Tuesday Talk: Selling with Integrity with Lisa Thomsen
Watch the full discussion on our YouTube Channel.
When people think about starting a home care Franchise, they often focus on hiring caregivers, serving clients, and making a difference in their community. While those things are essential, there is another critical piece of the puzzle: building relationships that help your business grow.
In a recent Tuesday Talk, Jen Chaney, Senior Vice President of Franchise Development at Right at Home, sat down with Lisa Thomsen, Director of Sales and Referral Network Alliances, to discuss how Right at Home helps Franchise Owners develop referral relationships and confidently navigate the sales process.
With nearly two decades of experience in the home care industry and 30 years as a nurse, Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge to Franchisees across the System. Her role is simple but powerful: help owners create meaningful relationships that ultimately allow them to serve more seniors.
Inside vs. Outside Sales
According to Lisa, sales in home care are a team effort.
Outside sales focuses on building relationships in the community. This involves visiting hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospices, senior living communities, and other organizations that may encounter seniors who need care.
“It’s really about conversations, not presentations,” Lisa explained. “This is a relationship business.”
Inside sales begins when the phone rings. Whether it’s an adult child searching for care for a parent or a referral source reaching out with a need, the person answering that call becomes the first impression of the business. Their goal is to listen, understand the family’s situation, and guide them toward the next step, often leading to an in-home assessment.
You Don’t Need Healthcare Experience
One of the most common concerns prospective Franchise Owners have is whether they need healthcare or home care experience to succeed.
Lisa says the answer is no.
Before new owners even attend Residence Week, Right at Home’s intensive onboarding and training program, they begin working with the sales team to identify key referral opportunities in their territory. Together, they map local healthcare providers, senior care organizations, and community partners that can become valuable referral sources.
“We’re going to guide you through identifying the people and organizations you should be meeting with,” Lisa said.
The support continues throughout training and beyond, ensuring franchisees understand not only who to talk to, but how to build those relationships over time.
Home Care Sales Playbook
Right at Home doesn’t expect owners to figure everything out on their own.
Lisa and her team provide extensive sales training and resources that help franchisees understand different types of referral sources and customize their approach based on what matters most to each audience.
These resources include:
- Referral source-specific training videos
- Sales best practices and prospecting guidance
- Key target profiles for major referral categories
- Strategies for overcoming common objectives
- Ongoing coaching and one-on-one support
“Each referral source has different priorities,” Lisa explained. “We help owners understand what’s important to them and how home care creates value for them.”
Whether working with a hospice provider, a home health agency, or a senior living community, franchisees have access to tools designed specifically for those conversations.
Why Persistence Matters
Building referral relationships takes time. Lisa shared that it can take eight to twelve interactions before a referral source develops enough trust to begin consistently referring clients.
That’s why persistence is so important.
“Persistence without being a pest,” Lisa said.
Rather than viewing the process as a matter of overcoming rejection, Lisa encourages Franchise owners to focus on relationship-building. If one contact is difficult to reach, there is often another pathway through someone in their professional Network.
“The best salesperson isn’t the one who never hears no,” she said. “It’s the one who keeps showing up.”
Training That Continues Long After Residence Week
Sales training at Right at Home doesn’t end when Residence Week is over.
The System provides ongoing support through coaching, educational resources, and direct access to Lisa and her team. Franchisees can continue refining their skills as they encounter real-world situations in their local markets.
One exciting addition to the training experience is Right at Home’s AI-powered sales training tool, RightConnect. This technology allows Franchise Owners to practice conversations with realistic sales personas in a safe environment before engaging with actual referral sources or prospective clients.
“It’s all about repetition and learning how to speak the language,” Lisa said.
Standing Out in a Competitive Market
With hundreds of thousands of home care businesses operating across the United States, how does a Right at Home Franchise stand apart?
While Brand recognition certainly helps, Lisa believes the biggest differentiator is the person representing the business.
Referral sources want partners who are responsive, trustworthy, communicative, and focused on solving problems.
“People refer to people, not places,” Lisa said.
Rather than leading every conversation by talking about why their company is great, Lisa encourages Franchise Owners to learn about the referral source first.
What are their goals? What challenges do they face? How can home care help them achieve better outcomes?
By making the relationship about the referral source rather than the sales pitch, Franchisees build credibility and long-term trust.
The Importance of Inside Sales
While outside sales creates opportunities, inside sales helps convert them.
When families call a Right at Home office, they are often facing stressful and emotional situations. They may be looking for care after a hospital stay, dealing with a sudden change in health, or trying to keep a loved one safe at home.
Lisa’s advice is straightforward. Answer the Phone. Then Listen.
Show empathy, ask thoughtful questions, and provide guidance.
“People are often in crisis mode when they call,” she explained. “Your job is to be a resource.
That human connection is just as important as any sales technique.
Be in Charge of Making Your Phone Ring
At the end of their conversation, Lisa emphasized one message she hopes prospective Franchise Owners remember.
Successful growth doesn’t happen by waiting for opportunities to appear.
While online searches and other marketing efforts can help generate leads, long-term success comes from actively building a pipeline of referral relationships.
“If you believe you’re the best at serving seniors,” Lisa said, “then you should get out there and talk about it.”
At Right at Home, Franchise Owners receive the training, tools, coaching, and support needed to build those relationships with confidence. By combining a trusted Brand with proven sales systems and ongoing guidance, Franchisees are equipped to grow their business while making a meaningful difference in the lives of seniors and their families.
Interested in Learning More about Owning a Right at Home Franchise?
Explore how our training, support, and proven systems help entrepreneurs build businesses with purpose while serving the growing needs of seniors in their communities.
