Know-How Exchange : Strategy

I'd remind them that marketing is everything they do-- and as marketing manager you'd review the facility as a whole. You'd review how the curb appeal of the facility, to how they answer the phones.

When a call is incoming, you'd pay special attention on building a system so that lead is captured. In most sales, leads should only do one of 3 things-- close, postpone or choose someone else. In your biz, if they are making the call-- its doubtful they'll postpone. In biz too many leads evaporate. They just get lost. You will focus on no leads evaporating.

With a prior consulting client, we prepared non commercial presentations that we took to chambers, VFW's etc. Everyone in those rooms will eventually have to make a decision on this type of care. Our presenations were on insurance coverage, vet benefits, etc.

We did some great open houses. We did aloha night, bingo, you can do a theme for every season.

The marketing managers got out and made calls. They called on doc's (geriatric medicine) presenting the facility and leaving referral brochures. They called on the case workers in hospitals-- building a list to send weekly faxes of available beds. One of the worst wastes of time for caseworkers is referring someone to a booked facility.

Hope that helps, Carol
Sell Well and Prosper tm

Keep clear to whom you need to market. In addition to the medical community that makes recommendations, many families make these decisions without having had a particular medical event to precipitate someone's move to a retirement, assisted care, or nursing home. So the person himself or herself who is slowly needing more help, the family, current care-givers, and even neighbors are often part of the discussion.

The most important two elements are affordability (that doesn't mean cheap, but only how to cover the costs) and trust. Marketing to the person and their extended family must be based onb what they are most worried about.

Keep it simple. Remember that the key focus of marketing is the customer. As a marketer, it's your objective to help recruit, attract and retain customers. Think of that as your central theme and let your ideas flow from there.

The way that marketers accomplish the goal of recruiting, attracting and retaining customers is by effectively communicating in a way that is meaningful and relevant to your target audience through communications channels that customers use to get information from.

Just remember the basics and go from there. You don't need to try and sound like you're a Phd. Communicate in simple terms. Because if you cannot, you'll raise doubts as to your effectiveness as a marketing. After all the best marketers are great communicators.
Good luck!

I have only one word for you: empathy.

If you can feel it towards your target audience, that will equip you to give all the right answers, both to your potential employers and eventually to the people whose needs your employers seek to fulfil.

Some homework might help.

Hope this is useful. Good luck!

Ask them what they've done - what's worked (and hasn't). What ideas do they have? Being a marketing manager means listening to others a lot, thinking, then doing.

Good luck!

If you get the job, I know of a web design firm that offers a special package for assisted living facilities called LifeSites (www.getlifesites.com) that may be worth checking out, depending on the marketing plan and budget.