The Director of Outside Sales is a key position in senior living communities, bearing responsibility for working with interested families and developing referral sources in the broader region. The Director of Outside Sales typically has several direct-reporting subordinates and interfaces regularly with the Director of Nursing and other key staff members to create a cohesive sales and marketing strategy for the community. It’s an important role, interfacing regularly with other key team members to reinforce the community’s brand reputation and achieve occupancy goals.

What Does a Director of Sales Job Entail?

Relationship building and Referral Development is key to the success of this sales leadership position.

The Director of Outside Sales spends significant time in the local region nurturing referral sources and developing opportunities to share the assisted living community’s story with local families. Additionally, the Director of Sales maintains primary responsibility for interfacing with prospects, providing community tours and moving prospects through the sales funnel in order to meet established occupancy goals. The Director of Sales usually manages a team of direct subordinates and key staff from other departments who share collective responsibility for ensuring rapid lead response at all times.

In order to continue to achieve occupancy goals, the Director of Sales is responsible for staying in-tune with local market conditions that can impact lead generation. That means you must always be on your toes, identifying new referral sources and keeping a finger on the pulse of your local region to identify strategies to overcome possible obstacles.

Additional Responsibilities for Director of Sales Professionals

• The Director of Outside Sales is responsible for identifying and nurturing lead sources in the community through interfacing and networking with hospital discharge planners, clinicians, medical centers, professional organizations and other key healthcare providers and ancillary professionals. This responsibility also involves coordinating with other sales and admissions staff members to implement a comprehensive program for both nurturing lead sources and guiding prospects through the sales funnel to convert leads to move-ins.
• The Director of Outside Sales takes the lead in planning and executing Open Houses and other events on-campus to share the assisted living community’s story with families in the broader region.
• Coordinate with other departments including dining, housekeeping, activities, wellness and other key staff members to successfully execute on-campus marketing events. This might include coordinating appetizers for Open Houses and similar events, or working with the Dietary Manager to coordinate a presentation for professionals in the local area.

General Activities of a Director of Outside Sales, Assisted Living

As the Director of Outside Sales for a senior living community, you’ll spend a lot of time both inside and outside the community. You might visit local physicians’ offices or hospitals to meet with discharge planners or social workers who are potential referral sources for your community. Many Directors of Sales create a large referral database of current and potential referral sources for a more thorough and organized marketing process.

You’ll also spend time interfacing with families, providing tours of the community and/or coordinating subordinate staff who assist in these activities. The sales process is often a team effort, with families talking with administrators, the Director of Nursing, marketing and admissions staff, and even other nursing staff members before making a decision. For this reason, it will serve you well to focus on developing positive working relationships with the key staff members in your community so that you can work together towards achieving the community’s goals.

Typical Background for a Director of Outside Sales, Assisted Living

The education and experience required to obtain a Director of Sales position may vary from community to community, but in general, most senior living providers expect a Director of Sales candidate to have earned a four-year degree in a relevant field. That said, there are many Sales Directors in assisted living communities and other senior living communities who have backgrounds such as social work, combined with relevant long-term care experience.

• A four-year degree from an accredited institution in business, marketing or a related discipline.
• A minimum of two years’ experience in a formal sales and marketing capacity.
• Prior management experience with responsibility for two or more subordinates.
• A minimum of two years’ experience working in a senior living or related healthcare environment. Alternatively, the ideal candidate will have relevant coursework or continuing education training related to social services, geriatrics or similar subject areas.

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