Homecare Referrals
Hi there, folks! We’re off to the races in 2016 and getting inside the minds of healthcare Social Workers. I recently interviewed two professional friends who gave me the inside scoop of what their days are like.
I turned their “real-talk” into our Hurricane Marketing Boot Camp 2.0. I’ll be breaking their interview down into insightful tips for the HME community in Phoenix next month. You can’t miss this one!
In today’s episode of A Drink with “The Hurricane,” we’re continuing with this Social Worker training session, and focusing on first-time visits.
Here’s what my Social Worker friends say are the key things to remember during your first visit:
1) Be mindful of their time: It’s a simple, common theme among Social Workers. They want marketers to be mindful of their time. Why? Because they don’t like when sales professionals show up unannounced, especially those who over sell or are too pushy. This is a big no-no during the first visit. It just rubs Social Workers the wrong way. Remember, first impressions are everything. So if your first visit leaves a bad taste in their mouth, rest assured your second visit will likely be the last. They’ll dodge you at every chance they get.
2) Be respectful: This seems like a no-brainer, but some home care marketers need to be reminded of this from time-to-time. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Social Workers are the most overworked, underpaid and under-appreciated professionals in healthcare. If sales reps are too pushy, overstep their boundaries or even become negative towards Social Workers, they’ll never gain referrals.
3) Make an appointment: This can be tough because we’re all on busy schedules, and everyone is trying to make appointments with them. Social Workers are not requesting this in order to make our lives more difficult. They’re asking us to make an appointment for a good reason. Be specific with them. Simply saying that you work for a local Home Care company isn’t enough to warrant an appointment. Focus on a particular area. Are you an expert on dementia care? Do you know all about live-in care? Whatever your specific niche is, hammer that home and give the Social Worker a viable reason to meet with you. Bottom line, you’ll need a specific purpose to be there in the first place.
So these are my brief tips of the week, folks! Try to start executing some of these now, if you can. I’ll explain them in more detail during next month’s boot camp.
If you haven’t registered yet, get crackin’! Don’t wait any longer because this annual event will sell out soon.
So register today! You won’t want to miss this. I’ll see you all in Phoenix!
