Page 26 - HME Business, September 2017

Standard Power Mobility’s Retail Renaissance
That’s why all of Pride’s new products are designed to exceed expectations for both function and fashion.”
Your entry level buyers are more than likely retired individuals who are realizing their limitations, Turturiello says. They have some expendable income but are not well off, with some buyers getting help from family members to make a big purchase.
“Most of the multi-function power chair buyers are younger and are more active,” he says. “They have disabilities that have occurred earlier in their lives. That can range from accident victims to disorders from birth. This is the group I refer to as looking for ‘Retail Rehab.’ They want custom features, but not at a new power chair price.”
Swick says that the industry is entering a new era, where style and innova- tion are important factors in the consumer’s decision-making process.
“Our customers like technology and they want to look and feel good when they’re out on the town or cruising through their neighborhoods —
and our products meet those needs,” he explains. “But, they also want the security that comes from knowing that they’re getting a high-quality, dependable product that meets their needs and lifestyle, and they’ll reach into their own pockets more often than not to satisfy these desires.”
To the point of today’s customer wanting the latest features, Packer says that in addition to the cumbersome documentation requirements custom- er’s face when buying a funded product, another reason for a retail transac- tion is the continued reduction in the Medicare allowable, which reduces the features on products to only what is required. Thus, he says, if patients want an item that is better quality or with more deluxe features, they have to pay out of pocket to upgrade.
Getting started
HME providers who have been in business a while but are just starting to sell power mobility should take advantage of their customer database.
Practical Tips for Power Mobility Retail Success
By Wayne Slavitt
Great ideas are valuable, but they don’t mean much if you cannot put them into practice. Knowing the changes you have to mak e is not the toughest part of increasing your success; the difficult part is being able to implement those great ideas. Most of us know the ‘what,’ while far fewer know the ‘how.’ Let’s discuss some practical tips to succeed with retail power mobility.
Product Selection
Having a broad selection of scooters and power transport chairs (PTCs) is critical to being able to offer your customers various options. And while you probably would not show each of these scooters to every customer, having many models on display lets you easily provide comparisons in person, instead only from a brochure. Mobül is a G olden flagship dealer, so I know that Golden has a great range of power mobility products offering a wide selection of features. If you go with Golden, I would recommend you stock the following models of Golden power mobility products: Buzz LT, XL (three- wheel and four-wheel), and XLEX (three-wheel and four-wheel, LiteRider (three-wheel and four-wheel), Mini, and Envy, the Companion (three-wheel), and the Compass Sport. If you have the room, place the Patriot scooter in a prominent place on your floor.
Training
Customers expect your staff to be knowledgeable about everything in your store, especially the higher-priced items, like power mobility. Handing brochures to customers and telling them to read it is a retail non-starter. (That actually happened to me a number of years ago before I founded Mobül.) Failure to provide salient facts about scooters and PTCs, including how one model differs from another, will force that would-be customer to one of your competitors or to the Internet.
How do you best train your staff? First off, have your power mobility
sales rep provide in-house, off-hours training. Break this training into a few sessions, if possible, to prevent classroom fatigue. Film the sessions for later recall and to train any absent staff members.
Another great training technique is role playing. Have one staff member play the role of a customer, and ask another to ‘sell’ a scooter to that ‘customer.’ Gather other staff around to watch this demo and have them critique the simulation to see if the following questions were asked:
• Why is a power mobility product being considered? • Has the customer ever ridden a scooter or PTC?
• What are the customer’s pain points?
• What are the customer’s needs?
• Where will the power mobility product be used?
• Will the customer need to transport the scooter or PTC?
• Have you considered scooters as well as PTCs?
• Did you discuss suspension and higher battery capacity?
• Would a larger scooter or PTC be a better choice?
The role play’s purpose is to enable your staff to hear and critique the sales
pitches of other employees. Plagiarizing someone else’s technique should be encouraged to develop best-in-class practices. Even more important is letting your staff put themselves in the customer’s position, providing a valuable perspective to fine tune a successful sales presentation.
Display
Power mobility products do take up valuable space in your store; yet, they need to be displayed and readily available for customers. I suggest that you place scooters and PTCs in a few different locations in your store.
Display them outside the store for customers to see when they drive by. If your store is located in a high-traffic area, remove the batteries and store them indoors. Also, place scooters and PTCs in visible sections inside your store, preferably more than one area. Consider placing a scooter or PTC on a raised platform to add visual height to your display.
Take full advantage of vendor-supplied point-of-purchase materials. For example, Golden does a great job providing professional banners and display towers. These eye-catching materials provide customers with informative visuals that enable self-education until a sales member is available. They also provide great color to your store.
Numbers
Set realistic sales goals for your staff. Make it fun by holding a daily sales contest for the most power mobility sales that day. Shift your staff’s focus to power mobility and watch your numbers grow each month.
Getting Help
If you need some assistance in growing your power mobility sales or with elevating your cash retail sales overall, consider getting outside help. Feel free to contact me to discuss how we can work together.
Wayne Slavitt is the founder and CEO of Mobül: The Mobility Store, and a consultant for The Primark Group (primemarkgroup.com), which offers a range of consultation services for HME providers. He can be contacted at (562) 599-9995.
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