--- title: CRM & Automation Discovery — 2026-04-05 type: article created: '2026-04-05' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2026-03-03-the-cordwainer-crmautomation-discussion-126841452.md tags: - client:cordwainer - crm - eldermark - further - automation - lead-management - email-marketing - discovery - memory-care - data-hygiene - nurture-campaign layer: 2 client_source: The Cordwainer industry_context: senior-living transferable: false --- # CRM & Automation Discovery — 2026-04-05 ## Overview Discovery call with Cordwainer Memory Care to map the full lead-to-resident workflow across their two primary systems — **Eldermark** (core ERP) and **Further** (website chatbot/lead capture). The session surfaced four structural gaps: missing auto-task creation for new leads, fragmented lead source tracking, no nurture automation for lukewarm prospects, and a split professional contacts list stranded between Eldermark and a legacy Excel sheet. **Attendees (Asymmetric):** Karly Oykhman, Mark Hope, Avokerie Onorimuo, Sebastian Gant, Melissa Cusumano **Attendees (Cordwainer/Client):** Bodo Liesenfeld (primary contact, sales), Erica Lathrop, Maria Lastoria, Tamilyn Liesenfeld --- ## Systems in Use | System | Role | Notes | |---|---|---| | **Eldermark** | Core ERP — sales/marketing, care, billing | Web-based; Bodo's primary daily tool. Three modules share one database: Sales/Marketing, Care, Financials. | | **Further** | Website chatbot / lead capture | Chatbot widget on site; auto-populates leads into Eldermark via email push. Bodo rarely uses the Further dashboard directly. | Eldermark and Further are independent contracts with no native two-way sync. Further pushes leads into Eldermark but cannot trigger tasks or workflows within it. --- ## Lead Sources & Current Automation Status | Source | Volume (est.) | Auto-populates Eldermark? | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | Website form (via Further chatbot) | ~3/week (0–10 range) | ✅ Yes | Primary automated channel. Source tagged as "Further" + secondary origin (Google SEO, Google My Business, etc.). | | A Place for Mom | ~3/month | ❌ No — manual entry | Volume has been slightly higher recently. | | Professional referrals | ~1/month | ❌ No — Bodo handles directly | Low volume; managed personally. | | Facebook Ads | Low / test mode | ❌ No — manual entry | Lead quality is poor (many seeking standard apartments, not memory care). Bodo ran a duplicate ad campaign independently; now handing back to Sebastian. | | Caring.com | Near zero | ❌ No | Contract exists but no leads in months. | **Key principle identified by Mark:** All lead sources should funnel through the website form so every lead auto-populates in Eldermark with proper source attribution via UTM parameters. Facebook ads should redirect to the site form rather than using Meta's native lead form. --- ## Core Workflow Gap: No Auto-Task on Lead Creation The most critical operational gap identified in the call: > When a Further lead populates in Eldermark, **no follow-up task is automatically created**. Bodo must manually open the record and create a task to trigger the "Overdue Communication" notification — the primary driver of his daily work queue. Without a manual task, the lead sits in Eldermark with no dashboard visibility. Bodo relies entirely on the red "Overdue Communication" indicators to manage his call queue. A lead without a task is effectively invisible until he happens to notice it. **Bodo's workaround:** Keeps a physical notebook for phone notes; uses personal notation conventions (asterisks, plus signs) to track timing offsets when he can't enter notes in real time. --- ## Sales Process & Follow-Up Cadence ### Initial Contact - **Further leads:** Called within 5–10 minutes of receipt (high intent — prospect is likely still at their computer). If no answer, a personal email is sent immediately. - **Other leads:** Aggressive outreach for the first week; if no response, cadence shifts to every ~3 weeks. - **Rationale:** Memory care is time-sensitive. Prospects are simultaneously evaluating 4+ competitors. If not reached in the first week or two, they've likely committed elsewhere. ### Post-Tour Process - Within 24 hours of a tour (if no deposit made): Bodo sends a **personalized thank-you email** referencing specific details from the conversation (e.g., a resident's love of art museums). A follow-up call is scheduled for a few days later. - If a deposit is made during or after the tour: Assessment is scheduled immediately; prospect is converted to reserved status in Eldermark. - Move-in sequence: Deposit → Assessment → Physician clearance → Lease signing → Convert to resident in Eldermark (triggers handoff to Care and Billing modules). ### Lukewarm / Long-Timeline Prospects - Bodo manually flags leads as **Cold / Warm / Hot** in Eldermark, but definitions are subjective and inconsistently applied. - "Warm" = toured, hasn't joined waitlist yet, or looking 1–3 months out. - "Cold" = in database for years with no contact history. - "Lost" = contacted ~2–3x/month for ~a year with zero response; marked as "unable to reach" but not deleted. - **No automated nurture campaign exists.** Bodo manually tracks events and invites relevant prospects, but this is ad hoc and time-consuming. --- ## Pain Points & Dream List ### Eldermark Limitations - **No auto-task on lead creation** — the primary gap (see above). - **Inquiry → Prospect conversion is clunky** — Further leads enter as "Prospects" but are often family members (inquiries). Bodo must manually restructure the record to make the actual patient the prospect and the family member the inquiry contact. - **No "Tour No-Show" status** — Bodo's workaround: schedules a tour, marks it complete, adds "no show" to notes. - **Task scheduling requires manual date selection** — Bodo wants quick-click options like "Call in 2 days" (as in Salesforce). Currently must navigate a calendar picker every time. - **Waitlist feature exists but is unexplored** — Bodo has added two people but hasn't investigated how to monitor or act on it. ### Email Marketing & Data Management - **Professional contacts list is split:** Eldermark holds some; a legacy Excel sheet (inherited from the previous sales director) holds the rest — often with incomplete data (email address only, no name). - **Manual merge required for every e-blast:** Bodo exports from Eldermark, combines with the Excel list, and sends both to Sebastian. Duplicates are handled on Sebastian's end. - **No visibility into automated emails:** When the previous agency ran a post-tour welcome series (via Constant Contact or MailChimp), Bodo had no way to see what was sent to which prospect. Risk of uncoordinated or duplicated outreach. - **New leads not automatically added to email list:** A new Further lead (e.g., "Phoebe Judge," received during the call) won't appear in Sebastian's send list until Bodo manually exports and shares an updated CSV. --- ## Key Decisions - Facebook ads should be restructured to redirect clicks to the website form (with UTM parameters) rather than using Meta's native lead form. Sebastian to take ownership; Bodo stepping back from ad management. - Automated task creation for new Eldermark leads is the **top priority** for Asymmetric to solve. - Professional contacts list consolidation (hygiene + enrichment + Eldermark import) is a near-term project. - A nurture campaign for lukewarm/long-timeline leads is a defined goal; segmentation logic needs to be established. --- ## Action Items - [ ] **Mark Hope** — Audit Facebook ad setup; redirect to site form with UTM parameters; verify Further/Eldermark source attribution is intact after Bodo's changes. - [ ] **Bodo Liesenfeld** — Send professional contacts CSV to Karly and Mark. - [ ] **Karly Oykhman** — Draft CRM/automation write-up (high-level summary + proposed action items); distribute to Bodo and Mark. - [ ] **Asymmetric (Karly + Mark)** — Analyze professional contacts CSV for data hygiene and enrichment; develop import plan for Eldermark. - [ ] **Asymmetric** — Propose solution to auto-create a follow-up task in Eldermark when a new Further lead is received. - [ ] **Asymmetric** — Develop strategy for automated nurture campaign targeting lukewarm/long-timeline prospects; define segmentation criteria. - [ ] **Asymmetric** — Investigate integrating the full professional contacts list into Eldermark as a single source of truth. --- ## Related - [[clients/current/cordwainer/_index]]