SENIOR LIVING SALES AND COVID-19 - A 2021 Industry Survey BROUGHT TO YOU BY
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SENIOR LIVING SALES AND COVID-19 A 2021 Industry Survey BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Sales are a vital part of the senior living industry. It’s how we drive occupancy and support our communities to
provide services that improve and enrich the lives of residents. The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously impacted lead
volumes and demanded a new approach to the way that we measure success and achieve results.
In-person home visits and tours became impossible with restrictions brought on by the pandemic. Executive
directors, who can and should play a key role in the sales process, found that they needed to spend more time
ensuring the health and safety of their communities. But this new selling environment also created opportunities
for teams to adapt and focus on activities that led to sales, even during an incredibly difficult year. The Sherpa users
who were able to work within the confines of this new environment, while also generating sales and move-ins, have
been identified as Best Performers (see next page).
With this survey, we wanted to get a feel for the way sales teams have been affected by the pandemic and to
understand what the landscape might look like in the years to come. We’ve all had to shift the way we do business.
Our hope is that these responses will give you an idea of how your peers have responded to the challenges of
COVID-19 while also maintaining or increasing occupancy.
Technology and metrics can help us achieve our goals, but ultimately an empathetic and heroic mindset is what
drives us to connect and empower our prospective residents to change their lives for the better.
Stay heroic! Alex Fisher
President and Co-founder
Sherpa
2EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Results show the views of 110 individuals polled about the 2021 senior
living sales landscape. The survey, conducted online from March 30, 2021
to April 17, 2021, asked about how companies are:
WHAT IS A BEST
SALES PERFORMER?
1 Viewing the need for senior living sales staff before
and after the pandemic Sherpa identified user
communities in the top
2 Changing their approach to sales compensation percentile of sales during
and sales staff size as a result of the pandemic 2020, across all care
types. These Best Sales
Performers achieved
3 Seeing a change in prospect desires now versus
prior to the pandemic 1.4X–2.6X
more sales than the median.
1KEY TAKEAWAYS
The sales process has changed as a result of the pandemic, yet many organizations have
not changed their compensation structure or number of staff to address the challenges.
84% of participants report no change in the number of sales staff employed throughout the
COVID-19 pandemic, and 68% report that their compensation structure for onsite sales staff remains
the same as well.
Sales teams have adapted to the new selling landscape in many different ways.
$ There is an even split (38% apiece) between respondents who state their sales teams are spending
more time selling as a result of the pandemic versus those spending less time. An additional 27% say
they’re also bringing new job titles into the sales process.
COVID-19 became another concern and objection to moving.
71% of participants felt that fewer prospects were considering a move due to COVID-19. While safety
was the main concern, only 55% of prospects reported delaying or halting their plans to move.
2ABOUT THE SALES RESPONDENTS
Among respondents, 57% identified as having a sales role within their organizations.
3ABOUT THE SALES RESPONDENTS (Continued)
Number of communities
4GENERAL SURVEY RESULTS
84% of participants report no A typical senior living community should have one or
change in the number of sales two salespeople
staff
employed throughout
the
COVID-19 pandemic
Best Sales
Performer
communities (IL/
AL mix) with an
average of 100
units typically have
two dedicated
sales people and
spend a total of
2,000 hours of
direct selling time
per year.
Source: Sherpa
5
LEADS PER SALE
61% of respondents believe FOR BEST SALES 70% of respondents are confident in
COVID-19 has not changed the PERFORMERS: their organization’s sales capabilities
number of sales counselors needed with fewer than 21 leads per unit
IL = 13
IL/AL = 13
AL = 8
MC = 9
AA = 7
Having 21 leads per vacant
unit or more dilutes a
team’s selling time per
prospect, which makes
them less effective. Sherpa
median performers worked
more leads and spent less
time per worked lead, while
Best Performers spent
more time with a fewer
number of total leads.
Source: Sherpa
680% of respondents believe sales counselors should spend between
five and 20 hours per prospect
.
Best Sales Performers
spent the following
times, on average, in
direct selling per
sale:
IL =
17 – 20 hrs
AL/MC combined =
10-12 hrs
Active Adult =
10-12 hours
Source: Sherpa
7
According to independent research from market
researcher ProMatura, conducted during late 2020:
Half of senior living prospects delayed or halted
moving in 2020
55% of prospects said they have delayed or halted moving due to
COVID-19 or are no longer planning to move as a result of COVID-19.
In contrast, 71% of respondents think that prospects are less
likely to move (Senior Housing News/Sherpa survey) – showing they have a
greater perceived objection due to COVID-19 than the prospective
residents themselves.
8
Visitation rules are the top concern
for prospects in 2021
Nearly half of respondents state that visitation
rules are a top concern for prospects today.
Price and infection control protocols are also
significant pain points.
According to the ProMatura survey,
respondents who indicated that their
opinion of independent living communities
is more negative now than it was prior to
the COVID-19 pandemic were asked the
reason for their change in opinion. The most
frequently provided reasons for the negative
change in opinion is that communities are
associated with a greater risk of spreading the
COVID-19 virus and isolation/confinement.
9SALES RESPONDENTS SURVEY RESULTS
Compensation structure for onsite sales staff Sales teams are adapting to the pandemic in different ways —
remains largely the same despite pandemic and bringing new job titles into the sales process
10
10BROUGHT TO YOU BY
314.432.1234 | info@sherpacrm.com
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