Senior living sales is an inherently human endeavor. The decision to move into a community can be one of the most emotional choices a family will ever make. Your sales team needs to be in the center of that discussion, being the human face to the process, dealing with everyone involved with empathy and understanding.
To some, including artificial intelligence in that process may seem in conflict. But, in fact, artificial intelligence can be used to free your sales team of mundane tasks and allow them more time to build the relationships and have the right conversations, at the right time, with prospects, their family members, and their influencers.
Here are four ways artificial intelligence can help.
1. Data over intuition
Your sales teams have an idea of what matters to seniors, their family members and referrers. They use experience and intuition to decide which prospects to reach out to, when, how, and with what messaging.
But the problem with this is that it’s not based on facts. AI allows sales professionals to base their decisions on data. And by focusing on data, decisions and choices will be more accurate. This is particularly powerful when the facts – like whether and how quickly your emails are being read – aren’t immediately visible to the sales team. AI can track and mine this data and translate it into recommended next steps.
2. A clearer picture of prospects
Not only will you be able to better target your customers with AI, but you’ll also be able to better understand them. Artificial intelligence can give you a wealth of information about your prospects and what they’re interested in.
AI can pull data from various sources, including the prospect’s online activity, comparisons with prior residents, and observed behavior, and condense it into a clearer picture.
3. More time for relationship building
Time with a prospect and their family member is the ultimate goal. Time with referrers, educating them about your community, generates leads for tomorrow. Time with other team members builds camaraderie and a better appreciation for what makes your community special. Time with current residents makes for a happier community and more referrals.
But, today, 40% of time spent on sales work activities can be automated. Artificial intelligence could free up almost half of a sales professional’s time.
The time sales professionals spend on tasks like prospecting, finding qualified leads, managing leads, processing transactions and other mundane tasks will now be spent focusing on relationships.
4. Shorter sales cycle
With more information on prospects, sales professionals can expect the sales process to go a lot smoother in the future.
Lead generation and qualifying will be automated, which will give sales professionals a head start. You’ll no longer need to start from scratch. Artificial intelligence will give you the boost you need to push the prospect through the funnel faster. Speed to lead can be measured in seconds, not days, with automated, personalized responses and follow up.
With less time spent on administrative tasks and many tasks automated, sales professionals will be freed to focus more on closing. They’ll be better able to nurture a lead and get them closer to moving in faster.
Finally, with a better understanding of the best prospects, referrer development can be focused on prospective residents most likely to move-in.
Artificial intelligence can unlock incredible potential in your sales team, making for a better experience with your community. To discuss how artificial intelligence can help your senior living operations leap into the future, please reach out.
