PDT #153 - Sitting on the Sofa with Your Prospective Clients

Educate your prospective clients and their families                               October 7, 2009

Private Duty Today

Jason Tweed, editor of Private Duty Today 

Welcome to Private Duty Today, the bi-weekly electronic newsletter for Private Duty Home Care Leaders from Leading Home Care ...a Tweed Jeffries company.

I'm Jason Tweed, Director of Business Development for Leading Home Care, and Editor of Private Duty Today. 

Private Duty Today is published every other Wednesday, and currently goes to over 7000 subscribers.

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By Mandy Besek and Jason Tweed
 
Even if family members are impressed by your array of services, caregivers, and commitment to quality, if the potential senior client feels rushed into the process it may come to an abrupt halt. As the salesperson of a non-medical home health company, one of your most important skills will be to educate your customers how to persuade their parents that they need your services. Using a liaison can be tricky, but if you teach a potential client's family to communicate your services effectively, the senior and their family will feel more goodwill toward your company.
 
The top three reasons why customers lose your clients when having the "caregiver" talk:
 
1. Going in unprepared - Chances are that the senior has actually spent some time thinking about the pros and cons of the assistance of a caregiver. They may have secretly called their closest senior friends for advice or have heard of upsetting stories about in-home care on the news. Many seniors automatically assume that in-home care is embarrassing and degrading, so the first step in the caregiver talk may be to simply debunk this stereotype.
 
Make sure your company offers plenty of online and printed resources about the benefits of in-home care that go beyond assistance of daily tasks, such as companionship. Offer these resources in large print for seniors with visual challenges. Include testimonials from clients that may have felt the same fears at first, but realized visiting caregivers offered so much more than what they had previously imagined.
 
2. Trying to get it all done at once - Children of seniors often make the mistake of rushing their parents to sign a contract at the first positive comment the senior makes about caregiving services. Instead of taking their hesitation negatively, simply offer them more information about the services they are interested in. Encourage them by ending the conversation on a light and positive note, with a follow-up call or visit during the next week.
 
3. Lacking persistence - In-home care will be a positive life-changing experience for most of your clients, but regardless of how bright the light at the end of the tunnel, accepting assistance from a caregiver is a big change for anyone. Many seniors misunderstand their family's persistence in an adversarial context, feeling that accepting services is like losing a battle.
 
Encourage family members to explain that this is just the first conversation in a series that will help determine when the senior is comfortable accepting additional assistance. Having multiple conversations about the benefits of in-home care can instill a sense of comfort and trust that the senior may be seeking before they jump to sign the contract.

 

 

Capturing Big Dollar Clients

 

Banking BookHow much is one 24/7 case worth to you?  Well, if you keep the case active for a year, it could add anywhere from $125,000 to a quarter million dollars to your revenue.  Furthermore, it will likely drop $25,000-$50,000 to the very bottom of your profit statement.  It will keep 4 1/2 full-time equivalent caregivers employed.
 
So what does it take to capture these clients?  It takes families with money.
 
The only way you can generate a quarter million dollars from a single client, is locating clients that can afford that price.  These are a high income clients ... they are high asset clients.  Families that can afford this level of care should have a minimum of $5 million in cash generating assets.
 
So how do you attract them?  What makes them call you?
 
·     First, throw out your textbook from Advertising 101.  If you have seven figures in your bank account, everyone advertises to you.  You're pummeled continually with stuff to buy.
 
·     Second, you have to make friends who are millionaires.  As Stephen Tweed says, "All things created equal, people would rather do business with a friend.  All things created unequal, people would still rather do business with a friend."
 
·     Third, shoot for the moon.  Even if you come up short, you'll still be pretty high in the sky.
 
Capturing big dollar clients means building relationships within wealthy communities.  You'll need to become part of those communities.  Wealthy families rely on a network of trusted advisors.  Each family has a small network of people they trust that understand their needs.  Tapping into this network is critical to your success.
 
Who are the millionaires?  When you think of millionaires, movie stars and pro athletes come to mind.  These are high income, but not necessarily high asset families.  There's probably a section of your city with million-dollar homes.  Millionaires don't live there.  That's where the people live who have million-dollar mortgages.
 
Millionaires are everywhere, you just have to know where to find them.  They are business people.  They are the people who have saved millions rather than flaunted their millions.  Mario of Mario's pizza, who's been tossing dough for 35 years, probably has lots of it. 
 
Develop relationships with business owners.  Create networks with financial advisers.  Develop relationships with bank trust officers.  Get to know the Mercedes dealers.
 
How?
 
I could write a hundred pages about how ... but thankfully, Michael Sullivan and Stephen Tweed have already done it for us!  If you haven't read our $149 e-book, Increase Your Income Selling to Bank Trust Officers and other Trusted Advisors, you should.
 
Selling to big dollar clients isn't for every company, and every private duty owner.  But, if you are interested in learning how to raise your level of awareness and knowledge that may lead to increased revenue, I strongly recommend this book.
 
I can't guarantee you'll snag a big client tomorrow, but what I can guarantee is that you'll have the tips and techniques to help you generate quality referrals to grow your business!