Indivisible

“… One Nation, under God, indivisible …”

We repeat these words in our Pledge of Allegiance. We say “indivisible.” That has only one meaning: “not separable into parts.” We are one nation, all working for the common good, for one another. This is what has made the United States of America such a great nation.

But I see our country starting to divide, almost evenly, into two diverse factions. One-half of our population is “favorable to progress or reform,” and the other half “disposed to saving existing conditions.” The definitions I have just used are from my Webster’s dictionary. They identify the terms “liberal” and “conservative.”

A nation divided cannot properly service our country. The terms “liberal” and “conservative” appear to have become terms of disapproval and are being used almost as if they are curse words. This great divide is affecting our economy, and it is also driving our industry into a major debate.

The United States needs both Medicare and Medicaid. These are two vital services. However, differing views from conservatives and liberals about these government programs are worlds apart. We must help guide them to develop a program that will benefit all recipients and that will not bankrupt the country.

The Civil War came about because the nation at that time was no longer “indivisible.” The United States had both an agrarian and a manufacturing economy, one in the South and the other in the North. Neither side wished to recognize the other or to sort out their differences. I am not a historian, but we all know the agonizing results that came from this lack of negotiation.

So please, work with your senators and representatives in Washington. Help in the battle to protect our industry and to protect all of your customers, because American citizens deserve only the very best. Let’s not allow things to deteriorate into name-calling and “only-I-am-right” attitudes. Let’s all sit down together and address our differences.

Show and Sell

I am always chagrined when I visit an HME/DME showroom and walk through to find that it is neat and orderly, with every item dusted and every price marked — BUT, there are no real traffic-stoppers.

There should be some products on display in your showroom that will make your customer stop and look. It has to be appropriate, price-marked and displayed prominently. Look through your inventory and cull out some of these interesting products to use as traffic-stoppers. Display them in the correct setting, and see your volume grow.

I visited a provider in a mid-sized town in Vermont. He had a very nice bedroom display area spotlighting a hospital bed with every possible accessory on view. There was one other item that caught my eye. Smack in the middle of this display “room,” the owner had hung a bedpan with a simple sign attached: “This will only cost you $5.99.”

When I asked how the bedpans moved, this smart businessperson said he has been selling an average of 10 a day. He also told me he changes this display every week or 10 days so that people will come back in just to see what he may be offering. Simple, but effective! All it takes is a little imagination.

Another company I know in Florida has a rather large showroom with two people who normally are in charge of its displays and sales. The owner is always running a little competition between the two of them, challenging and rewarding each for effective sales promotions. His team loves the perks they receive, such as tickets to a show or a gift certificate for a dinner, and the owner keeps them as close to par as possible.

Is this simple plan working? This owner is so pleased with the results that he has made it a permanent part of his company’s operation.

As I have been saying for years, “Show and Sell.” It doesn’t matter what you show. It matters that you do show — and then, of course, you will sell.

Air Travel

I don’t know how many letters and phone calls I have made over the years to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requesting that patients be allowed to carry their portable oxygen units with them when flying from place to place. Several times when lobbying in Washington, if the opportunity presented itself, I brought up this problem.

Occasionally, I did receive a response from the FAA to my messages, usually with “we are looking into this” as an answer. And finally, in the July 14 Federal Register, it was stated, “The FAA is proposing … to permit the use of certain portable oxygen concentrator devices on aircraft ….”

This is a giant step forward.

Ruminating

Florida, aka the “Sunshine State,” is where Thelma and I decided to relocate some years ago. I love living in Florida, at least most of the time.

You usually hear about how Mother Nature uses Florida as a target to practice her malevolent side. Did you know there are more lightning strikes in Florida than anywhere else in the country? I am not sure of the exact number, but I know the annual death toll from lightning is high. Then, of course, there are the undertow currents when swimming at some of the beautiful beaches that Florida offers tourists.

People don’t often take much notice of these dangers, but they surely notice when hurricanes destroy — and that is just what has happened. Parts of Florida have been demolished, and there have been many storm-related deaths and billions of dollars’ worth of destruction during just a few short weeks this year. Television and newspapers have shown the devastating images from Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. They came and conquered.

I am not looking for any sympathy, even though at this writing — twice within three weeks — we have no electricity and only partial telephone service. In fact, the power company has estimated that this time (after Jeanne), we may not have service restored for 18 or 20 days.

As a consequence of the hurricanes we experienced this season, for the first time in my career I was unable to fulfill a promise to speak at a state DME association. Fortunately, two friends were able to pinch-hit for me, and the good people at the Medical Equipment Suppliers Association (MESA), serving Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, have forgiven me for staying home.

But like all Floridians, we are grateful for what we have, and know that tomorrow will always be a better day. Never look back. History cannot be changed, so when you rise in the morning, put on a big smile and have a great day!

Note: For more on FAA’s proposal to allow portable oxygen concentrators onboard aircraft, see HomeCare, August 2004.

Sheldon “Shelly” Prial is based in Melbourne, Fla., with Prial Consulting and also serves as the director of government relations for Atlanta-based Graham-Field Health Products. In 1987, he founded the Homecare Providers Co-Op, now part of The VGM Group. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 321/255-3885.