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Category Archive: News

  1. Look at all the cool stuff happening in Montana!

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    As ILC celebrates its 60th Anniversary, expansion and renovation continues across the campus…

    Kalispell, Montana-based Immanuel Lutheran Communities opened the doors to The Retreat, its newly expanded leading-edge rehabilitative care center! Over 100 people attended ribbon-cutting festivities for the center which features a new Therapy Gym, Recreational Space, Dining Room and Guest Suites. The newly expanded Retreat gives older adults who’ve been hospitalized for an illness, surgery or injury an opportunity to recover in warm, healing environment. With the expansion, The Retreat has tripled in capacity, growing from 16 to 48 private suites. This innovative post-acute short-term recovery center features the latest in rehabilitation equipment, including the Flathead Valley’s only antigravity treadmill.

    Wooden Nickel RenderingILC is preparing for three big milestones in late June:  opening of the new Wooden Nickel Coffee Bar and Lounge plus the renovated Claremont Restaurant featuring a new reservation-only Steakhouse dining option; and opening of The Lodge at Buffalo Hill, a new memory care support center.  Construction continues for a 2018 opening of The Villas at Buffalo Hill, 36 fully-reserved apartments offered under a new entrance fee contract. Solutions Advisors, ILC’s marketing partner since June 2015, congratulates the staff, residents and board on these great accomplishments!

  2. The Solutions Advisors’ Team Grows Again

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    Solutions Advisors is pleased to announce the addition of two new team members, Melinda Stowe and Shannon Martin.

    Melinda ProfessionalMelinda Stowe, Sales Specialist, brings thirteen years of sales and marketing experience to Solutions Advisors.  As a sales trainer and coach, her experience will help Solutions Advisors meet the increased demand for interim sales assistance and sales coaching.

     

    ShannonShannon Martin joins Solutions Advisors’ Richmond office as Account Manager. Shannon comes to Solutions Advisors with more than 15 years of experience in integrated marketing and has managed accounts in many industries such as healthcare, education, tourism, retail and many others. Welcome aboard!

  3. 49 Move-ins in 1 Month!

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    Gonda.logoAlready on record as the quickest timeframe for attaining 70% pre-sales in the state of California (verified by Cain Brothers), Fountainview at Gonda Westside in west Los Angeles has achieved yet another milestone: 49 move-ins in one month!

    Gensler_Gonda_Ext01_smallLocated in Playa Vista, a new walkable urban community on the west side of Los Angeles, Fountainview at Gonda Westside is a shiny new glass-enclosed tower featuring views of downtown LA and the Santa Monica mountains. A roof top swimming pool, spa and fitness center are just a few of the many outstanding features of this ultra-modern and luxurious community.  Apartments are loaded with contemporary features such as granite countertops, glass-tiled back splashes, upmarket stainless steel appliances, rainfall showerheads and more. A state-of-the-art theatre, light-filled art studio and trendy wine bar are some of the community’s many stylish amenities.

    A steaming hot housing market in LA resulted in many depositors selling their homes within days or weeks of putting them on the market. Yet a delay in obtaining the certificate of occupancy caused a backlog of depositors anxious to move in. As a result, all throughout February and March it was ‘all hands on deck’ as the sales team, department heads and management worked tirelessly into the evenings and over weekends to move-in as many as possible and as smoothly as possible. In March alone, 49 residents were moved in, a near-Herculean effort! To date, 80 residents have settled into their new home with more to come!

    Solutions Advisors was first retained in November 2012 to provide marketing and sales management for this planned 175-apartment luxury community sponsored by the LA Jewish Home. Within 11 months of opening of the sales center, the community was 70% pre-sold. Solutions Advisors continued sales and marketing management throughout the project’s construction, partnering with the sales team to achieve 100% pre-sales and a waiting list of over 50 households.

  4. Age at move-in drops at one community, yes, really…

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    The holy grail of senior living marketing is to get younger prospects to move into your community. At Applewood, a Life Plan Community in Freehold, New Jersey, the average age of recent move-ins has dropped four years, from 87 to 83, since 2014. What’s more, the number of couples moving in has quadrupled over that same time period. What’s the secret sauce?

    Eric Eichhorst, Applewood’s Director of Sales and Marketing, credits a more strategic approach to events and more targeted direct mail for driving a younger crowd to Applewood, “and younger typically means more couples.” Solutions Advisors has provided marketing and sales consulting to Applewood for two years with a focus on sales, brand positioning and strategic events that showcase the community’s Engaged Living program. Along with creating more targeted and contemporary-looking direct mail pieces, collateral materials and website, Solutions Advisors helped the sales team transition from transactional selling to a philosophy which focuses on the prospect’s stage of readiness. The switch to Sherpa CRM helped to reinforce this change in selling style. Sherpa helps the team keep track of quality measures like the prospect’s stage of readiness to move, time spent in the selling zone and advances rather than just the number of tasks completed.

    In addition to drawing a younger resident, year-end results showed an increase in initial inquiries from 139 in 2014 to 725 in 2016, resulting in 236 initial tours, 58 deposits and 37 move-ins for 2016. Applewood’s forward momentum was further advanced by a floor-to-ceiling redesign of community spaces, new outdoor amenities and a commitment to culinary excellence through its innovative Culinary Institute of Applewood program.

  5. Improved conversion rates result in increased move-ins

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    At two Mid-West communities, increased conversion ratios resulted in more move-ins. At Wesley Willows in Rockford, Illinois where Solutions Advisors has provided sales and marketing consulting since March 2016, the inquiry to move-in conversion ratio increased from 12% to 15% resulting in 52 total move-ins for 2016, ten more than the prior year’s total. At Peterson Meadows, Wesley Willow’s sister community, the inquiry to move-in conversion rate doubled, from 3.5% to 7%, resulting in 11 move-ins the first quarter of 2016, surpassing the total number of move-ins for all of 2015.

    The inquiry to move-in ratio is an indicator of both the quality of leads generated as well as follow up strategies. Good communities should be able to achieve an inquiry to move-in ratio of 6% or higher.  Often this ratio can be improved with creative follow up strategies as well as with prospect-centered selling which focuses on the individual prospect’s stage of readiness.

  6. Holiday Doldrums? Not at The Clare

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    At The Clare, Chicago’s preeminent retirement community, the holidays were anything but dull. At a time when most communities experience slow sales, The Clare was hopping with 10 deposits and 9 move-ins in December alone.  The year-end goal of 42 move-ins was exceeded by five resulting in an ending occupancy of 198 or 80%.  Solutions Advisors has provided marketing and sales consulting to The Clare since July 2014, providing strategic marketing planning and creative strategies including new collaterals and new website.  Since July 2014, average move-ins per month more than doubled from 1.7 to 3.9, and inquiry to move-in conversion ratios jumped from 2% to 20% in December for an average 5% for the year.

  7. Could your sales and marketing use a tune up?

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    Senior living community failures don’t happen suddenly, rather, there’s usually a gradual slide into complacency that leads to eroding occupancy.  Solutions Advisors offers a sales and marketing assessment that can help get your sales back on track and motivate the team to succeed and jump start your marketing efforts. A sales and marketing assessment is a useful diagnostic tool and a way to tune up your sales and marketing systems.

    From a Sales Perspective:
    Solutions Advisors’ experienced sales consultants look behind the scenes and dig into your database to examine key indicators to determine where sales performance needs to improve.  From these key indicators, we find areas that need focus, for example:

    • Is the team spending enough time in the selling zone?
    • Are you getting enough qualified leads?
    • Are repeat tours exceeding initial tours?

    The assessment looks at how your community stacks up against your closest competitors from a product, service and pricing standpoint.  Mystery shops assess sales effectiveness: what areas need improvement? Is the sales person doing adequate discovery or simply ‘feature dumping?” Are they advancing the sale to the next phase?

    From a Marketing Perspective
    A review of your marketing budget determines whether marketing dollars can be spent more effectively. A technical and qualitative analysis of your website demonstrates how well your digital marketing strategies are performing.  A critique of collateral and promotional materials looks at whether your brand is communicated clearly and consistently.

    At Solutions Advisors we approach each assessment differently based on the unique challenges of your community. We hone messaging to more accurately target your customer and help position or reposition your community for success.  Would you like to identify potential areas of opportunity for improved occupancy? Learn how a sales and marketing assessment can help your community. Call Solutions Advisors at 888-312-0889.

     

  8. Financial Advisors – Friend or Foe?

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    “Investing in a CCRC may be the biggest financial decision a senior will make during retirement.  For help evaluating your decision, be sure to work with an advisor who is familiar with the financials associated with CCRCs.”

    As a sales person for a CCRC/Life Plan Community, does that statement strike fear in your heart? Or do you welcome financial advisors as part of the sales process? Perhaps a little of both, according to James Ciprich, CFP, a wealth advisor for Regent Atlantic. Ciprich works with clients who are considering a Life Plan Community and asking financial questions like, “Can I afford this community?” and “What impact will this have on my long term financial goals?”

    Ciprich happens to be a fan of Life Plan Communities and understands the potential benefits they can provide, but also cautions his clients to ask good questions, not just about the services and amenities available, but also about the community’s financial health. He offers five areas he believes retirees should research to determine the financial strength and sustainability of a community. READ MORE

    1. Ask to see financials
    2. Talk to the CFO to learn more about operating revenues, bond debt ratings
      and net worth
    3. Learn about the endowment
    4. Ask about occupancy rates
    5. Research expansion plans

    These are not topics a typical sales person would likely venture into willingly – but if a prospect comes armed with these questions, are you totally transparent about your financial information and can you help find answers? Moreover, have you made an effort to reach out to the financial advisors in your area to help educate them about the advantages of a Life Plan Community? In turn, a financial planner can help you understand the many tax implications of a life care or fee for service contract so that you can be better prepared to address these questions and concerns in the future.

  9. Welcome our Solutions Advisors newest Team Members!

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    We are excited to announce and welcome the most recent additions to the Solutions Advisors team:

    Polly-2016-croppedPolly Karling, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing
    Polly brings to Solutions Advisors more than 16 years of experience in senior living sales and marketing.  She specializes in working alongside teams at the community level to identify opportunities and challenges and to promote teamwork to achieve occupancy goals. Polly’s strengths include strategic thinking and relationship building, with an emphasis on team education and development. Her experience includes working in all senior living lifestyles: CCRC, independent living, assisted living and memory care settings for regional and national providers. Read full bio here…

     

    AnnBowe-croppedAnn Bowe, Vice President
    Ann brings 20 years of sales and marketing as well as operations experience in the senior living industry to Solutions Advisors. She is a results oriented professional who works to build a strong relationship between the operations and sales and marketing teams to drive results. She has a solid track record in working with challenged communities. She also has a successful track record with start-up communities.

     

    Christie Aldana_croppedChristie Aldana, Account Manager
    Christie Aldana has 20 years of marketing industry experience, with a focus on direct marketing to consumers. Before coming to Solutions Advisors, Christie served in roles as Marketing Manager, Account Manager and Budget Control for different capacities of marketing including direct mail, general advertising and promotional sales. Categories of clients included finance, automobile, cable and community banks.

     

    KristiHuddy-croppedKristi Huddy, Account Manager
    Kristi Huddy has 7 years of experience working in the marketing industry. Kristi brings a varied background of marketing experience to the Solutions Advisors team including working with an IT firm and in college recruitment. Her focus has been on developing, executing and reporting on digital strategies. Specifically, in strategies to develop and nurture leads through the sales process.

  10. Welcome Ann Bowe, new Vice President!

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    Ann Bowe-croppedAnn brings 20 years of sales and marketing as well as operations experience in the senior living industry to Solutions Advisors. She is a results oriented professional who works to build a strong relationship between the operations and sales and marketing teams to drive results. She has a solid track record in working with challenged communities. She also has a successful track record with start-up communities.

    Prior to joining Solutions Advisors, Ann began her senior living career with Sunrise Senior Living. She was one of the first Directors of Sales and Marketing who was promoted to an Executive Director Role. Her success continued as she was promoted to a Regional Manager of Sales and Marketing where she was able to utilize the combined sales and marketing and operations experience to enable her communities to have a clear vision for overall success. She had oversight of 11 communities and the successful on boarding of 2 acquisitions. She completed the Train the Trainer program and was also involved in several advisory committees. Coaching and developing and training are a significant part of Ann’s success.

    She most recently rounded out her career as the Executive Director of Heritage Commons. An independent senior living community and a start-up project. She was responsible for the overall leadership of the community and successfully developed and implemented the marketing strategies for this community during the economic downturn.

  11. Welcome New Team Members!

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    We are excited to announce and welcome the most recent additions to the Solutions Advisors team:

    Cathy-croppedCathy Hilbush, Senior Healthcare Finance Consultant

    With over 30 years of total financial experience, including over 25 years experience in various healthcare finance capacities, Cathy brings unique expertise to the Solutions Advisors team. Cathy has over fifteen years of experience as a lender to the long- term care industry.

    Michael-croppedMichael Holtzclaw, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing

    Michael is a results-driven strategist with more than 20 years of experience implementing and heading sales operations and strategic direction. Efficiency, expediency and strategy are the hallmarks of Michael’s selling style which was first honed in his position as Admiral’s Aide in the U.S. Navy, serving in Washington, D.C., and later at a NATO base in Naples, Italy.

    Jessica-croppedJessica Fogg, Vice President

    Jessica brings more than 22 years of sales and marketing experience in the senior living industry to Solutions Advisors. She is a results-driven professional with a strong record in training, developing, and executing marketing and sales programs.

    Kendall-croppedKendall Jamison, Senior Operations Consultant

    Kendall Jamison possesses over thirty years’ experience in the senior housing and healthcare industries, having successfully managed more than $700 million in assets in thirteen different states throughout the country.

    Lisa-croppedLisa Jenkins, Project Manager

    Lisa brings more than 20 years of Project and Traffic Management to the Retiring by Design team, including 14 years in senior housing marketing and research.