We believe that business owners should be able to focus on their business, and not be absorbed in the business. This article provides six easy steps to help you and your team increase your sales conversions in Home Care:
1.) Measure What Matters Most, but MEASURE:
- Measure – track everything that’s coming into the business and from where. It seems simple enough, but getting a handle on your sales data is important to knowing what lever to pull next. Without it, your guessing.
- Categorize the lead data into two very simple lanes Model Match leads and Non-Model Match Leads. 1st lane = Model match leads are prospects you can and want to service, 2nd lane = non-model match leads are prospects you can’t or don’t service, but that can still be valuable. The sales flow to the next step from that lens. For example, you may get a medical/clinical request and you are non-medical. This can be referred out and you’ll make more friends who may reciprocate.
- Generate a specific Score Card based on benchmarks. For example, for your model match leads you should be able to schedule 45- 70% for an onsite review and 80% or better close from there.
2.) Mix Matters:
- Where the leads are coming from matters and makes a difference. Should you spend more on SEO, social media, PPC, Outside sales reps? All of these strategies and more may play a part. The more you generate from community and referral partners the better, but you’ll see value in a wide mix of lead sources.
- Also, the importance of the people mix component can’t be overstated here, and proper role alignment is a key factor to getting this right. We can train anyone who picks up your phone to have a successful call and improve your conversion ratios, but not everyone wants to do it and not everyone is wired for it. The right person accountable to this aspect of your business is crucial for consistent long-term results.
- Understanding the individual team player feeds into better understanding, managing, and coaching that person for key performance. This feeds into the understanding of the team dynamics and how it supports the pursuant strategy based on key objectives.
3.) Stay on the Prospect’s Agenda, avoid going OFF Script:
- It seems simple enough, but staying on the client’s agenda can be hard when we have great solutions and have seen the scenario 100 times. Sometimes we have the tendency to skip ahead or emphasize asking diagnostic questions without uncovering the caller’s real pain points (It’s rarely price) and there implications. Stay on the caller’s agenda.
In his book “Feel Good About Selling” Ted Olson talks about the importance of acting as a trusted guide. Olson’s method is designed to foster long-term customer relationships rather than quick sales, advocating for integrity in the sales process.
Ted’s book describes how everyone is the hero of their own story and has their own dragons to slay. The trusted guide helps the hero along their journey to find solutions without getting in the way. It’s tempting to talk about how great our homecare service is, and there is a place for that, but in the context of the decision maker as their guide in the care journey. While I rarely see home care reps resorting to manipulative tactics or high-pressure strategies, many times they miss the mark by not staying on the prospect’s agenda, skipping ahead, not reframing the price question, or being too passive.
4.) Review sales calls on a regular basis with staff:
Listening to recorded sales calls together may feel uncomfortable for your team members at first, but it increases the comfort level when conducting sales inquiries, and helps create self-awareness as well as identifies areas of improvement.
5.) Schedule a Consult to help Build a Plan of Care:
Having this step in the process where you offer to help the prospect see with objective eyes and ears to better assess the situation, environment, care needs and provide recommendations, can be crucial to a higher close ratio. Ensure the decision makers are involved while coming up with a plan of care will make moving forward much easier and don’t be afraid to sign paperwork on that initial visit. Don’t make more steps than necessary. If you have to leave without an agreement identify what’s next and when.
6.) Reminders and summary:
Schedule assessments out as closely to the initial call as possible, provide auto reminders for the appointments and a summary of what to expect.
Remember why you do this – and make sure the people who are closing your sales have confidence in your service.
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