Personalizing Your Sales Experience

This blog post is part of a weekly newsletter written by Elizabeth, founder and CEO of Welbi. Subscribe to get this newsletter every week.

Treat Prospects Like Residents

I have a few memorable stories about when I’ve felt truly seen by a business. The service industry, often through the lens of radical hospitality, does this very well (and very poorly). I remember a moment very well from a trip with friends.

We were celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday. On making the reservation, there was a simple spot for personalization. There were health questions like allergies, but also personalization like names and if this was a special occasion. When I shared it was my friend’s birthday they asked a brilliant question:

Does your friend want to celebrate loudly or quietly?

This friend is the definition of an extrovert.

When we arrived, the host recognized him immediately. They greeted him by name, wished him a happy birthday, and even mentioned they’d recently celebrated the same milestone. Throughout the evening, the staff made sure he felt like the guest of honor by offering a complimentary appetizer he loved (they looked at what kind of food he posts on Instagram), a round of champagne, and a celebratory dessert. They were lively, engaged, and knew exactly how to make him feel celebrated.

For my friend, it was unforgettable. He felt seen, understood, and valued. And just like that, the restaurant earned a lifelong customer.

They didn’t guess what kind of experience he wanted: they asked. They used that insight to tailor the experience, and it made all the difference.

That’s exactly the kind of interaction families expect when evaluating senior living communities.

Too often, the early prospect journey is generic. It starts with an inquiry form, a phone call, a standard brochure. But when you’re asking someone to imagine their next chapter, that’s not enough. They need to feel like your community already knows them.

Enter The Mini-Assessment

One of the easiest and most impactful tools you can add to your sales process is a simple interest-based assessment. A smaller version of what you might use when a resident moves in.

We’ve seen communities use modified recreation assessments in the sales process. similar to what residents complete during move-in. It’s a way to get to know prospects before the tour. Questions might include:

• What hobbies or interests bring you joy?
• Are you more introverted or social?
• What is your past employment?
• Do you have a religious affiliation?

It’s low effort for the family, but it tells your team a lot. And it does something even more important, it signals that you care about the person, not just the paperwork.

Bring the Data to Life

Once you have the assessment, use it. Tailor the tour:

• Show the garden if they love flowers.
• Introduce them to a resident who shares a similar background or hobby.
• Highlight activity calendars that match their interests.

Tools like Welbi make this easy. Communities can tag programs by theme (arts, faith, social, wellness, etc.) and map them to what matters to each person. Some use our AI friend matcher to identify potential friends in the resident population to introduce during the sales process. Some even prepare beautiful, custom, personalized mini-calendars with our Canva app to include in tour packages or post-tour follow-ups.

This isn’t just personalization. It’s differentiation.

Why This Works

When families see that you’ve taken the time to understand their loved one, trust builds quickly. Often it’s said the way you are treated in the sales process is the best you will be treated through your relationship with a vendor. This is a great time to set a high water mark.

You’re not offering “programming.” You’re offering community and showing that you can help residents continue to live with meaning and connection from day one.

Even if a family isn’t ready to move immediately, these personalized touchpoints keep you top of mind and emotionally relevant in a competitive market.

The best kind of marketing is when people feel like they already belong.

Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau
CEO, Welbi

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