The power of WiiFM and language in expectation management: key takeaways from DCM Institute’s Professional Development Day series
This week, DCM Institute’s Professional Development Day series wrapped up in Sydney, with the event on two occasions to accommodate the growing number of Village Professionals active in our Professional Development Day Program.
Over three weeks, more than 450 Village Professions attended this event series on GREAT Expectation Management across five capital cities.
Participants were guided by dynamic facilitator Jacqui Perkins, through strategies to better manage the expectations of residents and families. One of the most significant takeaways from the event was the WiiFM Factor—What’s In It For Me?
As Jacqui put it, understanding and addressing WiiFM is essential in delivering an exceptional resident experience. Whether engaging with prospective residents, handling concerns, or fostering community engagement, acknowledging what truly matters to the individual creates stronger connections and trust.
The key is to shift from simply communicating through telling to understanding so that we can relate how a service, policy, or decision makes life better, easier, or more fulfilling for the resident.
Just as important as what we say is how we say it, Jacqui went on to emphasise before leading a discussion on what she calls bridge-burning words – but, however, and unfortunately.
These words, often used unintentionally, can derail meaningful dialogue by signalling contradiction, rejection, or limitation. Instead, replacing them with connection-building language fosters understanding and keeps the door open for solutions.
For example:
🔴 “I understand you’re looking for a community with more social activities, but we don’t offer that here.”
🔴 “We’d love to help you move in sooner, however, our policy doesn’t allow early settlements.”
🔴 “We appreciate your feedback, unfortunately, we can’t make changes at this time.”
Each phrase dismisses the customer’s needs or concerns, making them feel like their priorities don’t matter. Instead, replace bridge-burning words with connection-builders:
✅ “I understand you’re looking for more social activities. Let’s explore how we can support that with our community events.”
✅ “We’d love to help you move in sooner, and we can discuss flexible options to make the transition smoother.”
✅ “We appreciate your feedback and will explore ways to incorporate it into future improvements.”
At the end of each day, we asked attendees for their short term action strategies. These two simple tools for manging expectations were by far and away the most popular with attendees seeing the benefit of having the WiiFM mindset and using language that strengthens rather than weakens relationships.
Thank you to all who attended and contributed to these valuable discussions. Your commitment to learning and growth is shaping the future of our sector—one conversation at a time.
