Dealing with Doctors
Posted by Mike Ferris on Friday, July 31, 2009 and posted in Hospice SalesIt is important to recognize that dealing with doctors requires us to consider that doctors are different. They are typically direct and to the point, in a hurry, and interested in benefits. The first 60 seconds are important to make an impression and deliver a benefit in listening to you further. Be prepared! Anytime you schedule a meeting with a physician, have your plan for what you want to communicate and your goal for the outcome for this meeting. Also be ready for those chance meetings.
The physician is many times not the person to determine where a particular patient will be referred for home care services. In most cases, the physician is going to “bless” the choice of agency and then someone else will actually make the referrals. For hospitalized patients, the doctor writing the discharge orders will either specify your agency or just discharge to home care and allow the discharge planner or social work to choose the agency. A few pointers in dealing with doctors:
~ No small talk please
~ Do not bombard them with copies of the same orders to sign
~ Service, service service when dealing with doctors
~ Make it easy to do business your agency
~ Always thank the doctors for referrals, especially the non-admits
~ Make your thank you’s personal and special
~ Always be professional
~ Be a good listener
~ Always follow-up quickly
~ Address any problems immediately
~ Build your custom service plan and deliver on it
Excerpted from Field Guide to Selling Hospice Services with Legendary Results by Michael Ferris