Order-taker or marketeer?

WE MUST DECIDE WHETHER WE ARE ORDER-TAKERS OR PROactive marketeers. If you address marketplace realities, you can convert a largely passive sales and marketing program into results-oriented success strategies. To do this, you must respond to deadly senior consumer misconceptions and communicate effectively with frustrated and ill-informed adult children. (See "Back to school: Your growth lies in educating the public about LTC options," September 2000 CLTC, page 28.)

Here's what an exchange between a mother and daughter might read like: "Kim, I appreciate your concern, but that assisted living brochure from The Gardens looks like just a glorified nursing home to me. Besides, when it's time, Medicare will cover all of the costs of a nursing home as long as I need it. If not, there's Medicaid. I'm sure it's all covered.

"The Gardens will probably raise its prices as soon as I move in. Besides, there's no way that I could afford $2,500 a month; my current cost of living is only about $700 a month."

Kim responds, "Mom, your Medicare covers only skilled nursing care costs under very specific conditions or an extremely limited time period. The Medicaid coverage would not apply unless you have spent down essentially all of your savings, including the sale of your home. The cost of institutional nursing care, compared with The Gardens, is about 25 percent higher.

"The Gardens has told us its inflation is not unlike the cost-of-living increases that we all experience with food, utilities, real estate taxes, and insurance. And, Mom, I looked at your bills: when you factor in real estate taxes, home repairs, insurance premiums, and other bills--which are not paid every month--you're paying more like $2,000 per month!"

Seniors and their families have misconceptions, but so do many dedicated industry professionals. We've got to anticipate the type of conversation that we just eavesdropped on between Kim and her mother, and respond to those misconceptions early in the sales and marketing process.

Jim Moore is president of Moore Diversified Services, a Fort Worth, Texas-based seniors housing and health care consulting firm, and author of Assisisted Living 2000.