HEALTH SERVICES BREAK OUT SESSION

How to Master the Initial InquiryMindy Cheek presents

Objectives

Understanding our customersSafe Solutions – our answer to 911The initial inquiry phase – what is our goal?Understanding our customer’s needs and wantsThe tools available to you to help with taking the initial inquiry call

Who is our Customer? What are their needs?

Parent

Spouse

Future Resident

The Adult Child

•41% of baby boomers have a living parent and are providing care for them

• 47 year old female daughter or daughter-in-law

• Works full time

• Has adult or “almost” adult children of her own – could be still paying for college

The Spouse

• They are “surviving” not thriving

• Benefit driven – not need to move-in

• Support the caregiver’s vision for what each day could be – honoring their role and creating their space for continued involvement

• We can help the spouse make the best days for their loved one

The Future Resident

Our potential residents are in the toughest developmental stage of their lives.

Their struggle focuses on two things:

1. The need for control

2. The need to discover their legacy

Development Stages:

Toddler:Control Want vs. Need

TeenagerControlIndependence

SeniorControl Legacy

Future Resident

They process information slowerStories and metaphors work better initially than logicTheir need for urgency is very different from oursTheir communication style is non-linearTheir “repetition” is a valuable key to understanding what’s important to themThe obvious choice is not always right for themAdapt your language to their needs“This is your decision. We will work with whatever you feel is the right choice.”

From “The 7 Common Mistakes Professionals Make Communicating with Seniors” by David Solie, MS, PA

Adult Child vs. Senior Customer

Your approach and communication style during the initial inquiry and follow up are going to be very different for the adult child than for the senior customer.

Adult Child:

Strong sense of urgency

Time constraints

Want facts in logical format

Expect solutions

Senior Customer:

Process ideas and solutions slowly

Have ample free time

Engage in non-linear thinking and conversations

Stories/metaphors best approach to establish relationship

Spouse vs. Adult Child

Your approach and communication style during the initial inquiry and follow up are going to be very different for the spouse of the future resident than the adult child or other family

Spouse:

Needs to be with spouse – it’s an end-of-life situation

How can we enhance their current life?

Need to see the program working for their loved one – create an experience where the potential resident enjoys our program

They’ve got to want it – they deserve it, it’s got to be worth the money

Safe Solutions

• Treat EVERY call or walk-in as a 911 call for help!

• Find the right solution, even if it’s not with you

• Educate your team

• Sell solutions – not real estate

Goals for the Initial Inquiry

1. Gather the right information

2. Create a positive, personal and memorable experience for the customer

3. Schedule a next step

Phases of the call

DiscoveryAsk Permission to Take NotesQuestionsListening

MatchingMatch their needs to your solutions

Next StepThis is your close – activities that are interactive, specific and require action

on the part of the customer

Preparing yourself for the day

EnvironmentTurn away from your computerShut the door to your office

YourselfPrepare yourself to ListenDo NOT multi-taskSMILE before answering the phonePosture

How NOT to Listen:

“My brother is not really involved until it comes time to talk about money…”

Oh I completely understand... I can tell her about this one time when we had a family that had some unusual dynamics and how it worked for them and…

Waiting to speak, instead of listening

How NOT to Listen

“My dad has a really tiny pressure sore, but it’s almost gone.”

“Ok. Why don’t you tell me what his hobbies are?”

Ignoring what you don’t understand or think is important

How NOT to Listen:

My mom doesn’t know who I am anymore. She thinks I’m her mother.”

“I know exactly how you must be feeling…”

Assuming you understand the details or how they feel

How NOT to Listen

“I guess my Dad really just needs help with cleaning and laundry.”

“Well, you have come to the right place! We offer laundry and housekeeping services once a week, and…”

Assuming you’ve heard “enough” to start solving

Active Listening:

General Lead

Restatement

Pause

Comfortable Probe

Impact Question

“Tell me more?” “What else should I know?” “Anything else?” “And?” “What else?”

Repeat back a key word or phrase with the sound of a question.

Just like it sounds… PAUSE. Allow the customer to voice their thoughts.

“For instance?” “Can you share an example?” “Tell me more about that?”

“How has this affected you?” “Tell me about the impact this has had on you and others?” “How often does this cause…?” “What do you think might happen if you don’t find a solution quickly?”

Discovery

Roots – Permission to ask questionsTrunk – Core Questions from Inquiry FormBranches – Queries to learn more about core questionsLeaves – Needs matching to service

Fruit – Time Activated Next Step

Let’s take a look……

Inquiry Forms

Next Steps

Identify the decision makerMatch the most important needs/wants with your invitation to present and let them experience the solutions at your communityDetermine the customer’s scheduleGive a choice of two days and timesWrite it down and repeat to verify

What you have learned

Your customer is your future resident – meet them where they are and learn how to communicate with themGoals during an initial call are to gather the right information, create an experience and schedule a time activated next stepSafe Solutions is your commitment to every person reaching out for helpThe inquiry process is systematic and logical – follow the process and enjoy great success

Practice

LUNCH

Understanding and Revealing Peace-of-Mind

Touring Healthcare

Patt Brewster presents

First Impressions

20 secondsEither positive or negative

First Impressions

55% VISUAL38% VOCAL7% VERBAL

Control what you can control!

Pre-tour walk-throughReception area . . . and reception?Hospitality and creature comfortsInformal signageSmell?Carpet?Elevator?Activities?

SIT-TOUR-SIT

“Blah, blah, blah!”

“How am I going to pay for this?”

Understanding the situation

What equates with peace-of-mind?

What does she expect to see?What does she see?Where else has she been?Who are all of the decision-makers?What is the decision timeframe?Identify 3-5 features and benefits

The TOUR

Show her how it worksUse features and benefits to customize the tour

Features and Benefits

Feature?What IS it?Benefit?What does it DO for my customer?

ORWhat does it MEAN to my customer?

Trial Close

Summarize Key Benefits

“Mrs. Stewart, we saw the ladies

preparing garlic mashed potatoes and ribeyes for

tonight’s dinner.”

“Mrs. Stewart, we saw the ladies

preparing garlic mashed potatoes and ribeyes for

tonight’s dinner.”

“You can rest assured that your

aunt will enjoy these familiar, homemade foods and feel right

at home here!”

Summarize Key Benefits

FEATURE BENEFIT

“How does that sound?”

“You can rest assured that your aunt will enjoy these familiar, homemade foods

and feel right at home here!”

“Mrs. Stewart, we saw the ladies preparing garlic

mashed potatoes and rib-eyes for tonight’s dinner.”

Summarize Key Benefits

FEATURE BENEFIT

TRIAL CLOSE

Wrap up the tour by repeating 2-3 key benefits in a single summary statement

Use a TRIAL CLOSE to gauge the customer’s receptivity.

Address final details back in your office, where there is privacy and fewer distractions.

Summarize to Reinforce Value

Your service has a DISTINCT IDENTITY

and SPECIFIC BENEFITS that the

customer can relate to her individual

needs and expectations.

Understanding “how it will work in my

situation,” your customer perceives

real VALUE.

Result

Can you CLOSE?

What is her body language?Are there objections you have not addressed?Is another visit necessary?What needs to happen next?Can you offer assistance in getting it done?Health assessment is a move toward commitmentIdentify next contact and gain permission

Happy dance!

Overcoming Objections and ClosingFara Gold presents

Overcoming Objections and Closing

Establishing sales alignmentThe buyer and seller must be in alignment

Our buyer is often the adult child or referral sourceThe seller is YOU, the health services sales leader

S.P.I.N. Selling (Neil Rackham) and Value Selling

Objections…”Over-Ruled”

What is an objection?An “objection” is a buyers “signal”Price is the most common “objection or signal”

Buyer will say: “Price is too high”

Why Objections?

Objections are offered when a solution is given too soon in the process of uncovering needsHow can you offer a solution when you don’t know all of the majority of the prospects problems?

Alignment Between the Buyer and the Seller

You are the sellerStay focused on asking versus telling or selling

Ask about “problems”

Discover and ask about ALL the problemsListen more…talk less

Adult child is the buyer

Adult child will do 70% of the talking

Problems are implied needs or what has happened in the past

Problems will become a “mountain” or listTalking more…

Identify and Verify All Perceived Problems

You are the sellerAsk “problem” questions during the discovery phaseExamples

“What kinds of problems is your Mom having with her medication?”“How is your Dad’s nutrition and meal preparation?”Ask, “How are these problems currently managed?”

Adult child is the buyer

Problems will be conveyed as what happened in the past

Problems are implied needs or what has happened in the past

Expect the caregiver to say they are “trying” but “why they came to you for help”

S.P.I.N. or the Four Questions

What is S.P.I.N.?Four questions used in all sales transactionsS- Situation • Use only a few of these questions

• “What brought you here today”

P- Problem • Ask many problem questions to uncover needs

• “What types of problems is your Mom having?

I- Implication

• Use these as they relate to the problems

• “What will happen if your Mom continues to miss her medication?”

N- Need pay-off

• Solution based questions/wait until all problems are uncovered

• “You are looking for a community to help with your Mom’s medications. The good news is, we can provide medication management.”

When to Offer a Solution?

A solution or “need pay-off” question should come after the “implication” of the “problems” have been fully identifiedYou will hear the customer say “Yes” when asked the following solution or “need pay-off” questions:

Would a community providing daily medication management give you peace of mind?...YesWould a community offering nutritionally balanced restaurant-style dining give your Mom more food choices?...Yes

Solution is Tied to the Problem

A solution should be tied to the problemOffer solutions with programs or services you can provide with the following statements:

“The good news is here at The Glen at Aberdeen Heights we provide 24-hour round-the-clock professional nursing services.”“The benefit to your Mom, of our special WanderGuard service, is your Mom will be able to safely walk throughout our Memory Support neighborhood at all times.”“The benefit to you of our Emergency Call system is the peace-of-mind, our trained and compassionate associates will answer your Mother’s call button, as quickly as possible.”

Value Equation

A solution should have “high” valueA solution should outweigh the price of taking care of the problem

If Price is an Issue…

If price is an issue…go back to exploring the problem with problem questions, such as:

“How much does it cost now to take care of your Mother’s medication?”“What price do you pay in lost time at work to take care of ‘this or that’ problem”?

Closing

A successful closing is “obtaining a commitment”The prospect or buyer sees the value of your solution and is willing to pay “whatever” price for the solution

Obtaining the Commitment

To secure the commitment, the prospect should choose an apartment home and schedule the assessment for the residentA move-in date will secure and complete the closing for the prospect

Closing…a New Relationship…a New Resident

Reach out to the prospect almost daily with updates and reassurances of their decisionProvide step-by-step support in reading and understanding the Residency Agreement before the final contract signingThe closing is successful when your Executive Director or Administrator completes the contract signing and move-in is complete

BREAK

Professional Referral DevelopmentFara Gold presents

Training Objectives

Understand how to qualify and target potential and existing Referral Sources for community/clusterCreate a prioritized Referral Source listDesign a Pre-Call plan for new Referral SourcesConduct an effective Needs AssessmentDemonstrate how to handle common objections and advance a Referral relationshipIntegrate a Referral Development strategy into your 6-month Marketing Plan

Key Components

TargetingPre-Call PlanningEffectively Overcoming BarriersPlanning Effective Meetings/Needs AssessmentAdvancing the RelationshipTracking, Measuring and Analyzing Results

Referral Development Model

Create a TargetedReferral Development List

•Qualify current and potentialReferral Sources•Prioritize your list•Determine contact frequency•Assign organization/contactownership

Create a Pre-Call Plan

•Identify potential needs•Plan questions in advance to uncover needs•Handle referral source objections

Conduct Needs Assessment

•Gather key information•Uncover additional needs•Present benefits•Follow-up

Advance the Relationship

•Continue to investigate needs•Act as a resource•Measure and evaluate results•Integrate into quarterly Marketing Plan•Broaden relationships

Outcomes: increased lead and move-in volume at a lower cost per sale

Referral Source Management

Creating and maintaining a well-qualified referral source list is the key to focusing on those individuals and organizations which will yield the most results, thereby allowing you to use your time most efficiently and productively

Prioritizing Your Referral List

“A”: refer 12 or more leads a year“B”: refer 5-11 leads a year“C”: refer 0-4 leads a year – these could be new, undeveloped or past-referring contacts

“A”s are priority contacts, “B”s and “C”s are good contacts

How Many Contacts Do You Need?

Referral Category

Number of Contacts

Number of monthly referrals

Number of move-ins (30% conversion rate)

Annualized number of move-ins

A 10 10 3 36

B 20 8 2.4 27

C 30 2.5 .75 9

Total 60 20 6 72

The Funnel for Referral Contacts

Your C Accounts

Your B Accounts

Your A Accounts

Prioritizing Prospective Sources

Is this an organization or professional who has:

Clients who are 80 years or older?Clients with medical, physical, and social needs that our community can meet?Clients who are likely to stay in our community for more than one year?Clients who can financially afford our community?

Referral Contact Frequency

Referral Source Priority

Min Frequency of In-Person Contact with Referral Source

Min Frequency of Other

Communication (Phone, Letters, Fax,

E-Mail, etc.)

A One visit every 30 days Once every 15 days

B One visit every 60 days Once every 30 days

C One visit every 90 days Once every 45 days

Successful salespeople don’t ask random

questions!

4 Steps of Pre-call Planning

1. Do your homework – gather information in advance

2. Identify potential referral source needs

3. Develop a list of questions to clarify those needs and surface additional needs

4. Establish your primary and secondary call objectives

Information to Gather

Previous referral history (With your community or competition)Client profile/demographicsOrganizational purposeProfessional or personal affiliations to your community/clusterCurrent issues they may be experiencing

The Purpose Statement

A Purpose Statement describes what you want to talk about in your next meeting, conveys a benefit to the referral source, and will allow you to gain agreement on the objective of the meeting.

Working with a “Gatekeeper”

Turn the gatekeeper into your advocateTreat them with respectAsk for their helpBe prepared with your Pre-call PlanUse your Purpose StatementOffer a solution (best time to call…be flexible!)Don’t forget your secondary objectiveUse their nameKeep a smile on your face!

Gaining Agreement to a Meeting

Summarize the issues your referral source has shared with youConfirm the time, place and meeting attendeesAsk for suggestions to the agendaDon’t forget the thank the referral source!

Handling Objections

•Paraphrase the Referral Source’s objection •Ask if you’ve captured the objection•Encourage the referral source to “tell me more”•Verify the true objection

•Offer resolution:• Valid issue –

take action• False

impression – offer clarifying information

• Cynicism – provide testimonials

•Verify for agreement

• Ask the referral source if the objection has been resolved

• Advance the call

Needs Assessment

A Needs Assessment is a face-to-face meeting to:

Confirm referral potentialIdentify critical needs by asking effective questionsAdvance your relationship with the referral source

Effective Listening

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood”Stephen Covey

Pre-Call Planning

Anticipate needs, problems or concernsDevelop questionsUse effective questioning skillsPlan an advance to gain commitment

Components of a Needs Assessment Tool

Updated contact informationType of organizationAmount of potential referralsRelationship with competitorsAwareness of Your CommunityValidate needs/develop additional needsPreferred communication methodNext steps

Ways to Move the Sale Forward

Medical PracticesProvide in-service/CEU trainingProvide referrals to the practiceAsk MD or APRN to speak at events

Realtors:Mutual referral programAsk to speak at seminarHost local association meetings

Key Knowledge to Plan an Advance

Business needsSurface needsWell-developed needs

Personal needsProfessional development or advancementRecognition/appreciation

InterestsSports/hobbiesCommunity associations

Time constraints

Needs and Solutions

BenefitsAre intangibleDirectly pertain to the referral source’s needsShow how our services can provide a solution to their needs

Advances should provide a solution to a customer need!

Applying our Skills

What one thing will I do differently in each area when I return to my community tomorrow:

Targeting referral sourcesPre-call planningHandling ObjectionsAdvancing the relationshipTracking and Measuring

Relationships Are Key

Remember you are creating new relationshipsConnecting Referral Sources to the Experts in Your CommunitySelling Value and Solutions to ProblemsMaintaining and nurturing the relationships for on-going referrals is a must

RESOURCES

S.P.I.N. ® Selling, Neil Rackham, (McGraw-Hill, 1988)

Managed Care Referral: How to Develop a Systematic Sales Approach for Building Your Referral Business in Today’s Healthcare Environments, John F. O’Malley, (Irwin Professional Publications, 1996)

Successful Event Planning

Patt Brewster presents

What are we doing here?

Experience (believe?) the lifestyleSample the unique services and amenitiesOpportunity for additional DISCOVERYMove the sale forwardObtain professional referrals

Putting a stake in the ground

Unique selling proposition?

Being a relevant source: ACI

ACI needs informationInternet researchHow much does she know?Trusts her own analysis and evaluation

Peace-of-MindWhat does it mean to her?

Being a relevant source: PI

Ongoing educationHelp with discharges and placements

Another Lunch ‘N Learn?

Need for educational componentAudience sizeVenueTime frameFormatFrequencyFollow up

Plan, Promote, Program

At LEAST 3-4 weeks outProspects? Leads? Lists?

Use upcoming event(s) on calloutsFollow-up callsFocus on First Impressions:

DiningHousekeeping/MaintenanceStaff

Exceed expectations

What are we doing here, again?

Different target audienceDifferent needs and expectationsDifferent communication channelsDifferent marketing and sales goals

Believe the lifestyle? P-O-M?Sample the unique services and amenitiesOpportunity for additional DISCOVERYMove the sale forwardObtain professional referrals

Professional Influencer Events

Opening a new health centerRaising awarenessUnderstanding PI needs and expectationsWhat do we want them to see?What do we want them to experience?What will their perception of us be when they leave?

PIs for Skilled Nursing

Physician office staffCase managers and discharge plannersGeriatric care managersClergySelected physician specialtiesOther providers

PIs for Assisted Living and Memory Support

New center?Case managers and discharge plannersGeriatric care managersClergyPhysician office staffSelected physician specialtiesAssociations/community organizations

New Center Events

Dusty Shoes/Hard Hat ToursOpen HousesDedicationClergy breakfast

“We’re brand new and you’re not!”

Assisted Living and Memory Support:Attracting ACIs

Convenient time and placeEducation, information and resourcesSmall groupsIdentify next-steps

WRAP UP