In the second part of Reed Davis' interview with Piers Du Boulay of Birchgrove UK, the conversation on Stages of Readiness continues, as well as techniques like motivational interviewing. The pair agree that progress should be celebrated (e.g., home visits) even before a move-in decision. Reed praises Birchgrove’s “book a home visit” call-to-action as a trust-building first step for guarded prospects. 

Key topics:

Piers Du Boulay is Head of Leasing at Birchgrove retirement communities in the UK, a role he frames first as coach and strategist. His week blends data review and coaching plans on Monday, field work with sales teams Tuesday–Thursday (including ride-alongs and live Prospect-Centered Selling® sessions), and a Friday reset for reflection and 90-day plans. He covers the journey from first inquiry through move-in, and calls this the favorite role of his career so far.

David Permuter, Sales Consultant for The Gatesworth Communities, entered senior living in 2002 after a career in real estate. Initially resistant, he became passionate about the work, drawn to the deep human connections and the challenge of helping prospects overcome fears of change. 

Known for both empathy and persistence, David focuses on listening, building trust, and evoking self-discovery rather than pushing for quick sales. He values small “closes,” personal follow-ups like handwritten letters, and meeting people at their emotional pace. His advice: be curious, not judgmental, connect authentically, and prioritize helping people over hitting quotas

Patrick Leonard, Chief Revenue Officer at The Gatesworth Communities, shares how their robust Resident Ambassador Program transforms senior living sales and culture. Drawing on Prospect-Centered Selling, residents serve as peer mentors to prospective residents, fostering trust and authentic connection. 

The program not only drives impressive move-in results—about 40% from referrals—but also brings renewed purpose to residents. Leonard emphasizes that its success stems from intentional structure, leadership buy-in, and a deeply embedded culture of empathy and innovation.

Stacy Muehlher is Leasing Director at The Gatesworth Communities where she champions Prospect-Centered Selling® with her team. She avoids starting with a tour because it pushes conversations toward real estate and features and can intimidate older adults. Instead, she starts where the prospect is—ideally on the phone, then a home visit—so deeper discovery happens at their kitchen table, not in a model unit. Persistence is a virtue: she’s “pleasantly persistent” because the job isn’t done until families can logically weigh options and choose what aligns with their goals (even if that isn’t her community).

Sylvia Kurinsky, sales coach at Charter Senior Living, says great senior living sales is built on relentless coaching, curiosity, and courage—not feature dumps or speed-to-lead theatrics. Her role is to immerse sales counselors in Prospect-Centered Selling® with ongoing 1:1 coaching: real case studies, sharper discovery, creative follow-ups, and especially home visits. Many sales teams, she notes, don’t know how to have hard conversations or choose the next best step; a trusted coach (who isn’t grading their numbers) gives them language, confidence, and a plan. She reminds teams that sales is the revenue engine, but the mission is helping families—so reps must be educators, social workers, and sometimes therapists first; when you do those well, the sale advances.

Jeff Gronemeyer, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing for Harmony Senior Services, explains that the senior living sales process succeeds when it’s human, patient, and discovery-driven—not a race for deposits. He learned the hard way: product-style tactics failed until he returned to bartender habits—listening, trading stories, and earning comfort before proposing next steps. Pressure (from yourself or leadership) creates more barriers to the sale and weakens rapport; leaders should celebrate “advances” (a second tour, attending an event, a home visit) and ask reps, “What did you learn?” rather than "Did you check in?" or even “Did you get the check?” Tours rarely close on the first visit; fast wins can even be a red flag.

Kent Mulkey, Founder of Elevation Coaching, argues the executive director (ED) is the community’s chief sales leader and culture-setter—not a back-office administrator. The ED must run a short, intentional daily sales meeting, know the top prospects and their barriers, and routinely pull in maintenance, nursing, and programs to solve issues in real time; this creates community-wide ownership of sales.

Sales Academy Founder David A. Smith David Smith explains that traditional, transactional tactics—feature lists, promotions, urgency plays—failed when he tried to fill The Gatesworth. Older adults carry emotional resistance; until you address that, “seeing the building” isn’t enough. That realization pushed him to invent and codify Prospect-Centered Selling®, a repeatable practice focused on connection, discovery, and time spent with the right prospects.