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In This Issue:
Our Top Picks
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)
Upcoming Training and Speaking October 12 - 15, 2008 Fort Lauderdale, Florida
November 17 - 19, 2008 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Want More? Click Here
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Dear Friend, Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who incurred the wrath of Hurricane Ike. Disasters such as these make us realize how blessed we all are. Home care and hospice agencies are the glue in the community -- working under good or bad circumstances. Our industry is the answer to so many of the challenges in the health care arena, whether as the natural solution for provision of health care in the midst of a disaster or as the most cost-effective and desirable solution for patients and families. While hurricane season doesn't officially end until November 30, the good news is that the tropical Atlantic looks quieter than it has in over three weeks. Hopefully, the worst of the storms are behind us. Fall will soon be upon us and the leaves will start to turn to their autumn splendor all along the East Coast and elsewhere in the U.S. I love the fall weather -- the cool crisp mornings followed by the bright blue skies and warm afternoons. Sleeping with the windows open, listening to the bugs and birds in the forest. With the changing season, you will also see a pick-up in referrals. Summer is over and with fall comes the return of elective orthopedic surgeries and other seasonal factors. You can expect to see an elevation of respiratory disease and pneumonia. Just last week while visiting a client site in Michigan, the volume of referrals for home care, hospice and HME was already starting to increase. What does this have to do with sales leadership for home care and hospice? Whether you are caught in the middle of a natural disaster or simply relishing a fall evening, you must be able to tell the story in the community. You must be able to persuade the referral partners that your agency is the best to provide services to their patients no matter what the situation. You have to make hay while the sun is shining; work to get a bigger share of referrals during times of plenty. Best, Mike Ferris
Patient and Client Satisfaction is only the First Step.
Sales Training Corner Make plans to join us in Chapel Hill in November for the next Square One Bootcamp: November 17 - 19, 2008 To lock in a seat with your full payment, click here. “This training opportunity exceeded my expectations. I now have the tools to support my organization and help to make it grow. On a scale of 1-10, it was 10 plus for me. I noted the program was beneficial to both novices and those who were more seasoned in sales.” To view a brief video of what makes the Square One Bootcamp experience so special, click here! 52 Week eSales Training Course 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%! "With the help of the 52 Week eSales Training Course, I have been able to increase our accounts by approximately 20% and have increased referrals and admits by an even greater percent. Thank you, and my company also thanks you!" 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 Teach your sales team to be practiced in the art of persuasion and they will be very successful. To teach them to be great persuaders, you must master it and lead the way. Here are some characteristics of great persuaders:
Charisma – Top Leadership Attributes:
How to Increase Your Charisma:
In the next issue, we will further explore how to help your team be master persuaders!
Reassurance Matters When we do focus groups with families who have had someone in a hospice program, one of the key issues we cover is how they felt when the hospice called them (after receiving the referral) or when they themselves initiated the first hospice contact. One of the common themes we hear is how they felt so guilty, because they were giving up on treatment or on the hope that their loved one would get better. What we've discovered (and psychology research supports) is the importance of reassuring the family that they aren't alone, that those feelings are typical, and that they did the right thing by calling today. It always helps to know that others have the same concerns and feel the same way under these circumstances. Families can't see that it's normal to have those feelings and apprehensions, so it's important to reassure them not only at the start of the call, but at the end of the call as well. Here are some good phrases to use: "Barb, I'm so glad that you called us today, because we can really help you through this." Or, if the referral is from a professional: "Barb, I'm so glad Dr. Smith gave us a call so that we can give you the support and relief you need at a time like this." Remember, if we handle the call properly and really focus on the needs of the caller, reassurance just comes naturally.
Making "Call Us First" More Effective Admission Information At admission, we always tell caregivers to call us first whenever they’re concerned about the patient. Many hospices even use the phrase “we become your 911” as a way of defining their 24/7 access service. However, the tool that’s used to reinforce this important process could be much more effective. Oftentimes, the admissions team will point out the sticker, magnet or card in the admissions packet and tell the family, “Here’s our number. Now remember, it’s important to always call us first.” But then they put it back in the hospice folder, which ends up in a pile somewhere in the patient’s home. So it’s not very easy to find when the time comes to make the call, is it? Here are some tips on how to make that important information really stand out The Message Matters 1. Keep it simple! So many of the stickers and cards we see have multiple numbers to various locations printed all over the place. In addition, they list different procedures to follow and numbers to call depending on when the call is made (afterhours, weekends, etc.). When someone panics about dad’s breathing, the last thing they need to be thinking is, “Is it after five? Is it Friday? Do I call the local number or the 800 number?” If you’re really telling them “We’re your 911,” then make it as simple as 911: One number, 24/7, no exceptions. 2. Sample messages. Remember, the key is to keep it simple. Here are some ideas:
3. No single number? If you don’t have just one number for active patients and their caregivers, then get one! (It’s unlisted, so the only people that have it are either existing patients or caregivers that had a patient on service.) If your service area has multiple area codes or some callers would pay a long-distance rate for placing the call, then use a toll-free number. During the daytime, this patient help line could roll to your switchboard, to a team assistant or directly to a triage nurse. In the evening, it would roll to your answering service or your evening on-call team. The Design Matters While we always advise that you keep your design (logo, colors, font style) consistent so that you’re always building your “brand,” this is the one instance where we make an exception to the rule. 1. Make it say “urgent.” Think of the universal symbols for important information: A red stop sign, yellow caution triangle or red cross (for medical care). Use one of these in designing your “call us first” tool. For example, print your message on an octagon-shaped red sticker or yellow caution-shaped magnet. 2. Create the right tool. Look around at where most caregivers put important information. It’s usually on the refrigerator, so a magnet makes sense. Even more important, create a sticker for the phone so that the information is literally at their fingertips. 3. Right size it. If you’re going to design a sticker for a phone, measure the size of an average handset (or cell phone cover) first. You don’t want to design a sticker that you have to wrap around something in order to fit. Or if it’s a magnet, don’t make it so small that it gets lost in the sea of family photos and “To do” lists tacked to the refrigerator door. The Placement Matters 1. Ask where, then place it. Don’t just show the patient and family the sticker or magnet, then put it back in the folder. Ask them where they’d like to put it. Then say, “Is it okay if we put it there now?” This way, you can assure that it gets done, versus remaining tucked away (and probably forgotten) in the admission packet. 2. Bring extras. Always load the admissions packet with 2-3 extra stickers and magnets. The caregiver may not be at the patient’s home when they need to call, or the patient may have multiple phones, so don’t skimp on bringing extras along on the visit. 3. Pens don’t hurt, either. Last, bring along 1 or 2 of your logo pens to give patients and families. Use them for signing consents, then tell them to keep them. It’s just another way to keep your name and number visible.
Questions & Answers Question: How do we recruit and retain more nurses? Answer: First off, we must remember that recruiting and marketing are permanently joined. Everything we do to recruit should also help to market the agency and vice versa. The better we are getting our story out into the community (especially the medical community), the better we are at attracting and keeping better candidates. The better we are with marketing, the more pride we build in our organization -- thus then able to recruit and retain better people. Your sales people are in a great position to recruit for the agency; they are the eyes and ears in the medical community. CAUTION: Do not be perceived as raiding your accounts for new hires! If you want to alienate a referral partner quickly, just have them think you are hiring away all of their best employees, including nurses! It is fine to ask them if they know anyone that would fit in with your culture of greatness, but tread cautiously. Question: What is the best way to get case managers' attention if you are not allowed on the floor? Answer: There are several ways to "get their attention" and I would try them all. One of the best is to stand out from the crowd! Think about how you can set yourself apart from the other agencies trying to get their referrals. Send them information in the mail, use handwritten notes and lumpy mail (an envelope with a pen or sticky notes or something that creates a lump). Visit your agency's patients in the hospital and make sure that they see you there and they will really appreciate what you are doing. Attend educational programs at their institution, find out what clubs or organizations they belong to and join the local case management society/association. Leverage your relationship with one case manager to get introduced to others. The reference from a co-worker and endorsement will go a long way. Question: We do Private Pay services. How can we sell these services to long-term care facilities? Answer: Same process as with skilled home care services, you must find out who makes the referrals when someone is going home. Find out their needs in the private duty arena and make sure they know you are the most dependable and highest service company. Be available to meet with patients and families to answer their questions, let them know what to expect, and get them signed up before they are discharged home. Make sure the discharge planner/social worker and the patient/family know you can have an aide available to meet them when they get home or even have one ride home with them and help out on the way home if needed. Also, make sure the orthopedic surgeons that have rehab patients in the facility know about and depend on your services. Having a little help when they get home can make the difference in success or failure for a post op knee or hip!
About Us Our Proven 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:
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. 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.
Closing Thoughts Also, I will be speaking on Monday, October 13th from 10:30 to noon (session 317 –- Proven Methods of Marketing Your Services in the Community and in Your Own Hospital) and hope to see you there. Thanks, Be Safe and Happy Selling! |
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This newsletter and all content and information contained herein are the property of Simione Consultants, LLC and may not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher. 176 East Main Street, Unit 8 | Westborough, MA 01581 | (800) 653-4043 | (508) 366-7409 | SUBSCRIBE to the Legendary Sales Leadership Letter to receive new products, helpful hints, speaking dates, and more! |
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