Introduction: Why Sales Training Alone Isn’t Enough

For decades, senior living operators have placed the burden of revenue generation on their sales teams, investing heavily in sales training, marketing strategies, and lead generation. And yet, many communities still struggle with stagnant occupancy rates, inconsistent revenue growth, and a frustrating cycle of discounts and concessions. Why? Because revenue growth is not just a sales function—it’s an operational one.

At Bild & Co, we’ve analyzed countless senior living communities and found that the key to unlocking sustainable long-term revenue growth doesn’t lie in sales training alone—it lies in the leadership of Executive Directors (EDs).

The Real Revenue Drivers: Executive Directors

The industry-wide assumption that salespeople alone drive occupancy is outdated. It’s the Executive Directors—the CEOs of their communities—who hold the power to optimize revenue. The best EDs don’t just manage operations; they act as strategic business leaders who influence every financial lever in their community.

Senior living organizations that understand this have begun shifting their focus from simply training sales teams to empowering their EDs with the financial acumen and leadership skills necessary to drive revenue. The question is: are your Executive Directors truly equipped to maximize your community’s revenue potential?

The Shift from Occupancy-Focused to Revenue-Driven Leadership

Many EDs have been conditioned to see their primary goal as maintaining or growing occupancy. But in today’s senior living market, that’s only one piece of the puzzle. Revenue growth is about more than just filling units—it’s about maximizing revenue per occupied resident, optimizing pricing strategies, and ensuring that care fees align with the actual cost of services.

Occupancy alone does not equal profitability. If your EDs are focused on filling apartments but lack the insight to analyze rate structures, enforce pricing discipline, or hold sales teams accountable to revenue metrics, your community is leaving money on the table.

Executive Directors as Business Operators

Your EDs must transition from being community managers to business operators. They must be trained to:

• Understand financial metrics like RevPOR margin per resident, and revenue optimization strategies.
• Hold sales teams accountable to key performance indicators (KPIs) and ensure conversion rates align with industry benchmarks.
• Work cross-functionally with operations, care, and sales to align pricing, service offerings, and market positioning.
• Develop a local market strategy that strengthens referral relationships, enhances brand reputation, and reduces reliance on third-party lead aggregators.

The truth is, no matter how well-trained your salespeople are, if the ED isn’t actively involved in driving revenue, your community’s financial performance will suffer.

Key Areas Where EDs Can Increase Revenue

1. Pricing and Care Fee Optimization

Many senior living communities fail to maximize revenue because their pricing structures are either outdated or inconsistent. EDs must be equipped to:

• Analyze local market pricing and competitive positioning.
• Implement incremental rent increases that align with the value proposition.
• Ensure care fees are reflective of actual service costs, preventing revenue leakage.

Too often, communities rely on discounts (as shared in our Research Data here) to drive occupancy rather than focusing on a strong value-based pricing strategy. When EDs understand the financial impact of concessions, they can work with sales teams to sell on value rather than price.

2. Holding Sales Teams Accountable to Metrics

Sales teams should not operate in a vacuum. EDs must:

• Regularly review inquiry-to-tour and tour-to-move-in conversion rates.
• Conduct weekly strategy meetings with sales teams to adjust tactics based on data.
• Ensure that every sales team member is following up with leads effectively and not letting revenue opportunities slip through the cracks.

By making revenue performance a shared responsibility between EDs and sales teams, organizations can create a culture of accountability that drives higher conversions and fewer lost revenue opportunities.

3. Local Market Strategy and Community Outreach

One of the biggest mistakes senior living operators make is relying solely on digital marketing and lead aggregators to drive occupancy. The most successful communities take a proactive approach to local market engagement, led by the ED. This includes:

• Building strong referral partnerships with hospitals, physicians, and home care agencies.
• Hosting on-site events that showcase the community’s lifestyle and value proposition.
• Engaging with local businesses, clubs, and organizations to position the community as an integral part of the neighborhood.

EDs who take ownership of local market strategy drive higher-quality leads that convert faster and at a higher rate than cold, online-generated inquiries.

How to Equip EDs for Financial Success

Most EDs didn’t enter the senior living industry with a finance or sales background. Yet, they are expected to lead communities that generate millions in revenue annually. If your EDs aren’t trained in revenue management and sales leadership, you’re putting your business at a competitive disadvantage.

At Bild & Co, we specialize in Executive Director Optimization—a comprehensive training and coaching program designed to transform EDs into high-performing revenue leaders. Our program focuses on:

• Revenue Management Training: Teaching EDs how to analyze pricing models, adjust care fees, and optimize RevPOR.
• Sales Leadership: Helping EDs lead their sales teams effectively, enforce accountability, and drive performance.
• Financial Acumen: Equipping EDs with the tools to understand financial statements, budget planning, and revenue forecasting.
• Market Positioning Strategies: Ensuring EDs develop and execute local outreach plans that bring in high-quality leads outside of traditional digital marketing efforts.

If your Executive Directors aren’t driving revenue, they are missing a critical component of their role. The best senior living operators invest in their EDs, knowing that a well-trained Executive Director will generate far greater revenue impact than even the best salesperson.

Conclusion: It’s Time to Empower Your Executive Directors

If your senior living communities are struggling to maintain occupancy, relying on discounts, or failing to hit revenue targets, the solution isn’t more sales training—it’s Executive Director Optimization.

Your EDs are the most powerful revenue drivers in your organization, but only if they are trained and equipped to take on this responsibility. At Bild & Co, we’ve helped countless senior living organizations turn their EDs into revenue leaders, driving record-breaking occupancy rates and financial performance.

The question is: Are your EDs operating at full revenue potential?

If you’re ready to see real financial results, we invite you to schedule a Free Executive Director Revenue Assessment today. Let’s uncover the hidden revenue opportunities in your communities and equip your EDs to drive sustainable growth.