Home Care Referrals
In this week’s Episode of a Drink with the Hurricane, we continue with the Dramatizations, sharing every day real situations Home Care Marketing Reps face. We had to share one about the gate keeper as all too often she is someone who is overlooked and forgotten about, yet she plays a vital role in your success of developing an account.
As you see in the first part of the video, Tony completely forgot about her. He shows up with coffees for everyone on the team except her. It’s not that Tony HAS to bring her anything, but it’s RUDE to show up with treats for everyone and not have something for the person at the front desk. Not to mention the fact that he didn’t schmooze with her at all. This is something MOST Home Care Marketing Reps fail to do as well.
In the second situation, Tony not only showed up with a coffee for her, but he spent time schmoozing with her. He also spent time finding out who’s in, who is busy, and what’s going on in referral source PRIOR to dropping in on everyone or “Making Rounds”. This is extremely important.
Many times over the years, I would walk into an account and they would be in morning meeting, people would be out sick, or the State would show up for survey. Getting that heads up before walking in to see someone made my visits more effective, ultimately leading to more referrals. I was mindful of their limited time for me and knew what was going on, so I was better prepared as to what to say or how to act when speaking to my key contacts.
Another reason why this is so important is because of the role the Receptionist plays in an account. Often at times, staff members come to “Hang Out” and “Socialize” at the front desk. I would joke with the ladies I saw regularly by saying they are Therapists and should charge by the hour, because every time someone had an issue or complaint, they came and talked about it with Faith. (Who happens to be my all-time favorite Front Desk Receptionist.)
When coming to an account for the very first time, making sure the receptionist remembers you (so you can come back again) is probably the most important thing you can do. Let her tell you the names of every contact in the account, let her tell you a little about the building, see how her day is going. Remember, most vendors just walk in and go right past her. She’s the GATE KEEPER for a reason, if you want to have access to HER building, you better develop a relationship first hand!
So the next time you drop by a referral source looking for Home Care Referrals, make sure you spend time with your Front Desk Receptionist. If you’re bringing treats for the team, don’t forget about her. She’s an awesome individual, who greets people all day long for a living. Make her smile, win her over, and she will be yet another person in your corner hoping you get referrals.
Have fun out there Marketing your Home Care businesses people. God Bless.