2025 Sales & Marketing Readiness Checklist

Do you have the right strategy, team, and tools in place to drive occupancy and revenue growth in 2025? To help with that, you might find this 2025 Sales & Marketing Readiness Checklist helpful.

If you’re not confidently checking “Yes” to most items, let’s schedule a call to explore how Senior Living CMO can help.

Strategic Foundations

Documented Sales & Marketing Strategy
Do you have a written plan with defined goals and campaigns tied to occupancy and NOI objectives?

Clear and Differentiated Positioning
Does your value proposition set your communities apart from competitors and resonate with prospects?

Market Analysis and Insights
Do you leverage insights on market demand, competitors, and customer preferences, and adjust strategies accordingly?

Brand Alignment

Brand Reputation
Does your brand reflect excellence, trust, and care as evidenced in resident satisfaction scores, online reviews, family feedback, and referral programs?

Consistency Across Channels
Do your customer touchpoints reinforce your brand and effectively communicate your points of differentiation —from emails to social media to on-site experience?

Leadership and Team

Strong Marketing Leadership
Do you have experienced leaders driving strategy and execution across sales and marketing?

Aligned Team
Can each team member explain your points of differentiation, ideal customer profile, customer journey and KPIs (both current and target)?

Skilled Marketing Team
Does everyone have the skills necessary for their respective roles, and is regular training in place to keep the team sharp and competitive?

Skilled Sales Team
Is your sales team skilled in building relationships, conducting tours, and closing leads, and do you have at least one sales superstar in each community?

Top-Tier Vendor Partnerships
Do you work with trusted external agencies and partners that deliver measurable results in lead generation, advertising, and creative work?

Tools & Systems

CRM System
Do you effectively use your CRM to manage leads, track communications, and analyze performance?

Marketing Automation
Do you use marketing automation to nurture leads with email campaigns, text messaging, or other automated outreach?

Lead Attribution Tools
Do you know which marketing channels generate the best results for each community?

Website Focused on Conversion
Is your website optimized for lead conversion with strong SEO, clear CTAs, and virtual tours?

Data-Informed Decision-Making
Do you have clear and accurate metrics (like Cost per lead, Lead-to-Tour, and Tour-to-Move-In) to evaluate marketing and sales effectiveness?

Processes that Drive Results

Defined Lead Handoff Process
Do your marketing efforts effectively qualify leads and seamlessly transition them to a community-based salesperson for immediate follow-up?

Proactive Lead Nurturing
Is every inquiry nurtured through personalized communication, ensuring no leads fall through the cracks?

Lead Generation and Outreach

Targeted Lead Generation Efforts
Do you leverage high-performing channels to maximize reach, including paid ads, SEO, social media, and community events?

Authentic Storytelling in Marketing
Do you use real resident stories and high-quality, professional images of your communities (never stock photography) to enhance credibility and emotional appeal?

Community Events & Outreach
Do you host or participate in local events to build awareness and relationships?

Planning for Growth

Scalable Systems
Are your tools, team, and processes ready to grow with your business, whether adding new communities or increasing capacity?

Achieving Stabilization of New Developments
When opening a new community, do you have a documented playbook that guides all sales and marketing activities from pre-leasing to lease-up to stabilization?

Next Steps

If you’re missing any of these critical elements, your occupancy and revenue growth goals may be at risk in 2025.

Let’s Connect.
At Senior Living CMO, I specialize in helping senior living operators with 5–25 communities build marketing programs that drive occupancy, boost NOI, and prepare for future growth—without the cost or commitment of a full-time CMO hire.

Click here to Schedule a 20-minute Discovery Call to explore working together in 2025.