Professional selling skills encompass the basic skill sets needed by professional salespeople, in all industries, to navigate and control the selling process. It is obvious to most of us that the effective use of professional selling skills can improve the bottom line of our DME/HME companies. But, in my experiences with representatives in our industry, many or most fall short in some key areas that can determine whether results are mediocre or excellent.

The home health care industry is unlike any other. Techniques used in other industries may be inappropriate for the customer base we wish to develop, and compliance protocols can hinder what we say and how we say it. As my attorney puts it, “If it makes good business sense, it is probably illegal in the home care industry.”

However, certain fundamentals apply to all sales and marketing efforts and are crucial to success. Whether your organization has a full-time sales force or a part-time marketer, improving skills in three key areas will help your bottom line. The first is the effective use of questions. Questions are the road map to success and will guide a salesperson on how to communicate effectively with a customer or referral source. Simply telling a referral source (physician, home health agency, discharge planner, community service organization) what your company does and then leaving a brochure are inadequate. To set your company apart, use a combination of closed- and open-ended questions. Some examples include:

• What types of patients do you most commonly refer for HME?
• Have you ever had a need for [insert product type]? If so, who did you call?
• How has your experience been with [insert name] company?
• What would you change if you could?
• If we could do [insert suggestion], would that be beneficial?

Effective questioning is nothing more than engaging in a conversation that you control. As you build rapport with an account, questions can begin to move from “opportunity gaining” to “relationship maintaining.” Regular use of such questions will allow a sales force to really get to know the people who provide referral business.

Stressing Your Strengths
The second area of focus is the effective use of feature/benefit statements. Buying (or referring business) is inherently an emotional decision. Feature/benefit statements should be geared toward that emotional buy-in. The following simple phrase can turn an ordinary benefit statement into a powerful selling tool: “And what that means is....”

Consider which of the following two statements is more likely to garner an emotional response from your referral source:

1. We carry a wide range of medical supplies.

2. Our product offering is so diverse that your patients will no longer need to deal with multiple companies, thereby decreasing stress and confusion, and improving the healing process.

Obviously, the second statement will have greater impact. The key to success with this portion of the selling process is to know what your company does well. If your company has a niche or certain expertise, elaborate the feature into benefits for the patient and the referral source.

Speaking Up
The third area of professional selling skills is simply asking for the business. If we ask appropriate questions, and then make a presentation with effective feature/benefit statements, asking for the business becomes a natural part of the conversation. I routinely hear: “Keep us in mind for anyone who could benefit,” and “We would love to have a shot at some of your patients.” Neither of those statements elicits commitment from the referral source. A more effective approach may be: “Have you seen anyone this week who could benefit from our service,” or “Will you give us a chance to service your next chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient?” An affirmative answer to this question means the customer has emotionally committed to you and your company.

Selling is a relationship- and process-driven business. The stronger the relationship, the greater the opportunity to develop and grow the business. A strong relationship, coupled with superb selling skills, makes for a potent revenue-generation tool for your company. Invest time in thoroughly understanding your company and the unique benefits you offer. Next write down the unique benefits. Have brainstorming sessions on the value your organization provides, make a list, and turn each one into feature/benefit statements. Do the same on ways to ask better questions of your referral sources. Time spent training your sales and marketing department on these key areas of selling will dramatically improve your reputation and your bottom line.

David Brown is cofounder and vice president of Home Care Delivered Inc, Richmond, Va. Contact him by phone at (800) 565-5644 or by email at dbrown999@mediaone.net