Mr. Rogers was right. In a 1999 interview, (excerpt here) speaking about how to respond to chaos and catastrophes, he said his mom told him to “always look for the helpers.” Because helpers give us hope. That was excellent advice then, and for senior living sales marketing teams today. They know uncertainty of any kind in personal finances, private lives, or any other area causes their leads and sales volumes to slow down.
A Reality Check
Are you seeing more prospects hesitant to raise their hand or make a major decision about the next chapter of their lives? Did you know the housing market is seeing more sellers than buyers, and both sides are more willing to walk away from a deal? We’re seeing a 9-month low in sales during the market’s busiest season. That’s important information for your sales team. Because selling the family home is sometimes necessary before moving into independent living.
Senior living is also facing an audience determined to stay and age in their homes. Only 17% of homeowners say they have or plan to sell their home during retirement according to a 2024 Fannie Mae survey. When you add it all up, the current climate means you can’t afford a blanket marketing approach unless you have an unlimited budget. If only! The rest need to reconsider their marketing strategy. How? By finding the planners in your audience. And the right helper can do just that to change your outcomes.
Recast Your Role
If COVID taught us anything, it taught us how to pivot. Those who took a chance and tried new strategies emerged in a better position, in terms of occupancy, than those who stayed with the tried-and-true templates. Looking back, it’s clear that success requires marketing teams to truly understand the market and their custom audience. The COVID audience showed up online, demolishing the myth that seniors were technologically inept. But that was then; success today means going beyond the digital experience. Today, if you want to succeed, you need to make a difference in the lives of your prospects.
You need to be the helper they may not know they need.
Your target audience is inundated with lunch-and-learn invitations. Don’t believe me? Take a minute to search for free senior living lunch and learn events [your location] August 2025. My search for Charlotte, NC, turned up dozens of these events. Now multiply that by 12 months. Year over year. No wonder there’s such a low response rate to your invitation. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Become a Helper
One community had a better idea, one that positioned them as a helper. They offered an experiential event featuring a chef’s demonstration. BUT the event wasn’t a one-and-done kind of thing. The sales team took the next step without waiting for a response from their audience. They dropped off a basket containing the ingredients from that demo on the porches of attendees. That action showed they were the helpers, giving attendees the ability to make something yummy. Those drop-offs became an opportunity for a one-on-one chat. Simple. Effective. Authentic connections, which is the goal of every event.
We know more changes for senior living lie ahead. And we know our target audience takes pride in being disruptors. Your audience is looking for the helpers, looking for allies who can offer smart solutions. They need to know your community is the right solution to their unvoiced problem.
To cut through the noise of TV, social media, and mainstream media, you need to capture the attention of your audience. Help them see you as the helper they need. And that begins by seeing Sabal Strategy as the helper you need. I’d love to chat with you about how we can make that happen. Just give me a call or send Maribeth an email. Because helping you succeed is why we’re here.
