OUT WITH THE OLD. Would you buy a 10-year-old, yellowed and ripped box of gauze pads? Neither will your customers. Blow out, donate or throw away dead stock and get something on your shelf that will sell.

Remove rentals. Used and rental equipment are not retail products and look terrible in a showroom.

Stock a selection. Customers like variety. A home medical equipment store with one lift chair, one scooter or one bath bench is not giving the customer anything to choose from.

Do not sell brown and white boxes. Packaging can make or break a sale. Unappealing packages discourage impulse purchases.

Departmentalize. There are distinctive categories in HME: incontinence, orthopedics, aids to daily living, etc. Make your showroom a "shopping-friendly atmosphere" and stock products from every category.

Accessorize. Learn to sell add-on products. Never show a walker without wheels and a basket, never sit someone on a wheelchair without a seat cushion, and never show a bath bench without a shower head extension.

Shop your competitors. That includes the chains. HME stores can be more competitive if they know what their competition is stocking and at what price.

Update your look. By updating your store's fixtures, lighting, paint, etc., you also update the image the community has of your business.

Use signs and displays. There is a reason you never hear a customer in an HME store say, "I'm just looking." A customer might be interested in cervical pillows, but might not know they are in the corner behind the lift chairs.

Use your manufacturers. A sales representative can do a lot more for your store than simply sell you product. Ask what retail assistance they can offer, such as signs, prescription pads, point of purchase displays, etc.