closing the sale

  "OK - you see that we have to keep many things in mind, during each day spent as a speech-language pathologist. We are expected to produce revenue, so that every success we see with the patient's function should accumulate alongside the successes with business volumes. That business perspective we can't ever lose, but neither can the business side be the predominant reason we do this work. We are here to help people; it's the reason many of us agreed to carry hefty student loans to begin our careers. So - if you need some guiding principles that help you meet the twin objectives, fiscal and clinical, here are some suggestions: -"

"The people we serve deserve quality healthcare".

"To get the best outcome for people with whom we work, the relationship you forge with them must be primary".

"Making progress towards the desired outcomes requires excellent time management”

 “Establish a context for the activities you bring to each session: WHAT I WANT TO DO TODAY IS…”

 “You are required to negotiate with the resident on the plan along the way”

“Complete necessary documentation of the plan's progression in a timely manner”

“Do not forget to train the patient, family and all who will be involved in assuring the plan's successful completion."

“Are you aware of the rules and regulations set by payer sources that influence how you do your job? Get a working knowledge of them”.

“Acronyms, jargon and shorthand, oh my! Learn the language of the persons with whom you are communicating, and speak or write in the language of your audience”.

“If you serve a person, by breaking down a single act they do not perform well into its components – then train the person to perform those components very well, without training the person to incorporate the components back into daily life – how has your work benefited the person?”.

“When you give someone a direction on performing an act – why not show them how YOU would do it? Provide a model.”

Persons who have difficulty initiating an action you want to see: Cue them first by saying “I want you to __________________”, instead of saying “Would you _______?”.

“Let’s address each of these principles for meeting both the fiscal and the clinical objectives”.