Matching a patient with the perfect lift yields benefits that extend beyond ringing up another transaction.

“It is not about the sale,” says Shane Thompson, owner of Florida Wheelchair Ramps in Orange City, Fla. “It is about what the individual needs. If my product is not right for the person, I’m not afraid to say that. If the product you are selling does not particularly work for that individual, you increase the chances of your product being looked down upon. If you put it into a home where it works fabulously and it is definitely a perfect match and you educated that person, your product is going to be golden and 10 other people will probably want the same thing.”

In order to help a client choose the right equipment, the dealer must become familiar with the features of each patient lift. Having demonstration lifts in your showroom is helpful, but only if you have a well-trained salesperson on hand to demonstrate and explain them.

“You may have the ideal lift for an individual, but it is more expensive than another lift that will not provide the same benefits and the patient is adamant about saving money,” Thompson says. “If the dealer is not educated well enough to help the patient understand what is going to work best, that individual is probably going to end up getting a product that really doesn’t work for the sake of saving a few bucks. It is sad that things are priced high, but that is the reality we live in and you need to make sure that the individual gets what he or she needs.”

Specializing helps a dealer deliver top-notch service and information to clients, says Craig Coogan, president of Lift & Transfer Specialists in Carson, Calif.

“When I got into the patient lift business, I realized that there was a lot to learn,” Coogan says. He decided to become an expert in a single product line, and chose a supplier that offered a wide variety and ongoing training.

Finding the right lift for a particular client requires first learning whether the client needs assistance to transfer or simply wants to transfer independently, Coogan says. In the initial phone conversation, Coogan finds out which type of client he is dealing with. He also gathers information on the client’s prognosis.

“If they have a disease where they are functioning now but in 5 years they will not be, you may want to pick a lift that is going to provide for both,” he says.

Caregivers and clients often need help evaluating their own needs accurately. Some may not realize the degree to which using the right equipment can increase a patient’s well-being.

“Given good equipment and good training, we have seen clients we did not expect to do well with independent transfers, who did them well, and this changed their lives significantly,” Coogan says. “Their self-respect is restored, and problems such as pressure sores can be eliminated. Some clients save significant amounts of money on caregivers, since they can get in and out of bed whenever they want, toilet themselves ... and perform other activities of daily living. When a client does an independent transfer efficiently, they have reserved their energy for many other tasks.”

Other clients may have difficulty accepting their own limitations.

“It is crucial that we point out the limitations of their disability to them so that they do not injure themselves, especially when it is progressive, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,” Coogan says. “This is where extensive training of the client is critical to ensuring safe transfers for the client.”

Bringing It Home
A thorough assessment also must take into account the patient’s environment, whether private residence or health care facility.

“We have detailed discussions and identify all of the locations in the home or facility where transfers are taking place,” Coogan says. “In a home environment, it is typically in the bedroom and bathroom, although being able to sit in the living room in a comfortable recliner, instead of being confined to a wheelchair, could be extremely important to a client. Most of our clients who want to do independent transfers are located in the home environment.”

A site visit is a necessity, according to Thompson. “Selling lifts over the phone is ridiculous,” he says. “It shouldn’t happen. Some products may require home modification, or there may be factors within the home to consider.”

Ceiling heights, door heights, marble floors, and decorative moldings among other things can complicate installation. “Let the patient try the product,” Thompson says. “You should be able to go out to that house with demonstration pieces to be able to show what you’re going to sell to them.”

Selling To Health Care Facilities
Institutional sales bring another set of challenges and opportunities.

“We’re seeing that the nurses and attendants that are doing the work are really out of the loop when it comes to anything modern,” Thompson says. “They are still doing a lot of manual transfers. We go in and educate them on our product. We will go back for in-service after in-service if they would like that. We provide booklets and videos, and we bring demonstration pieces they can actually practice with.”

One of the reasons health care facilities may need so much dealer support is that they typically require equipment for a wide range of situations and a variety of patients. And facilities are also interested in protecting their employees from back injuries caused by manual transfers.

“Back injuries to staff cause a lot of downtime and expense, and the ever-increasing cost of workers’ compensation insurance is driving the lift business like never before” Coogan says.

In many professional environments, a ceiling-mounted track system is the best solution because when staff have to go find a mobile lift somewhere down the hall, they will many times avoid looking for it and go back to performing a manual transfer, Coogan says.

“Ceiling-mounted track systems have been in use in Canadian and European facilities for many years,” he says. “The United States is far behind in this area, but this is changing. Every client who has installed one cannot imagine not having one available now. The initial cost is easily repaid with improved staff performance and fewer lost time injuries.”

However, installing ceiling-mounted lift systems can expose you to some liability risk, Coogan warns. “There are very few insurance companies that will even insure for this risk, so you better know what you are doing,” he says. “Consistent training from your supplier is crucial, and knowledge of construction is essential.”

Finally, whether selling to a home health care patient or a facility, assessing a client’s needs doesn’t stop with the sale. “Take time for follow-up calls,” Thompson says. “That type of thing pays well.”

Keith Bush is a contributing writer for Dealer/Provider.