Private Pay: A New Reason To Be Committed
In case you haven’t noticed, Private Pay agencies and franchises are opening up all over the county. This explosion, which has been going on over the last eight to ten years, is driven by two forces. On the one hand, new startups are run by individuals in the industry who truly see a need and want to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. On the other hand, an equal number of startups are opened by businesspeople that have never been in the healthcare field. These individuals see a financial opportunity and want to capitalize on the growing demographic of elders who will require the services of a private pay company. Whatever the reason for entering the private pay arena, if you are not committed to your business, you will probably have trouble succeeding.
In order to sell your product, your heart has to be engaged. Forget the phrase, ‘It’s only business.’ In order to succeed, you must have an emotional attachment to what you are selling. This is particularly true in the healthcare field. It’s a tough world, and illness, life, and death are part and parcel of the everyday experience, so you’d better believe in and love what you do. If your heart is not there, selling becomes a chore, and a difficult one at that. No matter how dynamic your marketing tools or magnetic your presentation, your referral sources will know if you’re faking it and are just in it for money.
This impassioned commitment has to be observable to all the people involved in your business structure: your customer, their families and friends, your referral sources, and your employees. Failure to recognize and stay committed puts your agency at risk for failure and creates an environment where it is almost impossible to build your reputation. Stay tuned for future posts where I will explore how to show your customers your commitment is real.
Category: Agency Startups, Ginny's Blog