The event featured three special guests who brought a wealth of experience and knowledge: Pat Robertson from Upshot Recruiting, Sheri Kaley, Vice President of Sales at Sun Health, and Brooke Scott, Vice President of Sales at Sinai Residences.
Innate vs. trainable abilities in senior living sales recruiting
Pat Robertson, a recruiter who focuses on placing sales, marketing, operational and strategic leaders, discussed looking for certain innate abilities, such as resilience, communication, curiosity and competitive drive — all essential traits for good senior living salespeople that are difficult to teach and often reflect a candidate’s natural approach to sales.
On the other hand, he encouraged sales leaders to be open to trainable skills, such as product knowledge, sales process mastery, negotiation techniques and market awareness, which can be developed through coaching and hands-on experience. Pat emphasized the importance of finding candidates with strong innate abilities and the capacity to learn trainable skills quickly. He also highlighted several red flags to avoid when screening senior living sales candidates, such as an inability to handle rejection, lack of enthusiasm, poor listening skills and a poor attitude.
Rewarding performance for senior living sales retention
Next, Sheri Kaley, who joined Sun Health last year after a 10-year career at Five Star Senior Living, shared her experience in initiating a sales transformation at Sun Health. She discussed the need to realign the commission structure to eliminate complacency and reward performance that directly contributes to company goals. Sheri implemented title changes, a tiered commission structure and a team bonus system to foster collaboration and create a supportive team atmosphere. She also provided advice for those considering replacing a salesperson due to performance issues, emphasizing the importance of clear communication, documentation and compassion.
Motivating sales teams
Brooke Scott, a nearly 20-year senior living veteran, provided her perspective on retaining and motivating sales teams. She highlighted the importance of creating a fun and supportive work environment, where team members feel appreciated and recognized for their efforts. Brooke shared her belief that people work for a manager, not a company, and stressed the significance of group incentives and a culture of sales recognition beyond the sales team.
The event concluded with an audience Q&A session, where participants had the opportunity to ask questions and engage in open discussions. Questions included topics such as finding candidates from outside the senior living industry, unique compensation or rewards to motivate employees and strategies for retaining high-performing salespeople. The session provided valuable insights and practical advice for attendees to take back to their organizations.
What’s next
The first session of Insight Ignite! was a resounding success, offering a wealth of knowledge and practical advice on senior living sales recruiting and retention. The event fostered a sense of community and collaboration, leaving participants feeling inspired and equipped with new strategies to tackle their sales challenges.
As the series continues, it promises to be an invaluable resource for clients and partners looking to enhance their skills and expand their networks. This is an exclusive perk of being a client and partner of Creating Results, but if you’re interested in joining us for the next one, email Katie Beaver at Katie@CreatingResults.com