Invacare 2011 Annual Report Download - page 15

Territory Business Manager (TBM) and handles all product and service needs for an account, thus saving
customers’ valuable time. The TBM also provides training and servicing information to providers, as well as
product literature, point-of-sale materials and other advertising and merchandising aids. In Canada, products are
sold by a sales force and distributed through regional distribution centers to health care providers throughout
Canada.
The Inside Sales Department provides increased sales coverage of smaller accounts and complements the
efforts of the field sales force. Inside sales offers cost-effective sales coverage through a targeted telesales effort.
Invacare’s Technical Education department offers educational programs that place emphasis on improving
the productivity of repair technicians. The Service Referral Network includes numerous providers who honor the
company’s product warranties regardless of where the product was purchased. This network of servicing
providers seeks to ensure that all consumers using Invacare products receive quality service and support that is
consistent with the Invacare brand promise—Making Life’s Experiences Possible™.
Additionally, Invacare is the only manufacturer with a breadth of service offerings that includes the ability
to assist providers in the collection of outstanding co-pays, rental capabilities, software and technology to
streamline efficiencies, repair services and replacement parts. These tools and resources assist home and long-
term care providers in optimizing resources and furthering their business success. With National Competitive
Bidding (NCB) on the top of mind for durable medical equipment providers in the United States, Invacare began
to package all of its product and service offerings into an action guide. The action guide is complemented with
supporting materials and informational videos which can be downloaded at www.invacare.com/ncb. This
approach positions Invacare as part of the solution for our customers in the declining reimbursement environment
related to National Competitive Bidding.
The company markets products and services to the institutional care market through a specialized sales
force, a national rentals and services organization and a team of clinical professionals who call on clinical
decision makers. IPG products include beds and furnishings, patient handling, bathing, durable medical
equipment and clinical therapies, such as therapeutic support surfaces and negative pressure wound therapy. IPG
sales and marketing organizations consist of field sales representatives and independent representative agencies
supported by a marketing group that generates awareness and demand at institutions for Invacare products and
services. IPG also provides interior design services for nursing homes and assisted living facilities involved with
renovation and new construction.
The company sells distributed products, primarily soft goods and disposable medical supplies, through ISG.
ISG products include ostomy, incontinence, wound care and diabetic supplies, as well as 40 other categories of
other soft goods and disposables. ISG markets its products through field account managers, inside telesales, a
customer service department and the Internet. Additionally, ISG entered the long-term care market on a regional
basis and markets to those nursing homes utilizing independent manufacturer representatives. ISG also markets a
Home Delivery Program to home medical equipment providers through which ISG drop ships supplies in the
provider’s name to the customer’s address. Thus, providers have no products to stock, no minimum order
requirements and delivery is made within 24 to 48 hours nationwide. ISG also offers many customized marketing
programs as well as business-to-consumer and business-to-business website development, designed to help its
customers create awareness, grow companion and cash sales and assist in patient retention.
In 2011, the company continued its strategic advertising campaign in key business-to-business publications
that reach Invacare’s respective customers. The company contributed extensively to editorial coverage in trade
publications concerning the products the company manufactures; and company representatives attended
numerous trade shows and conferences on a national and regional basis in which Invacare products were
displayed to providers, health care professionals, managed care professionals and consumers. “Yes, you can.®”
continues to be Invacare’s global tagline and is used in company ads and on the Invacare global website as it is
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