Follow-Up Phone Calls

They strike fear into the hearts of giants. Most salespeople avoid them or blast through them as quickly as possible to check off their daily goals. This can result in the loss of many potential sales.

Hamlyn Senior Marketing would like to share a script example that gives a few pointers to making a successful follow-up call that nurtures leads, identifies hot and warm prospects and results in a next action to advance each lead.

Download the script here or read below:

Follow-up phone calls. They strike fear into the hearts of giants. Most salespeople avoid them or blast through them as quickly as possible to check off their daily call goals. This can result in the loss of many potential sales.

The fact is that very few people who request information about your community or come to an event will reach out to you afterwards. “It’s always your next move,” said Napoleon Hill, one of the first self-help gurus nearly a century ago. And how well your sales team follows up is key to meeting your community’s sales goals or falling short.

The script example below gives a few pointers to making a successful follow-up call that nurtures leads, identifies hot and warm prospects and results in a next action to advance each lead:

POST-EVENT SALES SCRIPT

Note: The Detailed Discovery Questions are not all intended to be used, but as a menu to assist with the follow-up call.

Good morning/afternoon, Mr./Mrs_______(prospect name). My name is______. I am calling with (name of community) to thank you for attending our ________event on ______day. We are very excited with the interest and participation! I am also interested to learn what did you enjoy the most about the event? What did you find to be most helpful with your planning? What perhaps would you suggest we add or change to the event for our planning?

INITIAL DISCOVERY (CURRENT SITUATION/COMPETITION )

• When did you begin looking into retirement living communities?

• What prompted you to begin looking?

• What challenges are you being faced with that you would like to change?

• Where else have you been looking, and what communities have you visited?

The next step in your research would be for us to schedule a personal appointment/visit so we can review what is most important to you with your retirement living goals, such as lifestyle, home type, value and securing your future. First, let me learn a little more about you and your interests, so when we meet, I can really focus on these key items with you…

DETAILED DISCOVERY (EXAMPLES)

INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE/HOT BUTTONS:

• What is most important to you about choosing a retirement community?—prompt: amenities, types of homes, services, continuum of care, financial and health care security, etc.

• Tell me about what an ideal “day-in-the-life” might look like to you.

• What are your interests and hobbies? What are you no longer doing that you may want to get back into, or would you like to try something new?

DECISION MAKER:

• Who else will be involved in this research with you? How will they be supporting you in this decision?

• Who will be the final decision maker?

TIMELINE:

• What is your timeline for looking to make a move?

• When would you like to begin enjoying this wonderful lifestyle and securing your future?

FINANCIAL:

There are two necessary items related to moving to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC): health—being able to live independently and enjoy the active retirement community lifestyle and amenities; second is the financial qualifier—so we can help you secure your future and remove any worries as a person’s abilities may change over time and supportive services can be added. So it is standard procedure for us to review some general financial information…

From your understanding with visiting/researching other CCRCs/retirement communities, what are your financial goals as they relate to the pricing structure of those you have researched?

If no prior knowledge of CCRC fee structure: Point out the reason to schedule a personal appointment to review the many options that could best meet your financial and lifestyle goals…

FINANCIAL PRE-QUALIFYING QUESTIONS:

INCOME:

• What is your vocational background? Did you receive a pension? What does that represent?

• What does your social security represent monthly?

ASSETS:

• What type of house do you have?—How long have your lived there?—Do you have a mortgage? What would you assess the house value to be?

• What types of other assets do you have: annuities, CDs, other investments, etc.

CLOSING / NEXT STEPS:

1. As we discussed, the best next step would be for us to schedule a personal visit, so we can better review the amenities, lifestyle, home choices and pricing options. Provide two choices: I have ____day at ___time or ____day at ____time, what will work best for your schedule?

2. If “No” to personal appointment: We have another exciting event coming up on ____date and ____time—give brief overview of the event/program with related value/benefits to prospect—Which event would be most helpful with your research and/or what date works best for your schedule?

3. If “No” to events: What information do you feel would be helpful for you at this time for your research and planning?—confirm what will be sent and date/time for follow-up call— agreed by prospect.

4. If “No” to information: Agree on a follow-up call to keep informed of updates and events, with specific date and time of day.

To learn how Hamlyn can help you, call Cathy Martin, President, 856-857-0800 or email: Marketing@HamlynMarketing.com