Case Study:

St. James Place

New sales and lead generation strategies increase sales by 400%

THE SITUATION

In 2020 the devastating hold on St. James Place due to COVID-19 revealed problems with the sales team’s CRM technology, which was not being used to its full advantage. In addition, the community’s event plans needed to be revisited to generate more interest in the community and to convince prospective buyers that St. James Place was not too expensive for them. There was also a fundamental need to communicate the value of St. James Place as a Life Plan Community, the only one of its kind in the Baton Rouge market. The need for changes was crucial since waning occupancy had resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly fees.

SERVICES:

Marketing and sales program assessment, sales training and coaching, lead generation, brand refreshment

WEBSITE:

stjamesplace.org

LOCATION:

Baton Rouge, LA

214 INDEPENDENT LIVING RESIDENCES

RESIDENCE TYPES:

Apartments, Garden Homes and Patio Homes

THE STRATEGY

In 2020, Love & Company began providing modest sales support and completed a comprehensive sales and marketing assessment, which the community began implementing in May 2021. The assessment led to new residency agreements and a new CRM, and revealed a need to transition from a product-centered sales approach to one that was more prospect-centered. Lastly, our recommendations suggested a significant reallocation of the budget into direct mail and events, as well as digital advertising.

Mockup of multiple direct mailer covers for St. James Place.


 

THE Results

New event direct mail and digital advertising positioned the community as lively, dynamic and financially accessible to people from many walks of life. The direct mail strategy focused on unique, compelling events that had great turnout, resulting in a 57% increase in leads in 2021-22. Direct visits to the community website have also risen nearly 240% in the last year.

The sales team is now better equipped and trained to qualify inquiries and manage sales data, which netted a 400% increase in sales for 2021 alone. Today, both occupancy and the community’s image have risen to new levels. Occupancy is up 16% from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 72 move-ins since 2021.

If you have any questions on this case study or how Love & Company can help your organization position your community for success with consumer research validation, reach out to Tim Bracken today: 410-207-0013, or tbracken@loveandcompany.com.