for developing common denominators between prospects and salespeople in seniors housing.
Confronting Emotion (From Provider Magazine)
Published November 2, 2011 | 
Even though financial concerns are often a part of the sales process in seniors housing, are they the end-all determining factor? Not so, according to David Smith and the salespeople he has helped train.
In a 2009 interview with Provider magazine (not the issue pictured–see PDF below), Smith explained his philosophy of relationship-based selling.
“For an overwhelming number of prospects, resistance to making a move to seniors housing is primarily emotional, not financial,” he said. “Give the prospective resident as much time and control over the conversation as possible. Spend time actively listening, supporting, and reassuring. Avoid attempts… Continue reading
Exploring Effective Selling Practices
Published November 1, 2011 | What factors contribute to a successful sales team? By conducting mystery shops and conducting industry research, David Smith and Margaret Wylde take 152 communities and investigate the best practices in a 2005 study: Wylde Smith Study 2004
Talking the Talk
Published August 11, 2011 | 
David Solie explains how enlightened communication with older adults can improve senior sales and marketing strategies
When aging adults enter a new stage of life, the process is often a challenge. Both family members and professionals in seniors housing may find that their attempts to support a senior’s move or lifestyle change can end in frustration rather than progress.
David Solie (http://www.davidsolie.com/) M.S., P.A. has tackled such difficult interactions and offers his insight into the psychology of aging in his best-selling book, How to Say It to Seniors: Closing the Communication Gap… Continue reading
Take Your Time, and Take Rejection in Stride
Published August 11, 2011 | One On One trains professionals to put their egos aside and go head-to-head with ambivalent prospects. It’s no easy task, but persistence can lead to a sale once they make the decision on their own.
Older adults struggle to maintain control of their changing surroundings, and the most common way to do so is by saying “no” (learn more about the psychology of aging in an interview with David Solie). Ask the right questions, and get to get at the heart of the matter to uncover any issues with legacy or control. After gaining some knowledge, go above and… Continue reading
Emotional Decision-Making: A Family Affair
Published August 11, 2011 | Selling seniors housing often involves the family as much as it does the individual prospect. A move from a home or a family’s home is a monumentally emotional decision for both parties. The adult children may feel guilty for wanting to find outside care rather than take care of their parents themselves.
A salesperson has to mediate these feelings in order to inspire change. The adult children’s lives are likely busy, and their role in their aging parents’ lives doesn’t have to include things such as medicine management or house keeping. This is why seniors housing is a good option;… Continue reading
Sales success story: Helen Holt
Published August 11, 2011 | Following a One On One training session in St. Louis, Helen Holt, sales & marketing associate for Heritage Oaks in Richmond, Virginia, returned to her community and inspired a married couple to move in.
Holt worked with the husband, as the wife had onsets of dementia. They needed help, and so Holt carefully assessed their situation. “He gave a lot of information about himself which helped me relate to him, and it made him feel comfortable,” she said. Following the basics of One On One’s relationship-based selling style, Holt embarked on a process of discovery to learn as much as… Continue reading
Connecting With Prospects
Published August 11, 2011 | While results aren’t always immediate, relationship-based selling is the most effective way to build a customer base and raise occupancies.
Christina Beck, the former leasing director for Mallard Cove Senior Living in Cincinnati, looks back to her experiences with One On One’s unique selling style. The key is to build trust and to let the Prospect know they have someone they can rely on.
Watch the video below to learn about Beck’s experience with relationship-based selling.
