As more and more of you that make your living marketing skilled nursing facilities are finding out, it is getting much harder to get into an acute care hospital and spend quality time with the people that send you referrals. If you are not experiencing problems with this then consider yourself lucky.

No longer is it enough for you to simply drop off some goodies along with a brochure on your services. Your access is being limited making it more difficult for you to do your job. That being said, you must figure out a different path.

Value is the key. You have to bring something that is of need to those you are trying to reach. Think about what those Case Managers, Social Workers and nurses working in that field have to have in order to do their jobs. All of them have a license to maintain so why not help them with that. Put together a continuing education program that addresses a timely topic and one that also highlights your community and it’s services.

Applying for CEU credits is not that difficult or time consuming. There are a number of organizations around that will certify your program. The Commission for Case Management Certification (CCMC) and The National Association for Social Workers (NASW) are just a couple.

If there is a physician in the area that is new and you are trying to attract his or her referrals then including them to be part of your program is a wonderful way to kill two birds with one stone. By doing that, you are bringing something of value to two different sources of business. You are providing the continuing education credits to the case workers and helping the physician market themselves. The best part of the whole thing is that you are seen as the organization that is bringing this together. While you are in there you can take the time to market any new product lines that you may have to offer. Also, don’t forget the most important thing. You have to feed them. That is the unwritten rule of marketing.

So if you are having difficulty gaining access to key sources consider bringing something of value to them. Otherwise you may be left on the outside looking in.