How do you ask for a referral?
We have worked with thousands of sales reps across all the business lines, home health marketers, in-home care sales reps, hospice liaisons, and one thing we know for sure – You have to ASK for the referral.
Here’s the problem – most reps have a FEAR of asking. They think:
- That’s SUPER SALESY
- Oh, they know why I am here
- I already give them handouts to help
Your referral sources NEED to be ASKED for a referral. They are busy! And you do not “own” their mind share!
EASIER Said than DONE!
Let’s take a little assessment together (if you are an owner or sales manager ask your reps):
Step 1 – BE HONEST.
How many of you ASK for a referral EVERY TIME you are in front of a referral source?
EVERY TIME.
Most reps ask “sometimes,” but not every time.
Step 2 – How do you ask?
Maybe you ask like this:
“Do you have someone we can help?”
“Do you have a referral today?”
“Do you have someone who could benefit from Home Care?”
The challenge is with the above questions – they have to “know” what you do to identify a patient or client for services.
We both believe that many referral sources struggle to identify patients and clients because they lack the knowledge of your breadth and depth of services.
Step 3 – Trigger a Referral
Does the way you ask “Trigger” a referral while you are there?
When we do this exercise in our programs and ask them to share how they ask for a patient or client, the reps will have 2-3 “go-to” ways they ask for a referral. At least half of the questions are like the questions in Step 2, and when we ask the follow-up question – “How does that work for you?” “What % of the time do you walk out with a referral?”
The answer is rarely.
You see… the problem is not with the sales rep. It is with the question.
Specifically, how the question is positioned.
Does it reach into the current caseload of patients and “pluck” out the one you want for your agency.
In Lesson 2 of the Achieve program, we focus on crafting the Top 10 ways to ask for a patient or client.
The keys to success are:
- Open-ended questions always work better to generate conversations about patients or clients
- NEVER stop at a feature – no one “buys” features they only “buy” benefits
- Having 10 questions will give you the tools you need in just about any referral source encounter
As a sales rep, there is NOTHING more empowering than having the confidence in my skills and proven tools when I am going on a sales call either in person or virtual!
As a sales manager, it is my job to get my reps the tools they need to have that confidence!
Sharpen those skills – EVERY WEEK!
If you are looking for weekly ‘skill sharpening” for you or your team, look no further. We have created something just for you!
Go check out ACHIEVE or email Mike@HomeCareSales.com to Discover the Keys to Succeed!
Giving you the FREEDOM to GROW!
