GROWING YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE LATEST MARKETING AND SALES

TECHNIQUES

Maggie AndersenSenior Product Manager

Durable Medical Equipment DivisionPh (847) 643-4687

MAndersen@medline.com1

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AGENDA

Understanding Your Customers Analyzing Your Competition Developing a Marketing Strategy Marketing to Referral Sources Selling Techniques Advertising Direct Marketing Events Web Sites Customer Loyalty Medline Products and Programs Questions

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BREADTH VS. DEPTH

Often times, HME businesses overlook valuable Marketing techniques

Today’s webinar will provide breadth rather than depth.

You don’t have to be an expert!

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMERS

Utilize websites to gain statistical data on your community (U.S Census Bureau)

Know your referral sources, and the needs in your community.

Use marketing techniques and carry products that make sense for your community.

Hire employees that your customers can feel comfortable with.

75 million baby boomers. Offer product selections for

caretakers.

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ANALYZING COMPETITORS

Identify who they are (HME’s internet companies, retailers)

Ask your customers and referral sources what they like and dislike about your competitors

Periodically visit their stores to stay abreast of what they’re doing (products, services, marketing activities)

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YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY

Answer These Questions How would you rank your target customers? Why should a customer do business with you rather

than someone else? How are you different and better? How do you intend to win? How will you sustain this?

ExampleWho Are Your Target Customers?

1 – Patients discharged from St. Luke’s Hospital2 – Four nearby hospices3 – Two nursing homes north of store

Why Do Business With You?They can save time because you offer more categories and deeper offerings (one-stop shop)

How Will We Win?Regularly monitor your competitors’ offerings, talk with discharge planners about needed products, and hand out a small catalog that shows depth and breadth of offering. All your marketing is continuously focused on reinforcing a message of “We’ve Got Everything You Need for HealthCare.”

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MARKETING TO REFERRAL SOURCES Get in front of them Even if you don’t have an

outside sales person, send someone who knows your business and has great communication skills

Create a brochure that markets your entire business

Take a manufacturer’s rep with you when you go

Give them a say in what products their patients get

Be willing to educate their staff Give samples of the products

you will be dispensing.

ALWAYS LEAVE THEM BROCHURES

Present professional marketing pieces as you call on referral sources, as you make deliveries and to all walk-in business

Make sure your customers know what products you have offer!

Use Medline’s Marketing Solutions program to help!

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MARKETING SOLUTIONS

Marketing Solutions-100 Catalogs FREE with $2500 worth of DME sales!

Customizable brochure Give to your delivery

drivers while making deliveries

Give to referral sources when discharging patients

Give to every customer that walks through the door!

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SUCCESSFUL SELLING TECHNIQUES

Educate, Educate, Educate The more a customer is

informed, the more likely they are to buy

Appear knowledgeable Be willing to take

measurements, put equipment together and carry it out to the car.

Do push. Be willing to walk away.

Don’t promise what you can’t do, but promote what you can do

Focus more on service, less on price!

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EDUCATING YOUR CUSTOMERS Educating is the key to

selling Set yourself apart from

your competition. Offer what they don’t have.

Be known for service, selection and support, not just product.

Become know as an expert in the industry

Become a trusted medical professional

Customers trust you when you tell them everything they need to know.

ADVERTISING

Use as many forms of advertising your budget can afford.

Don’t forget inexpensive or free ways of advertising such as bag stuffers, open houses and relationships.

Write articles in health section of your local paper.

Take pictures of your staff and include them in your advertising and on business cards

Incorporate customer testimonies and positive survey responses in your advertising.

Create gift certificates and advertise them as “The Gift of Good Health”

Customers trust you when you tell them everything they need to know.

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DIRECT MARKETING

Follow Medicare and HIPPA guidelines

To target specific customers: Get permission Create a sign up sheets

Target all current customers Send marketing material

(brochures, pamphlets, flyers copy of ads) along with all new and reorders

Send market material in all monthly patient statements.

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HOLD EXCITING EVENTS Set up booths at senior

conferences, county fairs, health events

Have health awareness days that promote a product line or support a medical condition.

Bring in educators, experts and manufacturer reps to train and educate.

Hold open houses to meet your staff and promote your services.

Run specials and sales as one time events to draw people to your events.

Invite local media to do articles on your events.

Have service days where you clean and do light maintenance on wheelchairs, walkers etc. 14

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TIMING YOUR MARKETING

Create marketing that makes sense

Run advertising that coincides with national observances

Run sales, specials and health days that coincide with those dates

Advertise gift certificates around big gift giving holidays.

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GET THEM TO COME, BUY, AND RETURN

Get them to your site!• Advertise your web address everywhere• Collect e-mail addresses and ask for

permission to send new product announcements, sales announcements etc.

• Ask other organizations to put your hyperlink on their websites

• Get listed with search enginesMaximize how much they spend• Make navigation easy• Cross sell related products (i.e. walker

accessories new the walkers)• Write attractive product descriptions• Show several photo angles of productsMaximize how much they spend• Advertise “monthly on-line specials”• Offer in-store coupons they can print out• and periodically refresh the information• Include other information on your site that

patients and caregivers will find useful

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HME SHOPPING CART PROGRAM

Build a cash generating machine

A preloaded catalog of over 1,000 products, images and descriptions

Drop-shipment to the customer directly from Medline

You control the pricing, customer freight charges and product selection

Flat-rate $9.95 shipping to any domestic address, any size order

As little as $75.00 per month!

BUILDING CUSTOMER LOYALTY

Go out of your way to satisfy your customers

Regularly contact your best customers (outbound follow-up calls, mailings etc)

Advertise the employees at your store-show their photos and say who they are

Hire friendly counter staff and train them to spend time with customers

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INTEGRATE YOUR MARKETING

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FORM AN ACTION PLAN Review Slides (top

ideas?) Meet with Medline

sales rep and review programs

Prioritize and implement top 3-5 ideas (establish timeframe, budget, measurements)

Identify next set of ideas to implement

QUESTIONS?

Maggie AndersenSeniorProduct Manager-Walking Aids and Bath

SafetyDME Division

Ph: (847) 643-4687Mandersen@medline.com

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