Four Steps To Winning Locally

Brookdale is the largest senior living operator in the country, and as such, we take it upon ourselves to help lead the entire industry by example. Just being the largest isn’t why we’re successful, however. While our size gives us an advantage and the flexibility to leverage resources where needed – it isn’t everything. Yes, our breadth is unmatched by any other senior living operator in the nation, but some residents and families decidedly care most about a small, localized feel, which is why “winning locally” is a top priority for us.

Years ago, Brookdale had been focused on national strategies and recognition resulting in centralizing many decisions in our corporate offices, so our new winning-locally strategy represented a significant shift, delegating greater decision-making powers to our local communities. On certain matters, the corporate team could not respond as suitably as the local leadership who was familiar with local market conditions and the unique preferences of our residents within individual communities. Ultimately, there have been four ways we have been able to win locally.

1. Define what differentiates us – Brookdale offers a broad continuum of services. Residents have options for independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, private duty services, and access to home health, hospice, and outpatient therapy. These services are offered in our communities and through third-party or venture partner services operating across more than forty states. Even though Brookdale offers so much, there are three primary areas where we have differentiated ourselves with best-in-class offerings: clinical expertise, memory care capabilities, and emergency response. This enables Brookdale to provide unparalleled offerings and sets us apart at the local and national levels.

2. Create corporate guardrails but allow for local customization – A key to winning locally is empowering community leaders with autonomy, while also providing them access to resources that differentiate us nationally. This provides a compelling offering that allows us to demonstrate why our local Brookdale community is different and can be better than its competitors.

Think of this in terms of guardrails: Our infrastructure sets broad parameters to establish consistently high standards across the company. Brookdale’s national footprint allows collaboration among team leaders to implement consistent, clinical quality measures company-wide, along with other important initiatives, like person-centered care for our memory care communities. From there, each community has the flexibility to build custom experiences—unique and special dining experiences, creative marketing campaigns using tools provided by our national marketing experts, and community events and activities— based on the unique culture and needs of the residents.

The net result for local leaders is that they’re able to retain creative discretion, differentiated service offerings, and better crisis management tools when facing events that may impact their communities. For our customers, the result is a higher-quality, smoother, and more delightful experience overall—an effect that could not typically be achieved solely from a top-down corporate edict or a local community operating in isolation.

3. Always Focus on the Customer – Not only strive to offer the best services in the industry but also have individuals who listen and communicate in a way that will resonate with target customers. Create events and opportunities to introduce customers to your offerings; always listen to any feedback or impressions they have. In our industry, there is always a reminder that the reason for our services is to take care of someone’s loved one. Many inquiries into our communities begin with concerned children who are looking for the best situation for their parent(s). Sometimes the parent isn’t even aware of the conversations being had when they are ultimately the one who needs to be most comfortable with any transition.

Brookdale team members engage with customers through empathy and compassion all while demonstrating excellent customer service skills. Our associates see their role as a calling to help loved ones solve the challenges of aging. On a typical visit, we sit with a prospect, side by side on a couch or at a table with a cup of coffee, and talk intimately with an adult daughter, for instance, about the loss of her mom and the need for a higher level of support for her dad. This type of in-person sharing gives people a true sense of hope and allows us to gain a clearer understanding of how we can best help. When we focus on the person, we are invested and want the best for our residents and families.

4. Empower the People Closest to the Customer – Make sure resources are offered to support local initiatives. Our Marketing team strives to take a thoughtful approach to see that our messaging fits the tone of broader public sentiment. This was especially important during the pandemic. Our local teams customized the tools created by the marketing team to connect within their local market. They also built relationships with prospects who sought additional information about the community. While marketing leaders can provide updated information, overarching topics, and educational content to attract prospects, local sales and marketing leaders can focus on content that supports their residents and speaks to locally driven interests and concerns.

To win locally, companies need to determine what should be centralized for consistency throughout the company and what can be delegated to the communities. In the end, companies with strong leaders who know what differentiates them, while also having the trust to defer to local leadership whenever possible will win at the national and local levels.