4 competencies to attract new business in 2023

A common refrain we’ve been hearing in the marketplace from providers is this: “We’re so overwhelmed with the day-to-day of running our business that we don’t have time to spend developing our referral sources and really building that line of revenue.”

And there are a couple of factors contributing to the challenges HMEs and pharmacies are currently facing, particularly staffing shortages and the ability to attract talent. Think about it. If you don’t have enough headcount or hours to get it all done and your priority is being responsive to patients, invariably something can get missed like neglecting your referral sources.

How are you dealing with these shortages? If you’re looking for ways to attract new business with referrals and patients, make sure you’re spending time developing these 4 competencies.

1. Eliminate distractions. If you don’t have enough time to dedicate to growing referral sources, focus on your core competencies and strategic objectives and outsource anything that takes time from growing your business. At Brightree, we offer Brightree Patient Collections and Revenue Cycle Management services that optimize your billing systems and collect balances on time, so you spend less time chasing collections and more time serving your patients and building new business.

2. Develop those referral sources. Striking the optimal balance between growing referrals and expanding your patient census is key to long-term growth.  Do you have a strategic plan that encompasses the growth of both?  How much time is spent expanding into new referral sources?  Dedicate marketing or business development staff to proactively share new insights and educate your referral sources with manufacturer or product-related updates. You can keep up with these trends by attending tradeshows like Medtrade or the many state-sponsored shows and events offered annually. And if you’re a Brightree customer, our annual user group conference, Brightree Summit, is an excellent way to network and learn from your peers and platform experts.

   You’ll also want to make sure your referral sources see you as easy to do business with. Providing incentives that show your appreciation for the referrals they send and soliciting their feedback about the value of the services you’re providing will go a long way toward repeat business and growing the referral base.

3. Know your patients. Do you understand what your patients really want and need from you? Taking the time to know your patients is a critical but time-intensive step. But if you know their order history, you can make new suggestions and offer complementary products to benefit them in their health journey. At Brightree, we use data-driven resupply solutions that allow you to better track a patient’s buying history so you can personalize your outreach with the right recommendations for the right solutions based on their demographics and conditions. And when you provide insights on things like equipment utilization, it’s a great way to connect with your patient base and offer additional value that they may not be getting from your competition.
4. Communicate consistently. Patient outreach has always been important, but now how you communicate is arguably as important as what you communicate. Patient engagement solutions allow you to automate your communications to increase patient satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately leading to more revenue. Our Brightree Digital Experience (Brightree DX) solution, for instance, allows you to communicate with patients often and in the ways that they prefer, providing texting and real-time video chats to keep them informed of every step in their healthcare journey including the collection of electronic forms and digital signatures. And it’s all available without the need to download an app.

Being dependable, responsive and adaptable are hallmarks of any strong business; but in today’s climate, you’ll need more to combat staffing shortages and hard-to-find talent. Developing these 4 competencies – and tapping into the technology, solutions and services that are available to help – can set you up for a prosperous 2023 by bringing in new referral sources and patients.