Work Those Leads

There are many factors that can fuel the growth of your home care business. New products, a new salesperson, extensive marketing and enhanced efficiency are just some of the things that can make a difference in your profits. Each of these requires careful planning and additional expense. But there may be an easier way to increase your profits: Gather and work your leads.

Leads are unique opportunities to share information about your company, introduce yourself to new people and build a network that will eventually result in new business.

Leads come in many forms, but they are most valuable when they come from existing customers. Any one of your customers may share names of colleagues and associates you can speak with about the services and programs you offer.

Physicians may refer you to others in their practice group or clinic or to colleagues they may associate with in the hospital or even on the golf course. They may even, if asked, call the lead for you to help open the door, provide a testimonial and help clear the path for your entrance into their office.

A social worker or discharge planner in the hospital may be willing to share your name with others on the staff or other social workers in similar settings in your community.

While leads are valuable, you may never receive them if you do not ask for them. They will not come up in regular conversation, so you must build a question into your sales call asking if there is someone your customer knows who would be interested in hearing about your great programs, interesting services or state-of-the-art products.

Do not ask your present customers about new places to sell your products but about people with whom you can speak about your “unique” home care company.

Whenever you attend a health fair or professional meeting, gather those business cards. But do not just toss them in a box for storing away. When the cards are left too long “unworked,” they hold little value. You will lose interest in working the lead, the person who gave you the card may no longer work where indicated on the card and may not remember where you met.

Salespeople often talk about the need to “work the leads,” but somehow always seem to find a more important priority that takes their time. Too often, I have gone to clients' offices only to see a box full of business cards just sitting on the floor — business cards collected from the last respiratory conference, social work meeting or case management conference.