Omniflight Improves Outreach and Marketing Efforts

Jim Groover believes that in the air medical transport arena today, it only makes good business sense to organize and develop an outreach and marketing plan if you want to survive in this industry.

"You have to invest in your outreach and marketing initiatives," said Groover, regional outreach coordinator for Texas-based Omniflight. "Programs will sink without an effective program in place."

Groover, an 18-year veteran of the industry, has been a paramedic and pro¬gram manager before taking over as regional outreach coordinator where he instructs Omniflight's outreach and marketing programs in Georgia, Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida.

"Having been in the business for a long time, I had delved into marketing a little bit as a program manager, but there was really no process behind it or a system to tell us what to do and we always struggled with that," he said. "No one the industry really needed to have marketing or outreach, so there was never any direction."

But then ThinkThroughTools came along. Since implementing ThinkThroughTools' outreach and marketing processes in 2004, Groover says he has seen a substantial difference in their outreach and marketing efforts.

"When we brought ThinkThroughTools on, it really, without a doubt, put everything into place, from the perspective that there is a plan, a certain number of steps to follow, and once you complete the plan and continue with it, you'll start to see the end results," said Groover. "I have been with this company for 18 years but they started making my job fun again, and it still is, to this day."

Groover said that they base their outreach and marketing program on the information, knowledge and process that ThinkThroughTools' CEO, Rich Obertots, taught them over the 18-month period that he spent with them.

"I always said that there has to be a better way to implement your outreach and marketing strategies," Groover said. "There has to be an organized effort that can make me very efficient in what I am doing and I couldn't figure it out. Nobody in the industry could really figure it out except for Rich and he put it to work for us."

Obertots taught Groover and his staff on how to effectively use ThinkThroughTools' trademarked, TargetingMatrix process.

"The TargetingMatrix concepts are very simple, explained Groover. "It's all about imprinting the minds of individuals, one person at a time. Of course, the next question begs, well how do you know what individuals to go out there and imprint? You want to imprint the individuals that have the capability to trigger business or to make the phone ring or turn it into a flight request. Rich's concept is to do data collection in the beginning, using a matrix system and collect data on as many people in your geographic area as you possibly can. Ultimately through this process, you'll discover who the key decision-makers are."

Groover admits that the process takes time and patience.

"You really do get out what you put into it," he said. "Working with Rich has meant the world to our organization and it's helping to produce dividends for the entire company."

Obertots said that Jim Groover exemplifies the kind of professional that is effective at outreach.

"The success that Jim, his colleagues and his associated programs have earned is greatly based on their willingness to trust, believe and commit to the ThinkThroughTools principles and on-demand software systems," he said. "Frankly, we often meet with highly intense resistance because it takes work and discipline to be effective with what we provide. Jim – his team supported by Ralph McDaniel and Bill Pike who originally engaged us - devoted the energy, time and darn hard work needed to yield results."

Obertots said that ThinkThroughTools is grateful that they continue on this trajectory.

"Circa 2008 – most of the Air Medical Transport industry is far behind other industries in utilizing effective outreach systems and on-demand software," added Obertots. "Those like Jim Groover who are highly committed and invested in this will achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.”

For more information on how to improve your outreach and marketing, contact ThinkThroughTools at 412.670.9906 or info@ThinkThroughTools.com.