Recently one of our Client’s Home Health Marketers had a territory revision.
We streamlined the home health marketing lines, and she was assigned a “new” hospital. (the hospital had been around forever, but she had not called on it before)
This is a big hospital in a large metropolitan area. Home Care Marketing is fierce! BIG hospitals can be daunting! Tammy has great courage and is not afraid to tackle new big accounts.
When she walked into the hospital, she had a list of Doctors she wanted to see many of the Doctors in the Medical Office Building that is attached to the hospital told her that it was their policy not to see reps anymore.
I know you have faced this situation also – when you don’t have access. She asked specific questions of the “gatekeeper” and received direct lines and emails from referral nurses. It was a start!
Tammy had a list of doctors who referred to Home Health from data her owners bought on the number of Medicare Home Health patients the doctors had admitted in the past.
She knew they were high-value targets. She also knew they were hospitalists and struggled to find them. With her “can do” attitude, she was able to speak with their office manager. She was disappointed but not surprised when the office manager shared the doctors did not “refer” simply wrote orders, and the Case Managers at the hospital did the actual referring.
Off to see the Case Managers!
A tip from the field: One of your greatest assets in ANY building are janitors. They know EVERYTHING – but often are overlooked. When you engage them, they are happy to help! And this janitor – Terence he was a godsend. He said, “Case Management – that is past shipping past the pharmacy. Let me take you there.” AWESOME!
Case Management was “hiding down at the end of a LONG hallway.” It would have taken Tammy forever to find it on her own. As she approached the doorway of the Case Management Office – right beside the door of the Case Management department – was a “PEST CONTROL” device. When Tammy and I spoke about this – we laughed so hard! She said, “Like that is going to keep me out!”
Now, I appreciate that the “PEST CONTROL” device is because of bugs in that long hallway, not home care marketers. But it hit us SO FUNNY!
DO they think of Home Care Marketers as PESTS? Then we stopped laughing… because the answer is “YES”. While this device was not meant for a home health marketer, I couldn’t help but see the irony.
How do you NOT be a PEST to your referral sources?
It’s EASY! Make sure EVERY time you are making an in-person Marketing call, do these three things:
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- Know what you are going to say!
- Have a topic or diagnosis you are going to highlight to “show” them how to get MORE patients the care they deserve!
- Have prepared “Trigger Questions” – These are open-ended questions that spark conversation and GET YOU A REFERRAL!
In this case – Tammy found the Case Manager’s office and, once inside, found a Case Manager who was willing to speak with her. She shared with her great information about the protocol for gaining referrals and access to the other Case Managers. It was a WIN of a call! (This is Step 1 of the sales process- Identify and Qualify!)
Tammy did a fantastic job! She demonstrated that when your Mission is bigger than their “NO” you will get beyond the “gatekeeper” you will be seen and heard!
You can have the CONFIDENCE you need to march into the toughest accounts when you KNOW you have the RIGHT WORDS TO SAY!
Together We Grow,
Melanie
PS – If you want the right words to say – Join us on the RoadMap to Referrals: 52 wks of Sales Messages that spark conversations and get you the referrals you deserve!
Impact more lives and increase your income! Schedule a demo – https://calendly.com/mike-home-care-sales
