Today’s home care customers are much more sophisticated and demanding than ever before. As we call on our referral sources we must be strategic. If we call on a customer and do not make a lasting impression about ourselves or our agency, we have lost an opportunity. To respond effectively to our referral sources’ needs, we must focus on the people and the process. Selling our services does not occur because of our chance encounters or showing up regularly, it is a process that we must practice and execute better than our competitors.
When we take into consideration that we are selling our services to people and not to objects, such as hospitals or physicians’ offices, we should come to the following realizations:
- Step one is always to engage the person you are talking to…. We all know that we don’t always get to speak to decision-makers on every sales call. But remember to make an effort to be approachable and friendly with everyone we come in contact with. Eye contact, smiles, and active listening should be our mantra with every person we meet on a sales call.
- Even though “gatekeepers” may not make the referral decisions, they do have something we must always respect…the ear of every decision-maker in your market!
Take to heart these statements about the process of selling an intangible home care service:
- Face-to-face contact with your referral sources is the most valuable sales opportunity you will ever achieve.
- Each personal contact you make that does not further your agency toward closing the deal sets you further back in the sales process.
- Too many non-value contacts with a referral source will take you completely away from being seen as a value-added home care contributor.
- “Selling ain’t telling.” If we don’t take the time to listen to the stated needs of our referral sources, how will we ever be able to demonstrate our agency’s benefits to them?
As sales representatives, we all should practice our responses and actively listen. And yes, it is important to listen attentively and make sure our initial presentation of services is polished. But I want you to consider this: both of those skills are secondary to the ability of asking good questions!
To get the referral sources’ attention during a sales call, use correct questions to more completely understand the referral sources’ needs, interests, situation, and motivation. A well-phrased, appropriately timed question is a home care sales person’s single most powerful selling tool! You must ask thoughtful questions in order to understand the thoughts of all of your prospects.
Action Steps
If you believe that home care service sales are won by the salespeople simply dropping off brownies and brochures, then there is not much I can say or do to help you. However, if you feel that finding out the one or two singular topics or needs your referral sources are passionate about will differentiate your agency from the pack, then follow these action steps.
- You must contact me and take advantage of a free coaching call. Schedule a coaching call this week with an experienced home care sales professional at the link http://www.homecarereferralmanblog.com/schedule-a-strategy-call
- Request your free informative PowerPoint class instruction on “Getting Past the Gatekeepers”. You may use this informative class to reinforce the need of sometimes having to work the process of the sale to even get to the referral decision-makers.
- Sign up your sales force today for our onsite Big Referrals Home Care Boot Camp to literally fire up your sales force and turn their potential into proven results. Call 866-232-6477 to sign up, and as an added bonus I’ll give you 3 months of free online support membership to www.MyHomeCareSalesCoach.com.
- Finally, go directly to www.MyHomeCareSalesCoach.com and sign up for a no-obligation 7-day FREE trial. You’ll discover tons of innovative, tried-and-proven sales and marketing strategies to skyrocket your referrals and differentiate yourself from the competition!
Working to grow your referrals,
Adam
a.k.a. – Home Care Referral-Man
