Defining Your Defining Your Business Strategy Business Strategy in a Competitive in a Competitive

MarketMarketHow to outdo your competitionHow to outdo your competition

Why Develop A Why Develop A Strategic PlanStrategic Plan

Offers a framework methodology to Offers a framework methodology to develop and organize your ideas, your develop and organize your ideas, your decisions, your time, your focus and decisions, your time, your focus and your goals. your goals.

Allows you to have a more detailed Allows you to have a more detailed plan of execution.plan of execution.

Acts as benchmark /performance Acts as benchmark /performance monitormonitor

SWOTSWOTWhat are my strengthsWhat are my strengths

Define my weaknessesDefine my weaknesses

What are my opportunitiesWhat are my opportunities

What are my threatsWhat are my threats

StrengthsStrengthsWhat are they?What are they?Do you have the ability to Do you have the ability to communicate clearly– communicate clearly– Communication skills.Communication skills.

Do you have the ability to Do you have the ability to negotiate?negotiate?

Can you put the customer at ease Can you put the customer at ease –People skills.–People skills.

Organized- Structured and Time Organized- Structured and Time management skillsmanagement skills

Analytical- Theoretical knowledgeAnalytical- Theoretical knowledge

Poised and controlled no matter Poised and controlled no matter what your obstacle may be. what your obstacle may be.

ExperiencedExperienced

How are they useful?How are they useful?

How can this be used in How can this be used in building and refining the building and refining the relationships with your relationships with your clients?clients?How does developing How does developing this strength allow you this strength allow you to relay beneficial, cost to relay beneficial, cost saving, value and saving, value and information to your information to your customers?customers?How does this set you How does this set you apart from your apart from your aggressive rather than aggressive rather than assertive competitors? assertive competitors? How can this strength How can this strength be used as an asset to be used as an asset to help run your business?help run your business?

Using your skills to offer Using your skills to offer value to your current value to your current

clientsclientsSkills that are used in your day to day life can also be valuable to your business approach.Skills that are used in your day to day life can also be valuable to your business approach.

Get feedback from your client on how your doctor is performing. Get feedback from your client on how your doctor is performing.

Make sure you are covering all your bases with the client. Ex: You might have a general surgeon, Make sure you are covering all your bases with the client. Ex: You might have a general surgeon, radiologist etc position that you fill on a regular basis could there be a need for another more radiologist etc position that you fill on a regular basis could there be a need for another more specialized position at the same facility. What about a need or pending need at an affiliated specialized position at the same facility. What about a need or pending need at an affiliated facility. facility.

We want to be a full service resource to the client. We want to be a full service resource to the client.

Are there areas that you could improve on in your relationship with your client- Ask them. Are there areas that you could improve on in your relationship with your client- Ask them. Implement those improvements. Implement those improvements.

Do your follow up with your clients to let them know how valuable their business is to you?Do your follow up with your clients to let them know how valuable their business is to you?

What methods could you implement to go above and beyond your regular day to day interaction? What methods could you implement to go above and beyond your regular day to day interaction?

Maybe send them a personalized survey of what they liked or disliked about the service you Maybe send them a personalized survey of what they liked or disliked about the service you offered.offered.

Send thank you card hand written. Check in on them even if they may not need your services for Send thank you card hand written. Check in on them even if they may not need your services for a while. a while.

Using Skills to Obtain Using Skills to Obtain New BusinessNew Business

For non existing clients- send marketing information For non existing clients- send marketing information with a personalized touch. They are bombarded with with a personalized touch. They are bombarded with BCVs and Marketing material. How do you BCVs and Marketing material. How do you differentiate yourself.differentiate yourself.

If they are using other companies for locums, find out if If they are using other companies for locums, find out if they are actually satisfied. Or are they merely sticking it they are actually satisfied. Or are they merely sticking it out with a competitor simply because they don’t want to out with a competitor simply because they don’t want to go thru the process of getting a new more qualified go thru the process of getting a new more qualified doctor. doctor.

-- Offer them the ease of credentialing. -- Offer them the ease of credentialing.

– – Offer them ways to make the process effortless on Offer them ways to make the process effortless on their part. their part.

Do your research on what type of doctors they are Do your research on what type of doctors they are currently using and do your best to find them someone currently using and do your best to find them someone of higher quality. of higher quality.

TLC ApproachTLC Approach

What is TLC– Not the Tender Love and Care. Not the R&B Hip What is TLC– Not the Tender Love and Care. Not the R&B Hip Hop Group. Hop Group.

Its Thinking Like The CustomerIts Thinking Like The Customer

What are your customer’s concerns : Is it the continuity of What are your customer’s concerns : Is it the continuity of patient care?patient care?

Is it running an efficient and cost effective department. How Is it running an efficient and cost effective department. How can we contribute?can we contribute?

How could our services positively influence their department, How could our services positively influence their department, gaining the director or chief some good feedback from their gaining the director or chief some good feedback from their upper level counterparts?upper level counterparts?

--If you were on the other end of your phone conversation, what --If you were on the other end of your phone conversation, what would be going thru your head?would be going thru your head?

Is this client type A or type B personality and how can I Is this client type A or type B personality and how can I change the tone of this conversation to reflect their style. change the tone of this conversation to reflect their style.

Use Strengths to Use Strengths to Overcome your weaknessOvercome your weakness

Experience– What offsets this is gathering Experience– What offsets this is gathering knowledge around you from those who do have the knowledge around you from those who do have the experience. Use your networking/people skills to experience. Use your networking/people skills to learn from things others have already experienced. learn from things others have already experienced.

Technology knowledge- Utilize time management Technology knowledge- Utilize time management skills to arrange slots in your schedule to take a skills to arrange slots in your schedule to take a class on excel, powerpoint, outlook etc (this is one class on excel, powerpoint, outlook etc (this is one of my goals) of my goals)

Negative attitude- Use your confidence, Negative attitude- Use your confidence, persistence and assertiveness to counter any persistence and assertiveness to counter any negative feelings about the challenges or obstacles negative feelings about the challenges or obstacles you could be facing.you could be facing.

Positive AttitudePositive AttitudeWe hear this all the time. You must have a positive We hear this all the time. You must have a positive attitude to succeed and its so true!attitude to succeed and its so true!

With a positive attitude you will mark all your work With a positive attitude you will mark all your work with excellence b/c you want to be the best. with excellence b/c you want to be the best.

With a positive attitude, you will make note that With a positive attitude, you will make note that the minor disappointments such as losing a bid, the minor disappointments such as losing a bid, having a doctor canceled, delayed credentialing are having a doctor canceled, delayed credentialing are all only temporary setbacks that you will overcome. all only temporary setbacks that you will overcome.

With a positive attitude you will work with your With a positive attitude you will work with your peers to come up with a game plan of success. You peers to come up with a game plan of success. You will strategize on ways to beat pricing, find better will strategize on ways to beat pricing, find better doctors and work together more efficiently.doctors and work together more efficiently.

TEAMTEAMMarketers and Recruiters should approach their territory Marketers and Recruiters should approach their territory like a business and you are business partners. like a business and you are business partners.

With this approach, this decreases the complaints about With this approach, this decreases the complaints about one another and increases solutions. one another and increases solutions.

Ask each other for feedback on what you’ve done that is Ask each other for feedback on what you’ve done that is working. What you can do to work better. working. What you can do to work better.

There is always areas of improvement– Keep improving There is always areas of improvement– Keep improving your relationship. your relationship.

Consistently communicate and closely follow up on Consistently communicate and closely follow up on major clients together. major clients together.

Do conference calls with your recruiters when making Do conference calls with your recruiters when making big decisions. Don’t leave every decision up to one big decisions. Don’t leave every decision up to one person. person.

OpportunitiesOpportunitiesSet Goals and Plan Accordingly Set Goals and Plan Accordingly : When the economy turns sour don't put : When the economy turns sour don't put yourself in a position of scrambling for business. Take a look at your target yourself in a position of scrambling for business. Take a look at your target market to reevaluate how you've done business in the past and determine market to reevaluate how you've done business in the past and determine how your customers' needs have changed as a result of the economic climate. how your customers' needs have changed as a result of the economic climate. Once you have an understanding of these fundamentals, you can set realistic Once you have an understanding of these fundamentals, you can set realistic business goals and charge forward until they have been met.business goals and charge forward until they have been met.

Invest in Training:Invest in Training: In a down market, you will be competing against the best In a down market, you will be competing against the best and the brightest. It's imperative to have cutting edge knowledge and and the brightest. It's imperative to have cutting edge knowledge and experience to take the lead in the sales force. Play it smart and invest in experience to take the lead in the sales force. Play it smart and invest in ongoing training even though it may seem counterintuitive to be spending ongoing training even though it may seem counterintuitive to be spending money during a bad economy. You'll find the return to be well worth the money during a bad economy. You'll find the return to be well worth the investment. Don't hesitate to inform your clients of any up to date information investment. Don't hesitate to inform your clients of any up to date information you may have learned. They will be impressed that you are taking the you may have learned. They will be impressed that you are taking the initiative.initiative.

Networking Strategies: Networking Strategies: Networking can be a powerful tool for developing Networking can be a powerful tool for developing new business relationships. However, not every gathering has the potential new business relationships. However, not every gathering has the potential for making quality contacts. Selectivity may be in your best interest when it for making quality contacts. Selectivity may be in your best interest when it comes to attending networking events. This will ensure that you have a target comes to attending networking events. This will ensure that you have a target audience filled with potential customers. Remember that your ultimate goal audience filled with potential customers. Remember that your ultimate goal for the event is to make contacts. Successful salespeople are assertive and for the event is to make contacts. Successful salespeople are assertive and are able to introduce themselves without being forceful. By the end of the are able to introduce themselves without being forceful. By the end of the event you should have a list of contacts. Whatever you do, don't make the event you should have a list of contacts. Whatever you do, don't make the ultimate mistake of forgetting to follow-up.ultimate mistake of forgetting to follow-up.

Opportunities Opportunities ContinuedContinued

Don't Wait for Your Clients to Call You: Don't Wait for Your Clients to Call You: Existing clients are your best Existing clients are your best resource. Customers are all too often lost because their salesperson never resource. Customers are all too often lost because their salesperson never took the time to follow-up after the initial sale. Staying in close contact with took the time to follow-up after the initial sale. Staying in close contact with them builds trust and long-term relationships. It's important to keep the them builds trust and long-term relationships. It's important to keep the client up-to- date on new products and marketing materials. However, it's client up-to- date on new products and marketing materials. However, it's also vital that you keep yourself current on the ever-changing needs of your also vital that you keep yourself current on the ever-changing needs of your clients. The doors to new sales and cross-selling opportunities will open by clients. The doors to new sales and cross-selling opportunities will open by just listening.just listening.

Ask for Referrals: Ask for Referrals: A referral is commonly thought of as the highest form of A referral is commonly thought of as the highest form of compliment you can give a sales professional. However, customers rarely compliment you can give a sales professional. However, customers rarely provide a referral without being asked. Most often, it's up to you to take the provide a referral without being asked. Most often, it's up to you to take the initiative to ask for additional contacts. All too frequently, sales initiative to ask for additional contacts. All too frequently, sales professionals are afraid to ask, don't feel they have a good rapport with the professionals are afraid to ask, don't feel they have a good rapport with the client, or simply forget. The proper timing of asking for a referral can client, or simply forget. The proper timing of asking for a referral can depend on the situation. Most often, it is appropriate to wait until you build depend on the situation. Most often, it is appropriate to wait until you build a relationship with the client, although, it might be acceptable to ask if you a relationship with the client, although, it might be acceptable to ask if you know the client is excited about a recent purchase. Don't be discouraged if a know the client is excited about a recent purchase. Don't be discouraged if a referral doesn't have a need for your product or service. It is possible they referral doesn't have a need for your product or service. It is possible they will in the future or know someone who does. will in the future or know someone who does.

Overcoming ThreatsOvercoming Threats

Our main goal with threats is turning those Our main goal with threats is turning those challenges into opportunities. challenges into opportunities.

Position oneself to overcome the competition. Deliver Position oneself to overcome the competition. Deliver the type of valuable service that our competition can’t the type of valuable service that our competition can’t beat. beat.

Anticipate change– In our industry it is easy to rely on Anticipate change– In our industry it is easy to rely on that huge account that is our big money maker. We that huge account that is our big money maker. We have to anticipate what might happen to that account have to anticipate what might happen to that account and react before that change takes placeand react before that change takes place

Define your core capabilities: EX- Provide well trained Define your core capabilities: EX- Provide well trained physician services, dedicated recruitment efforts, in physician services, dedicated recruitment efforts, in house credentialing process , knowledgeable house credentialing process , knowledgeable individuals who are educated on the overall process individuals who are educated on the overall process and the industry, cost effective solutions to staffing and the industry, cost effective solutions to staffing issues. issues.

Ask for the Ask for the BusinessBusiness

AndAndDeliverDeliver