Now is a great time to plan your new sales strategies for 2005. Calling on the same customer and providing the same sales pitch is quickly going to get boring. Stopping by an office just to say hello may not be effective in helping to build your business. While it is valuable to ask about any problems your customers may be experiencing, most referral sources will not be waiting to see you in their offices to let you know about their concerns.
Customers are always interested in knowing what's new, however. It is a perfect time of the year to think about what is new in your company that can grab the attention of both existing and new customers, and now is the best time to share the information. As you consider what is “new,” think about what may be happening in four key areas of your company:
- The People
Look back through 2004 and see if you hired anyone who will positively affect the quality of the service and programs you are offering. Remember, it will be the people in your company who will be involved with your customers.
Is there a new customer service representative, billing manager or delivery technician that you may want to introduce to your customers? Have you hired a new retail store manager, clinician or operations supervisor to ensure customers receive the best service possible? With people being one of your most costly investments, they need to become part of the focus of your marketing plan.
- The Systems/Operations
Have you developed a new system for taking an order, handling a complaint or following up on a maintenance problem? Have there been any internal changes that will affect the overall operation of your company? Customers are often impressed about systems you have put in place to ensure that order-taking problems are avoided or that deliveries are made in a timely manner. Consider developing a simple flow-chart to show customers how the order-taking process now works, or to describe how your company handles a complaint.
- The Programs
Have you developed a new monitoring system for your respiratory programs, or a disease state management program for making sure that diabetics receive their supplies in a timely manner? Have you created a new compliance or maintenance program for your wheelchair clients? This new program may relate to how your clinicians will monitor your respiratory patients or stay in touch with physicians who refer patients to you.
Presenting such new programs to your customers will let them know you are continually thinking about and working on how to improve the services you presently offer.
- The Products
Since the core of your business relates to the products you carry or can obtain for your customers — what's new? Have you recently attended a trade show, conference or met with a manufacturer's representative and purchased state-of-the-art products for your customers? You want to position your company as one that provides the latest and best in medical products. If you are upgrading the items you carry in a particular product line, now is a great time to share this information with your customers.
Everyone likes to hear about what's new. It may be simply a new wound care product or tray for a wheelchair. New items could be exactly what your referral source would be interested in hearing about.
Match the new product to the interest of the customer. Remember, products are purchased to meet the needs of certain customers, but they can only meet those needs if you let people know you have them. Post the new products on your Web site, talk about them with the appropriate customers and share the news of your exciting purchase. You just may grab that extra bit of attention you are seeking.
Tired of talking about those oxygen concentrators, the weather, your commitment to service, reimbursement problems? If you are finding you have absolutely nothing to talk about, then spend some time thinking about your people, systems, programs and products. Take a look around. See anything new? It could become the centerpiece of your next sales call.
Louis Feuer is president of Dynamic Seminars & Consulting Inc. and the founder and director of the DSC Teleconference Series, a teleconference training program. He can be reached at www.DynamicSeminars.com or by phone at 954/435-8182.
