Conduct entrance checks. Be sure to frequently inspect the perimeter of your building to assure there is curb appeal. Don’t enter the building through the same door every time—you want to be sure each entrance is appealing. If a visitor inadvertently enters through a staff door, stale smoke from cigarettes and emptied food wrappers is an uninviting scene.

Take a gander and a whiff. When you’re subjected to a smell day in and day out, you become immune to it. Ask friends or trusted visitors their opinions about your facility. Does it smell clean? Look clean? Avoid air fresheners like pines and florals, which indicate more masking of odors, and use clean scents like linen and citrus.

Gather information first. Understanding the needs and wants of the client prior to conducting the tour will help you frame your program positively and point out all the features that would make your home a great place in which to live. When a prospect or family member arrives for a tour, after a warm greeting and an offer of a beverage, they should be placed in a private room to wait for the tour conducting staff member. Never make someone wait long. Then take the time to learn about the client—you’ll want to highlight pertinent features during the tour. For example, if the client is unsteady, point out that there are handrails on every wall, walk-in showers, and other fall-minimizing features.

Have marketing packets ready to go. When an inquiry is received, have a packet which includes lead cards, brochures, floor plans, pricing lists, newsletters, activity calendars, and competitive features ready to be given out. Don’t forget to include a business card with the director’s name and phone number.

Use visual cues. Use visual cues to remind yourself of important features to share while conducting tours. For instance, the thermostat on the wall should remind you that each room has separate heating and cooling controls, so residents can maintain their environment at a level that is comfortable for them. Use the window in the activity room overlooking the preschool to tell people about the inter-generational activities you conduct with your young neighbors. The nurse’s office should serve as a reminder to reinforce the quality care that you provide 24 hours a day. Use the keypad at the entrance to reinforce that you are a safe place for seniors, free from unwanted intruders.

Amenities vs. Benefits So you have a whirlpool. That’s nice, but wouldn’t it be more appealing if you thought of the effects a bubble bath can have on a person? Point out that this activity not only maintains healthy skin, but it also relieves stress and tension. The exercise room and the walking club provide physical wellbeing, but it also helps to maintain mobility, independence, and provides opportunity for social activity. Showcasing your amenities is a huge marketing tool. This is the time to elaborate.

Visit satisfied residents Satisfied residents are your best marketing tools. It also gives a potential resident an opportunity to connect with someone who lives with you. That gives the person touring the sense that they have already made a friend. Imagine that one of your residents asks a visitor if he or she likes to read and then advises, “Well, that’s too bad, because if you move here, you won’t have time to read. There’s too much going on!” What a great testimony to your activities program and your ability to engage residents in meaningful activities.

Create a sense of urgency Ethical marketing is central in efforts to build a positive image for your program. Never tell a customer a lie, but find creative ways to create a sense of urgency and sell prospects on the benefits of choosing you as their new home. Prospects and family members may ask, “How many empty apartments do you have?” You can simply respond, “I have three apartments I can show you today.” While you may have many empty apartments, you don’t necessarily want prospects to know that. Choose a few apartments that you think would be most appealing, based on the needs of the client. For instance, a resident with mobility issues may want to be close to the dining room. A resident who taught school for many years might like the apartment with a view of the elementary school. Dragging prospects through every empty apartment can be exhausting, and it can create a sense that your program might not be such a great place to live if you have so many vacancies. It will also be difficult to procure a reservation check if the client goes away thinking there will be plenty of time to choose an apartment later.

Wrap up is important End the tour where you began and let the family talk about the positive feelings they have and answer any questions that may arise. Offer to hold an apartment for a reservation fee. You want to assure families that you do not intend to pressure them into a decision. On the other hand, you want to create a sense of urgency, or the feeling that the apartment mom loved may not necessarily be there in another month. The reservation check can be returned if the prospect decides not to move in, but an interest in holding an apartment tells you that he/she is very close to making a decision. Pay them a follow-up phone call in a week or two, just to see if they have additional questions and to get a sense of how close they are to making a final decision.

Teach staff to conduct effective tours While guests always enjoy meeting management, caring, well spoken, dedicated staff members can give some of the most effective tours. Provide in-service training on conducting effective tours to all staff members. The director will not always be available, and it is unacceptable to turn a guest away because there are no staff members available who are comfortable giving a tour. Do not give up your teaching efforts until every staff member could give an effective tour if called upon, but don’t be afraid to identify staff members who give really great tours and ask them to take the lead. By trusting employees to conduct tours, you are empowering them to play a part in making their business successful.

Offer a parting gift You want them to remember you, so be sure to send them on their way with a useful and attractive “parting gift”. For just a few dollars you can compile a gift basket filled with treats. It is a thoughtful and easy thing to do, and it will surely make you memorable.