The best way to convert an inquiry into an admission in your private duty company is to schedule a free in-home consultation, sit on the sofa with the family, and engage them in conversation.  There are two critical people in the chain of events; the inquiry specialist in the office who takes the inquiry call, and the care coordinator who goes out to do the in-home consultation.

Here are some valuable tips for the care coordinator who is doing the in-home assessment or consultation:

Before you walk in …

• Turn off your cell phone
• Put a smile on your face and be upbeat and confident
• Clear your mind and think about your prospective client and family
• Have a note pad, pen, and your in-home assessment form

As you enter …

• Pay attention to your surroundings
• Pay attention to your posture and your movements … your prospect may be watching from the window
• Greet the prospective client and family members by name.  Remember the names and use them often
• Observe the setting in the home, including photos, knick-knacks, and dust in the corners.
• Use all of your senses … smell, taste, touch, sight, sound.

Begin the assessment …

• Look at and speak directly to the client, not around him or her to the daughter
• Encourage the client to answer for herself, and try to avoid having the daughter answer
• Find out about the client as a person – their likes, dislikes, successes and failures.  Learn about their immediate and extended family.
• Look around the room and ask questions about photos, knick-knacks, and any evidence of hobbies.
• Ask the client to tell you about their normal day.  Ask questions to clarify what their day is like.
• Ask what is most frustrating to the client. What do they wish they could do but can’t do alone?

Presenting your services … 

• After you have a complete picture of what their daily life is like AND you understand the family dynamics, then you may present your services
• Make the most frustrating things a Positive part of their day with your services.
• Help the client “see” a different day in their  life because of your services
• Ask for their input. Can they “see” the difference in how life will be while using your services?
• Explain the process. Share the details. Present a written plan of care

Getting a commitment

• Now is the time to offer solutions
• Take the concerns, challenges and problems they have shared with you and create a “perfect scenario” with a caregiver involved in their lives.
• Provide examples of how current problems or challenges would disappear
• Paint a picture for the daughter or primary family caregiver about how her life will be different as a result of having care for Mom.
• Ask for the order – “Which day would you like do start services?  Do you prefer morning or afternoon?”
• Get the paperwork signed.  Ask for a deposit equal to two weeks of service.

Developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to conduct a highly effective in-home consultation with the client and the primary family caregiver is critically important  as you grow your business.  If you can improve your conversion ratio of inquiry calls to admissions, you’ll save money on marketing, increase your revenue, serve more clients, and make more money.

The ideas presented to you in this article are excerpted from our best-selling eBook, “Capture the Caller: Turning Inquiries into Admission in Private Duty Home Care.”  You can order your copy in the Store at The Academy for Private Duty Home Care®.

This information is also available on a recording of our live web conference, “Capture the Caller.”  This recorded web conference is FREE to Premium Members of The Academy or is available as Pay Per View in our Store.