I have a file on my computer called "PDT Article Ideas". It's a paragraph or two about lots of little ideas for future issues of Private Duty Today. Some of them are great ideas... some of them, well, less than great.

But some of them just aren't big enough. It's not that they aren’t important, it's just that there isn't enough to say on a particular topic to create an entire issue.

Most of these article ideas come from reader questions, conversations with customers and clients, and conversations with new people starting out in the business.

Many of the article ideas were general marketing or sales questions, so in this week's issue of Private Duty Today I will again try to offer you a couple of simple answers to a couple of simple questions all focused on marketing.

Location, location, location. It's the mantra of retail sales. While location clearly matters less than in retail, it's my belief that location does have some influence on your ability to promote your organization.

It's my belief that location matters more to your employees, and potential employees, than to your clients. Particularly with private pay clients, their perception of your company is going to come from someone sitting on their sofa, not from your offices. However, if your location is difficult to find, in a particularly dangerous section of town, or doesn't have ample parking, this will impact the comfort of potential employees.

One of my clients opened a second location in a plaza that had a Wal-Mart grocery store. They felt they got a good deal on rent comparable to local office space, and it turned out to be a great deal. They got one or two walk-in inquiries each month that turned into caregiving opportunities, and they got several walk-in applicants each day. The difference in rent far paid for itself. Their next investment will be improved quality signage for that location.

Yes. Please stop asking me this question. Please do not ask me to elaborate. The answer is yes!

Okay, okay... I'll elaborate, but just a little. In the past five years a website has become required for business credibility. Even if people don't read it, they want to see that your company has a website on your business card.

The problem isn't really whether or not to have a website. The problem is what to have on your website. Don't make it a brochure... make it a sales tool! Provide specific information about your products and services, not bullet lists. Create specific calls to action aimed at your target audiences.

Creating a website takes time, money, and energy. But I never had a client who said their website was a complete waste of those three things when they invested properly.

You can't watch TV any night of the week on any channel without seeing at least one ad focused on healthcare, medicine, or improving your health. Quit smoking, lose weight, protect your heart, have more energy and finally improve your sex life! Today we live in a heavily consumer driven health care system.

Because of this, it's our belief, that cable television advertising presents a unique opportunity to create brand awareness and industry awareness for private duty homecare. A research study we completed three years ago found that very few home healthcare or private duty companies were using cable advertising; however the ones that were using it are reaping the benefits.

Cable advertising is a big investment. Additionally, we know that television advertising only works over time.

... and radio?

My conversations with clients who use radio have found that it is not very effective for general promotion, however for recruiting caregivers it seems to work very well.

Short answer... everyone! Everyone you meet is a potential referral source for non-medical homecare, particularly private pay. With that said, clearly some referral sources are better than others.

The key is organization.

Develop a plan to reach out to each group of referral sources with a custom-designed message. Whether you reach out through marketing or direct sales, the planning phase is critical.

Create custom marketing or sales support materials for each audience and each message. Another good reason to have a website is that it's far cheaper to write 20 web pages than to develop 20 printed brochures. Your marketing collateral must be specific.

Deliver! Now get out there and sell something.

Track your results! Track everything. Track every sales call. Document incoming phone calls. Figure out what works and continue to do it!

Learn more about Making the Approach: Advanced Sales Training for Home Health Care Professionals.

Also, learn more about Selling to Bank Trust Officers and Other Trusted Advisors.

Yes and no. Our colleagues, Angela Landmesser and Patricia A. Menoni, dedicate an entire chapter of their book to using ad specialty items in Private Duty Home Care. Their belief is that the right types of ad specialty items work very effectively. Pens and mugs are useful but they don't make your company stand out.

Rather than a mug, try a fruit basket. Give gifts that are focused on events like holidays or National Nursing Assistants' Week (in June). Give gift baskets of office supplies and chocolate.

There are lots of little ideas that can make a big impact in your marketing. Become a student of marketing, and your business will grow.

Last week one of our caregiver pre-employment assessment clients called to say, “Thank you.” He told me of an applicant that he would have hired without the benefit of integrity assessment results and follow up interview questions. On the surface, she looked like a good candidate. What he discovered was her hidden anger, hostility and tendency to be disruptive at work.

We’re hearing similar stories from other clients. Today I looked at about 50 recent integrity assessment results for a variety of clients. In that sample, there were 4 “red flags” for Integrity, 3 for Hostility, and 3 for Reliability. I did not tally the “red flags” for the optional scales of Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, or Computer Misuse.

Integrity assessments (confirmed with behavioral interviews) basically tell us whether a person has character. I know from 30 years of HR experience, as a profession, we don’t know how to develop character.

My grandmother was my role model. She was always encouraging and helping others. She was the type of person who walked to church so she could put the bus fare in the collection plate. In the 1980’s, my family made the mistake of hiring an independent caregiver for her. (We should have called one of you – we didn’t know any better!) She wrote checks to herself and forged my grandmother’s signature. The next time I need a caregiver for a family member, I will call a professional agency, but I’m also going to ask them first if they use integrity pre-employment assessments.

For more information regarding our new caregiver pre-employment assessments, contact Kathy Clater (email Kathy@leadinghomecare.com) or phone (502) 339-0653.

You've heard us say that state and national home care associations are the grass roots of home care in America. We're committed to working closely with all of the associations in our industry to serve their members.

On March 12, 2007, Stephen will be in Orlando, Florida for the National Private Duty Association Annual Conference. Stephen has spoken at three of the four previous NPDA conferences.

This year, Stephen will be presenting the results of our research on selling to and working with Long Term Care Insurance companies. You won't want to miss this program if you do any work at all with clients who have LTC insurance.

Leading Home Care is proud to announce our new e-manual, The Private Duty Caregiver Selection System, by our own staffing expert Kathy Clater and our CEO, Stephen Tweed. This new manual describes how to use our selection system to choose the most competent caregivers possible.

What can this process do for you?

• Reduce turnover rates by 10-50% in the first year
• Reduce cost per hire
• Reduce workers compensation costs
• Reduce liability for negligent hiring
• Increase productivity due to better job fit
• Increase customer satisfaction
• Improve employee morale
• Increase effectiveness and efficiency of staffing process

The process includes a detailed description of new cutting edge pre-employment assessment technology, behavioral interview questions based on assessment results, and core performance indicators already benchmarked for successful caregivers in the homecare industry.

For more information on the downloadable e-manual, including a preview of the table of contents, visit our website.

Private Duty Today! is published every other Wednesday by Leading Home Care . . . a Tweed Jeffries company. We invite you to pass this newsletter along to your friends and colleagues in Private Duty Home Care by clicking on the link below.

• Publisher - Stephen Tweed, CSP
• Circulation Manager - Diane West
• Editor - Jason Tweed
• Recruiting & Selection Editor - Kathy Clater

Permission to Reproduce: Permission is granted to home care companies, home care associations, and home care related publications to reproduce articles from this newsletter as long as appropriate credit is given as follows: "Printed with permission from Private Duty Today! Copyright 2006 Leading Home Care ... To sign up for your FREE Subscription, log on to www.privatedutytoday.com."

You may also sign up for your FREE Subscription to Stephen Tweed's Leading Home Care Report. This bi-weekly electronic newsletter is written for home care company CEOs and senior executives who want to grow their businesses and multiply their performance.

email: jason@leadinghomecare.com

phone: 1-888-668-9333

web: http://www.privatedutytoday.com