As we publish new guides to senior living, we will be saving them to a new format that will be viewable online. We are currently integrating this into our website, but for now, here are a few examples:

Orange County, CA

Central & Western Massachusetts

Pittsburgh, PA

San Francisco Bay Area

South Florida

This is an added benefit to our advertisers & the end user, as it is another way in which the end user can get information on senior housing and care, which in turn gives our clients more impressions, links and leads.

Why Feedback and Filters are Necessary in Social Media

http://mashable.com/2010/06/20/feedback-filters-social-media/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29

We all know it’s good to write thank you notes in business, but come to find out, it can make you feel better too. So get writing…

http://www.realage.com/tips/get-happy-quickly-by-writing-one-of-these?eid=7194&memberid=15475168

How Does Google Feel About SEO Services

http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com/2010/05/25/google-seo-services/

Using Online Video in Marketing to Matures

http://www.creatingresults.com/knowledge/2010/06/17/understanding-the-types-and-goals-of-online-video/

Funny Bone Link – Guys, Are you expected to wear a tie to work? Then wear one with 2 functions.

http://www.pillowtie.com/index.php

Why is the senior care industry dominated by women? Is it because the caregiver role has historically fallen to women, so it has continued this path thru the growth and professionalization of the industry?

The wife has always cared for the children and the elderly parents, and beyond that, the nursing industry has always been dominated by women, so rather in home or in a senior care setting, the elderly are bound to be cared for mostly by women.

As the industry has grown, we have seen more men included, mostly on the corporate and business side of things, plus thru the services like dining, maintenance, transportation, etc… which are offered at many retirement & assisted living communities. And the influx of men into the field of nursing continues to grow.

Will the aging care industry continue to be dominated by women or will it one day even out? Does our society expect to be cared for by women? Does it make them more comfortable? Would a change be accepted?

I recently read a blog about mentors and I was inspired to write about my mentor and our founder, Les Blaser.

The post defined a mentor as “someone who has had a lasting effect on your career by shaping it in a significant way.”

Les introduced me to this industry which I have now been a part of for almost 15 years. He saw that a new college graduate from another industry had something to offer his company, so he brought me on board in 1995 to manage his new web site on senior housing & care. I asked if he was sending me back to school, because I didn’t know much about either topic. Les was a visionary! He had the foresight to realize this web thing was going to be big, and the upcoming baby boomers were going to use it to find senior housing & care, so he launched the New LifeStyles web site in 1995.

I had many dreams in mind for where my journalism degree would take me, and none included working with senior communities and care agencies. But Les brought me into his company/family and taught me about the industry. That was another area where Les was different. He treated his employees like family. He expected the most from you, but no more than he gave. He was there for you and expected the same of you. He was fair. He was very much a father figure and inspiration.

The post which inspired me also suggested a mentor had taught you fundamental principles that have stood the test of time, that you employ routinely, and that you dare not violate. And that you think about that mentor at some time during a normal week’s work.

Les taught me how to do business thoroughly, honestly and to the best of my ability. I not only think of him as I make sales calls (“Always make three points of contact”) and manage our web presence, but I still quote him as I’m making sales: “We are not a shot in the arm, but an IV drip… it takes some time to see results” and “I’ll take no for an answer, but I won’t take no answer”.

Les was a wonderful man and a visionary in the field. I owe him my successful career in a growing industry today. Thank you Les!

Sometimes we get busy, sometimes we get busier then the busy we were last week and sometimes we forget to write.  I apologize, we at New LifeStyles will try to keep the regular nature of our blog that we have achieved since its inception.  The good thing is that we are busy and from what we hear in the industry, you are very busy, too.

Things appear to be improving.   Companies are spending money on improvements for their residents and companies are investing in marketing projects.  Might be time for you to take some of those capital improvement and marketing dollars out from under your company mattress and spend them!

Be careful when you get busy, its a dangerous thing.   While you are being productive, landing clients, solving issues, installing plans, don’t forget to take time to reflect on what is going on and what needs to be done to ensure that this success happens in the future.

One thing that often gets lost in the shuffle is communication.   I attended a meeting for all the directors of one of clients yesterday.   They are a great group and were really absorbing information, asking great questions and creating an environment of innovation for all in attendance.   While you can’t put a value in it, this type of exercise is invaluable.  It empowers all involved in your organization, helps create a unified vision and leads to great ideas that get instituted.   Ideas that are borne out of a group consensus carry far greater value then those handed down independently by the leaders of a company.

So, even if you are busier then the busy you were when you were too busy to remember when you weren’t busy – take a deep breath, keep the communication channels open and don’t cut off the power of your team!

In a world where mediocrity seems to be the norm and great customer service is a thing of the past, opportunity has arisen.  The opportunity to impress people.  Those “wow” experiences are so few and far between, that we don’t expect them.  We expect ordinary, we expect just enough to get the job done.  We all have people in our office that far exceed that standard and they do it regularly.  And, the great thing is that others notice.  People take the time to let me know when somebody on the New LifeStyles’ team has made their day or made their life easier.

In the service industry, since the economy slowed a bit, I have seen signs of improved customer service.  Rental car companies and hotel chains can become commodities that can easily be replaced by similar products.  Many times, travelers only distinguish between car rental companies and hotels by price.  I had a couple of great experiences where the rental car people greeted me by name at every point, shook my hand and made sure the process was smooth, quick and pleasant.   That made an impact.  Hotels seem to be making a better effort, improving check in and check out procedures, adding some amenities, etc. 

What does this mean to you?  It means that improving the customer experience may have more effect on the sale then improving a product.  The first impression, the information exchange, the timeliness of response all can impress your potential clients.  If you make them call back, search for information and pry answers to their important questions out of your team, you are no better than the rest and the sale may already be lost.

This is an opportunity!   Spread the word to your team.  Incent them to “Super” Serve the Client.

-          Return information requests ASAP, listen to their needs, and look for ways to anticipate questions and provide the answers before they ask

-          Use handshakes, eye contact, names in all contact.  Build a relationship, show respect and commitment to their needs. 

-          Use this “super service” on current residents and clients.  They will talk about it with friends and family, leading to referrals.

-          Follow-up with people, don’t make them have to find you.  Let them know that you are a cut above and they aren’t dealing with ordinary, they are dealing with “great”.

Seize this opportunity and clients will follow (and stick around)!

It’s hot outside my window here at New LifeStyles.  June brings the start of summer, but things are very busy around here as we bring you ways to increase your leads pipeline and ultimately increase your census and client base.

• Digital versions of some of our guides are complete.   They will be available on our web site by the end of June.  All print advertisers are included and all links on your ads are hot to your site.
• Our online traffic is on the rise and searches throughout the country are increasing.  Make sure you are using this inexpensive avenue for increasing your web traffic.
• If you are interested in knowing more about both the print and online advertising options at New LifeStyles, we have an animated, interactive media kit  on our web site.  After reviewing everything available, you can contact us for closing deadlines, rates, statistics and more. 
• You can now add your brochure to your web information on our site.  Its downloadable by prospective clients and worth the small monthly fee.
• Need a web site?  Is your site getting a little stale or lacking traffic?  Contact Luke Jansen for a FREE review and analysis of your site.

June is the space reservation deadline for the following markets:

• Philadelphia – also covers the eastern third of Pennsylvania.
• Utah – focusing on Salt Lake City, Provo Ogden and all points in between.
• Dallas – if you aren’t in our Dallas guide, you are in the vast minority.  We cover our home market with an unbridled enthusiasm.
• Michigan – local sales director, based in Michigan is growing the guide and its distribution in a steady manner.
• Alabama – Whether is Montgomery, Mobile, Birmingham or any of the great cities in the state, people look to us for comprehensive information.
• Boston – New LifeStyles is all over Eastern Massachusetts with an extensive distribution network.
• Austin/San Antonio – One of our consistent growing markets, we feature new communities and businesses every edition.
• Kentucky – Louisville and Lexington anchor our coverage of the Blue Grass State.

New copies of our guide should be arriving for the following markets:

-          Los Angeles

-          New York Metro

-          St. Louis

-          New Jersey

-          Central Massachusetts

-          Orlando Chicago

For more information, contact us immediately!

New LifeStyles took 12 newly designed or re-designed website live in May.  To get the lastest information on our web design division, friend New LifeStyles on Facebook , connect with us on LinkedIn, or follow us on Twitter.

June will be a great month for us.  Let us help you make it a great marketing time for you.  Just give us a call or shoot us an e-mail.

 Doug

Memorial Day has passed, so according to a lot of people, summer has begun.  Things will slow down a bit, people will be distracted by keeping their kids busy for the summer and taking vacation, so it’s a tough time to accomplish major goals or projects.  Or is it?

Summer can be a good time to catch up on some of those “wish list” projects.  Maybe cleaning out the leads pipeline to make sure you are focusing on “active” leads and not having to sift through out of date leads.

It can also be a good time to review your internal processes in regards to working with leads and converting them to move-ins or business.

How can this be done?

-          Review the last couple summers and how the work flow changed.  Look at your staff and figure out where there might be some available capacity during this time of year.  Also, high school and college age kids of your team make great summer part timers.  (in most cases!)

-          Make a list of your secondary projects, those that are constantly on the backburner.

-          Match these projects with your available resources.

-          Sit down with your team, explain the project and its benefits to the company, get their input on the project and then give them the timeframe for completion.  Make sure to emphasize what duties take priority over these projects.

For some of us, things will not slow down during the summer.  That’s a good thing.  For others, things might slow down a bit, but lower staffing levels due to vacations may keep everyone busy covering for others.  But, if things do slow down a bit during the summer, you can take advantage of this time by planning ahead and taking projects off the shelf and getting them done.  This will have you more prepared when you look up and see that Labor Day weekend is already here and things are picking up!

Don’t let the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer impact take their toll on your company, plan ahead and keep your team focused.   df