The Role of Attitude, Habits, Discipline, and Choices in the Success of a Caregiving Agency Sales Professional

Success is not solely determined by external factors such as market conditions or the actions of competitors. An aspect that significantly influences the success of a sales professional within a caregiving agency is the individual's attitude, habits, discipline, and daily choices. As the quote aptly states, "Your competition isn’t someone else. Your competition is your attitude, habits, discipline, and choices you make on a daily basis."

Attitude plays a role in shaping the interactions and relationships of a caregiving agency sales professional. An individual with a positive, solutions-minded mindset exudes confidence in leading referral sources through their grueling days figuring how you can alleviate their stress…and provide top notch quality care to those they refer to you.

1. Referral Sources

Remember! You are selling on multiple levels), enthusiasm, and optimism, which can be contagious and attract prospective clients. A sales professional with a can-do attitude is more likely to overcome obstacles and rejection, maintaining a resilient mindset even in the face of challenges. On the other hand, a negative attitude can hinder progress, demotivate the salesperson, and alienate potential clients.

2. Families NEED YOU to lead them through one of the most vulnerable, emotionally traumatic experiences of their lives due to so many factors but given what we see…anticipatory grief is real, the most psychologically confusing periods of their lives because of role reversal, and…there’s a disconnect between our aging adults that need care and the adult child…and the disconnect is a lack of vulnerability on both sides.

-aging parent not willing to face their mortality

-aging parent not willing to admit they can’t do what they used to be able to do

-aging parent not willing to admit perhaps they shouldn’t drive anymore whether due to eyesight, any medications that say you shouldn’t, or because they not they got confused where they were, but are embarrassed and ashamed and thus having to face mortality

What usually happens?

Adult child eventually becomes sick of dealing with it all, and yes usually it’s whatever sibling lives local to the parent yet if there are multiple siblings there’s a lot of judgement and an unwillingness to accept that what the local child is saying to be truth. Most usually in these situations the child that has control of finances doesn’t think it’s that bad. Why would he/she? They’ve not been to visit for two years at this point. Now starts the sibling degradation.

What needs to happen:

-conversations about mortality happen sooner

-facilitate them yourselves in your family if you can and respect one another. If not, reach out to my dear friend and master facilitator on things of this matter Theresa Law, LPN

-if prior planning hadn’t been appropriately done, now we’re reactive. Okay, now what? Speak to an Estate & Trusts Attorney like Rodney J. Hatley, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation)

-adult child does not automatically move into parenting mode. That creates resistance in their aging parents for numerous reasons perhaps I’ll write something about later.

-adult child approaches aging parent and lovingly expresses concern from a place of love, not of…”I can’t handle this anymore!” For these above two points, reach out to Elizabeth Uslander

-if we cultivate our referral sources appropriately and adequately they will send these opportunities to coach adult children on how to have the conversation in a way that creates openness for the acceptance of our caregiving services.

-the people traversing this phase of life, I’ve concluded, are exhausted in all aspects of human existence, feeling hopeless, feeling confused, feeling lost, feeling invalidated, feeling not good enough, feeling guilty, feeling resentful…I could go on because the feelings of the people we want to accept our services matter! My point is…stop being a transactional caregiving agency salesperson trying to fling hours opportunity wherever it will hit and step into thinking bigger. Start connecting the dots on how you can serve one Elder and their family members to have the absolute best end of life journey and provide leadership and a safe space for them to maintain their root familia relationships versus all the aforementioned stressful feelings taking over. They need you to lead them through this! Coach them. Love them and lead them! Cliche, I know…more will come.

The habits cultivated by a sales professional greatly impacts their effectiveness and productivity. Consistent and positive habits, such as timely follow-ups, meticulous record-keeping, and continuous learning, can lead to sustained success over time. By establishing good habits, a caregiving agency sales professional can build credibility, trust, and rapport with clients, fostering long-lasting relationships that are key to sustaining business growth. (100%! Consistent positive habits and choices create positive results. It’s actually quite simple. I find that the obstacle here is the individuals willing to implement the learning. This is where you must ask…is it a lack of will or is it a decision won’t? The sooner you can figure that out the better)

Discipline is another characteristic that sets successful sales professionals apart. The ability to maintain focus, stay organized, and adhere to a strategic approach is paramount. (This doesn’t just translate into an increase in logistical time efficiency, it translates into a home care sales professional that is able to be present, be authentically curious, retain what they hear and then figure out how to be a solutions provider). Discipline enables a sales professional to prioritize tasks effectively, manage their time efficiently, and consistently deliver results.

In the caregiving industry trust and reliability are paramount, the discipline exhibited by a sales professional will grow their reputation and attract more clients. (Owners? Allow your home care sales professional to literally carve out time each day whether early morning or end of day does not matter…but, being allocated this time is significant so long as used wisely. This time each day is focused on scheduling high value target meetings, qualifying referral sources over the phone (yes, still requires in-person visitors to validate initial assessment), timely strategic follow-up with referral sources old and new, prospective clients, provide info promoting the value of your agency across social media platforms, on and on I could go. Blocking out one full day per week for admin is NOT effective. There needs to be a reasonable amount of time blocked out during work hours for strategic impact efforts that are not face to face. Daily! Okay. I think I’ve made my point now

The daily choices made by a caregiving agency sales professional have an undoubted impact on their success. Each decision, whether it involves prioritizing leads, engaging in networking opportunities, hitting that qualified referral source for the 5th time facing potential rejection again or reaching out to a wealth manager knowing you should but, please excuse me…are too chicken $hit to do so simply because it’s out of your comfort zone and even though data has been presented to you proving it, the fear is stronger than your gumption.

Success of a caregiving agency sales professional is not solely dependent on external factors but is deeply influenced by their attitude, habits, discipline, and daily choices.