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In This Issue:
Our Top Picks
LEGENDARY RESULTS: Managing Referrals & Increasing Admissions (Vol. 1 - Referral Management)
LEGENDARY RESULTS: Managing Referrals & Increasing Admissions (Vol. 2 - The Admissions Process)
Field Guide to Selling Hospice Services
Field Guide to Selling Home Care Services
Sit in on a class for FREE!
52 Week eSales Training Course
17 Proven Methods to Grow Referrals for Legendary Results in Home Care & Hospice (eBook)
Want More? Click Here
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Dear Friend,
Exciting times are afoot in our industry. Please, please make sure to contact
your members of Congress to let them know that they need to protect home health
care and hospice services. We are the solution and not a source of cost savings.
One thing that is sure: the sales, sales management and customer service
functions in our industry will be MORE important than ever. There will be the
need to be better at targeting the right referral partners, patients and
developing strong, consistent messaging. You will need to reduce the cost per
case acquired and this will be accomplished by being smarter and more strategic.
Do not wait until it is clear how Health Care Reform shakes out to prepare
training and strategies for the 4th quarter and 2010. There may be tweaking and
changes, but remember that the impact of any cuts or changes will not hit until
beyond 2010. The worst thing we can do as sales leaders is to wait and then
react. Drive more business today. Get the message out to Congress, but don't get
tied up in the rhetoric -- your job is to lead the sales team to bigger and
better things. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Are Great Sales
People Born with the Talent, or Do They Learn it? I believe some part of a great sales person's personality and
traits they are born with, but the majority of what will make them very
successful is learned. If someone does not possess the people skills, and is not
at their core a sales professional -- you will never be able to train them to be
exceptional sales people. Most of the examples pointed out as the exception to
this rule that I see in our industry are really more order takers than sales
people. For all but the largest operations, the sales manager is
perfectly capable of directing a large sales program themselves, if she/he has
gone through the training and coaching to do so. This help can be provided by
hiring a sales coach and/or retaining outside consultants to help with the
process. For large organizations or ones without sales managers, these coaches
and consultants will be able to set up your sales team to manage and grow their
own referrals themselves. ~ One or more sales people are taking an inordinate amount of the sales manager's time in the field. This is the trap that many sales managers fall into, spending all of their time with the new hires and the ones who are struggling. This causes the rest of the team to have ride along coaching sessions every two to three months -- which is not enough. ~Turnover in sales people. The number one cause of burnout for sales people in our industry is not having and executing a strong plan. Field coaching is the only way to appropriately gauge the sales person's abilities in this area and their level of frustration. (Remember: Big red flag if the answer to the question, "Where is your plan?" is answered with something like, "But I know where I am going.") ~ Multiple sales representatives whose numbers are either on a plateau or have declined. As our industry matures, we will see more pure sales coaches -- people who are hired to only coach sales people. They should be hired based on possessing strong coaching skills, not management skills. This position could provide a career path to sales management, but candidates should not be evaluated based on their sales management abilities. Having these coaches in place will enable the strong sales manager to leverage their time and abilities. This is the best growth plan for those organizations who are growing their sales teams beyond the size that one manager can manage, or for sales teams lacking a manager themselves. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sales Training Corner Make plans NOW to join us for the following training sessions -- the last until 2010! Square One Boot Camp NOVEMBER 16 - 18, 2009 September's Square One sold out completely, so LOCK IN YOUR SEAT TODAY! CLICK HERE for details (including the agenda) and to secure your seat! "One of the best sales training classes I have attended. The
small class size is excellent for teaching and learning. The instructors were
very understanding and always there to help. 5+ stars!!" To view a brief video of what makes the Square One Boot
Camp experience so special, CLICK HERE! Next Step Advanced Sales Boot Camp NOVEMBER 2 - 4, 2009 Two and one-half day Boot Camp experience open to graduates of the Square One Boot Camp and top producers. Send your BEST sales person to the Next Step Advanced Sales Training Boot Camp to get them tuned up for 2010! CLICK HERE for details (including the agenda) and to lock in a seat!
NOVEMBER 10 - 11, 2009 AdmitRight™ Boot Camp is designed for those who are charged with the management of sales, referral center and admission team for hospice. If you are in one of those positions, you need to attend this Boot Camp! You will come away with a ton of ideas on how to improve your processes to increase referrals, improve referral center and admission team processes. All of which will add up to increased ALOS, census and fulfillment of mission in community. More people will receive needed hospice services. AdmitRight™ is specific to hospice and will provide you the tools and direction on how to train your teams to deliver the results! CLICK HERE for details (including the agenda) and reservation options.
Our groundbreaking and highly-acclaimed 52 Week eSales Training Course is available for one to one hundred students. It provides a weekly lesson (takes about 30 minutes to complete) that will keep your sales team members' skills sharp. Students have said that the course supported them in becoming better at their profession, increased their referrals and forced them to review the basics. On average, our 52 Week eLearning participants have increased their referrals by over 31%! Special offer for Sales Leadership Letter subscribers: Enroll up to 10 students for one low price of $599 (does not include audio CDs)! CLICK HERE to take advantage of this offer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sales Tip Make sure your messaging is timely, topical and that it
resonates with your audience. Don't forget that October is National Breast
Cancer Awareness month. All things pink are in strong demand. Think about
producing your giveaway item in pink with a Breast Cancer ribbon on it for a
change and to create more interest. Always look for ways to tie your campaigns
into your mission. (Remember that I am NOT a fan of giveaway items -- but, if
you must, then make them integral to your mission and message. Don't just hand
out stuff!) There is a website that has lots of great (free) information related
to the month: http://www.nbcam.org/
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Sales Leadership Compensation is one component of retention, but it comes second to feeling respected and valued. Monetary as well as non-monetary benefits must be calculated when determining the total compensation package. In this issue, we'll address monetary benefits. Sales people will always perform better if they have a compensation plan that directly reflects their success. Bonuses and other performance based incentives will more than pay for themselves if the right people have been hired. Sales people can be motivated to produce more if they will earn more in return. The bonuses should be easy to calculate and paid out as quickly as possible. The incentive should be designed to put the sales manager on the same side of the table as the sales person. Make sure that the base salary is competitive as well. Otherwise your sales person will be motivated to get any referral he or she can (profitable or not), in order to maximize the bonus payout. There are several considerations to take into account when designing a bonus program. First is to make sure that the incentive is designed to deliver the intended result. In other words, the incentive must be driven by profitability as well as revenue generation. Then it is important to make sure that the agency and the sales person are on the same side of the table. Finally, any calculations should be done in advance to determine the total maximum payout should the sales person surpass your wildest expectations. The reward for doing an incredible job should be a check that is delivered with heartfelt thanks along with encouragement to earn even more. The last thing that you want to do is to either not live up to your end of the bargain or change the rules in the middle of the game. Commissions are another way to reward sales people. Although not currently prevalent in the home care industry, commissions are used in other industries with great success. As with bonus programs, commission plans should be structured to fit an overall compensation plan. I strongly believe that full commission compensation packages are not appropriate for home healthcare agencies. The nature of the business and the relationships that must be developed and maintained do not lend themselves to straight commission compensation plans -- there is too much opportunity for corruption. We will discuss non-monetary incentives in a future issue of The Sales Leadership Letter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ask Polly
The detour dilemma. "Not ready yet" is the number 1 reason for pending and non-admits. While many hospice patients and families aren't ready for hospice care, it's our job to help them take the first step by convincing them to try hospice services, even for just a few days. Once they try it and realize the significant (and nonthreatening) benefits hospice care offers, few revoke. But getting them to the timely point of choosing hospice is what's important. The ease of detouring to a bridge program often becomes the "out" for admissions staff that either lack the training or the skill set to move the patient to selecting hospice care. The fear of advocacy. With all the passion that hospice staff bring to the table, you'd think that being an advocate for hospice care would be easy. But it's a huge leap from offering choice to advocating hospice. While it's true that patients may need time to process the seriousness of their illness, all too often the "process" lasts until a few days before they die, and they never receive the true benefit of hospice care. The hospice programs that truly excel at quality care are those that help resistant patients try hospice care "for just a few days." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions & Answers Question: Physicians say they are talking about hospice, but the families will not agree. How can I help them talk to families? I have given them communication tips, but I think I am going to have to do more community education. Answer: This is a major industry initiative, helping more physicians and
their patients understand and evaluate hospice services. Physicians and their
staff need to view you as part of the solution; make sure that they know that
your hospice will provide someone to meet with the patient My last comment would be to make sure that, in the situation you outlined, the only issue is the patient not agreeing. There are so many more possible issues that could be coming into play. Probe for their attitude towards hospice and any other challenges that stand in your way of having them refer as many of their patients as early as possible. Question: How often should I see the physician in my 'A' account offices, and how often should these visits be with the referring staff members? Answer: Weekly calls to the physician's practice should be the norm for 'A' accounts. Most of these calls are going to be with the staff -- nurses, PAs, CNPs, MAs, referral clerks, office managers, etc. Each practice is different; you should be in constant (weekly) contact with the person or persons responsible for calling in the referrals. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Us Supercharge Your Referrals, Revenues and Profits! Headed by two industry powerhouses -- Michael Ferris and Polly Rehnwall -- Our Marketing, Sales and Customer Service Consulting Division is designed to give you the easiest experience possible by providing the most comprehensive solutions to supercharge your referrals, revenues and profits! If it only took one phone call to deal with all your marketing and sales needs, would you make it? In an environment of growing competition and shrinking margins, you have to increase volume and improve market share in order to be successful. That means having a skilled sales team, quality marketing strategies and a customer service model that improves your conversion of referrals to admissions. With every type of solution we provide, you won't just beat the competition -- you'll establish your competitive advantage for years to come! Our Proven Process: - Evaluate and assess talent, model and process Delivering optimal results begins with an evaluation of your sales, marketing and customer service program in order to design solutions custom tailored to your agency and your area. Our experts know home health and hospice, bringing years of marketing and sales experience and best practices to you. Customized Solutions: Have one or a few specific needs? We can guide you through creation and implementation quicker and with more success than anyone else. Below is just a small sample of our capabilities: - On-site Sales, Marketing, or Customer Service Consulting and Training With just one phone call, you can tap into all the resources and knowledge of the home care industry's touchstone consulting powerhouse -- Simione Consultants. We have an ability no other company can offer -- the only one-stop shop to handle all your marketing and sales needs. Simione Consultants, LLC was the first organization of its kind dedicated entirely to home care -- a commitment we continue to maintain today. For more than 40 years, we have demonstrated we understand and are responsive to the changing and diverse business needs of home care and hospice organizations. Value Driven, Success Outcomes More than 800 home care organizations have trusted the team of experts at Simione Consultants, LLC to get them through the challenges of yesterday and today, and to gain the leading edge for tomorrow. We provide expert assistance to hospital-based and hospital-affiliated agencies, visiting nurse associations, hospices, small proprietary agencies, and large national chains. The size, capabilities and commitment of our uniquely qualified consulting staff offer unparalleled industry insights and innovative yet practical solutions. Our track record of engagements with successful client outcomes is unmatched. |
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Simione Consultants, LLC and may not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher. To subscribe to The Legendary Sales Leadership Letter, click here. |
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Happy
Fall to You! 
Many
hospices offer bridge programs that provide palliative care and support services
to patients (and their families) facing serious illness. These patients either
don't meet hospice guidelines or meet hospice guidelines but aren't ready
to choose hospice yet. It's this latter group where we're seeing a lot
of growth, and it's cause for concern. There's no question that bridge programs
are beneficial and fill a gap between curative treatment and hospice care. But
they also run the risk of becoming "default hospice" in which admission teams
can too easily use the bridge program as a way to avoid actively
advocating the hospice choice.