As I've traveled
around the country
presenting the
Leading Home Care
Sales Training Boot
Camp, a very
distinct divide in
the sales function
of our industry has
come up many times.
Although it's
typical for
salespeople in this
industry to call
themselves
"marketers", that is
really a misnomer.
The people out
representing our
agencies are either
professional
salespeople, or
professional
visitors.
Please don't take
this to mean that
one is better than
the other... but
they are distinct...
and the result of
their efforts is
also different and
distinct.
How do I tell the
difference? Here are
some traits of
professional
visitors.
- Visitors
have no set plan
for each account
that they visit
- Visitors
don't have a
"call outcome"
goal for each
sales call
(other than a
hope that they
get a referral)
- Visitors
spend more each
month on
lunches, treats
and gifts
- Visitors
frequently are
paid salary only
(no commissions)
- Visitors can
easily make
10-15 "stops"
per day
- Visitors
frequently refer
to "community
education"
rather than
selling
Here are some
observed traits of
professional
salespeople.
- Salespeople
"grade" their
accounts so they
know what
frequency of
sales calls are
needed to
maximize results
- Salespeople
do provide lunch
at times... but
always look for
another way to
meet with their
prospect first
- Salespeople
have accurate
records of their
results
- Salespeople
can usually make
6-9 good sales
call per day
- Salespeople
make a sales
call when they
have a specific
desired outcome
in mind
- Salespeople
generally seek
out additional
skills training
- Salespeople
are generally
likeable people,
but rarely focus
on how much each
referral source
"likes" them
Do you see a
difference?
I truly don't mean
to belittle those
who go out and make
"visits" each and
every day. If your
sales & marketing
plan calls for this
type of community
interaction, I'm in
no position to argue
with you. Visiting
is a fun job! Think
about it... how
often would you get
rejected in an
account when you're
bringing in good
things to eat and
drink, and providing
gifts and trinkets
on an ongoing basis?
You'll find lots of
doors open as a
Visitor... sometimes
doors that are
initially closed to
salespeople.
Visitors often don't
have set goals for
their performance,
so with no concrete
measure to work
toward, they can
simply go about
their visits with
little to no control
or repercussion.
The problem with all
this, of course, is
that when you're
visiting, it's
difficult to
determine what the
results of your
efforts are. When
there is no way to
measure your return
on investment, there
is no way to tell if
your "visiting"
effort is making you
money... or costing
you. The other
downside to this
approach is... it's
so prevalent in
homecare sales, that
you're quickly going
to be lumped in with
most of your
competitors in the
minds of your
referral sources. If
your agency is
viewed "on par" with
other agencies...
then you're likely
to get a "fair
share" of referrals
from the community.
If what you're after
is a fair share...
this approach might
work fine. If you're
after better results
for your agency and
the patients it
serves... you might
consider making the
strategic shift to
sales.
Don't get me
wrong... it's much
more involved to put
forth a sales effort
than to have a force
of visitors. You'll
need a strategic
sales plan, lots of
training and
tracking, management
of the team to make
it all happen and
more. It won't be
easy.
But...
In our ever more
competitive
industry, the
results of a solid
sales effort can be
SO much better than
the visitors get...
it makes almost no
sense NOT to make
the change.
The home healthcare
industry is
changing, the sales
efforts of providers
in our industry are
changing right along
with it. The future
of successful
providers starts
with the group that
"makes the phone
ring"... the
salespeople. The
longer your agency
keeps "visiting" the
more time you give
your competitors to
ramp up their sales
effort... and it
will take that much
more time for you to
catch up when you do
make the change.
As the saying goes
(and it fits so well
in homecare
sales)...
Lead, follow, or get
out of the way.
Let me know how
Leading Home Care
can help YOU lead...
