To Our Road Warriors

Sales representatives, clinicians and managers of home medical equipment companies spend much of their time on the road meeting with clients, patients and referral sources. These “road warriors” find themselves fighting traffic, dodging weather problems, looking for a warm, friendly environment and, sometimes, just searching for some cool air.

These employees balance their limited work time with the need to increase revenues and productivity. Their cars become their offices. They are a place to eat, complete paperwork and gather one's thoughts before the next sales appointment.

It is to these road warriors that I dedicate this column. They are the outside home care sales professionals who are dependent upon the information they receive from the main office. But they also must be planners and organizers in order to make the most of their time.

Consider these suggestions to help make your days on the road more productive:

• Beeper or cell phone — While many may not like those little black boxes, they have become a mainstay for employees who work on the outside as a lifeline to the office as well as to patients or colleagues who need us in an emergency.

  Check to see that the device is turned on, and that you have additional batteries or a charger with you if necessary. I can assure you that the battery will be dead just when you need to reach the office about an important customer issue.

  If you only want to be called in an emergency, you must define what an emergency is. Talk to the office staff about when you want to be beeped, what calls are important and what calls can wait until you arrive home or are back in the office.

• Directions — Anyone who spends several hours a day in the car should have an accessible map. It is often easier to use a map to locate where you need to be than it is to call the office for directions. And a map can be just the help you need as you travel to a completely new territory.

• Forms and marketing materials — When you visit a client's office, plan ahead, and collect the brochures and materials you want to take to this particular customer. Your client will be impressed with the care you have taken to ensure that patients have the information they need to take better care of themselves. The forms will also show the referral source what your company does to ensure that its products are maintained in proper working order.