By Rick Hunsicker, Vice President Sales Services – Western Division
Senior Living Sales Objection: “Your price is too high”
Let’s continue on with the price objection. What if someone says, “We like your community, but we think your price is just too high”?
You’ve got to find this out. Say, “I’d like to clarify your concern. Is it a concern about affordability, or is it the value compared to the other options you’re looking at?”
“We’re not sure we can afford your community.” – So it’s not your price, it’s their ability to afford your prices.
So then you would say, “Would you like me to help you determine that? I have a tool from a third party that can show you the financial implications of your options – staying in your house, moving to our community, moving to another community, differences between entrance fee options… I now have a tool available that is from a professional third-party financial planning company that’s designed just for people like you and me, to help us look at what your assets are, what your income is, what your expected income is, what your expenses are where you are now, and what they would be in the community – and it will show you how much money you’d have available, what your assets are at the end of every year. Would that help?
Or if they say that they’re thinking that another community offers a better value, ask, “Would you mind telling me about the other place so I can better understand the value you feel they are offering?” Find out what the other community offers that you don’t. It may be that you do offer the same value as the other community, and the prospect just didn’t realize – or, if the other community does offer a better value, you have the chance to learn and develop your community to better fit the needs of future prospects.
Senior Living Sales Objection: “The kids/spouse/financial advisor objects”
If the prospect says, “Well, our kids are not at all supportive of us moving to a senior community,” find out why! Ask, “What questions will they have? And how will you answer them?”
Help your prospects come up with answers to criticisms that may arise. For example, if their kids are worried that they will spend all the kids’ inheritance, have the prospect remind them that the money is still the prospect’s money and not yet the kids.’
Senior Living Sales Objection: “We like your competitor better”
If your prospect is leaning towards moving to your competitor, ask what it is about your competitor that makes it a favorable choice for them. Find out what your competitor offers your prospect that you don’t. It may be location, price, bigger rooms – sometimes, things you just can’t overcome to keep the prospect. In that case, you still learn more about what your prospects want.
In other cases, you may be able to offer the prospect just what they’re looking for! If they say the competitor offers bigger rooms with better views, you may not have shown the prospect the biggest rooms you have with the best views, because you didn’t realize that was what the prospect was looking for.
Senior Living Sales Objection: “We’re not sure we’ll fit in”
Sometimes the prospect just doesn’t feel a connection to “all the old people.” What they don’t realize is that all the “old people” are people just like them! They may be a bit older now than they were when they arrived, but they found friends and fun at the community and have enjoyed a great quality of life during their whole time there.
For more information on how to generate more qualified leads, contact Tim Bracken at 410-207-0013.
Editor’s Note: This blog originally was posted on the Hunsicker Senior Living blog which we are now migrating to this current site.
Note: This is a three part series.