Support Coordinators are a great source of potential business for NDIS providers for the simple reason that Support Coordinators are in charge of multiple participants, have defined demand, and offer repeat businesses opportunities. In theory, collaborating with Support Coordinators could growth your business significantly.
The problem however is that this collaboration isn’t happening in reality.
So why aren’t providers tapping into this opportunity?
- Most providers haven’t defined a list of Support Coordinators in their geography.
- This list isn’t “worked” through a consistent sales process.
- Providers don’t have a true Partnership Strategy.
What is a Partnership Strategy?
When Providers talk about creating “Partnerships”, they can often be guilty of trying to create a one-way transaction that benefits only their business. They think that simply calling up a bunch of Support Coordinators will mean that the Support Coordinators instantly want to do business with them.
To create something more meaningful, Providers need to reflect on how they can solve each other’s problems. When there is a trade, there is value. Where there is value, there is a business relationship.
How can NDIS providers solve the problems of Support Coordinators?
Providers should start by discovering the biggest problems of Support Coordinators. They can do this through consultation and by mapping the services that they (as the provider) offer with the everyday problems of Support Coordinators.
Example problem
I spoke to a Support Coordinator recently, on the South Coast of NSW, who openly admitted that whenever a participant requires Support Independent Living (SIL), they are often resorting to Googling for available accommodation.
They didn’t have a defined nor scalable way of searching for this accommodation. The result is wasted time and a hit/miss process of discovery.
Example solution
This particular problem was solvable by the provider creating their own current vacancy page on their website.
Furthermore, by collaborating with the SC’s central admin team, they agreed to notify the admin team each time a new vacancy became available. This enabled their admin team to then notify the relevant Support Coordinators in terms of geography.
The result
A win for the Support Coordinators of that business because we just solved one of their biggest problems!
A win for us because we built a systematic conduit of reliable business.
Conclusion
- Take the time to see problems in the eyes of Support Coordinators.
- Find ways to alleviate their troubles.
- Implement for a win – win
If you are looking for a in-depth guide, then download The NDIS Marketing Guide
