Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All my friends and clients

Just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your great support and friendship this past year. Nadine and I are very grateful we have friends and clients like yourselves.

Four new clients this past month I especially want to single out:

Bob Cullen, my old friends at LPL Financial and Saving Mom and Dad. If you haven't read the book, and you are in the senior industry, go get it now for Christmas.

Chet and Kathy Sasaki - new clients at Seniors Helping Seniors San Dimas office. Greatest couple who really care about the senior market.

Maria and Danica Pilares - owners of Pilarville Garden. Very homey and comfy atmosphere where your parents or friends can live with full attention to their needs.

And finally, Carol Rock - owner of RCFC, Inc. If your facility is on the brink of a major audit, or you want to avoid one, you need to call her ASAP.

Again, thanks to everyone who makes helping seniors a worthwhile occupation.

Best in 2012.

Reece and Nadine Franklin

Marketing Lesson from WI: White Butter vs. Yellow Butter

At dinner at Bravo Italian Restaurant in WI with my cousins last night, my cousin David, a CPA, told me a story that has a hidden marketing lesson. Seems when WI farmers make butter, it comes out white. Now, WI being the dairy capital of the heartland, they kept it white. But people, wanting it yellow, would drive across the WI state line to Illinois to buy yellow dye, then bring it back over the state line. They'd coat it yellow, so their families had what they wanted.

Moral: give your customers, clients, and prospects what they want, not necessarily what they need.

www.IncreaseYourCensus.com

10 Things to Do This Weekend to Jump Start Your Marketing

1. Create your own blog. Go to www.blogger.com/start. Mine is at http://reecefranklin.blogspot.com/.

2. Use Face book and Linked In every night, M – F for ½ hour. Post a comment on it about your industry, and how your “subdivision” helps seniors.

3. Create a one sheet that you give out at networking meetings, post to your blog, put in your marketing presentation folder, etc. It should include: 5 W’s and H, who, what, where, when, why, and how.

A. Who you are: name of company and your personal name
B. What you do for seniors
C. Where you are located
D. When are your hours – when you are available
E. Why you do what you do – not to make money, why you are so passionate
F. How to reach you: list all: blogs, website, phone, cell, Facebook, linked in, etc.

4. Set up strategic alliances with people or businesses you meet at networking meetings. Take their one sheet-no more than 6 per sub category-and put in 3 ring binders. Now you have a referral binder. Categories may include RCFE, Board and Care, AL, In home care; non medical, in home care; medical, DME’s, referral agencies, etc. (for Senior oriented business.)

5. Strategic Partners: When you go to a network meeting – always take a tour. When you meet people, ask them first what they do, and how you can help them get more business. You decide if you want to work with them. Ask self do you want to add them as a strategic partner. If yes, create alliance – you will be cross promoting and helping each other for a fee.

6. Take the one sheet – use to structure a top 10 article: Ten ways to use Facebook to get more business, 10 ways to determine if you need in home care for your parent. Like Letterman Top 10. Things you need to know about. Create this top 10 into article for blog, Social media, etc.

7. Start with your local paper. Offer a free monthly article based on the top 10 list article. Make sure they understand they get it free, but you must have the resource box at the bottom.

8. Go to articles.com, and follow their submission structure.

9. Find list of local pubs and newspapers you can target.

10. Find list of local radio you can target. Send to assignment editors with cover sheet re: you are their local source for AL, in home care, etc.

YOUR FREE GIFT – 101 ways to Market to Seniors. Send email to seniorexpo@roadrunner.com, put send 101 in subject line.

Senior Industry Survey

Please tell us the most pressing marketing problem you have right now as a person who sells to seniors. Thanks.

LA County Fair Screws Up Again! Seniors Revolt!

They've done it again! In their continuing effort to tick me off, and other seniors, the LA County Fair announced this week they will no longer offer shuttle service around the fair for people, only using them from the Parking Lot to fair gates. (See Daily Bulletin article on Wed by David Allen).

According to Wendy Talarico in the article, whom I know, people using the shuttles are stuck on them for long times, and it is so crowded with people who walk, it takes too long. I luv ya Wendy, but Bull hockey!

You have just effectively eliminated seniors going to the fair this year!

And this is not the only thing they've done over the years to make it harder for seniors.

Why don't you just say it -- you don't want seniors, and basically, you don't care about us. I know, your market skews younger. But don't give us the lip service of "senior days" when you make it more difficult every year.

By the way, Fairplex, I'm sure you'll call all the ALs and big companies to get them to send buses and buy tickets to the fair. Why should they? You just made it harder for people to get around.

Note: Most of this info on what they decided was gleaned from David Allen's Daily Bulletin Wed. Article.

So, call the Fair, tell them how upset you are about "no trams for seniors", and when they tell you "will you buy group tickets", tell them thanks but no thanks. The only way they understand things is in the pocketbook. If you're really upset, call the head honcho Dale and tell him you're upset. As a friend of mine used to say "Grey Power!"

How Do You Create a Marketing Plan that Makes Sense?

You start by understanding what you already know and have done. First, you’re going to lie out on paper specific things you know about your customer service program, your current and ideal customer profile, and your company strengths and weaknesses.

Next, you’ll analyze your competition, and their strengths and weaknesses. Then comparing their weaknesses with your strengths, you’ll put down exactly what it is that makes you unique, your difference or what’s better known as your Unique Selling Proposition.

By knowing these facts, you’ll know the correct message to convey to your prospective residents, their influencers (boomer children & others). Finally, after studying the different media and marketing tactics and strategies you can use, you’ll decide what methods to use, and lay them out in a comprehensive 3, 6, 9, and 12 months calendar that you can do over and over again.

Looking for authors connected with senior industry

Hello all. I am a published author in the middle of a new book project. I am looking for those who service seniors and boomers, specifically in the senior industry like assisted living, board and cares, DME, LTC consultants, financial planners, and nutrition for seniors. I am putting together a book on selling to seniors, and would like to include your best marketing ideas that you've used to sell to seniors. Can use both the ones that did work, hence best, and even a few that did not.

Full credit in book once published, including your company, name, email and photo. Thanks.

Contact me at seniorexpo@roadrunner.com