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Crazy Like a Fox

“Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century.”
– S. J. Perelman

Home care agencies are notorious for putting pressure on their marketing teams without developing them in the business. How many times have you taken the time to teach instead of reprimand or judge your sales team?

All of my clients are looking for ways to differentiate their agencies. There is a tremendous opportunity for home care agencies to set themselves apart from their competition simply by training their sales teams. Put them out into your communities with more knowledge and the ability to actually talk business with your referral sources. Begin this training by asking your sales team to identify how referral sources are reimbursed.

If they have no idea how your referral sources make their money, you may have some work to do".

We find most home care sales personnel are compensated per referral. Should they care if the referral is profitable to your agency? Sure they should!

Medicare home health agency representatives may have no idea that HHRG stands for Home Health Resource Group, or that the HHRG is the basis for calculating your home health agency"s reimbursement. Does your home health sales team track and are they aware of LUPA"s Low Utilization Payment Adjustment for four or fewer visits, or the adjustments for outliers, partial episodes, and significant changes in condition?

If not, I"m sure they are not as concerned with the quality of referrals being brought in as the quantity. Therefore, they are at risk of receiving "non-profitable" referrals.

As a private pay non-medical agency, does your sales staff understand at what point in hours billed your agency becomes profitable? Do they understand the ROI (Return On Investment) concept when marketing your agency"s services, or do some of their marketing attempts cost more than they yield?

What if YOU invested in your sales staff? What would happen to your agency"s profitability quotient if your sales team actually knew what they were selling? What if they could go to a physician"s office and intelligently discuss the recent doctor"s changes in reimbursement and how your agency can be a value-added partner in saving them money?

Action Steps

Here are four steps you can take immediately to set your sales force on a higher plane.

First, have your billing clerk and clinical supervisor spend two scheduled afternoons with your sales team to explain how your agency makes money and the real possibility of your agency losing money on the referrals brought in.

Second, resolve to train them on a different clinical referral source each week, how they are reimbursed and how that would affect your agency.

Next, send them to summer camp. Sign them up for one of several open slots to my Big Referrals Boot Camps this summer. They will come back with a better understanding of your agency"s profitability and how to present your agency"s services with proven strategies and techniques.

Finally, go to www.MyHomeCareSalesCoach.com and sign up for a no-obligation 7-day FREE trial. You"ll discover the industry"s most innovative, tried-and-proven sales and marketing strategies to skyrocket your referrals and differentiate yourself from the competition. You will also have a live sales coach at your disposal to assist you in your crowded home care market.

Working to grow your referrals,

Adam
a.k.a. - Home Care Referral-Man

PS". Complete all these action exercises and you will qualify to be like S. J. Perelman"s more familiar quote"."Crazy like a Fox"!

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