Boost Your Occupancy

Hosted by Ali Powell

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Tips and trick to boost your occupancy with guests speakers from the retirement living sector. We all know that sales velocity is critical to profit and IRR. But how do you speed it up? There are lots of different sales and marketing components that can be optimised in order to drive sales rates. We dig into these and share best practices to benefit the sector. Tune in....

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10 recent

June 12, 202644 min

Episode 10 - Guest Speakers Lisa Soper, COO and Sarah Croxtall, Group S&M Director of Porthaven Care Homes

This episode of Boosting Your Occupancy, I am joined by Porthaven's COO and Group Sales and Marketing Director, Lisa Soper and Sarah Croxtall. It is a practical and insightful conversation for care home owners, operators and commercial leaders looking to improve occupancy, strengthen reputation and deliver outstanding customer experiences. Key topics covered: ✅ How to create first impressions that convert enquiries into move-ins – including call handling, speed to lead, discovery and personalised tours ✅ The power of emotional connection – and why how you make people feel influences every decision families make ✅ Occupancy growth strategies that really work – including community engagement, events and resident referrals ✅ Building trust and visibility through reviews, PR, community relationships and improving your presence in AI and online search ✅ Using data to outperform competitors through conversion metrics, benchmarking and customer insight ✅ Practical strategies for improving occupancy after a Requires Improvement CQC rating ✅ Creating a supportive culture that drives exceptional care, customer experience and business performance

January 3, 202640 min

Episode 9 - Guest Speaker Henry Lumby, CCO of Auriens

In this episode of Boosting Your Occupancy with guest speaker Henry Lumby, Chief Commercial Officer at Auriens we cover: · Auriens: An overview of Auriens and perspectives on the evolution of both the business and the wider sector, particularly the shift towards integrating care. Also some insights about the future of Auriens. · Prospect-centred selling: How this approach differs fundamentally from traditional residential selling that focuses primarily on features and benefits. · Customer insight and psychology: The importance of understanding why people move, how they make decisions, and the emotional drivers behind later-life transitions. · The value of home visits: Gaining deeper insight into real needs, challenges, and family dynamics, and better understanding the circumstances of loved ones. · Creative follow-ups: Why thoughtful follow-up and planned calls materially improve engagement and outcomes. · Events programmes: Designing prospect-focused events as an effective tool for lead generation and long-term nurturing. · Community outreach: Building awareness, trust, advocacy, and waiting lists through consistent local involvement. · International lessons: Insights that can be applied to the UK retirement living sector to encouraging earlier moves which covers integrating care provision, growing demand for rental tenure, leveraging community ambassadors, and offering more affordable options to expand the addressable market. · Raising awareness and fundraising for Motor Neurone Disease and Henry’s inspirational brother, Hugh.

October 24, 202528 min

Episode 8 - Guest Speaker Nick Somani, CEO of Kara Healthcare

In this episode: * How Nick bought his first care home for £1 – and turned it into a thriving success * The turnaround secrets behind Kara Healthcare’s growth and multiple national awards * Why people buy into people – and how empathy, training, and culture drive results * The three biggest growth opportunities for the care sector over the next five years: i. Technology with a human touch ii. Hospitality standards iii. Talent, culture, and leadership development * The importance of first impressions – and why empathy should always come first * How mapping the customer journey and combining brilliant standards with a strong culture creates excellence * Inside the Kara Training Academy – empowering teams with courage, confidence, and conviction * Why positivity, belief, and uplifting people are the ultimate performance drivers Key takeaways: * Empathy should run through every stage of the customer journey. Human connection and a personalised approach are critical for boosting occupancy. * "When you uplift people, you don’t just get better results - you create a culture where everyone believes in what’s possible”.

August 15, 202540 min

Episode 7 - Guest Speakers Paul Morgan and Karen Gray, Wallacea Living

* Wallacea Living overview * Creating awareness and interest pre-opening – marketing approach * Importance of community relationships * Events focus and successful delivery * Reframing later living positively – Generation Joy campaign * Sector is about helping people live better lives – to thrive socially, physically, and emotionally * Transparency about the offering and benefits has been key to building trust * Building trust and emotional connection * Customer experience is seen as a critical differentiator in the sector * Deep discovery – all about the person and customer psychology * Importance of creating a vibrant, inclusive lifestyle and community * Making visits memorable and use of technology and interactive tools * Consistency coming from a values-led culture and recruitment * Sales is everybody's job * Strong hospitality influence * Personal touches – Paul and Karen’s latest holiday and concert experiences

May 21, 202536 min

Episode 6 - Boosting Your Occupancy with Guest Speaker Debbie Harris, Autumna

In this episode of Boosting Your Occupancy, Ali Powell is joined by Debbie Harris, Managing Director of Autumna, to discuss: * The evolution of Autumna and the launch of OpenScore * OpenScore has over 60 data sources – including live customer satisfaction ratings, self-assessed information and regulatory ratings – are aggregated in real time to generate a transparent score between 0 and 10 * The critical role online directories play in how people search for care homes and retirement villages * Why a strong directory presence should be part of a wider digital marketing omnichannel – supported by engaging videos, compelling testimonials, and clear, accessible information * Building trust through transparency – and why sharing key details like fees is non-negotiable * The growing focus across the sector on self-funding clients – and what that means for marketing strategy * Why excellent customer experience is more important than ever * Importance of not missing calls out of hours (evenings and weekends) - has a huge impact on missed revenue opportunities * How increasing competition is driving the need to raise the game in marketing and sales to boost occupancy * The brilliant basics that make the difference – from rich discovery calls, capturing key information, excellent personalised tours and timely follow-ups * The vital role of CRMs and sales consultants in enquiry conversion * The rise in customer expectations – and the need for the sector to elevate its approach * Practical, actionable tips to help you increase occupancy

April 14, 202532 min

Episode 5 - Guest Speaker Lex Cumber, Untold Living

- Understanding the psychology of IRC customers - Need for enhanced sales professsionalisation - Practical tips for accelerating sales

November 1, 202426 min

Episode 4 - Boost Your Care Home Occupancy

In our special podcast we look at: • Customer-centered selling • Customer psychology an selling change • Most common challenges to keeping occupancy high • Ensuring the foundations are brilliant • How care homes can ensure they keep residency levels as high as possible? • The importance of sales and marketing • Turning enquiries into residents Join Ali Powell, CEO and Founder of Commercial Acceleration as she talks to host of Care Home Management (CHM) host Alan Rustad

March 3, 202433 min

Episode 3 - Guest Speaker Honor Barratt, Birchgrove

Boosting your occupancy podcast with guest speaker Honor Barratt, Birchgrove's Chief Executive

February 6, 202418 min

Episode 2 - Guest Speaker Margot Cooke, Aline (formerly Sherpa)

Hear from Margot and Ali about tips and tricks to boost occupancy in the retirement living and care sector

November 24, 202313 min

Episode 1 - Guest Speaker Angela Wallace, LifeCare Residences

We are delighted to be joined by Angela Wallace, LifeCare Residence's Head Of Marketing. LifeCare Residences recently won the Retirement Living Best Marketing Award