Episode 8 - Guest Speaker Nick Somani, CEO of Kara Healthcare

Episode 9 - Guest Speaker Henry Lumby, CCO of Auriens

Boost your occupancy for later living and care homes In this episode of Boosting Your Occupancy with guest speaker Henry Lumby, Chief Commercial Officer at Auriens we cover: · Auriens: An overview of Auriens and perspectives on the evolution of both the business and the wider sector, particularly the shift towards integrating care. Also some insights about the future of Auriens. · Prospect-centred selling: How this approach differs fundamentally from traditional residential selling that focuses primarily on features and benefits. · Customer insight and psychology: The importance of understanding why people move, how they make decisions, and the emotional drivers behind later-life transitions. · The value of home visits: Gaining deeper insight into real needs, challenges, and family dynamics, and better understanding the circumstances of loved ones. · Creative follow-ups: Why thoughtful follow-up and planned calls materially improve engagement and outcomes. · Events programmes: Designing prospect-focused events as an effective tool for lead generation and long-term nurturing. · Community outreach: Building awareness, trust, advocacy, and waiting lists through consistent local involvement. · International lessons: Insights that can be applied to the UK retirement living sector to encouraging earlier moves which covers integrating care provision, growing demand for rental tenure, leveraging community ambassadors, and offering more affordable options to expand the addressable market. · Raising awareness and fundraising for Motor Neurone Disease and Henry’s inspirational brother, Hugh.

Episode 8 - Guest Speaker Nick Somani, CEO of Kara Healthcare

Boosting Occupancy Episode 8 with Guest Speaker Nick, CEO of Kara Healthcare In this episode: * How Nick bought his first care home for £1 – and turned it into a thriving success * The turnaround secrets behind Kara Healthcare’s growth and multiple national awards * Why people buy into people – and how empathy, training, and culture drive results * The three biggest growth opportunities for the care sector over the next five years: i. Technology with a human touch ii. Hospitality standards iii. Talent, culture, and leadership development * The importance of first impressions – and why empathy should always come first * How mapping the customer journey and combining brilliant standards with a strong culture creates excellence * Inside the Kara Training Academy – empowering teams with courage, confidence, and conviction * Why positivity, belief, and uplifting people are the ultimate performance drivers Key takeaways: * Empathy should run through every stage of the customer journey. Human connection and a personalised approach are critical for boosting occupancy. * "When you uplift people, you don’t just get better results - you create a culture where everyone believes in what’s possible”.

Episode 7 - Guest Speakers Paul Morgan and Karen Gray, Wallacea Living

Boosting Occupancy * Wallacea Living overview * Creating awareness and interest pre-opening – marketing approach * Importance of community relationships * Events focus and successful delivery * Reframing later living positively – Generation Joy campaign * Sector is about helping people live better lives – to thrive socially, physically, and emotionally * Transparency about the offering and benefits has been key to building trust * Building trust and emotional connection * Customer experience is seen as a critical differentiator in the sector * Deep discovery – all about the person and customer psychology * Importance of creating a vibrant, inclusive lifestyle and community * Making visits memorable and use of technology and interactive tools * Consistency coming from a values-led culture and recruitment * Sales is everybody's job * Strong hospitality influence * Personal touches – Paul and Karen’s latest holiday and concert experiences

Episode 6 - Boosting Your Occupancy with Guest Speaker Debbie Harris, Autumna

Ways to increase your occupancy * list text here

Episode 5 - Guest Speaker Lex Cumber, Untold Living

Boosting Occupancy in Retirement Communities In this session with Lex Cumber, Sales & Marketing Director for Untold Living, we cover: • Lex’s background and experience • Understanding customer psychology in the context of Integrated Retirement Communities (IRCs) • The critical role of psychology in the purchase decision • Customer centricity vs. product centricity • The shift towards person- or prospect-centred selling • The complexity and nuance of the customer journey • The fact that over 60% of the purchase decision is driven by trust and emotional factors • Practical tips to enhance effectiveness including spending more quality time with prospects, building connection, untangling obstacles, advancing conversations, and the vital importance of timely responses • The two-part nature of the journey: 95% is about moving away from the family home, and only 5% about moving towards a retirement community • The urgent need to accelerate sales rates • The importance of delivering excellent customer service at every touchpoint – from phone calls to tours to follow-up • Focusing on what really matters: measuring key conversion ratios such as: o Visit to Move-In (USA: 33%, UK: 15%) o Lead to Move-In (USA: 11%, UK: 2%) • The UK’s need to stop resisting change and adopt new sales approaches – focusing on controlling the controllables • The importance of capturing and benchmarking the right data • The call for greater professionalisation in sales – robust processes, clear methodology, and having the right people with the right skills (e.g. empathy and active listening) • Learning from international best practices – including extended opening hours, using AI to support marketing and sales, and consistently tracking Net Promoter Score (NPS) • Addressing the perception and knowledge gap around the sector • Being honest with ourselves when something isn’t working • The wish that more people were genuinely obsessed with customer service and experience • A recommendation to read Unreasonable Hospitality • The desire for a consistent, sector-wide way to measure customer experience in IRCs – for the benefit of both operators and customers • The increasing attractiveness of working in the sector