I'm sitting hear at the desk in the Guest Room of one of my client's communities working on my upcoming seminar, and I'm working on the issue of Overcoming the Price Objection. As I think about all of the discounting I'm seeing today in the senior living business, including Independent Living and Assisted Living, I'm hoping that the senior living industry does not follow the auto industry into the "cash rebate debacle" that has so damaged the auto industry. If our sales people don't learn how to sell value and have the skills and determination to learn the skills of selling at your fair price, the "easy sell" of giving away the store will ruin this industry, as it looks like might happen to the US auto industry. Our leaders should work as hard on training their sales people and their ED's and General Managers on how to sell at fair prices as they do on figuring out what discount to offer! What do you think?

Labels: Senior Living Discounting = Auto Rebates?

Is now really the best time for seniors to move to a senior living community?

I recently heard several people confirm what I've been saying about why now is the best time to move for several reasons, including:

Homes are not appreciating, and in many areas they are still depreciating, so the "my home is going up in value” is no longer a valid excuse, and with depreciation, the cost of owning the home is now more than just the upkeep costs, but is also the depreciation costs.

There will be fewer new communities opening in the next few years, therefore, there will be less new supply for a continuing increasing demand, which means availability will decline while prices will start going up. Seniors should get in now while prices are reasonable. In fact, with so much discounting going on and so many incentives available now, they should really consider the move now.

In these uncertain times, just how safe is it for seniors to be alone in their homes? We don't want to use scare tactics, but now more than ever it may be safer to live in a more secure environment.

What do you think about this perspective?