What makes the best senior living salespeople “the best”? Are they the ones who close over 50% of their appointments? Are they the ones who stay late every evening to be sure all follow-up calls are completed? Possibly. But I believe there’s a lot more to it. In my 18+ years of experience, the best salespeople I knew were the ones who truly listened to their prospects… who cared and who genuinely wanted what was best for the people they served. They were the ones who the prospect and family trusted, and who spent time understanding their true challenges and needs.  They weren’t afraid to ask the hard questions. So, how can we help our sales teams gain trust, ask the right questions, and rise to the top? Why… data, of course.

Think about your CRM. Think about all the leads within it that are missing important pieces of information. Demographics like age, net worth, home value, presence of a third person in the home… these pieces of information are crucial to unlocking the secrets that are key to moving your leads forward. Knowing the background of your leads can not only direct you to what type of senior living home would fit their budget, but it allows your sales team to focus on building a relationship with their lead without interrogating them in what is already a sensitive situation.

For example, knowing your lead has an adult child living in her home could dramatically change the direction of the next conversation. Instead of focusing on the benefits of the new wellness center, the salesperson can begin to ask questions about what, or WHO, may pose a challenge to making the move. Uncovering these obstacles early can speed up the decision-making process significantly, in turn, allowing the salesperson to create trust with that lead. And ultimately, serve that lead in her best interest.

How can you access this information without asking your leads a laundry list of uncomfortable questions? Your data company can perform a cleanse and append on your CRM. Data appends are like gold for salespeople. The more you know, the faster you can reveal the true reasons for wanting to move… and the true hesitations. Help your sales team make the most of their time and the time of their leads–give them the tools to have the right conversations… the conversations that will make them the best.