Page 17 - HME Business, September/October 2020

have posters, literature, digital assets and other marketing collaterals to help our customers achieve success. We also police to assure partners comply with minimum advertised price.”
PRIME POSITION
Of course, many providers might be thinking, “Well, what about Amazon? Innovations are great, but aren’t seniors just going to buy this stuff on Amazon?” The TLDR is no, but the longer answer — the “why” — is that, while online competition is a consideration, the HME provider has many advantages given it’s established market position.
“We launched the UPWalker direct to consumer, which resulted in success, but the number one question we received was ‘where can I go to try the UPWalker?’” Shugert recalls. This led to LifeWalker working with the HME providers who can work directly with seniors.
“Providers need to think, ‘how can I differentiate myself?’ because
they have all the tools to compete,” Holland says. “They can offer same
day installation. They offer customer service. They can offer warranties
and repairs. They can offer all of the things that seniors look for when we purchase something from a retail location that we don’t get from purchasing something online. They have the competitive edge and they’re going to be able to be here for the long haul.”
Holland advises that providers look at their store as a retail sales center and a retail sales floor, so that they can maximize those profit dollars by selling best, better and basic options. That also means hiring the right sales- people that can help seniors make informed decisions.
“Providers need people that know how to show customers features and
benefits, as well as the differences, and the advantages that they will lose if they decide to go with a less expensive, less feature rich product,” he says. “Salespeople that can also sell them on the higher quality, higher price, definitely, but also higher-margin product that the store will make more
on. That’s how providers will thrive and be successful as retailers in this changing landscape. And I think that that is where every DME/HME retailer should be moving towards if they haven’t already.”
ANOTHER IMPERATIVE
Also, there’s another, more timely element to why providers need to really need to rethink the senior retail: COVID-19. Seniors need HME providers’ help now more than ever. Besides wanting to continue living independent and active lives, HME could be saving seniors’ lives.
“Aging in place, or aging at home in place, or aging in place at home — whatever you want to call it — these baby boomers are looking at long-term care facilities as a potential death sentence,” Holland explains. “We’re so used to seeing our moms, and dads, and grandmas and grandpas going in a long-term care facility, thinking ‘They’ll take care of them.’ Well, that’s not going to be the case anymore.”
So senior clients are looking for product innovations that will help them ensure that continuing to live in their homes remains a safe prospect.
“We have people that put eight of our security poles [which facilitates standing, sitting and stability] in their house,” Holland says. “They put one in every room, because it’s a grab bar right in front of them all the time, so they can stand up from anything and they never have to worry about falling. It’s that type of thing that I think is much different now.”
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