Can you believe it, folks? We are about halfway through Q2 of 2015 already. Man, this year is flying by! How is your business performing so far? Are you on track with the goals you set out for yourself at the beginning of the year? I hope that you are on track, but if you aren’t, we are here to help. One of the most frequently asked questions that we get at Hurricane Marketing Enterprises is “How can I get referrals from hospitals?” Of course you all want to get into the hospitals in your territory…they are potentially the biggest and best referral source you have. But they are also the most difficult to get into. Trust me, folks, the juice is worth the squeeze.
In my days of marketing Home Care, I did develop referring relationships at some of the hospitals in my territory, but I am going to turn this lesson over to our hospital expert, Ana “The Storm” Conlin. She is the owner of Conlin Creative Resources, and our head coach here at HME. When it comes to getting into hospitals, she knows her stuff. In today’s episode of A Drink with “The Hurricane,” Ana will explain What is the first thing you should do when marketing to a hospital and the importance of preparation BEFORE attempting to get into the hospitals. Think of it like a puzzle, and the hospital is the center of the puzzle. You have to put all the edges together first. Get the framework together, before you begin to work on the middle section.
Key Points
Create a Marketing Plan – Luck favors the prepared! You need to be organized and have clear objectives before you begin. Details are essential here. Who are the key contacts at the hospital? How are you going to approach them? What do you bring to the table?
Qualify the Hospital – You MUST do your research on the hospital. Check out their website and see if they have any specialties. The more you know, the better you can present yourself and your company.
Identify Your WOW Factors – What is your niche? What is it that sets your company apart from your competitors? Now that you have done the research on the hospital, you know more about what they are looking for. You can present your company as an extension of their services, and become an asset to them.
Find Your Connections on the Inside – All the facilities you are already doing business have hospital liaisons on staff. Develop a relationship with those people, and have them introduce you to the key contacts at the hospitals. This is a warm introduction by someone who is advocating for you and your business…it makes a BIG difference over going in there on your own. Regardless of how prepared you are.
Ana got her nickname, “Storm” because she is known to take hospitals by storm and jump start referrals. She will be leading an exclusive webinar on May 14th for all Home Care Revenue Builders (formerly Team Hurricane) members. She did a hospital marketing webinar for us back in November, which is in the member archive, and this will be a continuation of that material. If you are not a member, join today and sign up for this webinar. Ana and I will be there live to answer your questions and help you to “Blow Away the Competition!”