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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
I came home recently to a flyer on my doorstep.
We have a young entrepreneur in our neighborhood, and his name is Redford.
Yes, like Robert Redford, he will tell you when you struggle with his name.
(See the Pic…Still a hunk…)
(Sales Win #1 Redford helps you make the connection and NEVER forget his name- salesman 101 “it’s your job to be remembered, not their job to “remember you”)
Let’s take a look at his flyer:
1. He leads with a question – Need a dog walker?
Good one – your brain already answered yes I do – or no I don’t. He quickly qualifies his clients.
(Sales Win #2 Redford will spend time with people who answer YES – just like you should spend time with only people who are willing and ABLE to refer to you! Step 1 of the High-Performance Sales Process- QUALIFY!)
2. The first walk is FREE – The most persuasive word in the English language is FREE!
(Sales Win #3 – He gets your attention and reduces the risk. While you may not be able to give away your services for “Free,” – what can you do? A “Free assessment”? We have used this for years to reduce the risk and barrier to care.)
3. Extra dog – reduced rate!
(Sales Win #4 – Add more on. We will make it worth it! Such as a couple’s rate or if you have ever offered care sharing!)
4. Want more? Ask him he will give you more – of course for a fee!
(Sales Win #5: You can always upsell your way into more care!)
5. ENHANCED customer service!
(Sales Win #6 – When you want to shine and beat out your competitors – you can “out” customer service them!)
And here is my favorite part of this flyer:
“WHY CHOSE ME?”
He comes right out and says it! You were already thinking it (so are your referral sources) so TELL THEM!
Differentiate!!!! Step 2 of the High-Performance Sales Process! THIS one of the HARDEST parts of marketing and selling Home Health, In-Home Care, and Hospice.
Go ahead make a list (answer the question, “Why Choose Me?“)- how far did you get?
We have an exercise in the High-Performance Sales Academy and our (Let us take over your) Sales Management program that NAILS this for you!
Time to shine and be able to fully and confidently answer “Why you should choose my agency….”
I LOVE that Reford even talks about PPE on his flyer.
Redford is a 13 yr old marketing genius and well on his way to becoming a successful business owner!
How do your marketing efforts stack up to Redfords?
If you wish you had effective marketing messages and custom flyers that get results – jump on a call with Mike and let him show you all the tools we have to offer! (click here for his calendar for your convenience)
Keep Serving Seniors
Together We Grow!
Melanie
The good news: Most home care, home health, and hospice marketers are getting into their accounts!
It’s a perfect time to reflect and prepare. You just finished your Quarterly business review, so you have most of the hard work done! Your top accounts identified and ranked.
After all, these months, here are the next steps to take this summer to make the most of these meetings with the 5 R’s of “Re-opening.”
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- Reconnect – Connect to the human first. This pandemic has been a trauma. Take the time to connect to the human first. Ask how they are doing. What life changes have happened since the last time you saw them in person.
- Requalify – Step 1 of the High-Performance Sales Process. SO much has changed, and you need to know the current state of your top accounts and qualification sales calls are easier and more conversational in person. You used to know everything about this account – now take a current “pulse” of what is going on and how they are referring today.
- Re-engage – Time to set the stage on how you are going to interact with your referral sources. Do you need to go back to “old” call frequency patterns? Be ruthless with your time. You have an opportunity to reset expectations and boundaries. As one rep shared with me – “the pandemic taught the social workers how to use a fax machine to fax in referrals instead of demanding I drive across the city to pick up the paperwork – I want to keep that faxing habit alive!”
- Regenerate and generate more referrals AND relationships – Everyone we coach has been doing an AMAZING job of nurturing the relationships remotely. Some accounts will continue with remote marketing. In my opinion, nothing beats in-person marketing. You can see and feel so much more than on the phone or via email. The new hybrid model of in-person and remote marketing is key to covering more ground and gaining more referrals.
- Resource – For over 20 years, the cornerstone of Home Care Sales has been for marketers to be a resource to your referral sources. Selling = Profound Service. You are a senior care expert!
I am thrilled to see so many home care marketers get access and census driving up!
Thank you for all you do out in the field!
Together We Grow!
Melanie
PS ready to launch into your accounts and grow. We got your back. Get a time on Mike’s calendar and see what’s new!
This week on a coaching call, one of the new home health and hospice marketing teams we recently took on for sales management shared with us:
“We are good. But the hospice competition is getting tougher. More and more reps are coming in and just beating us.”
I asked, “why is that?”
She said:
“I don’t think they provide better care. I don’t think they “do anything special,” but I think they are just showing up, sharing their message, and getting a referral here and there. You multiple that by five new competitors in the last year and it’s chipping away at my numbers.”
I told her – “I bet you are right.”
Let’s see how we can make a plan to take back your share!
Step 1 Identify and Qualify:
Look at your data; where are the gaps?
Where are you losing your share compared to last year or the year before?
Be sure to identify new accounts.
NOW GO QUALIFY!
Ask the six questions to qualify your accounts and rank them.
(From the High Performance Sales Academy)
Step 2 Make a routing plan:
Target the accounts in the same geographical area and MAP IT!
Step 3 Calendar it :
The calendar does ALL the heavy lifting for you so that you can be YOU! Where are you going and on what days?
Step 4: Execute it
DO IT! Make your calls and share your unique sales education message of the week for Home Health, Hospice, or In-home care!
This rep is in the middle of creating her hospice marketing plan – after our 60 min session, she had a clear plan on her top 10 accounts.
See, this rep just needed a little guidance in putting it together. She is a super hard worker and a caring representative. I know she will execute it, and we will be there for her every step of the way.
Sometimes you just need a guide to help you move forward. Someone who has been there, done it, and is STILL doing it!
We can help!
If you are interested in our sales management and coaching programs, reach out to Mike@HomeCareSales.com
Here’s to taking your MARKET BACK!!
Together We Grow!
Melanie
This week on our owners Caring Agency Mastermind (CAM) call, we were discussing Medical Directors.
I know many of you have Medical Directors, and we always talk about the value. Making sure the agency utilizes them to the best of their abilities, and they are paid fairly.
The conversation was around “what does a Medical Director do for your agency?”
Is it worth it?
How do you pay them?
Does the agency and care staff gain needed expert advice and direction?
There are many points of discussion, and one of my favorite things about our CAM FAM is that the owners who share their experiences so that this owner who had not had a Medical Director before for her private agency could navigate and avoid the pitfalls that the other owners had experienced along the way. The hard lessons learned. So that she could prevent costly mistakes, at the end of her time on the CAM session, she walked away with a plan. And we opened our Rolodex to her of professionals who could give her more guidance specific to her state.
One of the other owners reported that this was precisely why he joined the Caring Agency Mastermind. All the resources and connections allow him to ask questions and get instant access to experts who can guide you in the right direction!
I am so grateful for all our members who trust us to help them solve challenges and move faster towards their goals! Coming away from the session with incredible gains!
One connection, resource or opportunity, or person you meet can make it all worth it!
What could you create in your life and business if you came and joined us?
The possibilities are endless… maybe you’re looking to get back on track after the past year because it caused you to have to pivot…..
Maybe you’ve been looking for a space to recalibrate, realign or restore after growing like crazy over the past year…. Or maybe your just looking to grow in a supportive inspiration and collaborative environment
We invite you to be part of the CAM FAM.
Join us:
Click here and see if it’s the right fit for both of us!
Melanie
This week I took a call from an owner who said to me. “I don’t see how selling by Diagnosis will work…”
“Selling by Diagnosis is “HorseSh**”
He continued, “I don’t believe it. It will not work. I am non-medical home care, and we are not treating medical conditions, so I don’t see how anyone is going to give me a referral by asking for a CHF patient.”
I have heard this – well, not quite exactly like %&* that before. But I have heard other people share this technique of Dx Sell™ will not work in identifying patients for care.
I appreciate Randy’s skepticism. Let’s try this. Do you know a clinician? A nurse, social worker, Dr or therapist? Great!
Now – ask them:
Tell me about the last CHF patient you treated or worked with?
What did they say?
You see, clinicians are trained in diagnoses. It’s how we think. It’s how we assess. We know what to look for in that type of patient, and we also know the common symptoms and challenges. Based on our experiences, we know how to treat them.
When you tell me to think of the last CHF patient I treated, I can see him in my mind’s eye. His name is Freddy. He was 226 lbs. He was a steelworker. He was proud to be Italian. He lived in McKees Rocks. He LOVED his family, and his wife was tiny compared to him. He struggled with his diet, he didn’t always take his medicine, and when his symptoms increased because he also LOVED prosciutto…he would end up at the ER!
I can see him, his wife, and their 3-story house on the side of a mountain in Pittsburgh, PA.
That was 1998 and I can still see him.
That is the POWER of asking for a patient by Diagnosis.
Once Freddy is brought to my consciousness, it makes asking for him so easy.
What did your favorite clinician say to you when you asked about the last CHF patient they treated?
I bet they were able to recall the patient in detail.
Once this patient is identified now, it’s your turn to insert how your agency can help.
We call these Home Care Sales Trigger Questions™ because you are “triggering” them to think of a patient who is currently on caseload right now! One that has needs for your service line.
Let’s craft a couple of Home Care Sales Trigger Question for Randy in non-medical In-Home Care.
Which CHF patient struggles to make the connection between what they “should” be eating on their low sodium diet and what they actually eat?
(Meal Prep is a cornerstone of In-Home Care!)
Which CHF patient are you worried about?
(Open-ended questions will get you farther!)
The goal is for them to identify a patient who is struggling and guide them to your service!
What happens if you a referral that involves Medical needs? Everyone should have a partner – Home Health, Hospice, and In-Home Care! Be a good referral partner to your Home Health, and they will return the favor!
Dx Sell ™ is the key to unlock the flood of referrals! It works!
Just last week, we were highlighting Parkinson’s in our RoadMap to Referrals program, and the rep I was coaching said, “OMG, I shared the educational message about Parkinson’s to my Drs office, and I walked out with a REFERRAL! I NEVER got a Parkinson’s referral before! This is SO cool!”
You can too!
RoadMap to Referrals is how you do it!
Want to learn more or see the program? Click on the link for Mike’s calendar and pick a time that works for you!
Keep Serving Seniors!
Melanie
P.S. I grew up on a horse farm, so I am PLENTY familiar with Horsesh*t! The farm life gave me tons of work ethic! Where did you get yours from?
Last week my 7-year-old son – Don, came running into the house and announced. “I need a cup,” and opened the cupboard.
He grabbed a cup slammed the door so hard it bounced back open before I could even yell, “DON’T SLAM THE DOOR” he was gone.
2 mins later, Don gallops back into the kitchen and dumps the water into the sink with his hand over the edge. “MOM” he yelled, “I SAVED A TURTLE.”
We live in south Alabama on the water, so not too surprising; however, I wanted to make sure that a snapping turtle didn’t make a mistake and find his way into the pool.
Nope, this was a TINY TURTLE who somehow made his way into the pool. Don decided he would raise the turtle and began to research “what turtles eat” “how to care for a turtle” on his tablet.
Don went to the garage and found the old beach hermit crab container, filled it with dirt and grass, and got a small bowl filled with water. In a matter of an evening, Don became a “turtle whisperer” – well, maybe not a whisperer but had gained enough knowledge to keep the turtle alive!
Don is also SUPER lucky because his 2nd-grade teacher is not only an AMAZING teacher, but her daughter is at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and Don was allowed to take the turtle to class.
Mrs. Rivenbark took a picture and sent it to her daughter. What Don and I thought was a box turtle turned out to be a semi-aquatic turtle! Super FUN! Don LOVES this turtle, and now we are planning his release back into the wild!
What does this have to do with Marketing?
- Be a “student” of Home Care, Home Health, and Hospice Marketing! (just like Don became a student of turtles)
- When you are a student, absorb and learn ALL you can about the service line! (Like Don learned what to feed Tiny Tim)
- Understand the mechanics of a marketing call to set the foundation (like Don had to build an environment for Timmy)
- An industry expert can share with you “insiders information” that you would not have known otherwise (like our expert at the Sea Turtle Center)
Tiny Tim’s Marketing To-Do List:
- Be a student of the industry.
- Research, practice,
- BE a resource!
- Discover the mechanics of a marketing call – there are precise steps to take to make sure you don’t miss an opportunity!
- Enlist the help of experts who help you avoid mistakes and get to more referrals faster and easier!
Cheryl and I LOVE helping agencies just like yours! Compress Time – get the insider’s advantage!
Will you let us help you?
Together We Grow!
Melanie
P.S. Tiny Tim is super fun to watch – Did you ever have a pet turtle?
Question:
“How long does it take to get a referral? Can I speed it up?”
This is a GREAT question!
Last week I was with a group of marketers, and one of them said:
“I am new. I am developing a relationship with them, so I expect in about six mos or so, I will get a referral.”
Wait a minute – is that true?
What are you telling yourself?
Most likely, these stories we tell ourselves are “true” because we make them “true”.
We are hard-wired to “make our actions justified”. If you are “newer” and don’t have any referrals yet – you might be telling yourself this because it makes you feel better about yourself and your results.
If you are “newer” and you got a referral on your 2nd week, you most likely would say something like – “I am new, and I CAN get referrals.”
Our self-talk is about MINDSET & CONFIDENCE – and CONFIDENCE SELLS! I just dropped a lesson on CONFIDENCE recently in the ACHIEVE program.
CONFIDENCE – comes with SKILLS and EXPERIENCE! And you CAN get BOTH!
CONFIDENCE – that you know how to approach an account
CONFIDENCE -that you know IF THAT ACCOUNT IS WILLING TO REFER TO YOU ON THE 1St Marketing CALL!
SHORTEN the TIME TO REFERRAL! – KNOW on the 1st CALL if they are WILLING to refer to you.
WORK with referral sources who WANT to refer to you! STOP guessing. Ask the questions. Get the answers.
We have UPGRADED our qualifying questions – if you have heard our training in the past, these are NEW– time to UPDATE and UPGRADE your questioning.
My mentor said to me last week – the shortest distance to overachieving your quota – is asking better questions and doing business with people who are OPEN TO YOU! You can identify that on Step 1 of the High-Performance Sales Process.
Want the UPDATE and UPGRADE?
Click here to download the NEW High-Performance Sales E-Book for FREE!
Back to our Marketer who was in the group. I said to her.
“Challenge that thought.
What could you say that would not be a self-fulling prophecy?
What can you say to yourself that would be MORE empowering.”
The answer she came back with: “Well, maybe I could say I am new, and we are new to this area, but that doesn’t mean they have to wait for six mos to know me.”
I said – “That’s a start – let’s take it one step further.”
She said, “ Ok, I am new, and if they give me a referral, I could prove to them my customer service and attention to detail.”
CLOSER!
Next version: “ I AM NEW”
And NEW IS GOOD! Because I can start fresh and not carry the baggage of past referral experiences. I can gauge their willingness to refer to me on the 1st marketing visit and KNOW if they are open to our services! I don’t have to wait for six mos. Now is a great time to refer!”
PERFECT! That is MUCH more empowering. And POWER is “attractive” you will draw more attention when you are Empowered through EDUCATION + SKILL DEVELOPMENT = CONFIDENCE!
Together we GROW!
Melanie
This week in our CAM FAM – Mastermind meeting – we always start with gratitude- to get in the right mindset to be present at the meeting.
One of the Home Care agency owners and Operations director began her time with this gratitude:
“I am exhausted and grateful – we have 55 new clients to onboard.”
WOW – 55 new clients?
Can you imagine? Could you onboard 55 new clients in the next week or 2?
She went on to ask the group:
“How would you prioritize them in staffing?”
This is a GREAT question!
No one I know has a “bench” that big of caregivers to start all these clients at one time. Of course, they all “deserve” care because otherwise, why would they be referred to you? But how do you lay it out on a calendar? Who goes first? What is the logical order? How do I recruit fast!?
This is where the experience of the group comes into help!
One of the members shared at her agency; they have a level 1, 2, and 3. They categorize their patients and clients based on care level needs. She even offered to send the 1st agency their criteria for the levels! (YEAH! I love to see what others are doing and how it works!)
That’s not the only suggestion either. Check this out:
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- Another Agency Director reported they prioritize acuity and geography – i.e., do they have staff in that area?
- Another owner reported he used acuity and “who was safe” to rate them on their ability to “be ok” for the short period until they get a caregiver in there.
- Another suggestion was to offer them all a PERS solution until you could “get there” to “keep” the client attached to the agency while you got everyone on service.
These suggestions, recommendations, and synergy gave the agency owner and this HUGE number of new clients – a path forward.
The group sharing experiences and solutions is what the CAM FAM does!
Sometimes you need a sounding board in a non-judgmental space. A place you can go when you are exhausted and need a few suggestions from someone who has been where you are and can tell you how they did it (or would do it over again if they had the chance), saving you time, money, and a headache!
I am so grateful for the community and the CAM FAM! They are so intelligent and helpful and generous with their knowledge and systems!
If you would like to be part of the CAM FAM – Let’s see if it’s a right fit for both of us!
Click here to fill out an application!
Together we GROW!
Melanie