Whether your agency is just starting out or you’ve been in the home care industry for years, increasing your sales is of the utmost importance in order to stay profitable and competitive in today’s marketplace. To be effective, agencies must understand that their whole company is in sales, from the receptionist to accounting personnel. That means all of your employees should know how to properly “sell” your agency’s services.

Train the Salespeople You Have

You may not realize it, but you have a host of salespeople at your fingertips who are passionate about making your business work: your staff. Even if you have a dedicated sales team, everyone who works at your agency is selling your services and each person should know how to:

• Answer the phone properly and courteously
• Answer potential clients’ most common questions (what services do you provide, what is your hourly rate, etc.) or where to find these answers in a pinch
• Record inquiry information properly
• Convert a call into a client

Training your home care staff to be salespeople can help push your sales to the next level. So how can your team generate more business?

First off, treat all potential clients and referral sources as if they are the most valuable person in the world.

• Follow up consistently. Don’t let potential clients slip through the cracks just because they didn’t schedule an assessment on the first call. Let them know you’re still there and ready to meet their needs.
• Listen more than you talk to learn what the client or referral source needs and wants. Provide the pertinent information that the client needs or asks for, but be courteous and don’t interrupt or talk over someone.
• Put your best foot forward. Every agency has “compassionate caregivers,” and “years of experience.” Your staff should know your agency’s specific strengths – specialized training in dementia care, a telehealth program that has reduced hospitalizations for many of your clients, etc. – and be able to inform potential clients of how these strong points make your agency the best choice.

Let your staff help make this a banner year for home care sales. Our Focusing on Sales from Within Worksheet can help. This sales tool helps staff members think through the inquiry process and strategize to determine how to best get a sale. Click here to download this worksheet and get your team on the sales track.