The Anatomy of Your Business Development Team Calls And Why They Don’t Work the Way You Want Them To

Written by Dan McPhilemy 

Sales Leaders – Picture this: It’s Monday Morning, 7:45 AM. You are driving to one of your agencies to meet with your sales team and do a field ride. Simultaneously you need to prepare for your 8 AM call with your whole team. You pull into the parking lot in just enough time to join the call/meeting, where you start with your emphatic, game show host style: “Good Morning /Insert Region or Fun Team Name!” Not to mention this is just the beginning of your to-do list; nonetheless, its impact on your team’s performance can be substantial. Isn’t it challenging to consistently create a one-go-forward message that motivates your team every day or every week? We agree and have some ideas to help lighten the load. 

But first, let’s look at a conventional team call; here’s what typically follows the call:  

1. Report on admissions (which everyone could probably see on the spreadsheets or the EMR).
2. Talk about any gaps in sales call volume, etc., from the CRM.
3. Ask for some Commitment to action or referral numbers, possibly.
4. Attempt an inspiring message, TYPICALLY reflecting on how the region is doing toward a goal and what is needed to fill the gap.
5. Ask for 110% effort.
6. End with – Make it a great day (or something like that).

Sound Familiar? What are you hoping to achieve – a team inspired by a shared purpose, a pursuit of a goal, a burst of energy, and a solid start to the week? Unfortunately, with the best of intentions, these types of calls fall short and can sometimes do the exact opposite of what we intended.  

For instance, here is how those on the other end of your call, your team members, might perceive it:

The New Hire Prospect

• Doesn’t quite understand what is going on or how this works.
• Eager to share how quickly they are completing onboarding.
• Silent on the call once they hit their first barrier or struggle.

The Nurturing Nurse

• I’m a nurse, not a salesperson – Steady in performance, quiet in team communications.
• Cares about quality care, happy clinicians, and satisfied patients. 
• Feels that all we talk about is the numbers, and that’s all we care about.

The Team Leader

• Strongest performer, your go-to person to run the call if you can’t make it.
• Cares about the team, cares about the company, and feels confident to share stories and ideas.
• Takes a lot of calls from different team members, hears a lot of venting, and feels like they carry the burden of their peers.

The Challenger

• Variable but valuable performer, attribute all success and failure to the agency’s ability to staff, accept, and deliver patient care.  
• Typically, the group historian of the group – remembers struggles and failures, but not solutions – and filters everything you say through past situations. 
• Writes off most of what leadership says as either “Kool-Aid” or unrealistic.

The Panicker

• Performance hasn’t been great, referrals are low, and they don’t know what to do about it.
• They either go through the motions of everything you talk about to hit call volume and frequency or don’t even bother to document anymore.
• If you scheduled a ride with them, they would assume it’s for a PIP.

Your message sounds entirely different for each one of those people. Let’s look at how some people might take the elements of your call:

1. Report on the numbers (which everyone could probably see on the spreadsheets or the EMR)
   • The New Hire: could be inspired, could be confused.
   • The Nurse: it’s all we ever talk about – it’s all this company cares about.
   • The Team Leader: they already ran the reports and looked at them.
   • The Challenger: feels they could be successful if they didn’t have so many problems.
   • The Panicker: wants to hide.
2. Talk about any gaps in sales call volume, etc., from the CRM.
   • The New Hire: feels that they are already behind – and may feel like they aren’t meeting expectations.
   • The Nurse: again – more numbers, that’s all you care about.
   • The Team Leader: confidently assured their calls are accurate, or the first to send you a text explaining why their numbers looked low.
   • The Challenger: I can’t make enough calls because I must put out so many fires.
   • The Panicker: even if I was #1 in the region, would it matter?
3. Ask for some commitment to action or referral numbers, possibly.
   • The New Hire: everything and anything must be done right now.
   • The Nurse: exactly what I do every week; the hospital caseload drives my activity.
   • The Team Leader: how do I keep moving the needle? What is the next comfort zone to get out of?
   • The Challenger: whatever I commit to, it won’t matter until things are fixed.
   • The Panicker: whatever I can do to keep off anyone’s radar.
4. Attempt an inspiring message, TYPICALLY reflecting on how the region is doing toward a shared goal and what is needed to fill the gap.
   • The New Hire: that number sounds huge; how would I do that?
   • The Nurse: yada-yada – what have you got for me today…
   • The Team Leader: worried about the teams that are behind – I feel the pressure to make up the difference.
   • The Challenger: pipedreams.
   • The Panicker: pipedreams.
5. Ask for 110% effort.
   • The New Hire: You got it!
   • The Nurse: already hopped off to take a call from the hospital.
   • The Team Leader: already there!
   • The Challenger: uh huh.
   • The Panicker: I’ve been giving 150%, but it’s not working…
6. End with – Make it a great day (or something like that).
   • The New Hire: I don’t know where to start, but I’ll try!
   • The Nurse: still on the other line with the hospital.
   • The Team Leader: Thanks!
   • The Challenger: you, too. Thank you.
   • The Panicker: too busy worrying to get off mute.

So, what can we do? Make the time we spend together more valuable. Make the time we spend individually more focused on individual performance and contribution.

Instead of This	Try This
Report on the numbers (which everyone could probably see on the spreadsheets or the EMR)	Send the numbers in an email and discuss any changes to strategy or planning. Repetitive Verbal accountability (saying your numbers out loud in front of others) has diminishing returns. Use it impactfully when necessary, but don’t let it become a stagnant routine.
Talk about any gaps in sales call volume, etc., from the CRM.	Talk about the most impactful calls and things learned from your accounts or highlight the connection between call trends and referral volume.
Ask for some commitment to action or referral numbers, possibly.	Share your goals for the week – be specific – what are your must–do activities.
Attempt an inspiring message, TYPICALLY reflecting on how the region is doing toward a goal and what is needed to fill the gap.	Pick one of those must-do activities – and have the team roleplay or develop suggestions or ideas for a real opportunity.
Ask for 110% effort.	Ask them to think about what they do this job for and their personal motivators. Ask them to revisit those and reprioritize their week to use their time and mission best.
End with – Make it a great day (or something like that).	Open the door for your team to share their successes in the CHAT or by text. Let the wins carry the week forward.

If your business development team calls sound like a monologue, it’s time to rethink your strategy. It is no secret that the anatomy of your business development team calls plays a crucial role in the success of your sales efforts. However, traditional methods often fall short in inspiring and motivating diverse team members, from the eager new hire to the experienced team leader. Unfortunately, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work; what’s needed is a more tailored, engaging, and strategic method of communication.

At CHAP Growth Solutions, we understand these challenges intimately. That’s why we recommend shifting your approach from generic, numbers-focused calls to more personalized and impactful interactions. So, send those numbers in an email, amp up your strategy, focus on impactful calls, share specific goals, get into some roleplay for real opportunities, and encourage personal motivation. Turn those team meetings into strategic hubs driving exponential growth and unparalleled success.

Ready to tap into those diverse motivations for effective team dynamics, impactful business development team calls, and improved sales outcomes?

Reach out to CHAP Growth Solutions today. Our team of experts is all set to help you reshape your sales strategy, fine-tune your communications, and enable your team to live up to its potential.

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