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One of the greatest benefits of adding accessibility products to your complex rehab technology (CRT) business is their turnkey nature. Unlike CRT, accessibility products for home, environment and automotive vehicles typically require few or no customized modifications or specialized fittings. Another big benefit is the straightforward business transaction between you and the consumer: Accessibility products offer the opportunity for cash revenue in an industry otherwise driven by medical justifications, clinician notes, HCPCS codes and audits.
Accessibility products usually sell best, however, when CRT providers implement a separate sales strategy. You already know which of your clients could gain from bringing accessibility equipment into their homes. Now, accessibility manufacturers offer tips on how to connect your clients with the equipment that can further their independence.
Focus on Affordability — Healthline Medical
CRT clients and their families might not be completely aware of the costs of complex seating & wheeled mobility equipment that’s paid for by insurance providers. But clients will become more mindful of price tags when they are the ones paying for accessibility products, which is usually the case. So Healthline Medical suggests focusing on a product’s affordability — that means not just the bottom-line price, but what the consumer gets for that price, such as plenty of standard product features and positioning functions in its rehab shower commode chairs. Those standard features add up to provide extra value for the consumer.
Use Visual Aids — Aquatic Access
Take advantage of the visual marketing aids that manufacturers offer and use them in waiting areas, lobbies or other places your clients visit. Aquatic Access provides pool lift brochures and posters for counters and walls, as well as video loops that can be played for potential customers. Ask accessibility manufacturers what marketing materials they can provide you.
Look for versatility and for commercial applications as well as traditional in-home applications — Aqua Creek
Yes, your first potential sales targets for accessibility equipment will likely be the seating & wheeled mobility clients you already serve. But are there other opportunities in your community? Aqua Creek offers pool lifts, for example, that work with indoor and outdoor pools, and they are appropriate for privately owned pools as well as pools in commercial or public settings — hotels, schools, gyms, community or senior centers. Choosing accessibility products that work in multiple settings could expand your potential sales reach.
Keep an Eye on Inventory & Delivery Costs — EZ-ACCESS
As a CRT provider, you’re accustomed to building each seating system and wheelchair to fit one specific client — so your facility probably doesn’t have warehouses’ worth of storage space for inventory you hope to eventually sell. But if you work with vendors who can ship product quickly, you can maintain manageable delivery times to consumers without wasting a lot of your money on excess inventory. EZ-ACCESS can deliver portable ramps to locations in the United states in three days or less, so you can order product when you need it and count on it to be available quickly enough to keep customers happy.
Show, Don’t Just Tell — Pride Mobility Products
Your product display space might not be cavernous, but carving out some dedicated space to show off demo products is vital in the mobility and accessibility realms, says Pride Mobility Products. That’s because showing off a product’s abilities is exponentially more effective than just telling a consumer or caregiver how it works. Being able to show off a product’s attributes is especially important if you can demonstrate how a product — such as Pride’s Milford Person Lift — can make life safer and easier for both client and caregiver.
Emphasize Ease of Use — Handicare
Finally, demonstrate that the accessibility products you’re offering are convenient, easy-to-use solutions — not just for CRT professionals showing off equipment at the providership, but also for caregivers and clients in real-world situations at home. In the case of the MiniLift160 patient lift, that means demonstrating that the lift is easy to operate even for non-professionals, and easy to store as well.