I had to let go of a rep for a client due to not hitting her goals. Was it a surprise?

We do A LOT of sales management at any given time. We have between 25 -40 sales reps under management.

For the past 20 years, I have managed Home Health, In-Home Care, and Hospice reps. It has been some of the most rewarding times of my life. Helping representatives craft the right message and gain that specific patient or client type. And most importantly, impact a family’s life with the care that you provide.

When we take over sales management for an owner or CEO, they all want one thing – growth. (And they don’t want to manage the sales reps themselves)

They also want FREEDOM. Sales reps are change agents, and the best are consistently bringing back improvement ideas and requests. It can be exhausting for an owner or CEO.

That’s where we come in. We take that stress away from the owner or CEO and give the rep a space to share ideas and gain best practices.

Recently we were hired by a CEO who had a Sales Manager move on and was looking for immediate help to provide structure and support to her reps. Not to mention the board was on her about growth!

One rep (we will call her Jane) – she had been at the agency for six months and was familiar with the business but not the territory.

The first step was orientation. A structured orientation timeline and milestones as set forth.

She discovered the alphabet soup of acronyms we use to be overwhelming, but she learned about the service line and the account types with our orientation.

Next up – The High-Performance Sales Academy – Time to get certified and learn how to move an account from Step 1 Qualifying to Step 3 REFERRING! And what to do if you don’t have staff!

Many of the owners who have us manage their marketers are struggling with staffing. Unfortunately, this is the reality right now- many of you don’t have a problem with referrals. So, how do you keep a rep motivated and referral sources happy when you don’t have staff? We got you covered!

Just this week, I spoke to Jane who was struggling with staffing, and she was anxiously concerned about “her reputation.” What if she asked for a referral and they could not staff it – like had happened on three occasions in the last month? She was gun shy and not “marketing full out”. (She was also concerned about the lack of bonuses!)

So much of marketing is mindset. When you have a scarcity mindset, you will not build deep, meaningful relationships…let alone referrals!

Jane said the right things during coaching calls. She was knowledgeable and completed the training, but she wasn’t producing.

In our sales management program, we have an expectation document. This document spells out exactly what the rep will be held accountable to:

• Number of calls a week
• Documentation
• Coaching Calls

Jane knew the expectation. She was coached up. But could not produce because of mindset. When I spoke with her during coaching calls, she always said, “But I can’t because we don’t have staffing.”

That is MINDSET!

Don’t you say and think you can’t! You CAN, and we have many reps who ARE making it work!

She had the full commitment of the leadership team. Bring in a referral, and we will staff it. Period.

But she couldn’t get over the past experience. In her mind, they couldn’t do it. And therefore, she couldn’t do it. She made TONS of sales calls drove 700 miles a week! But no referrals came in.

After being coached up and on an improvement plan, she was not able to achieve the goals. It was time to move on. Was she surprised? No. She had been coached and held accountable to the numbers.

It is never an easy thing. It’s the worst part of my job. I hate it. I also know it was not a good fit for her or the agency. In the end, everyone will be better for it.

Now we have another rep.

She is open-minded. She doesn’t have the industry experience, but she has grit and lots of personality. We are building her industry knowledge. She received her first referral this week, and I am thrilled for her!

With the right mindset and training, she is going to knock it out of the park.

Sales Management is tough.

It’s tougher now than it was two years ago.

Lack of staffing. Referral sources reopening but not letting reps “in” and keeping them at arm’s length.

Keeping a rep motivated and part of the solution for your staffing needs is key to your success right now.

Cheryl and I were on a call yesterday, and the leadership team was voicing their concerns about staffing and lack of availability for the reps to “market.” And Cheryl asked this question.

“What are your reps doing to be part of the staffing solution?”

And the answer was silence.

And finally – “I don’t think anything.”

Your marketers are PART OF THE SOLUTION!

Cheryl and I are announcing our opening of the Home Care Sales Sales Management Program.

If you wished you could give your marketer the tools they need to succeed – look no further.

IF you are just plain EXHAUSTED and don’t have time for your marketer – We got your back!

Let us take over your marketer – we can help.

Want to learn more (click here)?

Keep Serving Seniors

Together We Grow!

Melanie