Every HME salesperson should work at integrating himself or herself into the operation of the entire business. While the following suggestions may not all fit for your company, consider the tasks that would work for you and give them a try.
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Meet at least quarterly with warehouse and delivery technicians. Take time to talk to the delivery staff and warehouse manager. Share with them information about your customers and what keeps them coming back. It is also valuable to learn from them, as they are often the only people who have regular contact with the end-users of your products. They may have a lot to share about what the customers likes or doesn't like about the products or the services you offer.
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Learn as much as you can about billing and reimbursement issues. One of the most complicated and talked-about issues in this industry is related to billing and reimbursement. While it may look like you have sold a product, unless the documentation is correct and the money gets to the bank, the deal is not over. Learn about what is needed to process a clean claim. This is information you may need to share with your customers. I would bet that many of the billing and reimbursement staff would be delighted to share information with you.
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Understand the elements of taking a good order. When you understand how to take an order and the documentation needed to get paid, you can discuss many of these important issues with your referral sources. You will also understand the many challenges customer service representatives face in collecting the necessary data. You will also understand why someone in your office may be asking you to help them obtain the paperwork they need to bill the payer.
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Understand the retail customer and the issues retail selling staff must deal with every day. Retail is a unique segment of the marketplace. It is a place where the customer comes face-to-face with your company. Learn what others hear and see when working directly with a patient, and you will better understand not only what your referral sources deal with but what your delivery technicians face upon arrival at the home. This also presents an opportunity to learn about the other products your company carries.
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Share important information about your referral sources. The more the inside staff knows about your referral sources, the more effective they will be in working with them. Are there certain hours or days of the week your referral sources cannot be reached? Are there certain products or documentation they continually request? When everyone better understands the customer, their unique ways and maybe even personalities, everyone gains from knowing this information.
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Learn about key customer service issues. At staff meetings, pay close attention to what customers want, request and complain about. This gives you an opportunity to modify your sales presentation to ensure you are focusing on what is important to the customer. You can probably identify several service issues that are frequently mentioned and should be carefully woven into the context of your next sales call. You cannot continue to build business if you do not consistently give your customers what they want.
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Understand and observe an oxygen setup. By watching an oxygen set-up (of course if that is in your product lineup) you will learn the challenges the delivery tech or respiratory therapist faces and why this work may take longer than you realized. You never know; in case of an emergency you just might be called upon to provide some valuable advice.
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Learn from your associates about what you can do to help them be more effective and successful at their work. A team that works well together is a group that supports each other. We have much to learn from each other, and in these difficult economic times, we all might need to contribute some extra effort and time as we learn to do more with less. Integrate yourself into the office and help out where you can.
Maybe you could drop off a walker to a home in your neighborhood or stop by a physician's office to pick up the prescription. Or even pick up the phone when everyone else is too busy to get that line!
Read more Sales Notebook columns.
Louis Feuer is president of Dynamic Seminars & Consulting Inc. and the founder and director of the DSC Teleconference Series, a teleconference training program. You can reach him through www.DynamicSeminars.com or at 954/435-8182.
