Selling Tips

Sales reps always ask me what the biggest tip is that I can give them to be successul. The “biggest” tip is to find the “little things” that make your customers happy, and then make sure your organization continues to give them what they want. Sounds easy, but it is often difficult to implement.

Ever watch television in your favorite sofa or chair and find yourself adjusting your pillow to make it just right? Does it take you awhile to get comfortable in bed before you go to sleep at night? Imagine being in a bed or in a wheelchair all day that is not comfortable. What could be worse?

I just wanted to bring you closer to the everyday problems that people who do not get proper seating and positioning devices might have. This can actually be a huge problem if they cannot get comfortable, and their days are subsequently difficult. The role of the HME provider is to keep these issues in mind when selling this product line.

• Sales Tip: Referral sources generally see all HME companeis as the same until they discover some small nuance in the way service is provided. This often only happens when there is a problem patient who complains about service to the referral source.

  Ask your referral sources to think about being uncomfortable in their chair or bed. Relate that to the difficulties encountered by people who need seating and positioning devices. Then identify and dicsuss with them the specific things that your company does differently than competitors to make these patients comfortable and to ensure they have the best devices possible.

  Let sources know that patients can trust your firm to make sure they are well taken care of with your service.

• Marketing Tip: If you don't do anything differently than your competitors, then you have no competitive advantage. If you do not have a competitive advantage, then you need to create one. You simply cannot promote “me, too” services and expect people to get excited about your company.

  This is basic Marketing 101. Too many HME businesses say and promote the same things as every other business. It is not only boring to customers, it is not an effective strategy to gain business.

  Creating a competitive advantage takes a little research. Ask your customers questions about seating and positioning, and consider an advisory group for this product line that will help you find a competitive advantage. Advisory groups are made up of similar types of customers (e.g., all patients, all physicians, all physical therapists), and they can be an inexpensive and fast way of finding out what is missing in the seating and positioning market in your area.

  Set up your discussion group following these six guidelines:

  1. Create a list of questions or an interview guide for a one- to two-hour meeting.

  2. Reimburse people for their time. (Notice I did not say pay people for referrals!)

  3. Set the meeting during off-hours so it does not compete with people's work.

  4. Arrange for five to 10 people maximum in the meeting.

  5. Have someone in your company run the meeting or use a professional facilitator.

  6. Do not “sell” anything; just listen and try out ideas.

  When the meeting is complete, write up the results, and make sure to thank each advisory member. Get back to them to let them know about any changes you make to your service or product line.

• Sales Management Tip: Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade by creating a seating and positioning incentive plan for your internal staff.

  What? Incentivize internal staff? Yep! Follow these four steps:

  1. Find your most profitable seating and positioning devices.

  2. Create an incentive plan (total dollars sold, per each payments, etc.) for these product lines.

  3. Teach your internal staff the ins-and-outs of various devices and make them customer friendly.

  4. Have them follow up with customers 48 hours after they have their devices and then seven days later to ensure they are happy to deliver good customer support.

Teach your staff to upgrade where possible. Use your internal customer lists. Make sure your customers have what they want, and your business will flourish.

Alison Cherney is president of Cherney & Associates Inc., a Brentwood, Tenn.-based marketing and sales consulting firm, and is the producer of Homecare Power Selling, a sales training program for home care sales reps. She can be reached at 615/776-3399 or through www.cherneyandassociates.com.