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10 Successful Strategies for Selling Sleep
The market for sleep-disordered breathing products continues to grow. More than 12 million Americans are affected by this condition, and recognition mounts as research has linked sleep apnea and other sleep disorders to life-threatening conditions such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, including hypertension and diabetes. The link between sleep-disordered breathing and obesity also puts bariatric surgery patients at risk for complications.
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of these risks, which is good news for home medical equipment providers interested in a focused sleep business. Likewise, the physician community is becoming more attuned to the benefits of sleep-disordered breathing treatment, such as continuous or bi-level positive airway pressure (CPAP or bi-level) therapy.
So, how can HME providers make certain they are on target to meet the growing demands of these groups? Thoughtfully and carefully, according to industry experts.
Alan Cross, MHA, RRT, president of C&C Homecare in Bradenton, Fla., says the first step is for providers to ensure they are in this market for the right reasons. “Just because the indicators show growth in sleep therapy, these programs and patients can be difficult to manage,” he says. “It's not like dropping off a walker or commode. There is constant monitoring, compliance issues, the balance of maintaining a diverse yet cost-efficient inventory and the ability to maintain a knowledgeable and expensive support staff.”
Once you determine your company is ready to enter the category or to expand an existing sleep program, check the following 10 strategies for success.
- Know who your customers are.
Ron Richard, senior vice president of strategic marketing initiatives for Poway, Calif.-based ResMed, says effective marketing of specialty sleep programs includes focusing efforts on consumers, payers and physicians.
“You should have three touchpoints there. You're marketing to payers because they're going to have the contracts and you're going to need to have contracts first and foremost to get paid. Number two, you want to get referrals, so you want to market your services to primary care doctors, cardiologists, ENTs and pulmonologists,” he says.
The third point — the consumer angle — “is a little bit tougher,” Richard notes, “but it is part of a triangulated strategy.”
