Don’t Disconnect

Six patient set-ups, a meeting to discuss an upcoming accreditor survey, one of your drivers called in sick, you’re interviewing two candidates for an open sales position. Do you really have time to meet with one of your vendors?

Ideally, the answer should be yes. Meeting with manufacturers and suppliers is an important part of running your business. In addition to medical products, vendors can provide useful information about patient care and reimbursement changes. Why, then, do sales professionals complain that they can’t get HME owners’ time? Where is the disconnect?

When I was responsible for purchasing for a national home care company, salespeople who called on me complained about the fact that they couldn’t get some of our location managers to meet with them. When I asked those managers why they ignored vendor requests for meetings or made appointments and then didn’t keep them, they all said pretty much the same thing: “My local sales rep never has anything new to tell me. He shows up unprepared most of the time.”

In some cases, those managers may have had a point, but I also know there are many hardworking sales representatives who are doing a good job. I believe that getting good representation is partly the provider’s responsibility.

I know what you’re thinking: “I don’t have enough to do already? Now I have to worry about your sales reps, too?”

I wouldn’t go that far, but there are some simple things you can do to make meetings with the sales reps who call on you more productive.

Set Expectations

When you’re really busy, it might seem easier just to put up with a sales rep no matter how bad the call is. He will be gone soon and you can return to more important tasks. That is one way to deal with the problem — but not only have you wasted time, you probably have been cheated out of valuable information that could help improve patient care, earn more referrals and add to your bottom line.

If you are dealing with a sales representative who isn’t satisfying your needs, take a few minutes to express your concerns. Let this rep know that you will be glad to meet if he or she will promise:

• To come to the meeting prepared with a specific agenda and thorough product knowledge. Sales representatives should be familiar with competitors’ products, too.
• To relate this information to your company’s current patient mix and business practice. In other words, are they just selling product or are they behaving like a consultant who can improve your business? Let them know you are willing to answer questions to help them connect the dots between their product and your business. If they don’t ask any questions, that could be a warning sign that they don’t understand your message.
• To arrive on time. Tell any reps in advance how much time you have that day. Both parties should be confident that the agenda can be covered in the time available.
• To follow up. When vendor representatives promise to send you samples, literature or more information, let them know you expect them to deliver.

Once you establish this framework, stick to it. If a representative refuses to live up to these commitments, it may be time to seek alternatives.

Teach Them How to Sell to You

In managing a purchasing department, I saw that the most successful sales professionals learned how to sell to me based on my personality, my questions and interaction with my staff. Unfortunately, some reps don’t take the time to analyze their customers’ preferences. Experience taught me that, in turn, I could save time in the long run by “teaching” salespeople how to sell to me.

If a salesperson is wandering through a presentation, don’t hesitate to stop him by asking questions in, what is for you, a logical order. We all process information differently.

If you insist on getting information in a certain order (such as features first, then benefits, then warranty, then price, etc.), good sales representatives will begin to deliver their presentations the way you prefer if you simply tell them what you want. It may take a few meetings, but it’s worth the effort.

Ask yourself what you like and what you hate about your vendor sales meetings, and about the sales process. For example, I liked people who were organized. I liked it when they were candid about their products and their company’s strengths and weaknesses.

I disliked it when people tried to ignore or sell through what I felt were obvious problems instead of taking the time to help me recognize that my objection wasn’t necessarily catastrophic. Making a conscious effort to recognize your own hot buttons makes it easier to instruct your sales representatives.

Playing Favorites Might Cost You

It’s human nature to play favorites. Maybe Deanna always brings fresh Danish, and Alonzo is always good for a laugh. Force yourself to re-evaluate. When a favorite’s competitors ask to see you, challenge yourself by meeting with them. Resolve to keep an open mind, and listen to what they have to offer.

Chances are — especially if you are also getting a good price — you may decide to remain loyal to your favorite anyway, but you will know that you are keeping an eye open for new opportunities. And your favorites will work that much harder to satisfy your needs when you keep them on their toes.

By the way, as you get to know your sales representatives, take the time to learn more about their backgrounds. You may discover that they have useful contacts or knowledge that could be of benefit, but you won’t know unless you probe a little.

If All Else Fails, Complain

If you have tried to work with a representative assigned by your vendor and his or her performance doesn’t improve, contact the vendor’s corporate office to let the company know you are unhappy. Be specific about your complaints. You need reliable support; your business depends on it. Most vendors will act quickly to fix the problem.

As a business owner or facility manager in the HME world, you face many tactical and strategic challenges. Manufacturer and supplier representatives are an important resource that can help you stay attuned to the latest trends in treatment, technology and profit opportunities.

Set your expectations high and make the most of the time you’re giving them when you meet with your vendor representatives.

A former vice president of purchasing and support services for American HomePatient, Len Serafino serves as vice president, eastern division, for Chad Therapeutics, Chatsworth, Calif. He also is the author of Sales Talk, a book for sales professionals, and has contributed several past articles to HomeCare magazine. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 615/778-0401.