Jim Poggi
By Jim Poggi
How to help your physician office customers go from waived to moderate complexity lab
One of the customer situations distributor account managers struggle with is taking a customer from a waived lab to a moderate complexity lab. Even though this move can help customers with office efficiency, better patient outcomes and the opportunity for additional revenue, it’s scary. Why? Mostly because it can be a complex process and, if not done well, can put the customer’s current business at risk. For a well-established account manager, loss of a big account can have major financial implications. For a new account manager, getting off on the wrong foot by messing up this customer transition can erode confidence and damage the new account manager’s reputation.
Dodging this opportunity may reduce risks and anxiety, but it also limits rewards for the account manager and the customer as well. The distributor account manager who establishes himself as a valuable consulting resource is more likely to gain the trust needed to be called in for major customer initiatives and opportunities.
There is a simple, repeatable approach to taking a customer from waived to moderate complexity testing. It requires planning, open dialogue with the customer and attention to detail in the implementation process. Underpinning it is knowing that going moderate complexity is always a team selling process with the account manager as quarterback and using supplier, corporate and other resources to create a compelling customer proposal and a well thought out implementation plan.
The following is a roadmap to take your customer from waived to moderate complexity testing:
Explore/uncover needs and motivation. Learn their practice objectives and current situation. How do they plan to improve patient outcomes and patient satisfaction? Which tests do they believe have value in patient treatment plans? Is there a physician in the practice qualified or interested in being the lab director? Are they on friendly terms with any of your customers who have implemented CLIA moderate testing?
Marshall your resources. Analyze the tests the customer wants to perform and their motivation to create a proposal that covers their needs. Confirm best fit solutions with trusted suppliers and internal company resources including lab category managers and lab specialists.
Do a sanity check on their requirements. Going too far too fast typically leads to problems and concerns. Create an initial proposal of the systems that will meet the customer’s testing needs in writing with products, cost, implementation details and timing
Set up an appointment to deliver the proposal with your team, including trusted suppliers and internal resources. Be prepared to answer questions about the process of going moderate complexity. Your supplier or company lab specialist can help, and your company’s lab category team should also be able to offer expert guidance. Provide referrals if possible. Set up follow up appointments to showcase and demonstrate the systems appropriate to the testing they want to do if necessary
Get a commitment. Present the final proposal and leasing agreements for signature and ask for their agreement to move forward. Don’t forget the two forgotten solution elements:
- LIS/EMR connectivity
- Proficiency Testing
Consider leasing terms that provide a three-month delay in making payments to take pressure off of implementation timing. Also, offering a range of leasing options creates confusion. Go with your best solution only.
Smooth the path to a successful implementation. Organize your supplier’s and company’s resources to plan implementation and communicate the plan in advance. Assure frequent communication and progress reports during implementation
Own the solutions
Using the resources of your supplier partner, your company and publicly available information will go a long way to assuring smooth implementation. Communication transparency and setting expectations that there will be “speed bumps” during the process is a key first step to manage implementation. Rapidly acknowledging and addressing difficulties during implementation will build credibility and confidence in your planning and leadership. Own the solutions and quarterback the team at your disposal to get things back on track quickly. Hold weekly meetings to assess progress and address issues as they are uncovered.
The successful account manager creates effective and efficient customer lab solutions. Customers gain value from increased office efficiency, having needed lab tests on hand to create or modify patient treatment plans and creates customer convenience by avoiding needless trips to reference laboratories. Better patient outcomes and satisfaction will result.
Top causes for failed CLIA moderate complexity testing implementations
- Under planning; Not setting proper expectations about implementation (timing, activities that need to be managed, roles, responsibilities, financial and test menu outcomes)
- Over emphasizing the speed and ease of the transition or revenue opportunities
- Taking on too much at one time: typical practices cannot absorb the time and effort to implement multiple instruments (chemistry, hematology and immunoassay) at the same time
- Staff turnover/staff dissatisfaction
- Neglecting to plan for the future:
- Staff training and management of on-going lab administration
- Failure to keep good records
- Not planning for staff turnover