KENDAL AT HOME
“ As a not-for-profit, I really didn’t think we could afford it. But at some point I came to realize we couldn’t afford not to do it.”
The at-home product we sell is very unique. In fact, we were one of only five similar programs across the country when we started. Kendal at Home combines the life care model and the benefits of a continuing care retirement community and makes them available to people who want to stay in their homes. The challenge is that we’re selling a product to people who don’t need it right now. It’s intangible. There’s no apartment to show. No beautiful community to visit. It really takes a great deal of trust. Yet, in the beginning, we were unknown and selling a new type of program. It was a very challenging sale. We hired people with experience selling retirement community housing, assisted living or skilled nursing. We also had consultants from the aging services field who would tell us how to do things, but it wasn’t really working. So I reached out to Sales Concepts. As a not-for-profit, I really didn’t think we could afford it. But at some point I came to realize we couldn’t afford not to do it. Sales Concepts created a program specifically for us and our challenges. Before training, we made a lot of mistakes. We’d walk in with a folder full of brochures ready to tell you how wonderful we are. Today, we never walk in with anything. Our first visit is always about you and what you need — and whether or not we even have anything to offer you. We’ve learned to step back and listen. Now we engage with people and build relationships. This has made a tremendous difference. People trust us and have confidence that we’ll be there when they need us.
