By Stephen Tweed
You have probably heard me say in my workshops and live web conferences that physicians are not the greatest referral sources for private duty home care. Our research shows that you will have much more success making sales calls to home health agencies, hospices, senior living communities, bank trust officers, and estate attorneys.
Once saying that, one of the most frequently asked questions we get is, “How can I sell private duty to physicians?” Well, since you insist, we have done some more research on what works and what doesn’t in discussing private duty with doctors. Here are six things you need to consider:
- You have to find the right prospects. Not all doctors see patients who need non-medical home care. They are must more likely to see patients who need skilled home health care services. You’ll want to find physicians who treat patients with multiple chronic conditions and who have need for assistance with the activities of daily living.
- You have to get past the gatekeeper. Why would this doctor want to talk with you and why should the receptionist let you past? You need a unique approach or a compelling message to get in to see the decision maker.
- You have to build a relationship with the doctor. Developing rapport is 90% of any face to face sale, and you need to create a harmonious relationship with the physician.
- You have to understand the doctor’s business. What are the problems that a physician faces in his or her practice that can be addressed with private duty home care? How will the physician’s practice benefit form referring patients to your company?
- You have to have a powerful, persuasive presentation. Once you are face to face with the doctor, have developed rapport, and understand his or her needs, what do you say next? What is your message and how will you present it? How do you make your sales presentation compelling and unique?
- You have to ask for the business. Having the right closing questions will be critical to your success in selling home care to physicians.
We have worked through these six things over and over again, and we continue to fine tune the way we advise home care sales people to use these ideas. We have also spent many hours talking with our friend and professional speaking colleague, Dr. M. Tray Dunaway, about these questions.
If you would like to sit in on a live web conference while we ask Dr. Dunaway these questions, join us on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 4:00 pm eastern time for “Selling Home Care to Physicians.” I guarantee that you will come away with a few terrific ideas that will result in more referrals that turn into inquiries.
